English Placement Test

Placement test: question sheet Please do not write on this sheet. On your answer sheet, put a circle (O) around the correct answer. Choose the picture that the sentence describes. a.

b.

c.

d.

Source: PET Practice Tests Plus, L Hashemi and B Thomas, Longman 2003

For example

They’re playing music. The answer is d.

1.

Someone’s using a mobile.

2.

They’re jamming.

3.

Everyone has to keep in time.

4.

Everyone’s having a workout.

5.

They’re doing outdoor exercise.

Which word ends in the same sounds as the first word? For example

one a. home

b.

sun

c.

nine

d.

phone

6.

cat a. start

b.

sat

c.

had

d.

eat

feet a. feel

b.

wet

c.

eat

d.

meal

wood a. rude

b.

could

c.

gold

d.

food

freight a. fete

b.

fortunate

c.

discrete

d.

chocolate

bough a. shallow

b.

thorough

c.

tough

d.

allow

7.

8.

9.

10.

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Choose the correct word/phrase to fill the gap. For example

I went __________ London last week. a. on b. for

11.

I have a friend who really __________ Chinese food. He eats it all the time. a. likes b. liked c. like

12.

13.

14.

c.

in

d.

to

d.

liking

Really close friends always feel something special ______________ each other. a. with b. to c. for d.

by

They do all __________________ they can in order to be popular. a. what b. that c. the thing

d.

day

My mother still lives in the house __________ my siblings and I were born. a. at which b. to which c. in which

d.

which

15.

After starting the interview with a bad joke, the actress went on __________ about her latest film. a. to talk b. talking c. describing d. to describe

16.

Not all young __________ enjoy sport. a. mens b. mans

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

c.

men

d.

man

Works

d.

Worked

He tiptoed into the house, ____________ wake his parents. a. to avoid b. so as not to c. unless he

d.

for fear of

______________ that they had understood fully from the beginning. a. If only b. Not c. If not

d.

Would

d.

all was said and done

d.

broke down

__________ as a film star is a fun way to make a living. a. Work b. Working c.

When _________________, I had to accept that I had failed. a. I had said all b. when everything c. everything was said was spoken about and finished Sorry we’re late. Our car ___________ while we were on the motorway. a. cut back b. came out c. shut down

His new album’s __________ awful. I thought it would be better after the last one. a. a little bit b. pretty c. very

greatly

23.

Look, we don’t often see each other, so let’s __________ this weekend and go away. a. make the most of b. do our best for c. give our all for d. take a chance on

24.

I’m __________ in homework at the moment, so I can’t go out tonight. a. up to my eyes b. busy c. sick and tired

25.

d.

really bored

My dad’s had a lot of problems with his health, but Mum’s supported him __________. a. back and forth b. to and fro c. from end to end d. through thick and thin

Find the wrong word in the sentence. For example

I don’t be want to see the football match. a. to b. match

26.

I must to work hard, so I can pass my exams this year. a. can b. to c.

27.

c.

the

d.

be

so

d.

my

She married with Tom six months ago, but they are already on the point of getting a divorce. a. already b. a c. the d. with

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28.

She was extremely looking forward to going on holiday with her family, who like travelling all round the north of England a. round b. all c. extremely d. who

29.

The film was just a little bit longer than I’m used to watch. a. just b. bit c. watch

30.

d.

than

If everything goes according to the plan, I’ll almost definitely go to university when I leave school. a. the b. almost c. definitely d. according

Which phrase means the same as the first phrase? For example

How are things? a. How do these things work?

b.

Where are my things?

c.

What do you like?

d.

How are you feeling?

31.

I never liked elephants. a. Elephants are my favourite animal.

b.

I prefer elephants.

c.

I always disliked elephants.

d.

I never disliked elephants.

I come from Australia. a. I’m staying in Australia.

b.

I’m Australian.

c.

I arrived from Australia earlier.

d.

I’ll leave Australia today.

You will talk to him.

c.

I talked to him.

d.

You ought to talk to him.

Gary didn’t get all the ins and outs of his new job. a. He didn’t receive all b. He couldn’t find his the documents he way around the new needed. building.

c.

He didn’t fully understand his job.

d.

He didn’t understand the times of work.

They are back on an even keel now. a. They are getting on b. They have returned well now to a better boat

c.

They have repaired the damage to their boat

d.

They are sharing things more now

d.

Bristol in live

d.

too much English biscuits

____________________ understand! I’m not interested, so leave me alone! a. You just don’t b. You don’t just c. Don’t you just

d.

Just don’t you

She ____________________ on holiday. She is still very brown. a. has recently been b. recently been has c. recently has been

d.

has been recently

32.

33.

34.

35.

If I were you, I’d talk to him. a. I’d like to talk to him. b.

Put the correct phrase in the gap. For example

Hi, I’m Kate. I ____________________ and I’m a dancer. a. in Bristol live b. live in Bristol c. Bristol live in

36.

I like ____________________. a. much English b. biscuits too much biscuits too English

37.

38.

c.

English biscuits too much

39.

What on earth do you need to __________________ Nobody uses that term anymore. a. look up for that? b. look that up for? c. look for that up? d. look for up that?

40.

He turned up for the date in this ____________________. I was not impressed. a. clapped-out 1970s b. 1970s clapped-out c. 1970s clapped-out d. Ford estate Ford estate estate Ford

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clapped-out Ford 1970s estate

Please turn over to page 4 

Read this text. Johny Depp is a lucky man. He has two children, Jack and Lily-Rose, by his wife (0), Vanessa Paradis. Though famous in her own right, her (41) fame comes nowhere close to eclipsing the star’s (42) and the chances of her raising aloft a small statuette from the Academy are slim to nil (46). They all live in France. Wanting their children to be near their (43) friends, they bought a house in the south. Like a lot of celebrities who (47) put a high value on privacy, choosing France, whose privacy laws are among the most stringent anywhere (48), was obvious for them. But their home is not large by the standards of a typical rich movie star (44), having no swimming pool in the garden. This (45) is somewhat ironic when one considers the climatic inducements (49) of the region, though it (50) is offset by the fact that the sea is a mere 100m away.

What do the underlined words in the text mean? Choose the best answer. For example

(0) wife b.

Johnny Depp

c.

Vanessa Paradis

her a. Johnny’s

b.

Johnny and Vanessa’s

c.

Vanessa’s

d.

neither

star’s a. Vanessa’s

b.

Johnny’s

c.

an Oscar’s

d.

Lily-Rose and Jack’s

their a. Johnny and Vanessa’s

b.

Jack and LilyRose’s

c.

Johnny and Jack’s

d.

Vanessa and LilyRose’s

rich movie star a. other rich movie stars

b.

Johnny

c.

Vanessa

d.

Johnny and Vanessa

b.

not having a big house

c.

their pool

d.

their garden

a.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

an actor

This a. having no pool

d.

Lily-Rose

What do the words in italics in the text mean? Choose the best answer. 46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

slim to nil a. highly unlikely to happen

b.

fairly unlikely to happen

c.

it could happen

d.

it might happen

who a. Johnny

b.

Vanessa

c.

Johnny and Vanessa

d.

a lot of celebrities

anywhere a. in France

b.

in the world

c.

in Europe

d.

in the US

b.

the effects of climate change

c.

how changeable the region is

d.

the bad weather in the region

b.

the region

c.

the irony

d.

the garden

climatic inducements a. the good weather in the region it a.

the climate

Well done – you’ve finished the test! Page 4 of 4