Instructions To Examiners: English Placement Test 1
Instructions To Examiners: English Placement Test 1
Instructions To Examiners: English Placement Test 1
INSTRUCTIONS TO EXAMINERS
Part Duration Information
Part 1 3-4 minutes - Let the student introduce himself/herself and confirm
his/her identity.
Introduction & Interview
- Ask the student general questions on familiar topics.
Individual Long Turn - Tell the student that he/she has 1 minute to prepare
for the topic and he/she can make notes during the
preparation time then he/she has 2 minutes to talk.
Part 3 3-4 minutes - Ask the student further questions which are
connected to the topic of Part 2.
Two-way Discussion
NOTES:
- Tell students that they need to prepare a pen and a blank piece of paper for making notes
in part 2 on their own.
- The score for each part is the average of four sub-scores based on the given criteria.
- Final score = (Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3)/ 3
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 01
PART 1
Future
● Do you think your life will change in the future? How?
● How much travelling do you hope to do in the next 5 years?
● How useful will English be for your future life?
Social media
● Do you use social media websites?
● How much time do you spend on social media sites?
● Is there anything you don’t like about social media?
PART 2
Describe a book that you enjoyed reading.
You should say
what this book was;
why you decided to read it;
what reading this book made you think about;
and explain why you enjoyed reading this book.
PART 3
● How popular are electronic books in your country?
● What are the advantages of reading electronic books compared to printed books?
● Will electronic books ever completely replace printed books in the future?
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 02
PART 1
Neighbors
● How often do you see your neighbors?
● Do you think you are a good neighbor?
● Has a neighbor ever helped you?
Your neighborhood
● Do you like the neighborhood you live in?
● What do you do in your neighborhood in your free time?
● What new things would you like to have in your neighborhood?
PART 2
Describe a very difficult task that you succeeded in doing as part of your work or studies.
You should say
what task you did;
why this task was very difficult;
how you worked on this task;
and explain how you felt when you had successfully completed this task.
PART 3
● What are the most difficult jobs that people do?
● Why do you think some people choose to do difficult jobs?
● Do you think that successful people are always happy people?
● Is it always necessary to work hard in order to achieve career success?
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 03
PART 1
Keeping in contact with people
● How do you usually contact your friends?
● Do you find it easy to keep in contact with friends and family?
● In your country, did people in the past keep in contact in the same ways as they do today?
Laughing
● What kinds of things make you laugh?
● Do you like making other people laugh? Why?
● In which situations do you think laughing is not acceptable?
PART 2
Describe a party that you enjoyed.
You should say
whose party it was and what it was celebrating;
where the party was held and who went to it;
what people did during the party;
and explain what you enjoyed about this party.
PART 3
● What are the main reasons why people organize family parties in your country?
● Are there many differences between family parties and parties given by friends? Why do you think
so?
● What kinds of national celebrations do you have in your country?
● Who tends to enjoy national celebrations more: young people or old people? Why?
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 04
PART 1
Cold weather
● Have you ever been in very cold weather?
● Are some parts of your country colder than others?
● Would you prefer to live in a hot place or a cold place?
Travelling to work or college
● How do you usually travel to work or college?
● What do you like about travelling to work/college this way?
● What changes would improve the way you travel to work/college?
PART 2
Describe a competition (e.g. TV, college/work or sports competition) that you took part in.
You should say
what kind of competition it was and how you found about it;
what you had to do;
what the prizes were;
and explain why you chose to take part in this competition.
PART 3
● Why do you think some school teachers use competitions as class activities?
● Do you think it is a good thing to give prizes to children who do well at school? Why?
● What are the advantages and disadvantages of intensive training for young sportspeople?
● Some people think that competition leads to a better performance from sports stars. Others think it
just makes players feel insecure. What is your opinion?
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 05
PART 1
TV programs
● Do you usually watch TV programs or shows? Where do you usually watch them?
● What is/are your favorite TV program(s)/ show(s)?
● Are there any programs/ shows you don’t like watching?
Age
● Are you happy to be the age you are now?
● When you were a child, did you think a lot about your future?
● Do you think you have changed now compared to when you were a kid?
PART 2
Describe someone you know who has started a business.
You should say
who this person is;
what this person does;
why this person decided to start a business;
and explain whether you would like to do the same kind of work as this person.
PART 3
● What kind of jobs don’t young people want to do in your country?
● Who is best at advising young people about choosing a job: teachers or parents?
● Is money always the most important thing when choosing a job?
● Do you agree that many people nowadays are under the pressure to work longer hours and take fewer
holidays?
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 06
PART 1
Money
● When you go shopping, do you prefer to pay for things in cash or by card?
● Do you ever save money to buy special things?
● Would you ever take a job which had low pay?
Animals
● Are there many animals or birds where you live?
● How often do you watch programs or read articles about wild animals?
● Have you ever been to a zoo or a wildlife park?
PART 2
Describe a time when you started using a new technological device (like phone/ PC).
You should say
what device you started using;
why you started using this device;
how easy or difficult it was to use;
and explain how helpful this device was to you.
PART 3
● What is the best age for children to start computer lessons?
● Do you think that schools should use more technology to help children learn? Why?
● Do you agree or disagree that computers will replace teachers one day? Why?
● How much has technology improved how we communicate with each other?
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 07
PART 1
Email
● What kinds of emails do you often receive?
● Do you prefer to email, phone or text your friends?
● Do you reply to emails and messages as soon as you receive them?
Languages
● How many languages can you speak?
● How useful will English be to you in your future?
● What do you remember about learning languages at school?
PART 2
Describe a hotel that you know.
You should say
where this hotel is;
what this hotel looks like;
what facilities this hotel has;
and explain whether you think this is a nice hotel to stay.
PART 3
● What factors are important when people are choosing a hotel?
● Why do some people like or dislike staying in hotels?
● Do you think staying in a luxury hotel is a waste of money?
● If you cannot find a hotel, what are other choices for staying in a holiday in your country?
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 08
PART 1
Swimming
● Did you learn to swim when you were a child?
● Is it easy for you to learn to swim?
● What places are there for swimming where you live?
Jewellery
● How often do you wear jewellery?
● What type of jewellery do you like best?
● In your family and among your friends, do people give jewellery to each other?
PART 2
Describe a website that you bought something from.
You should say
what the website is;
what you bought from this website;
how satisfied you were with what you bought;
and explain what you liked or disliked about using this website.
PART 3
● What do people in your country often buy from online shops?
● Why do you think online shopping has become so popular nowadays?
● What are some possible disadvantages of buying things from online shops?
● Why do many people today keep buying things they do not need?
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 09
PART 1
School days
● Which subject did you find most difficult at school? [Why?]
● Do you ever need that subject now? [Why? Why not?]
● What did you enjoy about being a school student?
Buildings
● Are there any famous buildings in your hometown? [What are they?]
● In what type of building do most people in your hometown live?
● Should buildings be attractive to look at? [Why? Why not?]
PART 2
Describe an interesting story that you heard or read about in the news.
You should say
when you heard or read about the story;
what the story was about;
why the story was in the news;
and explain why you thought the story was interesting.
PART 3
● When do people like to read the news?
● How important is it for people to have a choice of news websites?
● What should a “good” news website have?
● Why do many people nowadays choose to read the news on the Internet rather than in a newspaper?
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 10
PART 1
Weekends
● How do you usually spend your weekends? [Why?]
● Which is your favorite part of the weekend? [Why?]
● Do you think your weekends are long enough? [Why?/Why not?]
Travel
● Do you enjoy travelling? [Why?/Why not?]
● Do you think it’s better to travel alone or with other people? [Why?]
● Where would you like to travel in the future? [Why?]
PART 2
Describe a child that you know.
You should say
who this child is and how often you see him or her;
how old this child is;
what he or she is like;
and explain what you feel about this child.
PART 3
● What are the most popular free-time activities with children today?
● Do you think the free-time activities children do today are good? Why?
● How do you think children’s activities will change in the future? Will this be a positive change?
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 01
PART 2
Describe a book that you enjoyed reading.
You should say
what this book was;
why you decided to read it;
what reading this book made you think about;
and explain why you enjoyed reading this book.
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SPEAKING TEST 02
PART 2
Describe a very difficult task that you succeeded in doing as part of your work or studies.
You should say
what task you did;
why this task was very difficult;
how you worked on this task;
and explain how you felt when you had successfully completed this task.
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 03
PART 2
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SPEAKING TEST 04
PART 2
Describe a competition (e.g. TV, college/work or sports competition) that you took part in.
what kind of competition it was and how you found about it;
SPEAKING TEST 05
PART 2
Describe someone you know who has started a business.
You should say
who this person is;
what this person does;
why this person decided to start a business;
and explain whether you would like to do the same kind of work as this person.
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PART 2
Describe a time when you started using a new technological device (like phone/ PC).
You should say
what device you started using;
why you started using this device;
how easy or difficult it was to use;
and explain how helpful this device was to you.
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF HANOI
SPEAKING TEST 07
PART 2
Describe a hotel that you know.
You should say
where this hotel is;
what this hotel looks like;
what facilities this hotel has;
and explain whether you think this is a nice hotel to stay.
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SPEAKING TEST 08
PART 2
Describe a website that you bought something from.
You should say
what the website is;
what you bought from this website;
how satisfied you were with what you bought;
and explain what you liked or disliked about using this website.
SPEAKING TEST 09
PART 2
Describe an interesting story that you heard or read about in the news.
You should say
when you heard or read about the story;
what the story was about;
why the story was in the news;
and explain why you thought the story was interesting.
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SPEAKING TEST 10
PART 2
Describe a child that you know.
You should say
who this child is and how often you see him or her;
how old this child is;
what he or she is like;
and explain what you feel about this child.