Oral Placement Test

Introductory questions
What do you do- do you work or study?
What experience do you have of English? Any certificates?
How they answer this question should give you an approximate idea of their level. Go
to the questions for that level.
Explain that you want the student to answer in complete sentences, demonstrating the
appropriate grammar if possible.
If interviewing more than one student, after asking a student a question, ask him/her to
ask another the same question.
To study a course at a particular level, a student should be relatively comfortable
answering the majority of the questions from the previous level.

A1 Level (Beginner)
Questions

Grammar/Function

Where are you from?

Verb to be

What do you do every day?

Present Simple for habits and

routines

Is this your pen?

Possessives

What time is it?

Telling the time

How many X are there in the room?

How much/many & there is/are
Can you make questions with how many and how
much?
What do you like doing in your free time?

Talking about likes, hobbies

How often do you watch television?

Adverbs of frequency

A2 Level (Elementary)
Questions

Grammar/Function

Tell me about your family.

Talking about one's family

What did you do yesterday/ last weekend?

Past Simple

Can you describe somebody that you know?

Describing people

What are you going to do tomorrow/next weekend?

Going to

Can you describe where you live?

Describing places

What would you like to do in the future?

Using would like and speculating

B1 Level (Lower Intermediate)

Questions

Grammar/Function

Where did you go on your last holiday?

Describing past experiences

If the weather is good tomorrow, what will you do?

First Conditional

Tell me the story of your favourite book or film.

Recounting a story

Tell me about an interesting place you have visited.

Present Perfect Simple

How long have you been living here?

Present Perfect Continuous

Draw some lines/shapes and ask student to make

comparisons.

Comparatives & Superlatives

What do you do if you feel sad?

Zero Conditional

What would you do if you won a million euros?

Second Conditional

B2 Level (Upper Intermediate)

Questions

Grammar/Function

Ask various questions (using different modals) and

ask student to give short answer

Short Answers

What will you be doing in 10 years time?

Future Continuous

What things have you seen on the news recently?

Talking about current affairs

Had you met me before you came here today?

Past Perfect

Which famous people do you admire? Why?

Describing achievements and

character

What will you have done before you are X years

old?

Future Perfect

What did you do yesterday? If you hadn't done that,

what would you have done instead?

Third Conditional

C1 Level (Advanced)
Questions

Grammar/Function

If you hadn't studied X, how would your life be

different now?

Mixed Conditionals

Is there anything that you wish you could change

about the past?

Wish/if only

Is there anything you should have done yesterday?

Past Modals

What do you think is an acceptable age for people

to be able to drink alcohol?

Expressing and defending an

opinion

What are the advantages and disadvantages of

educating boys and girls separately?

Expressing and defending an

opinion

Do you think everybody should give money to

charities? Which ones? Why?

Expressing and defending an

opinion