English Level Test with Answers PDF: Practice and Explanations

A printable English test with an answer key can help you identify grammar, vocabulary, and reading points to study next. The most useful part is the review: understanding why an answer works, why your choice does not, and how to use the language in a new sentence.

Below, you can download a free PDF or complete the same 20 questions on this page. Every question has an explanation, and the final sections show you how to turn your answers into a focused study plan.

Download the English practice test with answers

Download the free English practice test PDF with answers. The five-page file contains the questions, an answer recording grid, a reading passage, explained answers, and an optional writing task. You can save it for offline use or print the question pages separately from the answers.

This is an original GET practice worksheet with a mix of easier and more demanding items. It has not been calibrated to assign an A1 to C2 level, and completing it does not provide a certificate. Use it to find topics for revision.

What does this test cover?

The worksheet checks recognition of selected language forms and understanding of one short written text. It does not measure listening, spoken communication, or the quality of an extended piece of writing.

A broader assessment needs evidence of the skills you actually want to use. The Council of Europe’s CEFR self-assessment grid distinguishes listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production, and writing. A strong result on a short grammar worksheet cannot demonstrate all of those abilities.

How to complete the practice test

Set aside about 20 to 25 minutes as a practical study session, rather than an official time limit. Choose one answer, A, B, or C, for each question. Work without a dictionary or translation tool on your first attempt, and mark any answer you guess.

Keep the answer pages out of view until you finish. For reading questions, use only the information in the passage, even if you can imagine other possibilities. Record your answers before checking the explanations so you can see which choices you originally made.

Part 1: Grammar questions

Choose the option that best completes each sentence. Pay attention to the subject, the time reference, and the meaning of the complete sentence.

1. Maya _____ in a pharmacy.
   A. work
   B. works
   C. working

2. We _____ at home last night.
   A. were
   B. was
   C. are

3. How _____ water do you need?
   A. many
   B. few
   C. much

4. Look! The dog _____ your sandwich.
   A. takes
   B. is taking
   C. take

5. I have lived here _____ 2021.
   A. for
   B. since
   C. during

6. If it rains tomorrow, we _____ inside.
   A. will stay
   B. stayed
   C. would stay

7. You _____ wear a helmet on this building site. It is compulsory.
   A. might
   B. don't have to
   C. must

8. These emails _____ yesterday.
   A. are sent
   B. were sent
   C. have sent

9. By the time the train arrived, we _____ for forty minutes.
   A. had waited
   B. have waited
   C. will wait

10. If I _____ more free time, I would join the club.
    A. have
    B. will have
    C. had

Part 2: Vocabulary questions

Read the whole context before choosing. Some questions test the meaning of a word; others test a combination that English speakers commonly use.

11. May I _____ your pen? I'll give it back after the lesson.
    A. lend
    B. borrow
    C. owe

12. The notice says the train departs at nine. Departs means:
    A. leaves
    B. arrives
    C. waits

13. The meeting was brought forward from Tuesday to Monday. It will happen:
    A. later
    B. earlier
    C. at the same time

14. Despite the delay, the team _____ the deadline.
    A. took
    B. did
    C. met

15. A reliable supplier consistently delivers the correct goods on time. Reliable means:
    A. able to be trusted
    B. always the cheapest
    C. located nearby

Part 3: Reading comprehension

Read this fictional message from a community workshop organiser, then answer questions 16 to 20. The details in the message are for this exercise only.

A message about a repair workshop

Thank you for booking a place at Saturday's repair workshop. We originally planned to meet at the library at 10 a.m. However, more people registered than expected, so the workshop will now take place in Riverside Hall, which has a larger working area. Please arrive at 10:30 a.m. The session will finish at 1 p.m.

Bring one small item of clothing that needs repairing, such as a shirt with a missing button. We will provide needles, thread, and other basic tools. You do not need previous sewing experience. Two volunteers will welcome you at the entrance. They will show you where to sit and help you choose a suitable repair.

The workshop is free, but places are limited. If you can no longer attend, please email us by 4 p.m. on Monday so we can offer your place to someone on the waiting list. Tea and water will be available, but lunch is not included.

16. What has changed about the workshop schedule?
    A. The day of the week
    B. The starting time
    C. The finishing time

17. What should participants bring?
    A. Their own needles
    B. A sewing machine
    C. An item of clothing to repair

18. Why was Riverside Hall chosen?
    A. It has more working space
    B. The library is closed
    C. It offers free parking

19. Why should someone email if they can no longer attend?
    A. To request a refund
    B. To receive tools by post
    C. To let another person take their place

20. In the second paragraph, who does 'They' refer to?
    A. The people on the waiting list
    B. The two volunteers
    C. The workshop participants

Answer key with explanations

Give yourself one point for each correct answer, for a maximum of 20. Review guessed answers as well as incorrect ones: choosing the right letter is less useful if you cannot explain the language or locate the evidence.

Grammar answers: 1 to 10

1. B. works. Use works with the singular subject Maya in the present simple. Working would need an auxiliary verb, such as is.

2. A. were. Last night refers to the past. The past form of be with we is were.

3. C. much. Water is uncountable in this question, so use how much. How many goes with plural countable nouns.

4. B. is taking. Look! draws attention to an action happening now. The correct present continuous form is 'is taking'.

5. B. since. Since introduces the starting point of a situation continuing to the present. Use for with a duration, such as for five years.

6. A. will stay. For this possible future situation, use if + present simple and will + base verb in the main clause.

7. C. must. Must expresses the stated obligation. Might expresses possibility; don't have to means there is no obligation.

8. B. were sent. The emails receive the action, so a passive form is needed. Yesterday places the event in the past: were sent.

9. A. had waited. The waiting happened before the past event described by 'arrived'. The past perfect 'had waited' expresses that earlier period; 'had been waiting' would also fit, but is not an option.

10. C. had. This sentence imagines a different present situation. Use if + past simple with would + base verb.

Vocabulary answers: 11 to 15

11. B. borrow. Borrow means receive something temporarily. Lend describes giving something to another person temporarily.

12. A. leaves. Departs means leaves. The notice gives the departure time, not the arrival time.

13. B. earlier. To bring an event forward is to move it to an earlier time or date. Monday is earlier than Tuesday here.

14. C. met. Meet a deadline is the usual combination for completing something by the required time.

15. A. able to be trusted. Reliable describes someone or something you can depend on. It does not tell you the price or location.

Reading answers: 16 to 20

16. B. The starting time. The message changes the starting time from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. It does not announce a change to the day or finishing time.

17. C. An item of clothing to repair. The second paragraph asks participants to bring one small item of clothing that needs repairing. Basic tools are provided.

18. A. It has more working space. More people registered than expected, and the hall has a larger working area. The other reasons are not given.

19. C. To let another person take their place. The organisers want to offer unused places to people on the waiting list. The workshop is free, so no refund is discussed.

20. B. The two volunteers. The pronoun 'They' refers back to the two volunteers, who will welcome participants and show them where to sit.

How to interpret your score

Your total is a record of performance on these 20 questions. For example, 14 correct answers means 14 out of 20, or 70 percent, on this worksheet. It does not automatically mean B1, B2, or another CEFR level.

Also record separate results for grammar out of 10, vocabulary out of 5, and reading out of 5. These small sections can reveal individual learning gaps, but they are too short to establish a reliable overall skill profile. A single mistake in the reading section changes that section’s percentage by 20 points.

Look at the explanations behind your mistakes rather than treating the total as a label. If you answered most grammar questions correctly but guessed several vocabulary items, review those words in context before moving on to a harder worksheet.

Keep a short error log

Write down the reason for an error and one action you can take. The following entries illustrate how to move from an answer letter to a useful learning task.

For additional work on the grammar in question 7, use our guide to must, have to, and expressions of obligation. Choose a specific lesson for a specific gap so that your review has a clear purpose.

Turn the answers into a study plan

In your first review session, choose two or three uncertain items. Read their explanations and write your own examples without copying the test sentences. For instance, after question 5, compare “I have worked here since March” with “I have worked here for six months.”

In a later session, use the same language in a short message or conversation. If borrow and lend caused difficulty, write a request to borrow a book and a reply offering to lend it. Check whether the person giving or receiving the item matches your verb.

After several days of practice, try new questions on the same topics. Repeating this exact worksheet may show that you remember its answers, so use unfamiliar sentences when you want to check whether you can apply the rule independently.

An optional writing task

Write an email of 80 to 100 words to the workshop organiser. Explain that you cannot attend, give a brief reason, and ask whether another workshop is planned. Use a suitable greeting and closing, and make your request easy to understand.

This task is separate from the 20-point score. Check that you addressed all three parts, connected your ideas clearly, and used consistent verb forms. A teacher or tutor can give more detailed feedback on your writing; a multiple-choice answer key cannot assess it.

Where to find more printable English practice

For official exam-format practice, Cambridge English’s A2 Key preparation page provides paper-based sample tests and answer resources. These are materials for a specific qualification, rather than a universal test that places every learner from beginner to advanced.

Choose the paper and answer key for the same sample version. For listening practice, download or open the matching audio as well: reading a transcript on its own practises reading, not listening. Follow any score-conversion guidance only for the official materials it covers.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the PDF without an internet connection?

Yes. Save the file first, then open it in a PDF reader or print it. All 20 questions and their explained answers are included; the external links are optional resources for further study.

Can I use my score as proof of my English level?

This worksheet score is a personal study record, not a qualification. If a course or employer asks for evidence of English proficiency, check which assessments and results they accept before choosing a test.

What should I do if the questions are too easy or too difficult?

If they are too easy, practise longer texts and tasks that require you to produce spoken or written English. If they are too difficult, choose a few manageable questions, study the explanations, and practise those patterns before attempting the full set again.

Keep your completed answer sheet and error log together. Your next study session should target something specific you could not yet explain or use confidently.