Cambridge A2 Key (KET) study guide
Cambridge A2 Key (KET) ยท Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
A2 Key, also known as KET, is a Cambridge English Qualification at CEFR level A2. Alongside its school-oriented twin, A2 Key for Schools, it is proof that a learner can communicate in simple situations: understanding and using basic phrases and expressions, following simple written English, introducing themselves and answering basic questions about themselves, and interacting with English speakers at a basic level. The two versions sit at the same CEFR level and follow the same format; the difference is audience, with A2 Key for Schools tailored to school-age learners and A2 Key designed for adults. The exam tests all four skills - reading, writing, listening and speaking - across three papers and takes about two hours in total. Topics on this exam: Reading and Writing, Listening, and Speaking. The Cambridge A2 Key (KET) study guide has 3 sections and about 1,117 words.
01A2 Key Reading and Writing: Paper Map, Grammar Gaps and Short Writing
Reading and Writing lasts about 70 minutes and has seven parts. Parts 1โ5 test reading: short notices and messages (Part 1), matching people to short texts (Part 2), a longer text with multiple-choice questions (Part 3), a text with three-option gaps (Part 4) and a text with six gaps you fill with one word (Part 5). Part 6 asks for a short message or email of about 25 words; Part 7 asks for a story of about 35 words. All answers go on an answer sheet, so practise transferring them.
404 words, about 2 min02A2 Key Listening: Five Parts, Corrections and Spelling
About 30 minutes, five parts, 25 questions. Every recording is heard twice. Part 1: short dialogues with three pictures - choose the right picture. Part 2: a short talk with gaps to fill (a number, a time, a name, a place).
377 words, about 2 min03A2 Key Speaking: Answer, Add, Interact
8โ10 minutes, two candidates and two examiners. Part 1: the examiner asks you and your partner about yourself - name, where you live, school, free time. Part 2: you talk to each other about a picture prompt (what you can see, what you like), then answer some open questions from the examiner. Give a short answer plus one extra detail - a reason, an example or a time.
336 words, about 2 min