English A1 Level Test for Kids: What a Printable Test Must Contain

Many English level tests are for adults. They have 20 to 40 multiple choice items, one grammar rule per item and no pictures. For a class of children aged 9 to 12, this format does not work. This guide lists what a printable English A1 test for young learners must contain.

Who the test is for

Level A1 of the CEFR is the first year of English. At this level, a child can:

• give a name, an age and a country,
• count to 100 and say the time,
• name colours, school things, food and animals,
• say what the child can do and likes,
• describe a room with there is and there are.

A class at this level often has students from different countries. The students do not share a first language. A test with translation hints in one language does not help the whole class.

Check 1: pictures instead of translations

A good A1 test for children gives the hint as a picture, not as a translation. A clock face shows the time. A room scene shows the objects for the prepositions in, on and under. A calendar shows the days.

Count the pictures in a test before you use it. A test with fewer than ten pictures depends on the instructions. A child who does not understand the instruction fails the task, not the English.

Check 2: five task types

A multiple choice test shows the total, but not the weak skill. A test with five parts shows both:

Part	Task	Points
Part A	Vocabulary with pictures	10
Part B	Gap fill with picture hints	20
Part C	Multiple choice grammar	20
Part D	Sentence writing	20
Part E	Reading text with questions	30

The reading part has the most points, because reading is the skill that the next year builds on. The writing part shows whether the child can make a sentence, not only recognise one.

Check 3: an example item at the start of each task

A child at A1 cannot read a long instruction in English. Each task must start with one example item that shows the task. The instruction stays short: "Look and write" or "Choose the correct word".

Check 4: an answer key with points

The answer key must give the points for each part and the rule for a partly correct answer. For example: a full sentence gets 4 points, 2 points for the content and 2 points for a correct sentence. A spelling error costs no points, except in an item that asks for a number or a day in words.

Without this rule, two teachers give two different scores for the same test.

Check 5: more than one version

If two children sit next to each other, they see the same test. A second version with the same tasks and different sentences solves this problem. A third version is for the retake and for the review lesson.

A free test that passes the five checks

The English A1 Unit Tests set has 15 printable tests: five topics, three versions of each test. Each test has the five parts above, 100 points and 40 minutes of work time. Each test has at least 19 pictures. The instructions are in simple English, and each task starts with an example. The tests use British spelling, and the answer key also accepts American spelling.

The free sample is the full Greetings Test 1 with its answer key. You do not need an account for the download.

How to use the test as a level test

Use this procedure in the first week:

1. Print the free Greetings Test 1 for each child. Remove the answer key page before you print.
2. Show the example item of each part. Do not translate.
3. Give the children 40 minutes.
4. Correct the tests with the answer key and write the points of each part on the first page.
5. Give a child with 70 points or more the test of a later topic, for example my home and prepositions.

The later topics are in the full set. The set is one payment, with no subscription. The 15 PDF files come to your email address immediately after the payment. Licence: one teacher, one classroom. Open the English A1 Unit Tests page to see the first page of each topic.