Aptis

Candidate
Guide
April 2020www.britishcouncil.org/aptis

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Aptis Candidate Guide

Introducing the Aptis test
Aptis is an innovative global English assessment tool from the British Council. It is a suiteof English tests for adults and young adults, which can be used to assess English language
ability in all four skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Aptis tests don’t test at a single level. Instead, they include a range of questions, which aredesigned to allow candidates to show their best ability. The test results are reported on anumerical scale (0–50) and as a level on the Common European Framework of Reference
for Languages (CEFR).

There are four variations of Aptis tests.
1. Aptis Generaltests from A1 to C on the CEFR and is suitable for most test-takers.

2. Aptis Advanced
tests English language ability from B1 to C2 on the CEFR and is for higher level test-takers.

3. Aptis for Teachers
tests from A1 to C on the CEFR and is designed for teachers.

4. Aptis for Teens
tests from A1 to C on the CEFR and is for candidates between the ages of 13 and 17 years.
Aptis tests are taken on a computer.
Accommodations can be made for special needs. Information is provided in the ‘Aptis forall’ section at the end of this guide.
The purpose of this guide is to help you prepare for the Aptis General tests. An overview of
each component is provided followed by detailed descriptions and advice on how to best
prepare. You’ll also find tips on how to practise for the test and information on how the test
is marked. There is also a section towards the end of the guide that covers Aptis Advanced.

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Aptis Candidate Guide

Contents
Introducing the Aptis test

2

Test structure

5

Aptis General test structure

6

Aptis core test (grammar and vocabulary)

8

Sample grammar questions
Sample vocabulary questions

9
10

Aptis reading test

12

Reading part 1: Sentence comprehension
Reading part 2: Text cohesion
Reading part 3: Opinion matching
Reading part 4: Long text comprehension

14
15
16
17

Aptis listening test

18

Listening part 1: Information recognition
Listening part 2: Information matching
Listening part 3: Opinion matching
Listening part 4: Monologue comprehension

19
20
21
21

Aptis writing test

22

Writing part 1: Word-level writing
Writing part 2: Short text writing
Writing part 3: Three written parts of text, all of which require responses
Writing part 4: Formal and informal writing

25
26
28
30

Aptis speaking test

33

Speaking part 1: Personal information
Speaking part 2: Describe, express opinion and provide reasons and explanation
Speaking part 3: Describe, compare and provide reasons and explanations
Speaking part 4: Discuss personal experience and opinion on an abstract topic

35
40
41
44

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Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis Advanced test

47

Aptis Advanced reading test
Aptis Advanced listening test
Aptis Advanced writing test
Aptis Advanced speaking test

47
48
49
52

How to take the online test

55

Speaking test voice recording

56

Aptis for all

58

Final checklist

59

Useful web resources

59

More information

59

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Aptis Candidate Guide

Test structure
Aptis consists of ﬁve components: core (grammar and vocabulary), reading, listening,writing and speaking.
You may be taking one skill component (for example, listening) or all four skill components(reading, listening, writing and speaking) depending on the requirements by yourorganisation or institution.

It is a good idea to take a practice test so that you become familiar with what you need to do.

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Aptis General test structure
Test

Test design

Activity

FormatCore

Part 1

Grammar

Sentence completion.

3-option multiple choice

Part 2

Vocabulary

Word matching (similar

Sets of 5 target words withmeaning). Match words to

10 options

25
minutesdeﬁnitions.
Sentence completion.
Word pairs or word
combinations (words
commonly used together).

Reading

Part 135

Sentence

Choose words to complete

3-option multiple choicecomprehension

sentences.

Text cohesion

Put sentences into the

2 tasks: 6 sentences

correct order.

jumbled up in each task

Match people’s opinions to

7 statements matched to 4

statements.

people’s opinions

Long text

Match headings to

8 paragraphs and 7

comprehension

paragraphs.

headings

Information 		

Listen to a short

3-option multiple choicerecognitionmonologue or dialogue

minutes
Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Listening

Part 1

40

Opinion matching

minutes

to identify speciﬁc
information.
Part 2

Parts
3+4

Information 		

Match people’s monologues 6 pieces of information

matching

to information.

4 monologues

Inference

Listen to monologues and3-option multiple choicedialogues and identify
the attitude, opinion or
intention.

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Aptis Candidate Guide

Test

Test design

Activity

FormatWriting

Part 1

Respond to messages

1–5 words for eachusing individual words.

question

Word-level writing

50
minutes
Part 2

Short text writing

Write personal information.

20–30 words

Part 3Three written 		

Respond to written

30–40 words for each

responses toquestions on a social

questionquestionsnetwork-type website.

Formal and 		

Write an informal email to a

informal writing

friend and a formal email to informal email

Part 4an unknown person.

40–50 words for the
120–150 words for theformal email

Speaking

Part 1

12

Personal 		

Respond to three personal

30 seconds for each

information

information questions.

response

Describe, express

Describe a picture and

45 seconds for each

opinion and 		answerresponse

providetwo additional questions ofreasons andincreasing difﬁculty.

minutes
Part 2

explanations
Part 3

Part 4

Describe, compare

Describe two contrasting

45 seconds for eachand provide 		

pictures and answer two

response

reasons andadditional questions of

explanations

increasing difﬁculty.

Discuss personal

Answer three questions

1 minute to prepare

experience and 		on an abstract topic.

2 minutes response time

opinion on an
abstract topic

The Aptis Advanced test is similar to Aptis General as it is comprised of the same
components; the core component, reading, listening, writing and speaking. Aptis Advanced
tests levels from B1-C2. More information about the Aptis Advanced test is provided
towards the end of this guide.

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Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis core test
(grammar and vocabulary)
The core test is the same for Aptis General and Aptis Advanced. It consists of two parts.
The ﬁrst part assesses your knowledge of English grammar. The second part assesses
your knowledge of English vocabulary.
Part

Description

Preparation

GrammarIn this part of the test, you will answer

To know which parts of grammar

Part 125 questions.

are tested, see the British Council /EAQUALS core inventory. This is free andMost of the questions test formal written

available online at:English. A small number of questions

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/

test spoken English, such as knowing

article/british-council-eaquals-core-

the appropriate grammar to use in a

inventory-general-english

particular situation (formal or informal
situations, for example).

One great way to prepare for thegrammar test is to use the British

All 25 questions are in the format of aCouncil’s LearnEnglish website:

3-option multiple choice.

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/
grammarComplete a sentence by choosing thecorrect word.

Vocabulary There are 25 questions in this part of the test.

To help you prepare for this part of thePart 2

test, the LearnEnglish website has games
There are a number of question types:

and activities to help you improve yourWord matching: ﬁnd a word with avocabulary.

meaning similar to the target word.

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/
vocabulary

Word deﬁnition: match a deﬁnition to thecorrect word.

Another useful tip is to take note ofinteresting words or word combinations

Word usage: complete a sentence bychoosing the correct word.
Word pairs or word combinations:select the most common combinationsof words. You are given a target word
and a list of words which may or may not
be commonly used in combination withthe target word. (e.g. where card is thetarget word, birthday + card is a common
combination but blue + card is not).

when you read English texts.

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Aptis Candidate Guide

Sample grammar questions
There are two question types. The ﬁrst focuses on written English grammar, and thesecond focuses on the use of English grammar when speaking.
Here are some examples:

1. Written grammar
He__________me that the machine was broken.
O toldO spokeO saidMy boss says that I __________ to ﬁnish the report by Friday.
O mustO haveO should
My new computer works __________ faster than my old one.
O manyO moreO muchI have worked for this company __________ I left university.
O since
O after
O from

2. Spoken grammar
John: She’s French, isn’t she?
Ahmed: No, she’s __________ from Belgium.
O exactly
O actually
O anyway
Zeynep: I really don’t feel like going to see that movie tonight.
Peter: Ok. __________ we can go next week instead.
O MaybeO HoweverO Nevertheless10 Aptis Candidate Guide

Sample vocabulary questions
In the ﬁrst question type, you need to match words with similar meanings from a list of
options. To do this, click on the arrows and choose the similar word.
Here is an example:

For the next question type, you need to match a deﬁnition to a word. Click on the arrowand choose the word that matches the deﬁnition.
Here is an example:

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Aptis Candidate Guide

The next question type asks you to complete a sentence using a word from a list.

The final question type asks you to identify a word from a list that is commonly used withthe given word.

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Aptis reading test
The test assesses your reading ability. The tasks become more difﬁcult as the test progresses.
Part

Description

Preparation

Sentencecomprehension

In this part, you need to choose a word

Make sure you read each sentence and(choice of three) to complete a sentence.

all of the possible answer words carefully

There are ﬁve sentences to complete.

before trying to answer this question.

Part 1

You do not need to understand all of thesentences to complete each individual

The best way to become a better

sentence.

reader is to practise. Easy books written
especially for English language learners

This part assesses your ability to read amight help. For example, try:

sentence and to complete the sentence• Cambridge Bookworms Starter / Stage 1

with an appropriate word.

• Cambridge Readers – Level 1• Penguin Readers – Level 1• Macmillan Readers – Starter / Beginner• Headway Skills series.

Text
cohesionIn this part, there are two tasks. Both

Read all the sentences carefully ﬁrst.

have six sentences that make a whole

Then, decide on the correct order (thePart 2text. The sentences have been put

ﬁrst sentence is identiﬁed for you).

into the wrong order and you need to
put them in the correct order. There isAppropriate readers for preparation of

only one correct way to organise thethis level are:sentences. Your task is to click on each

• Cambridge Bookworms Stage 1 and 2

sentence and then move them so each

• Cambridge Readers – Level 2

one is in the correct position.

• Penguin Readers – Level 3• Macmillan Readers – Elementary.

This part assesses your knowledge ofthe cohesion of a text. You need to lookfor clues in each sentence that show
how it links to the sentences around it.

13 Aptis Candidate GuidePart

Description

Preparation

Opinionmatching

In this part, you will match people’s

Read over all four opinions before

opinions to statements. You will readattempting the questions.

Part 3four people’s opinions on the same
topic. Then you need to read seven

Appropriate readers for this level are:statements and decide which person’s• Cambridge Bookworms Stage 2 and 3

opinion matches each statement.

• Cambridge Readers – Level 3, 4 and 5• Penguin Readers – Level 4This part tests your ability to read and• Macmillan Readers –Pre Intermediate.

understand short texts.

Long text
comprehension

In this part, you will read a long text

Read the whole text quickly. Then(about 750 words). You will also read

carefully read the headings. Do alleight headings. The task is to match

this before starting the task. Look forPart 4seven of the headings to paragraphs

clues to connect the headings to thein the text. There is always an extra

paragraphs; these might be similar

heading that does not ﬁt with any

words, ideas or topics.

paragraph.
Appropriate readers for this level are:This part is designed to test your ability• Cambridge Bookworms Stage 4, 5 and 6

to read and understand a long text. To• Cambridge Readers – Level 4, 5 and 6

get the correct answers you need to be• Penguin Readers – Level 5 and 6

able to demonstrate an understanding of• Macmillan Readers – Intermediate andhow the headings reﬂect the paragraphs• Upper Intermediate.

in different ways (sometimes using
similar words, sometimes similar ideas,
or by sharing a topic).

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Sample reading questions
Reading part 1: Sentence comprehension
In this part, you must select the appropriate word from a drop-down list.

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Reading part 2: Text cohesion
In the second part, you must sort the sentences into the correct order so that the text
makes sense. You do this by clicking on a sentence and dragging it to its correct position.
There are two of these tasks in this part.

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Reading part 3: Opinion matching
In the third part, you match four people’s opinions to seven statements by selecting thecorrect person from the drop-down list.

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Reading part 4: Long text comprehension
For the ﬁnal part, you must scroll the reading text to see all of it. You can do this byclicking on the side bar and moving the bar up and down.
To complete the task, you need to match seven headings to the correct paragraphs inthe text.
Select the appropriate heading from the drop-down list on the right-hand side.

18 Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis listening test
The Listening test has four task types. You can choose to listen to the text once or twice.
Part

Description

Preparation

Information In this part, you will listen to a short
recognition phone message or a short monologue

Visit the British Council's LearnEnglish

Part 1or dialogue, and you need to identify

tips, apps and podcasts:

speciﬁc information such as a phone

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/

website for lots of very useful activities,

number, a time or a place.
The elementary podcasts are usefulpreparation for these questions.

Information In this part, you will listen to four
matching
people’s monologues and match the

There are quite a few useful practicePart 2

person to information. There are six

website, so that's a very good starting

pieces of information to match to thepoint. In addition, try to listen to as muchmonologues.

English as possible (e.g. ﬁlms, television

videos and podcasts on the LearnEnglish

or radio).

Opinionmatching

In this task, you listen to a dialogue

Listening to authentic speech, such as

between a man and a woman and thentelevision drama programs or ﬁlms, is a

Part 3decide who expresses an opinion.

good way to prepare for this task.

There are four questions. Your task is todecide if the man, woman or both the
man and woman have expressed theopinion.

Monologue In these tasks, you listen to a monologue
compreand answer two questions.
hension

There are a number of higher-level

Part 4station.

The focus here is not on understanding
the meaning of what the speaker issaying, but on identifying clues in theirlanguage or tone to help identify theattitude of the speaker, their intention
or opinion.

podcasts on the LearnEnglish website.
Also try the BBC World Service radio19 Aptis Candidate Guide

Sample listening questions
Remember that if you'd like to hear a question for a second time, just click on the Playbutton ( ). The system will not allow you to listen more than twice.
Listening part 1: Information recognition
You listen to a short monologue or dialogue and identify speciﬁc information such as aphone number, a time, or a place.

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Listening part 2: Information matching
You listen to four different people and match the person to the information.

21 Aptis Candidate Guide

Listening part 3: Opinion matching
You listen to short conversations with two speakers to identify the attitude of the speaker,
their intention or opinion.

Listening part 4: Monologue comprehension
You listen to a monologue to identify the attitude of the speaker, their intention or opinion.

22 Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis writing test
There are four parts to the writing test. You will interact in a social media-type written
conversation and write emails. All writing tasks are marked by an examiner.
Make sure you fully understand the questions. Plan what you are going to write and thenedit your writing before clicking to the next question.
The most common mistakes include:
O not answering the questions (going off-topic)		 • read the question and understand what you need to do
O writing too much but with poor grammar, spelling and punctuation		 • keep to the word count and focus on accuracy
O not using a variety of sentence structures
O not writing in sentences or paragraphs
O using SMS spelling.
The total time allowed for the writing test is 50 minutes. The timings for each section below
are recommendations only.

23 Aptis Candidate GuidePart

Description

Preparation

Word-level
writing

In the ﬁrst part you have joined a club,The focus is on communication (thiscourse or activity and must answer a seriesmeans spelling, capitalisation andPart 1of ﬁve text messages from other members

grammar will not be considered by theof the club, course or activity. There is nomarkers).

extended writing in this part (no sentence
writing), just individual words.
If you are targeting a very high score,
you should spend no more than three (3)minutes on this part.

Short text
writing

This part is about form ﬁlling. In this part,

You are asked to write 20–30 words. The

you need to write in sentences.

focus is on writing sentences that arePart 2

If you are targeting a very high score,

on-topic and have accurate grammar,

you should spend no more than sevenpunctuation and spelling.

(7) minutes on this part.
A common error is to write more than
30 words and as a result, make a lot of
mistakes. Keep to the word limit andfocus on accuracy.

Threewrittenparts oftext, allof whichrequireresponses

In this part you will have a social

Answer all three questions and don't go

network-type interaction. You will

off-topic.

Part 3minutes on this part.

receive three questions and need torespond.

Focus on accurate spelling andpunctuation and write sentences that

If you are targeting a very high score,link together and make sense.

you should spend no more than ten (10)Keep to the word count of 30–40 words
per answer.

24 Aptis Candidate GuidePart

Description

Formal and This part requires that you write two
informalemails:writing
1) an informal email to a friend; andPart 4

Preparation
Keep to the word count of 40–50 words
for the ﬁrst email and 120–150 words forthe second email.

2) a more formal email to an unknown
person.

Make sure your emails are written fordifferent people. The ﬁrst email should

Both emails are in reaction toclearly be an informal email to a friend orinformation about a change.

close family member, while the second

You should spend all of your remaining

should clearly be a formal email to atime on this part (around 30 minutes).

company.
You are also assessed on how accurately
you write and your flexibility with English
language, so check your writing and use
a wide range of vocabulary, grammar
and cohesive devices.

25 Aptis Candidate Guide

Sample writing questions
Writing part 1: Word-level writing
You need to write ﬁve pieces of information. This part is not worth many marks so don’t
spend too much time on it.

Here is the marking scale:
Areas assessed: Task fulfilment and communicative competence
3. (above A1)

Fully intelligible responses for all five questions. Test-taker completely achieves
the task.

2. A1.2

Three or four of the responses are intelligible. Errors impede understanding in
one or two responses.

1. A1.1

One or two of the responses are intelligible. Errors impede understanding in twoor three responses.

0. A0

No intelligible responses.

26 Aptis Candidate Guide

Writing part 2: Short text writing
There may be one or two questions. The areas assessed are how completely andrelevantly you have answered the question, grammatical range and accuracy, punctuation,
vocabulary range and accuracy, and cohesion.

27 Aptis Candidate Guide

Here is the marking scale:
Areas assessed: task fulfilment / topic relevance, grammatical range and accuracy,punctuation, vocabulary range and accuracy, cohesion.
5. B1 (or above)

Likely to be above A2 level.

4. A2.2•

On topic.

•

Uses simple grammatical structures to produce writing at the sentence level.
Errors with basic structures common. Errors do not impede understanding of
the response.

•

Mostly accurate punctuation and spelling.

•

Vocabulary is sufficient to respond to the question(s).

•Some attempts at using simple connectors and cohesive devices to link 		sentences.

3. A2.1•

On topic.

•

Uses simple grammatical structures to produce writing at the sentence level.
Errors with basic structures common. Errors impede understanding in partsof the response.

•

Punctuation and spelling mistakes are noticeable.

•

Vocabulary is mostly sufficient to respond to the question(s) but 		
inappropriate lexical choices are noticeable.

•

Response is a list of sentences with no use of connectors or cohesive 		
devices to link sentences.

2. A1.2•

Not fully on topic.

•

Grammatical structure is limited to words and phrases. Errors in basic 		
patterns and simple grammar structures impede understanding.

•

Little or no use of accurate punctuation. Spelling mistakes common.

•

Vocabulary is limited to very basic words related to personal information andis not sufficient to respond to the question(s).

1. A1.1•

No use of cohesion.

•

Response limited to a few words or phrases.

•

Grammar and vocabulary errors so serious and frequent that meaning is 		
unintelligible.

0. A0

No meaningful language or all responses are completely off-topic (e.g.
memorised script, guessing).

28 Aptis Candidate Guide

Writing part 3: Three written parts of text, all of which require responses
In part 3, you will answer three social media-type questions.

29 Aptis Candidate Guide

Here is the marking scale:
Areas assessed: task fulfilment / topic relevance, punctuation, grammatical range
and accuracy, vocabulary range and accuracy, cohesion.
5. B2 (or above) Likely to be above the B1 level.
4. B1.2

Responses to all three questions are on topic and show the following features:•

Control of simple grammatical structures. Errors occur when attempting 		complex structures.

•

Punctuation and spelling mostly accurate. Errors do not impede understanding.

•

Vocabulary is sufficient to respond to the questions.

•

Uses simple cohesive devices to organise responses as a linear sequence ofsentences.

3. B1.1

Responses to two questions are on topic and show the following features:•

Control of simple grammatical structures. Errors occur when attempting 		complex structures.

•

Punctuation and spelling mostly accurate. Errors do not impede understanding.

•

Vocabulary is sufficient to respond to the questions.

•

Uses simple cohesive devices to organise responses as a linear sequence ofsentences.

2. A2.2

Responses to at least two questions are on topic and show the following features:•

Uses simple grammatical structures to produce writing at the sentencelevel. Errors with simple structures common and sometimes impede 		
understanding.

•

Punctuation and spelling mistakes are noticeable.

•

Vocabulary is not sufficient to respond to the question(s). Inappropriate 		lexical choices are noticeable and sometimes impede understanding.

•

1. A2.1

Responses are lists of sentences and not organised as cohesive texts.

Response to one question is on topic and shows the following features:•

Uses simple grammatical structures to produce writing at the sentencelevel. Errors with simple structures common and sometimes impede 		
understanding.

•

Punctuation and spelling mistakes are noticeable.

•

Vocabulary is not sufficient to respond to the question(s). Inappropriate 		lexical choices are noticeable and sometimes impede understanding.

•0

Responses are lists of sentences and not organised as cohesive texts.

Performance below A2, or no meaningful language or the responses arecompletely off-topic (e.g. memorised script, guessing).

30 Aptis Candidate Guide

Writing part 4: Formal and informal writing
The areas assessed are task fulﬁlment and register, grammatical range and accuracy,
vocabulary range and accuracy, and cohesion.

Register'Register' means the different ways language is used in different situations, dependingon the relationships between the speaker and listener, or the author and the intended
reader. This is an important part of language use. For example, your language choices will
be different when you’re writing to a new business partner and when you’re writing to afriend.
To be successful in part 4, you need to show that you can write in both casual and formal
registers. The ﬁrst section of part 4 asks you to write in an intimate or casual register (oneused among family members and close friends). The second part asks you to write in aformal register (one used between strangers or in a business setting).

31 Aptis Candidate Guide

Here is the marking scale:
Areas assessed: task fulfilment / topic relevance, grammatical range and accuracy,
vocabulary range and accuracy, punctuation, fluency and cohesion.
6. C2

Likely to be above C1 level.

5. C1

Response shows the following features:•

Response on topic and task fulfilled in terms of appropriateness of register.
Two clearly different registers.

•

Range of complex grammar constructions used accurately. Some minor 		errors occur but do not impede understanding.

•Range of vocabulary used to discuss the topics required by the task. Someawkward usage or slightly inappropriate lexical choices.

•

A range of cohesive devices is used to clearly indicate the links between 		ideas.

4. B2.2

Response on topic and task fulfilled in terms of appropriateness of register:
appropriate register used consistently in both responses. Response shows thefollowing features:•

Some complex grammar constructions used accurately. Errors do not lead tomisunderstanding.

•Minor errors in punctuation and spelling occur but do not impede 		
understanding.

•Sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topics required by the task.
Inappropriate lexical choices do not lead to misunderstanding.

•

A limited number of cohesive devices are used to indicate the links between
ideas.

3. B2.1

Response partially on topic and task partially fulfilled in terms ofappropriateness of register: appropriate register used consistently in one
response. Response shows the following features:•

Some complex grammar constructions used accurately. Errors do not lead tomisunderstanding.

•Minor errors in punctuation and spelling occur but do not impede 		
understanding.

•Sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topics required by the task.
Inappropriate lexical choices do not lead to misunderstanding.

•

A limited number of cohesive devices are used to indicate the links between
ideas.

32 Aptis Candidate Guide

2. B1.2

Response partially on topic and task not fulfilled in terms of appropriatenessof register: appropriate register not used consistently in either response.
Response shows the following features:•

Control of simple grammatical structures. Errors occur when attempting 		complex structures.

•

Punctuation and spelling is mostly accurate. Errors do not impede 		
understanding.

•

Limitations in vocabulary make it difficult to deal fully with the task. Errors
impede understanding in parts of the text.

•

Uses only simple cohesive devices. Links between ideas are not always 		clearly indicated.

1. B1.1

Response not on topic and task not fulfilled in terms of appropriateness ofregister. No evidence of awareness of register. Response shows the following
features:•

Control of simple grammatical structures. Errors occur when attempting 		complex structures.

•

Punctuation and spelling is mostly accurate. Errors do not impede 		
understanding.

•

Limitations in vocabulary make it difficult to deal fully with the task. Errors
impede understanding in most of the text.

•

Uses only simple cohesive devices. Links between ideas are not always 		clearly indicated.

0. A1/A2

Performance below B1, or no meaningful language or the responses arecompletely off-topic (e.g. memorised script, guessing).

33 Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis speaking test
For each question, you are given a maximum amount of time to speak, but you can end
the recording early by clicking on a stop button. Please make sure you fully respond to thequestion before you stop the recording.
The most common reasons people receive lower scores than they expect include:
O not doing a proper sound check (details on how to do this are shown below)
O not speaking clearly
O not answering the questions
O giving under-length answers – not using the full amount of time to speak
O overusing words such as 'and' and 'so'O speaking in simple sentence lists
O not using a variety of sentence structures.
Before the Speaking test begins, you’ll be asked to check your microphone.

34 Aptis Candidate GuidePart

Description

Preparation

Personal
In this part, you are asked to answer
information three questions on personal topics. You

It’s a good idea to practice introducing

Part 1are expected to talk for 30 seconds per

experiences. Think about how you canquestion.

talk about familiar topics (e.g. holidays,

yourself and talking about your personal

weekend activities, sports) and practise
giving general information about those
topics.

Describe,
express
opinion andprovidereasons
and explanations

In this part you are asked to describe a

You should try to be ﬂuent andphotograph and then answer two questions

spontaneous, showing little sign ofrelated to the topic illustrated in the photo.

effort. Make sure you answer all three

The three questions increase in complexity

questions.

(from description to opinion). You are
expected to talk for 45 seconds perquestion.

Part 2

Describe,
In this part you are asked to compare twocomparepictures and then answer two questions
and provide related to the topic. The three questions
reasonsincrease in complexity (from description toand expla- speculation). You are expected to talk fornations
45 seconds for each question.

To prepare for this task, practisePart 3

To achieve a very high score in this part,comparing two different things (e.g.
two cities or two houses). Focus on
describing their advantages anddisadvantages.

it’s important to make sure you are using
correct grammatical structures when
you speculate.

35 Aptis Candidate GuidePart

Description

Preparation

Discuss
personal
experienceand opinion
on an
abstract
topic

In the ﬁnal part, you will see a picture and

A common error is to describe thebe asked three questions about an abstract

photo. You will not receive a high score

topic.

if you describe the photo. The questions

You are expected to talk for two (2)Another common error is to go off-topic.

Part 4minutes.

Focus on answering each question inare more abstract (e.g. how you feel
You are given one (1) minute to prepare an

about something).

answer and in this time, you can take notes.

clear, smoothly ﬂowing, well-structured
speech.
To prepare for this part, it is a good idea
to practise speaking for two minutes onan abstract topic(e.g. How do you feel about________?).
Make sure you practise using yourplanning time to structure what you aregoing to say.

36 Aptis Candidate Guide

Speaking part 1: Personal information
In this part, you answer some questions about yourself. Listen to the instructions andspeak clearly into your microphone when you hear the signal.
Each part of the test will appear automatically. You can stop recording your response
before the timer runs out by tapping on the stop button, but we recommend that you try to
speak for the full time available to maximise your score.

When the time to record comes, the timer begins. This tells you the amount of time you
have been recording for (in the screen shot below, the timer shows that it has beenrecording for 25 seconds).

37 Aptis Candidate Guide

As each new question appears, the same procedure is followed.

38 Aptis Candidate Guide

The areas assessed in this part of the Speaking test are how completely and relevantly
you have answered the question, grammatical range and accuracy, vocabulary range andaccuracy, pronunciation and ﬂuency.
Here is the marking scale:
Areas assessed: task fulfilment / topic relevance, grammatical range and accuracy,
vocabulary range and accuracy, pronunciation, fluency.
5. B1 (or above)

Likely to be above A2 level.

4. A2.2

Responses to all three questions are on topic and show the following features:•

Some simple grammatical structures used correctly but basic mistakes 		systematically occur.

•

Vocabulary is sufficient to respond to the questions, although inappropriate
lexical choices are noticeable.

•

Mispronunciations are noticeable and frequently place a strain on the 		
listener.

•

3. A2.1

Frequent pausing, false starts and reformulations but meaning is still clear.

Responses to two questions are on topic and show the following features:•

Some simple grammatical structures used correctly but basic mistakes 		systematically occur.

•

Vocabulary is sufficient to respond to the questions, although inappropriate
lexical choices are noticeable.

•

Mispronunciations are noticeable and frequently place a strain on the 		
listener.

•

2. A1.2

Frequent pausing, false starts and reformulations but meaning is still clear.

Responses to at least two questions are on topic and show the following
features:•

Grammatical structure is limited to words and phrases. Errors in basic 		
patterns and simple grammar structures impede understanding.

•

Vocabulary is limited to very basic words related to personal information.

•

Pronunciation is mostly unintelligible except for isolated words.

•

Frequent pausing, false starts and reformulations impede understanding.

39 Aptis Candidate Guide

1. A1.1

Response to one question is on topic and shows the following features:•

Grammatical structure is limited to words and phrases. Errors in basic 		
patterns and simple grammar structures impede understanding.

0. A0

•

Vocabulary is limited to very basic words related to personal information.

•

Pronunciation is mostly unintelligible except for isolated words.

•

Frequent pausing, false starts and reformulations impede understanding.

No meaningful language or all responses are completely off-topic(e.g. memorised script, guessing).

40 Aptis Candidate Guide

Speaking part 2: Describe, express opinion and provide reasons and explanation
In this part, you will see a photo and answer three questions. You have 45 seconds to
respond to each question.

41 Aptis Candidate Guide

Speaking part 3: Describe, compare and provide reasons and explanations
In this part, you will see two photos and answer three questions.

42 Aptis Candidate Guide

The areas assessed in parts 2 and 3 of the Speaking test are how completely andrelevantly you responded to the question, grammatical range and accuracy, vocabularyrange and accuracy, pronunciation, ﬂuency and cohesion.
The marking scale is the same for parts 2 and 3.
Areas assessed: task fulfilment / topic relevance, grammatical range and accuracy,
vocabulary range and accuracy, pronunciation, fluency and cohesion.
5. B2 (or above) Likely to be above the B1 level.
4. B1.2

Responses to all three questions are on topic and show the following features:•

Control of simple grammatical structures. Errors occur when attempting 		complex structures.

•Sufficient range and control of vocabulary for the task. Errors occur when
expressing complex thoughts.

•

Pronunciation is intelligible but inappropriate mispronunciations put an 		occasional strain on the listener.

•

Some pausing, false starts and reformulations.

•

Uses only simple cohesive devices. Links between ideas are not always 		clearly indicated.

3. B1.1

Responses to two questions are on topic and show the following features:•

Control of simple grammatical structures. Errors occur when attempting 		complex structures.

•Sufficient range and control of vocabulary for the task. Errors occur when
expressing complex thoughts.

•

Pronunciation is intelligible but inappropriate mispronunciations put an 		occasional strain on the listener.

•

Some pausing, false starts and reformulations.

•

Uses only simple cohesive devices. Links between ideas are not always 		clearly indicated.

2. A1.2

Responses to at least two questions are on topic and show the following
features:•

Uses some simple grammatical structures correctly but systematically makes
basic mistakes.

•

Vocabulary will be limited to concrete topics and descriptions. Inappropriate
lexical choices for the task are noticeable.

•

Mispronunciations are noticeable and put a strain on the listener.

•

Noticeable pausing, false starts and reformulations.

•

Cohesion between ideas is limited. Responses tend to be a list of points.

43 Aptis Candidate Guide

1. A2.1

Response to one question is on topic and shows the following features:•

Uses some simple grammatical structures correctly but systematically makes
basic mistakes.

•

Vocabulary will be limited to concrete topics and descriptions. Inappropriate
lexical choices for the task are noticeable.

0•

Mispronunciations are noticeable and put a strain on the listener.

•

Noticeable pausing, false starts and reformulations.

•

Cohesion between ideas is limited. Responses tend to be a list of points.

Performance below A2, or no meaningful language or the responses are 		completely off-topic (e.g. memorised script, guessing).

44 Aptis Candidate Guide

Speaking part 4: Discuss personal experience and opinion on an abstract topic
In this part, you again need to answer three questions but this time you answer them all in
one response.
You have one minute to prepare a structured response. A timer on the screen will show
how long you have left. When preparation time is over, the message appears at the bottom'You now have two minutes to talk'. You should speak until the recording automaticallystops after two minutes.

45 Aptis Candidate Guide

During the preparation time, it is important to take notes, as these will help you organise
and remember what you want to speak about. Rather than writing out exactly what you
want to say, make brief notes and use these to structure your speech.
Here is the marking scale:
Areas assessed: task fulfilment / topic relevance, grammatical range and accuracy,
vocabulary range and accuracy, pronunciation, fluency and cohesion.
6. C2

Likely to be above C1 level.

5. C1

Response addresses all three questions and is well-structured.
•

Uses a range of complex grammar constructions accurately. Some minor
errors occur but do not impede understanding.

•Uses a range of vocabulary to discuss the topics required by the task. Someawkward usage or slightly inappropriate lexical choices.

•

Pronunciation is clearly intelligible.

•

Backtracking and reformulations do not fully interrupt the flow of speech.

•

A range of cohesive devices are used to clearly indicate the links between ideas.

Responses to all three questions are on topic and show the following features:

4. B2.2•

Some complex grammar constructions used accurately. Errors do not lead tomisunderstanding.

•Sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topics required by the task.
Inappropriate lexical choices do not lead to misunderstanding.

•

Pronunciation is intelligible. Mispronunciations do not put a strain on the 		
listener or lead to misunderstanding.

•Some pausing while searching for vocabulary but this does not put a strain
on the listener.

•

3. B2.1

A limited number of cohesive devices are used to indicate the links between ideas.

Responses to two questions are on topic and show the following features:•

Some complex grammar constructions used accurately. Errors do not lead tomisunderstanding.

•Sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topics required by the task.
Inappropriate lexical choices do not lead to misunderstanding.

•

Pronunciation is intelligible. Mispronunciations do not put a strain on the 		
listener or lead to misunderstanding.

•Some pausing while searching for vocabulary but this does not put a strain
on the listener.

•

A limited number of cohesive devices are used to indicate the links between ideas.

46 Aptis Candidate Guide

2. B1.2

Responses to at least two questions are on topic and show the following
features:•

Control of simple grammatical structures. Errors occur when attempting 		complex structures.

•

Limitations in vocabulary make it difficult to deal fully with the task.

•

Pronunciation is intelligible but occasional mispronunciations put an 		occasional strain on the listener.

•

Noticeable pausing, false starts, reformulations and repetition.

•

Uses only simple cohesive devices. Links between ideas are not always 		clearly indicated.

1. B1.1

Response not on topic and task not fulfilled in terms of appropriateness ofregister. No evidence of awareness of register. Response shows the following
features:•

Control of simple grammatical structures. Errors occur when attempting 		complex structures.

•

Punctuation and spelling is mostly accurate. Errors do not impede 		
understanding.

•

Limitations in vocabulary make it difficult to deal fully with the task. Errors
impede understanding in most of the text.

•

Uses only simple cohesive devices. Links between ideas are not always 		clearly indicated.

0. A1/A2

Performance below B1, or no meaningful language or the responses arecompletely off-topic (e.g. memorised script, guessing).

47 Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis Advanced test
This section details the different tasks you will ﬁnd in the Aptis Advanced test. The layoutof the test and the components tested are the same as the Aptis General test. The
grammar and vocabulary component is also exactly the same, so we will not cover it
here. All of the tips that we share in this guide are relevant for both tests and the marking
system for the speaking and writing test is also the same.
Aptis Advanced reading test
In this test you have 60 minutes to complete the four parts. Three parts are different tothose in the Aptis General test.
Part

Description

Preparation

Part 1In this part, you have four people's

Make sure you read all four opinions

opinions on one topic. You need to read

before trying to answer the questions.

all their opinions and then choose who

Remember, the same person can besaid what for seven questions. You must

used for more than one answer.

answer each question.

Part 2

Matching headings
This is the same as the Aptis General
test.

Part 3This is a short text of around 300 words

Make sure you read the whole text

with missing gaps. You must choose thebefore trying to answer. This isn't aright word or phrase from the drop-down

grammar test so all the options can ﬁt

to complete the gap.

grammatically into the sentence, youneed to understand the whole text tochoose the right one.

Part 4You have two short texts on the same

You need to read both texts before

topic. You need to ﬁll in the blank withanswering as all of the options are

the appropriate phrase.

grammatically possible, so you can only
choose the right one if you have read
both texts.

48 Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis Advanced listening test
The Advanced listening test has four parts: one part is the same as the Aptis General test
and three parts are different. These parts are aimed at the higher levels so there are morethings you need to do in each part. You have 30 minutes to complete the four parts.
Part

Description

Preparation

Part 1This part is the same as the Aptis

Please refer to our previous listening tips

General test. You will listen to ﬁve shortfor websites and ideas.

recordings of monologues or dialogues
and answer one question for eachrecording.

Part 2In this part, you will listen to three

Use the fact that you can listen twice torecordings of monologues or dialogues

your advantage here. Read through theand you will have to answer twoquestions before you listen and predict

questions for each recording.

what someone might say about thesethings. Then, on your ﬁrst listen, selectyour answers and listen a second time to
conﬁrm.

Part 3In this part, you will hear a discussion

Use your time wisely. Read the options

between a man and a woman. On

and make notes on what you think

the screen you will see a number ofyou should listen for (e.g. numbers,

opinions. You will need to identify who

synonyms).

expresses which opinion: the man, thewoman, or both the man and the woman.
You will only hear this once and you have
20 seconds to read through the options.

Part 4In this part, you will hear two separate

Make sure you use the time to readmonologues. You will need to select thethrough all the options. Use this time tocorrect answers from a table. You will

predict what kind of words you expect

only hear each monologue once. Youthem to mention around these opinions,have 20 seconds to read the options in

so you can listen out for hints.

the table.

49 Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis Advanced writing test
In the Aptis Advanced writing test, you have 45 minutes to complete three parts.
Part

Description

Preparation

Three
writtenparts oftext, all of
which
requireresponses

In this part, you will have a social

Make sure you correctly answer all three

network-type interaction. You willquestions and don't go off-topic.

receive three questions and need to

Focus on accurate spelling andrespond. This is the same task as the

punctuation and write text that is

Aptis General test part 3.

cohesive and coherent. Keep to the word
count of 30–40 words per answer.

Part 1

Emailresponse

In this part, you will read an email from

Make sure you are on-topic and that

an authority. You need to respond to theyou use the appropriate register forPart 2

email in 120 –150 words, using the notes

the situation (see the Aptis writing test

provided, expressing how you feel about

for information about correct use of

the situation.

register).

ArticleIn this part, you will write an article
for website for a website that is both informative
publication and interesting. Notes about the topic
Part 3are provided and you need to use theinformation to help write the article. The
article needs to be between 180–220
words.

Try to make your article informative andinteresting and use original text (i.e.
don't just copy the notes).

50 Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis Advanced writing – assessment and marking scale
The areas assessed are task fulﬁlment, register, grammatical range and accuracy,
vocabulary range and accuracy, punctuation and spelling, and cohesion.
6. C2

Response fully on-topic and appropriate register used. Response shows thefollowing features:•

Range of complex grammar constructions used accurately. No grammar 		
errors occur.

5. C1

•

Range of vocabulary used. No awkward or inappropriate lexical choices.

•

No more than two minor punctuation or spelling errors occur.

•

Range of cohesive devices used to clearly indicate the links between ideas.

Response fully on-topic and appropriate register used. Response shows thefollowing features:•

Range of complex grammar constructions used accurately. Minor grammar
errors occur.

•

Range of vocabulary used. Some awkward or slightly inappropriate lexical
choices.

4. B2.2•

Minor errors in punctuation and spelling occur.

•

Range of cohesive devices used to clearly indicate the links between ideas.

Response fully on-topic and appropriate register used. Response shows thefollowing features:•

Some complex grammar constructions used accurately. Errors do not 		
impede understanding.

•Sufﬁcient range of vocabulary to discuss the topics required by the task.
Inappropriate lexical choices do not impede understanding.

•

Punctuation and spelling errors do not impede understanding.

•

Limited number of cohesive devices are used to indicate the links between
ideas.

3. B2.1

Response partially on-topic and/or appropriate register partially used. Responseshows the following features:•

Some complex grammar constructions used accurately. Errors do not 		
impede understanding.

•Sufﬁcient range of vocabulary to discuss the topics required by the task.

Inappropriate lexical choices do not impede understanding.
•

Punctuation and spelling errors do not impede understanding.

•

Limited number of cohesive devices are used to indicate the links between
ideas.

51 Aptis Candidate Guide

2. B1.2

Response partially on-topic and/or appropriate register partially used. Responseshows the following features:•

Control of simple grammatical structures. Errors occur when attempting 		complex structures.

•

Limitations in vocabulary make it difﬁcult to deal fully with the task. Errors
impede understanding in parts of the text.

•

Punctuation and spelling errors do not impede understanding.

•Uses only simple cohesive devices. Links between ideas are not always 		clearly indicated.

1. B1.1

Response not on-topic and/or task not fulﬁlled in terms of appropriateness ofregister. Response shows the following features:•

Control of simple grammatical structures. Errors occur when attempting 		complex structures.

•

Limitations in vocabulary make it difﬁcult to deal fully with the task. Errors
impede understanding in parts of the text.

•

Punctuation and spelling errors do not impede understanding.

•Uses only simple cohesive devices. Links between ideas are not always 		clearly indicated.

0. A1/ A2

Performance below B1, or no meaningful language or the response iscompletely off-topic (e.g. memorised script, guessing).

52 Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis Advanced speaking test
The Advanced speaking test has three parts. Part 1 is the same as the Aptis General
speaking test part 3. Part 2 is the same as the Aptis General speaking test part 4. Part 3 isa short presentation.
The duration of the Aptis Advanced speaking test is 10 minutes.
Part

Description

Preparation

Describe,
compareand provide
reasons
and explanations

In this part, you are asked to compare

To prepare for this part, it is a good idea

two pictures and then answer two

to practise comparing two different

questions related to the topic.

things (e.g. two cities or two houses).
Focus on describing their advantages

The three questions increase in complexityand disadvantages.

(from description to speculation).

Part 1

With speculation, it is important to
You are expected to talk for 45 seconds

make sure you are using the correct

for each question. This is the same as

grammatical structures.

the Aptis speaking test part 3.

Discuss
personal
experienceand opinion
in relation
to an
abstract
topic

In this part, you will be asked three

A common error is to go off topic. Focus

questions about an abstract topic. You

on answering each question in a clear,are given one minute to prepare ansmoothly ﬂowing, well-structured speech.

Part 2

test part 4 but there is no picture.

answer and can take notes.
To prepare for this part it is a good idea
You are expected to talk for two minutes.

to practise speaking for two minutes onan abstract topic (e.g. How do you feelThis is the same as the Aptis speaking

about__________?).
Make sure you practise using yourplanning time wisely to structure what
you are going to say.

Presentation In this part, you need to speak on a topic

Structure your presentation and makePart 3for one and a half minutes. You will havesure you provide both sides of theone minute to prepare.

argument.

After your presentation, you will be

Try to act like you are speaking to an

asked an additional question about theaudience or a group.

topic and asked to speak for 45 seconds.
There is no preparation time for thisadditional question.

53 Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis Advanced speaking – assessment and marking criteria
The areas assessed are task fulﬁlment / topic relevance, grammatical range andaccuracy, vocabulary range and accuracy, pronunciation, ﬂuency and cohesion.
6. C2

•

Presentation is convincingly presented and well-structured, highlighting andexpanding on points from each section.

•

The follow-up question response is well-structured. There is a clear and 		
coherent response.

•

Uses a range of complex grammar constructions accurately. Some very 		
minor errors occur but do not impede understanding.

•Uses a range of vocabulary to discuss the topic required by the task. No 		
awkward usage or inappropriate lexical choices.

•

Pronunciation is clearly intelligible.

•

Backtracking and reformulations do not interrupt the ﬂow of speech.

•

A range of cohesive devices are used to clearly indicate the links between
ideas.

5. C1•

Presentation is clear, highlighting points from each section. Gives reasons in
support of or against particular points of view.

•

The follow-up question response is coherent.

•

Uses a range of complex grammar constructions accurately. Some minor
errors occur but do not impede understanding.

•Uses a range of vocabulary to discuss the topic in the poster in his/her own
words. Some awkward usage or slightly inappropriate lexical choices.

•

Pronunciation is clearly intelligible.

•

Backtracking and reformulations do not fully interrupt the ﬂow of speech.

•

A range of cohesive devices are used to clearly indicate the links between
ideas.

4. B2.2

Response addresses points from each section, the follow-up question is on-topic
and the response shows the features associated with B2 spoken production.

54 Aptis Candidate Guide

3. B2.1

Response does not address points from both sections, the follow-up questionis on-topic and the response shows the features associated with B2 spoken
production.
Features associated with B2 spoken production:•

Some complex grammar constructions used accurately. Errors do not lead tomisunderstanding.

•Sufﬁcient range of vocabulary to discuss the topics required by the task.
Inappropriate lexical choices do not lead to misunderstanding.

•

Pronunciation is intelligible. Mispronunciations do not put a strain on the 		
listener or lead to misunderstanding.

•Some pausing while searching for vocabulary, but this does not put a strain
on the listener.

•

A limited number of cohesive devices are used to indicate the links between
ideas.

2. B1.2

The candidate is unable to construct a coherent and sustained response, isheavily dependent on the input prompts and is not able to address the followup question. The response shows the features associated with B1 spoken
production.

1. B1.1

The candidate is unable to construct a coherent and sustained response, reads
directly from the prompts and is not able to address the follow-up question. The
response shows the features associated with B1 spoken production.
Features associated with B1 spoken production:•

Control of simple grammatical structures. Errors occur when attempting 		complex structures.

•

Limitations in vocabulary make it difﬁcult to deal fully with the task.

•

Pronunciation is intelligible but occasional mispronunciations put an 		occasional strain on the listener.

•

Noticeable pausing, false starts, reformulations and repetition.

•

Uses only simple cohesive devices. Links between ideas are not always 		clearly indicated.

0. A1/ A2

Performance not sufﬁcient for B1, or no meaningful language, or the responses
are completely off-topic (memorised or guessing).

55 Aptis Candidate Guide

How to take the online test
When you start every Aptis General test, the introductory screen looks like this:On screen, the questions will appear like this:56 Aptis Candidate Guide

Speaking test voice recording
Make sure your test is taken in a quiet room. The following screen will appear. This allows
you to check the sound recording system on your computer.

Once you click Start Check, the screen below appears. You will now need to record asample of speech.

57 Aptis Candidate Guide

When you have ﬁnished your recording, the following screen appears. You can replay therecorded sound. If you can hear it properly, click on Yes (start my test), if not click on No(try again).

During the microphone check, make sure you say a whole sentence and not just one or
two words. Assessing the quality of the microphone needs more than a few words.

58 Aptis Candidate Guide

Aptis for all
The British Council is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in English
language testing. We believe that the Aptis tests should be accessible to anyone who wants
to take them. We also believe that each person should have the opportunity to perform to thebest of his or her ability on the Aptis tests.
If you have a disability and believe that Aptis is not accessible to you, or believe that the formof the test will not allow you to show your true level of English, please contact your local
British Council centre to talk about the ways in which the test can be modiﬁed for your needs.
We can make adjustments such as providing pen and paper tests, face-to-face tests, Brailleand large font tests, adjusting timing, and a range of other modifications.
Please discuss it with us to ensure that we can support you with a test which is both fair toyou and maintains the high standards and reliability of Aptis.

59 Aptis Candidate Guide

Final checklist
We hope these notes will help you prepare for your Aptis test. Here’s a checklist to make sure
you’re fully prepared.
O Review the different grammar parts:
O https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/british-council-eaquals-core-inventory-gener O
O al-english
O Visit the LearnEnglish website to prepare for the grammar and vocabulary test:
O http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en
O Practise your English skills at every opportunity:
O Listen to English radio, watch English-language television and ﬁlms and read the graded O
O readers (e.g. Cambridge, Penguin, Macmillan and Headway).
O Read the tips in this booklet on how to prepare for each test.

Useful web resources
O British Council | EAQUALS Core Inventory for General English:
O http://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/continuing-professional-development/cpd-teach O
O er-trainers/british-council-eaquals-core-inventory-general-english
O LearnEnglish Grammar:
O http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar
O LearnEnglish Vocabulary:O http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/vocabulary

More information
O www.britishcouncil.org/aptis

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