A2 Key for Schools study plan
A2 Key for Schools · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Reading and Writing
Diagnose current Reading and Writing level by completing one full practice paper under timed conditions and recording the score for each part
Build a personal vocabulary list of 60 everyday school-and-home words (family, food, school subjects, free time) and write each word into a short sentence
Practise Part 1 sign-and-notice questions by matching 15 short messages to their meanings and noting why each distractor is wrong
Set up a weekly study schedule of four 90-minute sessions and log the times in a study diary
Your checkpoint
A scored baseline Reading and Writing paper plus a 60-word vocabulary list with example sentences, both saved in a study folder
Reading and Writing
Read and answer 20 Part 2 questions about short texts (emails, notices, adverts) by locating the exact line that gives each answer
Complete 15 Part 3 conversations by choosing the correct response and explain the grammar or meaning clue that decides each one
Review present simple and present continuous forms and write 20 sentences describing daily routines versus actions happening now
Learn 50 high-frequency irregular past-tense verbs and test yourself by writing them from memory
Your checkpoint
A completed Part 2 and Part 3 practice set with the supporting line underlined for every answer
Reading and Writing
Practise Part 4 multiple-choice reading with three short texts, answering 15 questions and justifying each choice with a quoted phrase
Practise Part 5 gap-fill on a short article by choosing from four options and identifying the part of speech needed in each gap
Write two 25-word messages (a note to a friend, a reply to an invitation) using correct punctuation and capital letters
Review comparatives, superlatives and common prepositions of time and place, then correct 15 sentences containing errors
Your checkpoint
Two handwritten 25-word messages plus a corrected error sheet of 15 sentences
Reading and Writing & Listening
Complete a full timed Reading and Writing paper and compare the part-by-part score with the week 1 baseline
Write one 35-word email and one 35-word story within 15 minutes each, checking word count and all three required content points
Begin Listening Part 1 by doing 10 short-dialogue picture-free tasks (identify the key detail in each conversation) and note the distractors
Build a listening vocabulary log of 40 words that are often misheard (numbers, days, prices, times) and drill them aloud
Your checkpoint
A mid-point score report showing progress against the baseline, plus one 35-word email and one 35-word story
Listening
Practise Listening Part 2 by completing 15 note-completion tasks with one or two words and checking spelling against the audio
Practise Listening Part 3 by answering 15 multiple-choice questions on longer conversations and predicting the topic before listening
Train spelling of days, months, numbers and common names by transcribing 30 spoken items
Listen to one five-minute English audio clip daily and summarise it in two sentences
Your checkpoint
A listening transcript notebook with 30 correctly spelled items and five two-sentence audio summaries
Listening & Speaking
Complete a full timed Listening paper and identify which part loses the most marks and why
Practise Speaking Part 1 by recording answers to 15 personal questions about school, hobbies and family, keeping each answer to two or three sentences
Practise Speaking Part 2 by describing two pictures for one minute each, covering people, place, action and weather
Rehearse the Part 3 interactive task with a partner or voice recorder, asking and answering three follow-up questions
Your checkpoint
Three recorded speaking tasks (personal questions, picture description, interaction) with a self-assessment checklist
Reading and Writing & Speaking
Do a full timed Reading and Writing paper and aim to finish every part with five minutes to check spelling
Redo the weakest Reading part from weeks 1 to 6 and explain each corrected answer aloud
Record a complete mock Speaking test and listen back to mark pronunciation, fluency and range on a simple three-point scale
Write five 25-word notes in five minutes each to build speed for the short writing tasks
Your checkpoint
A full mock Reading and Writing score plus a self-marked speaking recording with three improvement notes
Reading and Writing & Listening & Speaking
Sit one complete mock exam across all three papers under real timing and record every section score
Review the error log from all eight weeks and redo the ten questions that were missed most often
Rehearse exam-day routines: reading instructions, checking word limits and managing time in each part
Record a final speaking sample and compare it with the week 6 recording to confirm improvement
Your checkpoint
A final mock exam score sheet across all three papers with a one-page revision summary for exam day
Milestones
Week 4: Baseline Reading and Writing score has improved by at least 10 percent, and both 35-word writing tasks meet the word count with all content points covered
Week 6: Listening mock score is at least 60 percent, and the candidate can answer 15 personal speaking questions without long pauses
Week 8: Full mock exam across all three papers shows a pass-level total, with no single paper more than 15 percent below the others