Preliminary
KEY FACTS
CFER: A1
Guided learning hours: 80-100 approx.
Pass marks: Refer:<50%; Pass: 50-64%; Merit: 65-79%; Distinction: 80%+
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Download teacher book (rev Feb 2022)
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What does Preliminary test?
Preliminary is the first of the levels to divide the language tested into separate skills: reading (including use of English), writing, listening, and speaking. The speaking is optional. The new things tested at this level are:
What does the Preliminary STEP test?
- About 400 more words (800 altogether, counting the 400 from previous levels)
- Understanding and use of the past simple, regular and irregular verbs
- Instructions and commands
- Adjectives and modifiers, for descriptive and comparative purposes
- Possession – expressions of ownership
- Countable and uncountable things, quantifiers both positive and negative
What does the student have to do in their Preliminary exam?
- Multiple choice questions
- Fill in gaps
- Answer questions
- Write questions
- Write sentences
- Answer true/false questions
Student performance indicators
- Has a basic active vocabulary of about 400 words
- Can communicate present and past events, recently completed actions and life experiences
- Can communicate where things are and when things happen
- Can express opposites, comparisons and ownership
- Can ask questions, answer questions, and write full sentences
Grammar and structures list
Grammar and Structure |
What are they used for? |
Some examples |
|
VERBS | |||
Past Simple including common irregular past forms as well as regular forms, interrogative and negative | Talking about past events | We watched a football match on TV last night. I drove to the hotel. Did John drink all the orange juice? |
|
Present Perfect Simple interrogative and negative |
Talking about actions only recently completed Talking about experiences |
The man has just eaten the sandwich Have you ever been to London? I have never seen a dolphin. |
|
Can + bare infinitive | Talking about skills. |
I can play the guitar. |
|
Imperative | Following single-step instructions in a familiar context | Take a piece of paper. Stand near the door. |
|
ADJECTIVES | |||
Basic adjectives | For descriptive purposes, including expressing opposites |
My father bought a new car yesterday. |
|
Comparatives and superlatives | Talking about comparisons between people and things | John isn't as tall as Jane. Sue is the tallest / the most beautiful girl in our class. My rabbit is older than /more beautiful than my friend's rabbit. |
|
POSSESSIVES | |||
The possessive form | Expressing ownership |
The sandwich is Jane's |
|
Mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs | Talking about ownership, possessions, who things belong to |
My bicycle is newer than yours. That book is mine. |
|
QUANTIFIERS | |||
much, many, a lot, a lot of | Talking about amounts of things which can and cannot be counted | How much money have you got? I've got a lot of it! It rains a lot in England How many brothers has she got? |
|
some, any |
Talking about things which can and cannot be counted, in the positive and negative |
There is some bread. There isn't any butter. |
|
PREPOSITIONS | |||
by, with, next to | Talking about where things are |
The children are standing next to the clock. |
|
ADVERBS | |||
ever, never, ago, yet, just | Talking about when things happen |
I went to Paris six years ago. |