PEIC A1 cheat sheet

At A1, listening tasks use short, slow, clear speech about familiar topics: greetings, names, numbers, prices, times, places, and simple daily routines.

Key question words to recognise by sound: what, who, where, when, how many, how much, which. The answer type depends on the question word used.

Numbers: know 0-100, plus prices (£, $, €) and times (half past, quarter to, o'clock). Numbers are often the only scored detail in a task.

Spelling aloud: letters are named one by one (e.g. a name or postcode). Write each letter as it is said; do not wait for the whole word.

The alphabet is the standard fallback for spelling: A=/eɪ/, E=/iː/, I=/aɪ/, O=/oʊ/, U=/juː/; B=/biː/, V=/viː/, G=/dʒiː/, J=/dʒeɪ/.

Distinguish similar sounds: thirteen/thirty, fourteen/forty, fifteen/fifty; -teen stress falls on the second syllable, -ty on the first.

Typical A1 listening formats: multiple choice with pictures, matching names to items, ticking the correct day/time, and short answer with one or two words.

If a detail is repeated or corrected ('no, on Tuesday'), the second version is the answer; correction markers are no, sorry, actually, I mean.

A1 reading texts are short (roughly 50-150 words): signs, notices, menus, timetables, postcards, simple emails, and short descriptions of people or places.

Skimming for the topic: read the title, first line, and any picture caption first; the main idea is usually stated in the first sentence.

Scanning for a detail: locate the key word (a name, a time, a price) and read only the sentence around it.

True/False/Not given logic at A1: True = the text says it; False = the text says the opposite; Not given = the text does not mention it.

Signs and notices are fixed formulas: 'No entry' = do not go in; 'Out of order' = not working; 'Closed' = not open; 'Free' = no cost.

Matching headings or sentences to texts: match on repeated key words and synonyms (e.g. 'cheap' matches 'not expensive'), not on word order.

Time and date formats: 12-hour vs 24-hour (3 p.m. = 15:00), days of the week, and ordinals (1st, 2nd, 3rd) appear in timetables and invitations.

Personal information texts give name, age, job, town, and family; questions ask for exactly one of these facts, so read the question first.

A1 speaking is assessed on communication, not accuracy: giving a simple answer that is understood scores higher than a complex answer that breaks down.

Standard A1 question set: name, spelling of name, country/nationality, age, job, family, home town, free time, and daily routine.

Answer formula: short answer + one extra detail. 'Do you like coffee?' -> 'Yes, I do. I drink it every morning.'

Present simple is the main tense: I live, she works, they don't play. Third person singular adds -s (he work+s).

Questions: yes/no with do/does ('Do you...?'), wh- with be ('Where are you from?'), and 'Can you...?' for ability and requests.

Numbers, dates, and spelling are spoken aloud in the test: practise saying phone numbers in pairs (oh-seven-nine...) and dates as 'the third of May'.

Fillers to keep talking: 'Well...', 'Let me see...', 'Sorry, can you repeat that?'. Asking for repetition is allowed and does not lose marks.

Pronunciation targets: word stress in two-syllable words (TEAcher, HOtel), final -s and -ed sounds, and clear short/long vowels (ship/sheep, full/fool).

A1 writing tasks: fill in a form, write a short message/postcard/email (about 25-50 words), or complete sentences about yourself.

Sentence structure: subject + verb + object. Every English sentence needs a subject: 'I am a student', not 'Am a student'.

Capital letters are required at the start of a sentence, for names, days, months, countries, and the pronoun 'I' (always capital).

The verb 'be' in present: I am, you/we/they are, he/she/it is; negatives: I'm not, isn't, aren't; questions: 'Are you...?', 'Is she...?'.

Articles: 'a/an' for one non-specific thing (a book, an apple); 'the' for a specific or already-mentioned thing; no article with plural general nouns.

Punctuation rules: full stop at the end of a statement, question mark for questions, comma after a greeting ('Dear Sam,') and after a closing ('Best wishes,').

Formulas for messages: greeting -> reason ('I am writing to...') -> one or two details -> closing ('See you soon').

Common A1 errors to avoid: missing -s on he/she/it verbs, 'I have 20 years' (correct: 'I am 20'), and 'I am agree' (correct: 'I agree').