Linguaskill Business cheat sheet

The Speaking test is a computer-delivered interview with five parts: read aloud, repeat sentences, answer short questions, describe an image, and discuss a topic.

Read-aloud items are scored on pronunciation, fluency, and content; reading speed should approximate natural speech, roughly 140–160 words per minute.

Repeat-sentence items increase in length and syntactic complexity; scoring rewards accurate reproduction of content words and grammatical structure.

Short-answer questions test everyday business knowledge; answers are typically one phrase or sentence, not extended explanations.

Image description tasks give 30–45 seconds of preparation and 45–60 seconds of speech; a structured description covers what, where, who, and why it matters.

Topic discussion tasks require a 60–90 second monologue with a clear position, two supporting reasons, and a brief conclusion.

Fluency is judged by pauses, repetition, and self-correction; filled pauses such as 'um' and long silent gaps lower the score.

Grammar and vocabulary are scored on range and accuracy; using complex structures correctly outweighs attempting them unsuccessfully.

Responses are recorded and scored by automated speech-recognition and language-processing systems; clear articulation and consistent volume improve recognition accuracy.

The Writing test has two tasks: a short email or letter of about 50 words and a longer email, report, or proposal of about 180–220 words.

Task 1 is scored on task achievement, grammar, vocabulary, and organization; the short response must address all bullet points in the prompt.

Task 2 is scored on task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy.

Word-count penalties apply below the minimum; a 50-word task answered in 30 words loses task-achievement marks even if the language is accurate.

Business register matters: use formal openings (Dear Mr/Ms + surname) and closings (Yours sincerely / Kind regards) unless the prompt specifies an informal recipient.

Cohesion is built with referencing (this, these, such), logical connectors (however, therefore, in addition), and paragraph topic sentences.

Common Task 2 genres are email to a colleague or client, report to a manager, and proposal for a project; each has a predictable structure (purpose, details, action/request).

Grammar range is demonstrated by conditionals, passives, relative clauses, and modal verbs; accuracy is judged on errors that impede communication.

Spelling and punctuation are part of lexical and grammatical scoring; contractions are acceptable in informal emails but usually avoided in reports and proposals.

Reading is adaptive: question difficulty adjusts to performance, so early accuracy influences the difficulty and scoring of later items.

Question types include multiple-choice, gap-fill, matching headings, True/False/Not Given, and short-answer questions.

Skimming identifies the main idea and text organization; scanning locates specific names, dates, figures, and keywords.

For gap-fill items, grammar and collocation constrain the answer; the missing word must fit the part of speech and the surrounding preposition or verb pattern.

True/False/Not Given: 'False' means the text contradicts the statement; 'Not Given' means the text neither confirms nor contradicts it.

Matching headings requires distinguishing the main idea of a paragraph from supporting details; the first and last sentences often signal the topic.

Time management: approximately 1–1.5 minutes per question; longer texts should be read for gist first, then scanned for answer locations.

Business texts frequently use nominalization (implementation, negotiation) and passive voice; recognizing these improves comprehension of formal reports.

Distractor options in multiple-choice often repeat words from the text but change meaning through qualifiers such as 'all', 'only', or 'never'.

Listening is adaptive and computer-delivered; audio is played once, and questions appear before or during the recording.

Task types include multiple-choice, gap-fill notes, matching, and short answer; each tests different listening skills.

Before audio starts, read the question and predict the answer type (number, name, place, reason) to focus attention.

Distractors are common: speakers may mention an option and then reject or correct it; the final stated information is usually the answer.

Numbers, dates, times, and prices are frequent gap-fill answers; listen for corrections such as 'actually' or 'sorry, I meant'.

Signposting language (however, on the other hand, the main point is) signals the speaker's intended answer or contrast.

Spelling matters in gap-fill items; names and technical terms may be spelled out letter by letter.

Business contexts include meetings, phone calls, presentations, and negotiations; vocabulary for agendas, deadlines, and figures is high-frequency.

Note-taking during audio should be minimal-short keywords only-because writing full sentences causes missed information.