FAQs

It is intended for non-native English language learners who

• Are 7+ years old
• Attend English courses at a Language School or with a Private Tutor
• Have attended an English course and want to test their abilities and progress
• Have attended a summer camp abroad and want to assess their improvements

LanguageCert Young Learners ESOL Fox and Owl are exams specifically created for younger candidates. As such, the exams are child-friendly and include fun-tasks, age-appropriate topics and colourful illustrations.

Listening component: consists of multiple-choice questions, items to be matched and answers to simple questions such as providing a name or a number. All parts are heard twice.

Reading component: consists of tasks where candidates are asked to match words with pictures, answer Yes/No questions based on a picture, fill in the gaps in short texts and answer simple questions about a given picture.

Writing component: consists of tasks where the candidate is asked to produce sentences regarding personal information and about a picture they are presented with.

For the Reading and Writing components, candidates can allocate their time in a way that suits them. For example, they can start with the Reading and continue with the Writing component, or the other way around.

Listening component: one mark per choice or response.

Reading component: one mark per choice or response.

Writing component: one mark per sentence. However, sentences need to be accurate and relevant. For each minor mistake (punctuation, spelling, etc.), half a mark is deducted. If a sentence is incomplete or irrelevant, no mark is awarded.

The Speaking exam involves short exchanges between the candidate and the interlocutor. Illustrated cards are used to stimulate conversation.

The Fox level Speaking exam consists of 3 parts: the candidate is first asked a few questions about themselves. They are then provided with a picture card and asked questions on it. Finally, the candidate is presented with a scene card, where they are asked to focus on various elements of which they are then asked a few questions.

The Owl level Speaking exam consists of 4 parts: the candidate is first asked a few questions about themselves. Then they are provided with a card and they are asked a few questions on it. The third part requires the candidate to look at two similar pictures and spot the differences. Finally, they are provided with a scene card, where they are asked to describe as many things as they can (at least 7).

The candidate is evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Task fulfilment: the extent to which the response is relevant, meaningful and in line with the task.

• Accuracy and range of grammar: the extent to which the response is grammatically accurate, appropriate and adequate.

• Accuracy and range of vocabulary: the extent to which the response is lexically accurate, appropriate and adequate.

• Fluency and pronunciation: the extent to which the response is intelligible, with appropriate pausing and intonation.

• To find the LanguageCert Young Learners ESOL Fox sample papers click here.

• To find the LanguageCert Young Learners Owl sample papers click here.

Please note that the sample papers need to be printed in colour.

Yes. There is a unique wordlist created to support both exams. Click here to access it.

Practice papers for both the Written and Speaking exams, a grammar syllabus, a wordlist and a marksheet for the Speaking exam are available on our website. Click here to access them.

Exams can be taken throughout the year at LanguageCert Approved Test Centres. To find your nearest Test Centre please click here or contact us.

LanguageCert Young Learners Fox: Written exam (Listening, Reading, Writing) takes approximately 60 minutes and the Speaking part takes about 5 minutes.

LanguageCert Young Learners Owl: Written exam (Listening, Reading, Writing) takes approximately 75 minutes and the Speaking part takes about 7 minutes.

The LanguageCert Young Learners Fox exam is a pre-A1 level qualification.

The LanguageCert Young Learners Owl exam is an A1 level qualification.

Much will depend on the maturity of the candidate and their level of preparation.

The LanguageCert International ESOL A1 Preliminary exam assesses candidates using familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases. Through focusing on familiar topics, the exam assesses the candidate's capacity to interact in a basic way when addressed in a simplified manner. The duration of the Preliminary exam is 1 hour 40 minutes.

The LanguageCert Young Learners ESOL Owl exam, at approximately A1 level, has been created specifically for younger candidates and assesses them using child-friendly topics, fun-tasks and colourful illustration. The duration is 60 minutes.

Please click here to learn more about our LanguageCert International ESOL qualifications.