Prepare your child for the Cambridge A1 Starters test. Learn how this fun, game-like 5-minute test works, where your child points to pictures and answers simple questions.
Visit Official Cambridge SiteA1 Starters is the first of three Cambridge English Young Learners (YLE) tests, typically for children aged 7. It is designed to be a gentle, fun, and encouraging introduction to everyday written and spoken English.
In Part 1, the child looks at a big scene picture and several small picture cards. The examiner will ask them to move the small cards onto the big scene.
The A1 Starters speaking test only takes 3-5 minutes. The friendly examiner will use colorful pictures to make the test feel exactly like a classroom game.
The examiner greets the child, asks their name, and shows a large, colorful picture (e.g., a park or a bedroom). They ask the child to simply point to things in the picture ("Where is the monkey?").
Then, the examiner shows 8 small object cards. They ask the child to pick up a specific card and place it somewhere on the big picture (e.g., "Put the hat on the boy's head").
The examiner asks simple questions about the big picture from Part 1. They might point to an object and ask "What's this?" or "What color is it?" or "How many dogs are there?"
The examiner puts the big picture away and picks up 4 of the small object cards from Part 1. They will ask the child questions about the objects.
For example, if the card is an apple: "What's this?" (An apple). "Do you like apples?" (Yes). "What's your favorite fruit?" (Banana).
The examiner asks the child three simple questions about their own life. These questions are very basic, like "How old are you?", "Who do you play with at school?", or "What's your favorite toy?"
Watch an official Cambridge mock test to see how gentle the examiners are and how children place the cards on the big picture.
At this early stage, the examiners just want to see that the child can understand basic instructions and produce very simple words.
When the examiner says "Put the book under the desk", does the child understand the vocabulary ("book", "desk") and the preposition ("under")? This is tested through their physical actions.
Can the child name common colors, numbers (1-20), animals, clothes, and everyday objects? One-word answers are completely fine and expected.
The child's pronunciation should be clear enough that the examiner can understand what basic word they are saying.
No! There is no pass or fail in Cambridge Young Learners exams. Every child receives a certificate showing how many 'shields' (1 to 5) they earned, making it a positive and motivating experience.
Not always. For many questions in the Starters exam, simply pointing to the correct object or giving a one-word answer (like a color or a number) is completely acceptable and will earn them full marks for that question.
No, parents must wait outside. The speaking test is a 1-on-1 interview between your child and a friendly, specially trained examiner who will make them feel relaxed and safe.