PRÁCTICA ORIGINAL · A2 · TEST 1
Reading and Writing · un único paper de 60 minutos · respuestas razonadas
60 minutos · 30 preguntas objetivas + 2 redacciones · 7 partes en un solo paper
Este simulacro cubre el paper de Reading and Writing completo (Parts 1–7). No incluye Listening ni Speaking y no permite calcular una nota global oficial.
This is original practice material. It follows the current Cambridge English exam format but is not an official Cambridge English paper and is not endorsed by Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
Todos los nivelesA2 Key (no For Schools): Reading and Writing forman un único paper de 60 minutos con 7 partes. Parts 1–5 son de lectura (30 preguntas, 1 punto cada una) y Parts 6–7 de escritura: un email de 25 palabras o más y una historia de 35 palabras o más a partir de tres imágenes.
| Parte | Tarea | Preguntas | Foco | Puntos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Multiple choice — short texts | 1–6 | Understanding the main message of six short real-world texts: notices, signs, messages and emails. | 1 por ítem; 6 total |
| Part 2 | Multiple matching | 7–13 | Reading three short texts on the same topic for specific information and detailed understanding. | 1 por ítem; 7 total |
| Part 3 | Multiple choice — long text | 14–18 | Reading one longer text for detailed understanding and main ideas. | 1 por ítem; 5 total |
| Part 4 | Multiple-choice cloze | 19–24 | Choosing the correct vocabulary item (meaning, collocation, phrasal or prepositional pattern) in a factual text. | 1 por ítem; 6 total |
| Part 5 | Open cloze | 25–30 | Grammar and function words: completing an email and its reply with ONE word in each gap. | 1 por ítem; 6 total |
| Part 6 | Guided writing: email or note | 31 | Communicating three pieces of information to a friend | 15 (Content, Organisation, Language) |
| Part 7 | Picture story | 32 | Narrating a sequence of three pictures | 15 (Content, Organisation, Language) |
Reading (Parts 1–5): 30 marks, 1 per question. Writing: Parts 6 and 7 are each marked out of 15 (three scales × 0–5) for a total of 30. Practice scores only: do not convert them to the Cambridge English Scale.
Formato contrastado con Cambridge English — A2 Key. El material y los descriptores de corrección son de práctica, no oficiales.
Part 1: 6 min; Part 2: 8 min; Part 3: 9 min; Part 4: 6 min; Part 5: 6 min (Reading 35 min).
Part 6: 10 min; Part 7: 12 min; revisión final: 3 min. Total del paper: 60 min.
Reading y Writing se hacen seguidos en el mismo paper: controla tú el reparto del tiempo.
Time allowed: 60 minutes · Parts 1–7 · 30 questions + 2 writing tasks
For each question, choose the correct answer (A, B or C).
For each question, choose the correct answer (A, B or C). Three teenagers talk about their weekend jobs.
I work in a small café near my house every Saturday morning. I started last year because I wanted to save money for a new laptop. I usually make sandwiches and wash cups, but sometimes I serve customers too. The work isn’t difficult, but I have to get up at six o’clock, which I hate! My boss is very kind and gives me free cake at the end of the day. I’m not paid a lot, but I’ve already saved more than half the money I need.
On Sundays I help at an animal centre outside town. I don’t get any money for it, but I don’t mind because I love animals. I take the dogs for walks and clean their beds. My mum drives me there because there are no buses on Sundays. Last month I learned how to give medicine to a cat, which was really interesting. I’d like to be a vet one day, so this is great experience for me. The only problem is that I’m always very dirty when I get home!
I teach the piano to two young children on Saturday afternoons. I’ve played for eight years, so I enjoy sharing what I know. The lessons are at their house, which is quite far from mine, so I go by bike. The children’s parents pay me well, and I spend most of the money on concert tickets. Sometimes the kids don’t want to practise, and then I have to think of fun games to make them play. It isn’t always easy, but it has taught me to be patient.
Answer with A (Maria), B (Daniel), C (Aisha).
Who doesn’t get paid for their work?
________________________________Who is saving money for something special?
________________________________Who travels to work by bike?
________________________________Who says they don’t like starting work early?
________________________________Who is doing a job connected to the career they want?
________________________________Who sometimes has to find ways to make the work fun for other people?
________________________________Who gets a lift to work from a family member?
________________________________For each question, choose the correct answer (A, B or C).
A new life in Vancouver by Lucas Moreno
When my dad got a new job in Vancouver, Canada, I was fourteen. I was excited, but I was also worried because my English wasn’t very good and I didn’t know anyone there.
On my first day at my new school, I hardly spoke. I understood the teachers when they spoke slowly, but the other students talked very fast and used lots of words I didn’t know. At lunchtime I sat alone and read a book. I felt quite homesick.
Things changed after about a month. My science teacher, Mrs Clark, asked me to work with a boy called Owen on a class project about rivers. Owen was quiet too, and he was really patient with my English. We spent hours in the library together, and we got the best mark in the class! After that, Owen invited me to join his basketball team.
Playing basketball helped me a lot. I had to listen carefully to the coach and talk to my teammates during games, so my English got better very quickly. I also made lots of new friends.
The weather was the hardest thing to get used to. It rained almost every day in winter, and I really missed the sunshine at home in Spain. But in summer Vancouver is beautiful, and we went camping in the mountains.
Now I’m back in Spain, and I still talk to Owen online every week. He’s going to visit me next summer, and I can’t wait to show him my city.
How did Lucas feel before he moved to Canada?
What was difficult for Lucas on his first day?
Why did Lucas start working with Owen?
What helped Lucas’s English to improve quickly?
What does Lucas say about the weather in Vancouver?
For each question, choose the correct answer (A, B or C).
Giant pandas
Giant pandas live in the mountains of central China. They (19) ____ most of the day eating bamboo – up to 14 hours! An adult panda can eat about 12 kilos of bamboo every day.
Pandas are very good at climbing trees, and young pandas often (20) ____ in them. Although they look slow, they can also swim well.
A baby panda is very small when it is (21) ____ – it weighs only about 100 grams, about the same as an apple. It stays with its mother for about two years.
In the past, the number of pandas fell because people cut down the forests where they lived. Now the Chinese government (22) ____ these forests, and there are more than 1,800 pandas in the wild. In 2016, pandas were (23) ____ from the list of endangered animals.
Today many zoos around the world have pandas, and they are always very (24) ____ with visitors.
For each question, write the correct answer. Write ONE word for each gap.
From: Emma To: Kate
Hi Kate,
How (25) ____ you? I’m writing to tell you about my new bike. My parents gave it to me (26) ____ my birthday last week. It’s blue and really fast! Would you like to go for a ride with me on Saturday? We (27) ____ cycle to the lake and have a picnic there.
Emma
From: Kate To: Emma
Hi Emma,
That’s a great idea! What time shall we meet? I (28) ____ to finish my homework in the morning, so is 2 o’clock OK? I’ll bring some sandwiches and (29) ____ bottle of water. Do you know (30) ____ the weather will be good?
Kate
Name: __________________________________ Date: __________________
Record answers 1–30 here. For Parts 1–4 write the letter (A, B or C). For Part 5 write ONE word in CAPITAL LETTERS. Write Parts 6 and 7 on separate paper.
Parts 6 and 7 are part of the same 60-minute paper. Answer BOTH questions.
Write your answers on separate paper and clearly mark the question number (31 or 32).
Question 31 · Email · Write 25 words or more.
You want to go to the cinema with your English friend Alex next weekend. Write an email to Alex. In your email: • say which film you want to see • tell Alex when you want to go • say how you will travel to the cinema.
Question 32 · Story · Write 35 words or more.
Look at the three pictures. Write the story shown in the pictures.
Photos: 1 — photo by John Legrand; 2 — photo by Arwen; 3 — photo by Food Photographer | Jennifer Pallian on Unsplash.
Teachers: hide this section before printing for students. The student print stylesheet hides this entire section, even when it is open.
Attempt every question before opening the key. These marks are classroom feedback, not an official Cambridge result. Where an alternative is acceptable, it is noted in the explanation.
Hi Alex,
Do you want to come to the cinema with me next weekend? I’d like to see the new animated film about a dragon. Shall we go on Saturday at four o’clock? We can take the bus from my house.
See you soon, Marta
Teacher comment: All three points are covered (film, day and time, transport) in simple, clear sentences. Opening and closing are suitable for a friend; ‘Shall we…?’ and ‘We can…’ are natural A2 suggestions.
Last Saturday, Anna wanted to make a cake for her brother’s birthday. First, she put flour, eggs and sugar in a big bowl and mixed them together. Then she put the cake in the oven for forty minutes.
In the evening, the family ate the cake with cream and cherries. Everyone loved it!
Teacher comment: Tells the story of all three pictures in order with past simple verbs, uses sequencers (first, then, in the evening) and adds a simple ending. Length is comfortably above 35 words.
A2 Key Writing is assessed on three scales — Content, Organisation and Language — each 0–5, for a maximum of 15 marks per question. Descriptors below are a classroom adaptation, not the official Cambridge band descriptors.
| Mark | Content | Organisation | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | All content is relevant; the target reader is fully informed (all three points in Part 6; the whole story in Part 7). | The text is connected and coherent, using basic linking words (and, but, because, then) and some referencing. | Uses everyday vocabulary generally appropriately and simple grammar with good control; errors do not stop understanding. |
| 4 | Minor irrelevance or omission may be present; the reader is on the whole informed. | Mostly connected; a few links could be clearer. | Good everyday vocabulary and simple grammar; occasional errors that do not impede the message. |
| 3 | Minor irrelevances and/or omissions may be present; the reader is on the whole informed. | The text is connected using basic, high-frequency linking words. | Uses basic vocabulary reasonably appropriately and simple grammatical forms with some control; errors may impede meaning at times. |
| 2 | One point is missing or unclear, or part of the story is not told; the reader is only partly informed. | Ideas are listed with very few links. | Limited vocabulary; frequent errors make some parts difficult to follow. |
| 1 | Irrelevances and misinterpretation of the task may be present; the reader is minimally informed. | Production unlikely to be connected, though punctuation and simple connectors may be used. | Produces basic vocabulary of isolated words and phrases and a few simple grammatical forms with limited control. |
| 0 | Content is totally irrelevant; the reader is not informed. | No assessable organisation. | Performance below Band 1. |
Moderation: assess each scale separately and choose the closest band. Even bands (2, 4) are for scripts that share features of the bands above and below. Short answers are not penalised automatically, but missing content lowers the Content mark.
