PEIC YL Quickmarch cheat sheet

PEIC YL listening tasks are built around short spoken texts: classroom instructions, dialogues, descriptions, and simple announcements; each text is normally heard twice, so the first pass is for gist and the second for specific detail.

Three listening targets recur: literal detail (names, numbers, colours, times), gist (what the speaker mainly wants), and inference (how the speaker feels or what happens next); a question stem word such as 'mainly', 'why', or 'where' signals which target applies.

Distractors are usually spoken before the correct answer: a number or name is mentioned, then corrected ('not Tuesday, Wednesday'), so the last stated value in the relevant stretch is normally the answer.

Numbers, times, and prices are tested through contrast pairs: thirteen/thirty, fifteen/fifty, 7:15/7:50, and currency amounts; writing digits immediately while listening prevents confusion between similar-sounding pairs.

Picture-based items require matching the spoken description to the picture that contains every stated feature; a picture matching only one feature is a distractor, so count how many details each option satisfies.

Instruction-style listening (open your book, draw a line, colour the circle) tests sequencing: the order of verbs in the recording is the order of actions, and answers are checked by replaying the sequence mentally.

Spelling is tested by names and places spelled aloud; the speaker pauses between letters, so the candidate writes letters in the pause rather than waiting for the whole word.

Register and tone carry meaning in young-learner dialogues: rising intonation signals a question, and words like 'sorry', 'great', or 'oh no' mark the speaker's attitude, which is often the answer to a feeling question.

Pre-listening prediction uses the question and options: the candidate decides whether to expect a place, a time, a person, or a reason, and listens only for that category on the first pass.

PEIC YL reading texts are short (roughly 50–150 words) and include notes, emails, notices, posters, and simple stories; the question type follows the text type, so a notice usually yields a 'where/when' question and a story yields a sequence or feeling question.

Skimming for gist means reading the first and last sentence of each paragraph plus any title; the main-idea option must cover the whole text, while a detail option repeats one sentence and is a distractor.

Scanning for detail means locating a keyword from the question in the text and reading the sentence around it; the answer is usually paraphrased, not copied, so 'big' in the question may appear as 'huge' in the text.

True/False/Not Given logic: True means the text states it, False means the text states the opposite, and Not Given means the text is silent; absence of evidence is not evidence of falsehood.

Reference words (he, she, it, they, this, there) point backwards to the nearest matching noun; resolving the reference is required before a pronoun-based question can be answered.

Sequencing questions use time markers (first, then, after that, finally, at last); the correct order follows the markers, not the order in which events are mentioned in the question.

Vocabulary in context is tested by choosing a synonym that fits the sentence; the candidate substitutes each option into the original sentence and keeps the one that preserves meaning.

Matching headings or sentences to paragraphs relies on topic sentences, usually the first sentence; the matching option shares a concept with the topic sentence, not necessarily its exact words.

Inference questions ('What does this tell us about…?') are answered from stated evidence plus one logical step; an answer requiring two or more unstated steps is not supported by the text.

PEIC YL writing tasks at this level are short and functional: a postcard, a note, an email reply, or a description of a picture, normally 25–60 words, with all content points from the prompt required for full marks.

Assessment uses four criteria: content (all points covered), communicative purpose (right format and register), organisation (linking words and sentence order), and language accuracy (grammar, spelling, punctuation).

Format conventions: a note or email opens with a greeting (Hi Ben, / Dear Mr Lee,) and closes with a sign-off (See you soon, / Best wishes,), and the writer's name goes below the sign-off.

Linking words expected at this level: and, but, because, so, then, after that, also; each correctly used connector raises the organisation mark, while a missing 'because' leaves a reason unexplained.

Tense control is the main accuracy lever: present simple for routines and facts, present continuous for actions in a picture, past simple for finished events, and 'going to' for plans.

Picture-description answers use 'There is/There are' for existence, prepositions of place (in, on, under, next to, behind) for position, and present continuous for what people are doing.

Answering an email prompt means responding to each question asked: if the prompt asks three questions, the reply contains three answers, each in its own sentence.

Word-count discipline: a 25-word minimum is met by one greeting, two content sentences, and one closing; counting before finishing prevents under-length answers, which lose content marks.

PEIC YL speaking is conducted one-to-one with an examiner and has three parts: a warm-up (personal questions), a picture or prompt task, and a short interaction in which the candidate asks the examiner questions.

Assessment criteria are communicative effectiveness, pronunciation and intonation, grammar and vocabulary range, and interactive competence (initiating, responding, turn-taking).

Answer length rule: a one-word answer scores minimally; the target is an answer plus one reason or extra detail ('I like football because I play with my brother').

Question formation for the interaction task uses inverted auxiliaries: 'Do you like…?', 'Have you got…?', 'What is your favourite…?', 'Where do you…?'; falling intonation marks a wh-question, rising marks a yes/no question.

Picture prompts are handled with a fixed frame: say what can be seen (There is/There are), where it is (prepositions), what people are doing (present continuous), and how it feels (It looks + adjective).

Repair strategies keep the interaction going: 'Sorry, can you repeat that?', 'I don't know the word, but it's a thing for…', and 'Can I say that again?' are acceptable and do not lose marks.

Pronunciation targets at this level are word stress in two-syllable words (TEAcher, beGIN), final consonant sounds (-s, -ed), and clear short/long vowels (ship/sheep, full/fool).

Turn-taking in the interaction is shown by reacting before answering: 'Oh, interesting!' or 'Me too' signals listening, and asking a follow-up question after the examiner's answer extends the exchange.

Familiar topics recur across parts: family, school, hobbies, food, holidays, daily routine, and pets; prepared vocabulary sets for these topics supply the range criterion.