LanguageCert A2 Access cheat sheet

The Written exam is split into Listening, Reading and Writing; Listening and Reading are receptive papers marked by answer key, while Writing is marked against task achievement, organisation and language range/accuracy.

Section timing is fixed and printed on the paper: candidates see the full paper structure at the start, so time allocation per task is a decision rule, not a guess - leave the Writing task until last if Listening/Reading run long.

Listening tasks at A2 use short monologues and dialogues (announcements, messages, everyday conversations); each recording is heard twice, and questions test gist, specific detail and simple inference, not paraphrase of every word.

Reading at A2 uses short real-world texts: notices, signs, adverts, timetables, emails, short articles. Question types include multiple-choice, true/false, matching headings or sentences to gaps, and short-answer with a word limit.

Writing at A2 typically requires a short message, email or note of about 50-80 words on a familiar topic (invitation, apology, request, giving news), plus possibly a shorter form-filling or sentence-completion task.

Word limits in Writing are enforced: answers far under the limit lose task-achievement marks, and answers far over the limit risk irrelevance and errors - count words, do not estimate.

Spelling and punctuation count in Writing; a misspelt word that obscures meaning is treated as an error, so high-frequency everyday words (accommodation, receive, because, Wednesday) must be secure.

In Listening, answers must be written as heard or in the required form (number, time, name); transfer of answers happens within the given time, so write answers on the paper as you listen, then check spelling.

The Spoken exam is a face-to-face or online interview with an examiner, in four parts: personal information questions, a short monologue on a picture or topic, a role-play or interactive task, and a closing discussion.

Part 1 tests familiar personal topics (home, work/study, free time, holidays, family); answers of one or two extended sentences score better than one-word replies, which limit range.

The monologue/photo task gives about one minute of preparation and 1-2 minutes of speech; candidates must cover what they see, where it is, what is happening and a personal reaction.

The interactive/role-play task requires the candidate to ask questions as well as answer them; producing at least two or three questions (about price, time, location, preferences) is part of task achievement.

Assessment uses analytic criteria: task achievement/communication, fluency and coherence, pronunciation, grammar range and accuracy, and vocabulary range - each contributes separately, so accuracy alone does not compensate for silence.

A2 grammar expected includes present simple and continuous, past simple, going to and will for plans, comparatives, modals (can, must, should, would like), and basic conditionals.

Pronunciation is judged on intelligibility, not accent: word stress, sentence stress and clear final consonants matter more than sounding native.

Examiners may repeat or rephrase a question once; candidates should ask for clarification ('Sorry, could you say that again?') rather than guess or stay silent.

Use past simple for finished past events with a stated or implied time (yesterday, last week, in 2019); use present perfect only for experience or results with no finished time, and A2 tasks rarely require it.

Use 'going to' for plans already decided and 'will' for instant decisions, offers and predictions; mixing them in a writing task is a common accuracy error.

Countable/uncountable rule: use 'much' and 'a little' with uncountables (money, time, water), 'many' and 'a few' with countables, and 'a lot of' with both.

Articles: 'a/an' for first mention of a singular countable noun, 'the' for second mention or shared knowledge, no article for general plurals and uncountables ('I like music').

Linking words for A2 writing: 'because', 'so', 'but', 'and', 'then', 'after that', 'also'; these raise coherence marks and should appear at least once per paragraph.

Formal vs informal register: an email to a friend uses contractions and 'Hi ... Take care'; an email to a business uses 'Dear Sir/Madam', no contractions, and 'Yours faithfully' when the name is unknown.

Prepositions of time: 'in' with months, years and parts of the day (in July, in 2024, in the morning), 'on' with days and dates (on Monday, on 3 May), 'at' with clock times and 'at night'.

Numbers, dates and times in Listening are the highest-frequency distractor: 'half past seven' = 7:30, 'a quarter to nine' = 8:45, and prices are read as 'four ninety-nine' = 4.99.

Giving opinions: 'I think ...', 'In my opinion ...', 'For me, ...'; always add a reason with 'because' to extend the turn and show range.

Agreeing and disagreeing politely: 'I agree', 'That's true, but ...', 'I'm not sure about that'; a bare 'No' is too short for the interactive task.

Asking for information in the role-play: 'How much is it?', 'What time does it start?', 'Where is it?', 'Can I pay by card?', 'Is it far from here?' - question word order (auxiliary before subject) is assessed.

Making requests and offers: 'Could you ...?', 'Would you like ...?', 'Shall I ...?'; 'Can you ...?' is acceptable at A2 but 'Could you ...?' demonstrates a wider range.

Describing a picture: use present continuous for actions ('A man is waiting for a bus'), 'there is/there are' for objects, and prepositions of place (in the middle, on the left, in the background).

Talking about the past: use past simple with time markers ('Last summer I went to ...'), and use 'It was ...' for reactions; avoid switching to present tense mid-narrative.

Handling a gap: use fillers ('Well ...', 'Let me think ...') briefly, then answer; long silences reduce fluency and coherence scores more than a simple sentence.

Closing the interview: expect 'Do you have any questions?' and prepare one or two questions about the course, exam or results to show interactive ability.