Answer Key

End of Year
Language Test A
Listening

Part 1

Task 1

1B 2E 3G 4C 5D

Task 2

6 F 7 A 8 H 9 C 10 E

Part 2

11 from within 12 hunger signal 13 exact point 14 excess 15 side effects 16 insignificant 17 its new weight

18 trick 19 pilot 20 cravings

Use of English

Task 1

21 through 22 However 23 do/will 24 What 25 in 26 has 27 By 28 its

Task 2

29 unchecked 30 personalised 31 organisational 32 seemingly 33 readability 34 competitiveness 35 differentiating

Reading

Task 1

36 C 37 D 38 B 39 A 40 D 41 C 42 B 43 D 44 C 45 A

Task 2

46 B 47 B 48 D 49 C 50 A

Language Test B
Listening

Part 1

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Task 1

1C 2H 3E 4B 5G

Task 2

6 D 7 F 8 A 9 C 10 H

Part 2

11 freezing a nerve 12 participant’s/patient’s back 13 gas 14 body mass indexes 15 recommendations

16 secondary role 17 rebel 18 decreased hunger 19 appetite 20 block

Use of English

Task 1

21 others 22 does/can 23 when 24 break 25 up 26 together/along 27 at 28 both

Task 2

29 misinterpreting 30 advancement 31 objectively 32 processes/procedures 33 customised 34 effectiveness

35 productivity

Reading

Task 1

36 B 37 C 38 A 39 C 40 B 41 D 42 C 43 B 44 A 45 D

Task 2

46C 47 B 48 A 49 B 50 D

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Speaking
Task achievement SPOKEN PRODUCTION
AND FLUENCY
Length of contribution
Intelligibility
Pausing & hesitation
Cohesion
Repair strategies
5 All utterances are Can present extended
relevant to the task. stretches of language with
All task flexibility and ease and very
little hesitation.
requirements fully
completed.
Can use a wide range of
complex cohesive devices
and discourse markers.
Can interact with ease and
can extend the interaction
and develop it fully and
effectively and reach a
negotiated conclusion.
4 Candidates will demonstrate elements of bands 3 and 5.
3 Minor irrelevances Can present clear
and/or omissions information on unfamiliar
may be present. complex subjects and
integrate sub-themes. Can
Task requirements
construct information so
on the whole that it is well-organised,
completed. interesting and persuasive
for the audience using
complex cohesive devices.
Speaks fluently and with
immediacy in almost all
instances and uses stress
and intonation to convey
subtle or inferential
meanings.
2 Candidates will demonstrate elements of bands 1 and 3.
1 Can present clearly focused
information and points of
view using extended
stretches of language. Can
talk about a variety of topics
and effectively connect
SPOKEN INTERACTION RANGE ACCURACY
Ability to maintain or Structure Structure
develop interaction
Vocabulary Vocabulary
Coherence
Discourse/communicative Appropriacy of
Appropriacy functions vocabulary
Pragmatic Strategies Functions
Can present extended Can control a wide range of Communicates with
stretches of language with lexical and grammatical ease and accuracy
flexibility and ease and structures including less across all topics, both
very little hesitation. common structures and uses familiar and abstract.
them with flexibility to discuss
Can use a wide range of views on unfamiliar and abstract
complex cohesive devices topics.
and discourse markers.
Can interact with ease Always selects language which
and can extend the is relevant, varied and detailed.
interaction and develop it
fully and effectively and
reach a negotiated
conclusion.
Can present clear Can express a wide range of Communicates with a
information on unfamiliar ideas and opinions and connect high degree of accuracy
complex subjects and contributions to the other across a very wide
speakers coherently. Responds range of topics.
integrate sub-themes.
spontaneously and is flexible in
Can construct information
a wide variety of contexts and Very occasional minor
so that it is well-
can manipulate language for errors that do not
organised, interesting and humour and emotive purposes. distract. Most errors
persuasive for the Can exploit a range of functions, may be either fossilized
audience using complex take the floor and argue a view L1 interference or
cohesive devices. Speaks point convincingly. Can infer and reflect L1 identity.
express attitude, mood and
fluently and with
intention. Always selects
immediacy in almost all
language appropriate to the
instances and uses stress
audience.
and intonation to convey
subtle or inferential
meanings.
Can present clearly Can express ideas, including Communicates with
focused information and abstract ideas, and opinions with accuracy on a wide
points of view using precision and present and range of topics. Makes
extended stretches of respond to complex or occasional errors when
language. Can talk about hypothetical lines of argument dealing with complex
a variety of topics and convincingly. Can help develop abstract topics but
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 ideas and arguments with effectively connect ideas discussions by following up these do not prevent
complex language. and arguments with statements and inferences. Can understanding. Can
Occasional hesitation; uses complex language. select language appropriate to self-correct. Errors may
stress and intonation to Occasional hesitation; the context and audience and be either fossilized L1
convey meaning effectively. uses stress and intonation paraphrase where necessary. interference or reflect
to convey meaning Only occasionally needs to ask L1 identity.
. effectively. for clarification.

0 Speech irrelevant or incomprehensible.

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Sample Answers

Part 2

Candidate A (select two pictures)

One of the pictures I’d like to talk about is the one with the job interview and the other is with a group

of friends sightseeing. Both things require a lot of preparation and research. A good idea when preparing for a job
interview is to visit the company’s website and read about the history of the company, and also any significant press
releases it may have made recently. Although we can’t see the candidates face, his interviewers are smiling and look
interested, so he should be confident that he is interviewing well.

Similarly, when you are planning a sightseeing trip you, you’ll get more out of it if you research your destination well – if
you plan a logical route around the place you are visiting, then you’re more likely to fit in more sights because you won’t
spend as much time wandering around aimlessly. Aside from the sights themselves, if this trip is part of a longer holiday,
then the people will have had to do other planning, such as finding accommodation and booking flights. The people in this
picture look like they’re having a great time, so they probably planned their trip very well.

Candidate B

I always think that travelling is the best thing in the world and the best way of making memories. You

can buy things, like cars, you can achieve things at work but you don’t remember them as much as

you remember experiences. Travelling, especially with a group of close people definitely enriches our

lives.

Candidate B

I think the picture of the key to a new house and a new baby represent two really important stages in people’s lives. They
both usually mean the beginning of adulthood, new responsibilities but also comfort, security, family and love. Many
people strive for those things, many work very hard to achieve them, and many have to wait for them for a long time. It
often takes a lot of commitment and sacrifice. At the same time, they differ in that you can change the place where you
live, you can change your home, but once you become a parent that does not change.

People may be motivated to buy a house because they want to have a place of their own – where they can feel settled
and happy in their surroundings. I don’t know if people are “motivated” to become parents – I think it’s something which is
a strong natural feeling which many, but not all adults have. For many, it may be a logical progression in their lives and
they feel like having children is another level of being a couple in a strong relationship.

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Candidate A

I agree that the most life-changing is becoming a parent. Even if perhaps you don’t plan to

be a parent, once you give life to a child, you will not be able to change that – it will always stay with

you. And people who love being parents, they will always feel responsible for their children and want to look after them,
even when they grow up.

Part 3

Candidate A

People often invest in expensive sports cars or brand name products to create an image of

themselves, to show off their status …

Candidate B

But there is nothing wrong in treating yourself to some expensive things if you work hard. It doesn’t

always mean showing off, it just means you reward yourself for working hard. A lot of the time

people who earn this kind of money are under a lot of pressure and are stressed – they deserve to go on an expensive
holiday or buy an expensive phone …

Candidate A

Yes, I am not saying that it is always the case, but often it is, and usually you can see when they

are just trying to create an image of themselves rather than buying things because they are genuinely

passionate about them …

Candidate B

Well, maybe some do, yes … But for example, buying a holiday home can be a wise investment, not

just a luxury to have.

Candidate B

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I think it depends on a person and what they enjoy in life. I think travel and property are always

good – through travelling you discover new places and learn about cultures, it enriches your life … and property is an
investment and gives security …

Candidate A

Exactly. I agree, although some people might not want to have such a responsibility, and buying a

property is a big commitment and usually requires you to look after it. I think buying a car might also

be a good investment … a less risky one, for some people.

Part 4

Interlocutor

Do you think it’s worth getting into debt for a university degree?

Candidate

Yes, I think it is. Of course, it would be better to be in a position to save first but not many

can do that. A university degree is a sort of investment in yourself, in your future … and hopefully it

will bring better prospects and hopefully a good salary … so yes, I think it is worth it.

Interlocutor

How do you think people can be helped towards a more conscious spending?

Candidate

I think learning smart spending habits should be part of the education. Also, parents

should teach their children wise spending habits and familiarise them with concepts like saving and

budgeting and make them aware of the risks of careless spending from early on … not to make them

afraid of taking any risks, just to make them aware of the consequences, and often bad deals –

usually shortcuts, easy earnings – these often mean more risks.

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Writing
25 score points in total. Responses are scored according to how well students perform against the
following criteria.
Content Task achievement
5 All content is Can demonstrate complete
relevant to the command of the
task. Target conventions of the
reader is fully communicative task
informed. presented.
Can communicate complex
ideas effectively and
convincingly.
Can hold the target
reader’s attention with
ease.
4 Candidates will demonstrate elements of bands 3 and 5.
3 Minor Can express a wide range
irrelevances of ideas and opinion and
and/or connect with and
omissions may effectively summarise a
be present. range of external sources.
Can manipulate language
Target reader is
for humour or emotive
on the whole purposes, and exploit a
informed. range of functions and
argue a viewpoint
convincingly. Can express
attitude and intention and
express a strong authorial
voice.
2 Candidates will demonstrate elements of bands 1 and 3.
1 Irrelevances Can write an essay,
and proposal or report that
misinterpretatio develops an argument
n of task may be systematically, with
present. Target appropriate highlighting of
reader is significant points and
minimally relevant supporting detail.
informed. Can evaluate different
ideas or solutions to a
Organisation &
Structure
Can organise the text
coherently using a wide
range of cohesive
devices and
organisational patterns
with complete flexibility.
Can present clear
information on unfamiliar
complex subjects and
integrate sub-themes.
Can construct
information so that it is
well-organised,
interesting and
persuasive for the target
reader using complex
cohesive devices within
and across paragraphs.
Can present clearly
focused information and
points of view using
extended stretches of
language. Can write
about a variety of topics
and effectively connect
ideas and arguments
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Range Accuracy
Uses a wide range of Any inaccuracies occur
vocabulary, including less only as slips.
common lexis, with
fluency, precision,
sophistication and style.
Grammar structures are
sophisticated, controlled
and natural.
Has a very wide range of Communicates with a
resources to draw on in high degree of accuracy
terms of vocabulary, across a very wide
structure and functions. range of topics. Very
Has a broad lexical occasional minor errors
repertoire including that do not interfere with
idiomatic expressions. understanding.
Can exploit non-literal Generally accurate
meaning of a wide range punctuation and
of fixed phrases and
structures. Can express spelling. Learners with
themselves clearly on a non-Latin L1 alphabets
wide range of general, may still make minor
academic, or professional mistakes in spelling of
topics. less frequent or longer
words.
Uses a good and varied Communicates with
range of vocabulary, accuracy on a wide
collocations and some range of topics. May still
complex functions. Is create some clumsy
able to express ideas expressions or
structures when writing
and opinions on most
about complex abstract
topics without topics but these do not
circumlocution. Can prevent understanding.
exploit non-literal
 problem. Can summarise
main points and arguments
from external sources. Can
write articles and reviews
with good expression of
self that persuade and/or
engage. Can produce
standard features of a
variety of texts.
with complex language.
May use features of L1
style to express identity.
meanings of everyday Generally accurate
fixed phrases. Can use a punctuation and
variety of discourse spelling. Learners with
devices within and across non-Latin L1 alphabets
paragraphs for audience may still make minor
effect. mistakes in spelling of
less frequent or longer
words.

0 Content is totally irrelevant. Target reader is not informed.

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Task 1

Sample answer

Although many people still consider traditional courses as the best way to gain knowledge, online learning has become a
great alternative, especially when taking into consideration the cost of the course and the time factor involved. Online
learning is claimed to be as effective as traditional learning, however, there are some factors that learners should consider
when they choose to take an online course.

Digital programs offer students convenience and flexibility, giving them the opportunity to plan their study around the rest
of their day. This makes them a very attractive option for people who have to juggle work, school and family commitments.
Students can choose where to study and how, without worrying about commuting or getting to lectures on time. However,
the flexibility of online courses is considered a drawback as it may lead to procrastination for those who are not very
disciplined.

A common misconception about digital education is that it can be an isolating experience. This might have been the case
a few years ago, but today online programs offer discussion boards, allowing students to engage in debate and participate
actively. While discussions in face-to-face classes can be dominated by a subset of students, online discussion boards
offer shy students the opportunity to participate with greater ease.

Overall, students on online courses are able to manage their time, learn the materials and complete assignments in their
own time. These factors make online courses as effective as face-to-face learning, if not more so.

Task 2

Sample answer

Introduction

The purpose of this proposal is to suggest how our college canteen can be modernised. The proposal outlines
suggestions for areas that need improvement.

The areas that need improvement

The canteen is a place in which students like to spend time. It provides a quick service, good quality food and a range of
different meal options. There are areas that need improvement, however. These include the following:

Dining Space

It is time to transform the dull and uncomfortable dining hall to a more modern-looking and inviting environment where
students feel comfortable spending time. Fresh paint and new furniture with a variety of seating options will positively
impact on the students’ dining experience.

Menu

This should offer healthier and more varied menus that appeal to all budgets, tastes and diets. A survey would help the
catering team find out more about foods popular with the student population. By considering factors such as any cultural

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and dietary requirements and the needs of vegetarians and vegans, the catering team will be able to improve the menu
and the dining experience overall.

Long queues

The last thing students want is to spend their break time queuing. Considering other payment options such as card
payments could speed up the process and address this issue.

Summary

All in all, while the proposed changes will help the canteen run smoothly, and attract more customers, they will also
improve the dining experience of students, teachers, and staff alike, allowing them to enjoy healthier food options in a
more pleasant environment.

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