Cambridge Starters Full Practice Test -- Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking

This is a complete simulated Cambridge YLE Starters exam. It follows the official exam format closely so children can experience the real test structure before their official sitting.

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How to Use This Practice Test

Time Guidance

• Listening: Approximately 20 minutes (the parent reads instructions and pauses between items)
• Reading and Writing: Approximately 20 minutes (child works independently with light support)
• Speaking: 5-10 minutes (conversational practice with a parent or teacher)

Tips for Parents Administering the Test

Create a quiet environment. Sit at a table with no distractions. Turn off the TV and put away toys.

Read instructions clearly and slowly. In the real exam, an audio recording plays twice. For each Listening item, read it twice with a 5-second pause between readings.

Do not help during the test. Let the child answer on their own -- this gives you an accurate picture of their current level.

Praise effort, not just correct answers. After the test, go through mistakes together in a positive, encouraging way.

Do not rush. If the child needs a short break between sections, that is fine.

Review the Answer Key together at the end and celebrate what the child did well.

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Part A: Listening Practice

Listening Part 1 -- Draw Lines

How this works: In the real exam, children see a picture with people labelled by name. They listen and draw a line from each name to the correct person. Here, the parent reads instructions and the child draws lines on a simple sketch.

Parent instructions: First, draw or print a simple picture of 5 children in a park. Label the names: Tom, Anna, Ben, Lucy, May. Each child should have a clear distinguishing feature (e.g., different coloured clothing, holding different objects). Then read the instructions below.

Parent reads (read each instruction twice):

"Look at the picture. Draw a line from the name 'Tom' to the boy who is wearing a red T-shirt and kicking a ball."

"Now draw a line from the name 'Anna' to the girl who has long hair and is holding a yellow bag."

"Draw a line from the name 'Ben' to the boy who is sitting on the grass and reading a book."

"Draw a line from the name 'Lucy' to the girl who is wearing a pink hat and green shoes."

"Draw a line from the name 'May' to the girl who has short hair and is eating an apple."

Check: After the child draws all five lines, confirm they have matched each name to the correct person based on the clues you gave.

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Listening Part 2 -- Write Numbers

How this works: The parent reads sentences with a number gap. The child listens and writes the correct number.

Parent reads (read each item twice, pause for the child to write):

"There are _____ birds in the tree." (Answer: 3 -- read as "three")

"The boy has _____ pencils in his bag." (Answer: 12 -- read as "twelve")

"I can see _____ cats on the wall." (Answer: 7 -- read as "seven")

"There are _____ children in the classroom." (Answer: 15 -- read as "fifteen")

"She has _____ books on her desk." (Answer: 9 -- read as "nine")

Answer Key:

3 -- 2. 12 -- 3. 7 -- 4. 15 -- 5. 9

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Listening Part 3 -- Tick the Box

How this works: The parent describes a short dialogue. The child listens and ticks the correct picture (A, B or C). Here, draw simple boxes labelled A, B, C and describe the options.

Parent reads each question, then reads the dialogue (read twice):

Question 1: Options: A -- a blue bag / B -- a green bag / C -- a red bag Dialogue: "Boy: Is that your bag? Girl: Yes, it is. Boy: Is it green? Girl: No, it's blue. I love blue!" Answer: A (blue bag)

Question 2: Options: A -- a cat / B -- a dog / C -- a fish Dialogue: "Mum: What animal do you want for your birthday? Boy: I want a dog, please! Not a cat -- I don't like cats." Answer: B (dog)

Question 3: Options: A -- an apple / B -- a banana / C -- an orange Dialogue: "Girl: What fruit do you have for lunch? Boy: I have an orange. Girl: Oh, I have a banana." Answer: C (orange) -- the boy has an orange

Question 4: Options: A -- it is raining / B -- it is sunny / C -- it is snowing Dialogue: "Girl: What is the weather like today? Boy: It is sunny! Let's play outside." Answer: B (sunny)

Question 5: Options: A -- 6 years old / B -- 7 years old / C -- 8 years old Dialogue: "Teacher: How old are you, Sam? Sam: I am seven years old. Teacher: Happy birthday for last week!" Answer: B (7 years old)

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Listening Part 4 -- Colour and Write

How this works: The parent gives colouring and writing instructions. The child draws a simple scene and follows the instructions.

Before starting: Ask the child to draw a simple scene with: one big elephant, one small elephant, a girl with a bag, a tree, and a bird.

Parent reads (read each instruction twice):

"Colour the big elephant grey."

"Colour the small elephant yellow."

"Colour the tree green."

"Write the name 'Kim' on the girl's bag."

"Colour the bird's wings red."

Check: Look at the child's drawing and verify each instruction was followed correctly.

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Listening Part 5 -- Match Names to People

How this works: The parent describes people in a picture. The child draws lines to match names.

Setup: Draw or describe a simple picture of 5 adults at a party: a man with glasses, a tall woman with a hat, a woman with long red hair, a man with a beard, and an old woman.

Names to match: Bill, Sarah, Linda, Jack, Grandma

Parent reads (read each description twice):

"Find the man who is wearing glasses. His name is Bill. Draw a line to Bill."

"Find the tall woman who has a hat. Her name is Sarah. Draw a line to Sarah."

"Find the woman who has long red hair. Her name is Linda. Draw a line to Linda."

"Find the man who has a beard. His name is Jack. Draw a line to Jack."

"Find the old woman. Her name is Grandma. Draw a line to Grandma."

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Part B: Reading and Writing

Reading Part 1 -- True or False

Read the story, then answer True or False.

Story: Sam's Birthday Party

"Today is Sam's birthday. He is eight years old. Sam has a birthday party at his house. Five friends come to the party. They eat cake and drink lemonade. Sam's cake is big and brown -- it is a chocolate cake! There are eight candles on the cake. Sam's mum gives him a red bike as a present. Sam is very happy. His favourite present is the bike. After the party, Sam has ten balloons in his room."

Questions:

Today is Sam's birthday. True / False

Sam is seven years old. True / False

Six friends come to the party. True / False

The cake is a chocolate cake. True / False

Sam's dad gives him a red bike. True / False

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Reading Part 2 -- Choose the Right Word

Read each sentence. Choose the best word (A, B or C).

The cat is sitting ___ the chair.

A. in -- B. on -- C. under Answer: B (on)

She ___ three brothers.

A. have -- B. has -- C. are Answer: B (has)

"What ___ are your shoes?" "They are brown."

A. colour -- B. size -- C. name Answer: A (colour)

I am ___ a sandwich for lunch.

A. drink -- B. eat -- C. eating Answer: C (eating)

There ___ two birds in the tree.

A. is -- B. are -- C. am Answer: B (are)

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Reading Part 3 -- Unscramble the Letters

Rearrange the letters to make a word. The first letter is given.

p -- e -- n -- c -- i -- l -- s -- First letter: p => p _ _ _ _ _ _ (school item)

Answer: pencils

a -- n -- a -- n -- b -- First letter: b => b _ _ _ _ _ (fruit)

Answer: banana

k -- c -- a -- j -- e -- t -- First letter: j => j _ _ _ _ _ (clothing)

Answer: jacket

h -- r -- c -- a -- i -- First letter: c => c _ _ _ _ (furniture)

Answer: chair

m -- b -- r -- e -- l -- a -- l -- u -- First letter: u => u _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (weather item)

Answer: umbrella

r -- s -- e -- a -- r -- e -- First letter: e => e _ _ _ _ _ (school item)

Answer: eraser

r -- s -- o -- u -- t -- r -- e -- s -- First letter: t => t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (clothing)

Answer: trousers

p -- a -- i -- n -- e -- l -- e -- First letter: p => p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (fruit)

Answer: pineapple

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Reading Part 4 -- Fill in the Blanks

Read the story. Choose the best word from the box to fill each gap.

Word box: has / playing / yellow / three / likes / beautiful

"My sister's name is Mia. She is ___(1)___ years old. She ___(2)___ long black hair. Mia ___(3)___ animals very much. Her favourite animal is the cat. She ___(4)___ a cat called Lemon. Lemon is ___(5)___ and white. Lemon loves ___(6)___ in the garden."

Answer Key:

three

has

likes

has

yellow

playing

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Reading Part 5 -- Read and Answer

Read the passage, then answer the questions.

Passage: My Family

"My name is Jake. I am six years old and I live in a big house with my family. My mum's name is Helen. She is a teacher. My dad's name is Tom. He works in a shop. I have one sister. Her name is Lily. She is nine years old. Lily loves reading books. She has twenty books in her room! I love playing football. My dog's name is Rex. Rex is brown and white. He is very funny. We all love Rex very much."

Questions:

How old is Jake?

Answer: He is six years old. / Six.

What is Jake's mum's job?

Answer: She is a teacher.

How many books does Lily have?

Answer: She has twenty books. / Twenty.

What sport does Jake love?

Answer: He loves (playing) football.

What colour is Rex?

Answer: Rex is brown and white.

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Part C: Speaking Preparation

In the real Cambridge Starters Speaking test, the examiner shows the child a set of picture cards and asks questions. The test lasts about 3-5 minutes. Below are 5 practice questions with model answers.

Practice Question 1

Examiner asks: "What is your name?" Model answer: "My name is [child's name]." Practice tip: Make sure the child speaks clearly and does not rush. A simple, complete sentence is perfect.

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Practice Question 2

Examiner asks: "How old are you?" Model answer: "I am seven years old." / "I am six." Practice tip: The child can answer with just the number ("Seven!") but a full sentence is better for a higher score.

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Practice Question 3

Examiner shows a picture of a classroom and asks: "What can you see in this picture?" Model answer: "I can see a desk, a chair, a board and some books. There is a pencil on the desk. A boy is sitting at the desk." Practice tip: Encourage the child to say at least 3-4 things. Colours and numbers make the answer richer: "There are two red books."

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Practice Question 4

Examiner shows a picture of a family eating dinner and asks: "What is the family doing?" Model answer: "They are eating dinner. The mum is eating soup. The boy is drinking milk. The dad has bread." Practice tip: Use the present continuous ("is eating", "is drinking") to describe what is happening in a picture.

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Practice Question 5

Examiner asks: "Do you like school? What do you like at school?" Model answer: "Yes, I like school. I like drawing and reading. My favourite subject is English." Practice tip: The child can share real personal opinions here. The examiner is checking fluency and confidence, not just accuracy.

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Answer Key -- All Sections

Listening Answer Key

Part 2 -- Write Numbers:

3 -- 2. 12 -- 3. 7 -- 4. 15 -- 5. 9

Part 3 -- Tick the Box:

A (blue bag) -- 2. B (dog) -- 3. C (orange) -- 4. B (sunny) -- 5. B (7 years old)

Reading and Writing Answer Key

Part 1 -- True or False:

True -- 2. False -- 3. False -- 4. True -- 5. False

Part 2 -- Choose the Right Word:

B (on) -- 2. B (has) -- 3. A (colour) -- 4. C (eating) -- 5. B (are)

Part 3 -- Unscramble the Letters:

pencils -- 2. banana -- 3. jacket -- 4. chair -- 5. umbrella -- 6. eraser -- 7. trousers -- 8. pineapple

Part 4 -- Fill in the Blanks:

three -- 2. has -- 3. likes -- 4. has -- 5. yellow -- 6. playing

Part 5 -- Read and Answer:

Six (years old) -- 2. (She is) a teacher -- 3. Twenty (books) -- 4. Football -- 5. Brown and white

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Score Guide for Parents

After checking the answers, use this rough guide:

• Reading and Writing Part 2-4: 1 point per correct answer (maximum 19 points)
• Reading Part 1 and 5: 1 point per correct answer (maximum 10 points)
• Listening Parts 2-3: 1 point per correct answer (maximum 10 points)

What the scores suggest:

• 34-39 points: Excellent -- child is very well prepared
• 27-33 points: Good -- child is on track with a little more practice
• 20-26 points: Developing -- focus on vocabulary gaps and grammar structures
• Below 20 points: More practice needed -- revisit core topics (numbers, colours, food, clothes, animals)

Remember: This is a practice guide, not an official score. The most important thing is to identify which areas need more attention and keep practising together!