Cambridge English Exams for Children: Young Learners and A2 Key for Schools
Hiroki Obara · DeveloperAlphaGeorgeHow-To
Cambridge English has three exams for young learners: Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers. The information for candidates and parents says there is no pass or fail, and every child who takes one receives a certificate. Some Cambridge documents use the abbreviation YLE for the three.
A2 Key for Schools comes after them. It is the version of A2 Key, also known as KET, made for school-age learners, and it reports a score and a grade.
The Four Exams Side by Side
This table comes from Cambridge’s format pages for Starters, Movers, Flyers and A2 Key for Schools.
| Pre A1 Starters | A1 Movers | A2 Flyers | A2 Key for Schools | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEFR | Pre A1 | A1 | A2 | A2 |
| Total time | About 45 minutes | About 1 hour | About 1 hour 15 minutes | About 2 hours |
| Listening | About 20 minutes, 20 questions | About 25 minutes, 25 questions | About 25 minutes, 25 questions | 30 minutes, 25 questions |
| Reading and Writing | 20 minutes, 25 questions | 30 minutes, 35 questions | 40 minutes, 44 questions | 1 hour, 32 questions |
| Speaking | 3 to 5 minutes | 5 to 7 minutes | 7 to 9 minutes | 8 to 10 minutes per pair |
| Result | Shields | Shields | Shields | Score, grade, CEFR level |
In all four, each Listening recording is played twice.
For Starters, Movers and Flyers, the handbook for teachers gives the standard Speaking format as one child and one examiner. A2 Key for Schools is taken with one or two other candidates in front of two examiners.
Some of these exams can be taken on a computer. Cambridge’s digital exams page lists Pre A1 Starters Digital and A1 Movers Digital. They are set in fantasy worlds and focus on the same skills at the same CEFR levels as the paper tests. A2 Key for Schools is available on paper and on computer.
What the Results Look Like
Starters, Movers and Flyers give a number of shields, up to five, for each of Listening, Reading and Writing, and Speaking. On the results page, one shield means the child can improve a lot in that skill. Five shields mean the child did very well and answered most questions correctly.
Alongside the certificate comes a Statement of Results, with the shields, the child’s strengths, and areas to improve with ideas for how.
A2 Key for Schools reports a score on the Cambridge English Scale. This is Cambridge’s table.
| Score | Result | CEFR |
|---|---|---|
| 140 to 150 | Grade A | B1 |
| 133 to 139 | Grade B | A2 |
| 120 to 132 | Grade C | A2 |
| 100 to 119 | Level A1 | A1 |
| 80 to 99 | No certificate |
So the exam changes from one where everyone receives a certificate to one where a low score means none.
Flyers and Key for Schools Are Both A2
The two sit at the same CEFR level. Cambridge’s information for parents says A2 Key for Schools is for slightly older learners, consolidates what they do in A2 Flyers, and prepares them for higher level exams.
The most visible difference in format is the amount of writing. A2 Key for Schools asks for an email or note of 25 words or more and a story of 35 words or more based on three pictures. Listening includes 6 minutes at the end to transfer answers. Speaking ends with a discussion between candidates.
A2 Key for Schools and A2 Key share a level and a format, and differ in topics. The paper and what to study first are in How to Prepare for A2 Key.
What Age?
Cambridge’s exam pages do not give an age for each exam. The handbook for teachers says Starters, Movers and Flyers test the English of learners in primary and lower secondary education.
What Cambridge gives in place of an age is a shield count. A child with four or five shields in each skill is ready to start preparing for the next exam. By that measure, the same result at Flyers points to A2 Key for Schools.
The page for parents on what comes next suggests asking your child’s school whether it offers the exams. If it does not, a local exam centre can advise on which exam suits your child, how to prepare, when to take it, how to register and the cost. The exam dates page lists all four paper exams as available throughout the year through local centres, which confirm the exact dates.
Free Official Materials
The Starters preparation page links two volumes of sample papers that cover all three young learners exams. The wordlists cover all three as well, and candidates need to understand the words on the list for their test. In Reading and Writing, children must spell their answers correctly.
The A2 Key for Schools preparation page has paper and digital sample tests and a vocabulary list.
The information for parents also goes through exam day. If a child does not understand in the Speaking test, the examiner repeats and shows them what to do.
Helping at Home
Cambridge has articles for parents on English at home.
Its article on choosing activities says tasks that are too easy slow progress and tasks that are too hard can be discouraging, and suggests trying the level above or below when something feels wrong.
Its article on mistakes suggests not overcorrecting during a conversation, noting repeated errors to come back to later, and accepting short answers and imperfect speech. Simple games, such as describing what you can see, are among its examples.
Where AlphaGeorge Fits
AlphaGeorge, which I make for iPhone and iPad, is an app for Cambridge English exam preparation from A2 Key to C2 Proficiency. Its questions were written for the app.
The A2 course is aimed at A2 Key, which has the same format as A2 Key for Schools. Explanations come in English and Japanese. The Diagnostic Test of about five minutes gives a CEFR level, and the course can start from there.
AlphaGeorge is free to start, with ads and a limit of hearts. AlphaGeorge Premium, a monthly or yearly subscription, removes ads, makes hearts unlimited and lets you replay finished lessons. Getting Started with AlphaGeorge walks through the first session.
