A1 Movers

Test format

A1 Movers is made up of three papers developed to encourage and motivate young learners. You can see exactly what’s in each paper below.

Paper	Content	Marks
Listening (about 25 minutes)	5 parts/ 25 questions	a maximum of five shields
Reading and Writing (30 minutes)	6 parts/ 35 questions	a maximum of five shields
Speaking (5–7 minutes)	4 parts	a maximum of five shields

Linked to the CEFR, Can Do statements show what a learner can do at each level. Read the Can Do statements for Starters, Movers and Flyers.

Listening
Reading and Writing
Speaking

What’s in the Listening paper?

The A1 Movers Listening test has five parts. Each part begins with one or two examples. Children will hear each recording twice.

Summary

Time allowed:	About 25 minutes
Number of parts:	5
Number of questions:	25
Marks:	a maximum of five shields

Part 1

What's in Part 1?	A big picture which shows people doing different things. Above and below the picture, there are some names. Children have to listen carefully to a conversation between an adult and a child and draw a line from each name to the correct person on the big picture.
What should children practise?	Listening for names and descriptions.
How many questions are there?	5

Part 2

What's in Part 2?	A short conversation between two people. There is a form or a page of a notebook with some missing words (gaps). Children have to listen to the recording and write a missing word or number in each gap.
What should children practise?	Listening for names, spellings and other information.
How many questions are there?	5

Part 3

What's in Part 3?	Two sets of pictures. On the left, there are some pictures of people and their names, or other named places or objects. On the right, there is a set of pictures with letters but no words. Children have to listen to a conversation between two people and match each of the pictures on the right to one of the named pictures on the left.
What should children practise?	Listening for words, names and detailed information.
How many questions are there?	5

Part 4

What's in Part 4?	Five short conversations. There is a question and three pictures for each conversation. Children have to decide which picture shows the right answer to the question and put a tick in the box under it.
What should children practise?	Listening for specific information.
How many questions are there?	5

Part 5

What's in Part 5?	A big picture. Children have to listen carefully to a conversation between an adult and a child. The adult asks the child to colour different objects in the picture and to write a simple word. Children have to follow the instructions.
What should children practise?	Listening for words, colours and specific information.
How many questions are there?	5

What’s in the Reading and Writing paper?

The A1 Movers Reading and Writing test has six parts. Each part begins with one or two examples. For all parts of the Reading and Writing test, children must spell their answers correctly.

Summary

Time allowed:	30 minutes
Number of parts:	6
Number of questions:	35 questions
Marks:	a maximum of five shields

Part 1

What's in Part 1?	On the left, there are eight pictures of things with the English word under them. On the right, there are five definitions (sentences that describe or explain five of the eight things on the left). Children need to choose which picture matches each definition and copy the correct word under it.
What should children practise?	Reading short definitions and matching to words. Writing words.
How many questions are there?	5

Part 2

What's in Part 2?	A short conversation between two people. Children have to decide what the second speaker says each time (A, B or C).
What should children practise?	Reading a conversation. Choosing the correct responses.
How many questions are there?	6

Part 3

What's in Part 3?	A text with some missing words (gaps) in it. Next to the text there are some small pictures and words. Children have to decide which word goes in each gap and copy it. For the last question, they have to choose the best title for the text from a choice of three possible titles.
What should children practise?	Reading for specific information and gist (the main idea of a text). Copying words.
How many questions are there?	6

Part 4

What's in Part 4?	A text with some missing words (gaps). Next to the line where each word is missing, there is a choice of three possible answers. Children have to decide which answer is correct and copy the word into the gap.
What should children practise?	Reading and understanding a factual text. Simple grammar. Copying words.
How many questions are there?	5

Part 5

What's in Part 5?	A story in three parts. Each part of the story has a picture. After each part of the story, children have to complete sentences about the story using one, two or three words.
What should children practise?	Reading a story. Completing sentences.
How many questions are there?	7

Part 6

What's in Part 6?	A picture with sentence prompts. Children have to complete sentences, respond to questions and write in full sentences about the picture.
What should children practise?	Completing sentences, responding to questions and writing sentences about a picture.
How many questions are there?	6

What’s in the Speaking paper?

The A1 Movers Speaking test has four parts. Children take the test alone with the examiner, but someone they know who speaks their language (like their teacher) will introduce them to the examiner and explain what to do in their own language.

Summary

Time allowed:	5–7 minutes
Number of parts:	4
Marks:	a maximum of five shields

Part 1

What's in Part 1?	The examiner will greet the child and ask their name and age. Then they look at two pictures. The pictures are similar but they have some differences. The examiner asks the child to describe four differences in the pictures.
What should children practise?	Describing differences between pictures. Talking about colour, size, number, position, how people/things look, what people are doing, etc.

Part 2

What's in Part 2?	The examiner shows four pictures which tell a story and tells the child about the first picture. The child has to continue the story and describe the other three pictures. The title of the story and the name(s) of the main character(s) are provided.
What should children practise?	Understanding the beginning of a story and then continuing it. Describing pictures.

Part 3

What's in Part 3?	The examiner shows the child four sets of four pictures. In each set of pictures, one picture is different from the others. The child has to say which picture is different and explain why.
What should children practise?	Suggesting a picture which is different and explaining why.

Part 4

What's in Part 4?	The examiner asks the child some questions about him/herself (for example, school, weekends, friends and hobbies).
What should children practise?	Understanding and responding to personal questions.

Test format

playlist What’s in the Listening paper?

openbook What’s in the Reading and Writing paper?

megaphone What’s in the Speaking paper?

What’s in the Listening paper?

What’s in the Reading and Writing paper?

What’s in the Speaking paper?