Skip to content

Aptis ESOL for Teachers

Exam practice tests for Aptis for Teachers

Exam Practice Tests

Our Posts page Exam Practice & Tips contains ALL our materials. But to help you find what you need more quickly, here are the links to all our Aptis ESOL for Teachers Test practice materials. Aptis ESOL for Teachers tests students from levels A1 to C on the CEFR, and is designed specifically for teachers.

Aptis ESOL for Teachers consists of five components: Speaking, Core (Grammar and Vocabulary), Reading, Writing and Listening tests. You’ll find practice for each of these components below.

Speaking

The Aptis ESOL for Teachers Speaking Test lasts 12 minutes, and is divided into four parts, each with different tasks. The test is graded; it gets more difficult as it progresses. 

The tests are the same in format as Aptis ESOL General, but the content of the teachers’ version relates specifically to teachers.  In other words, the questions are set in an educational context. They deal with themes and scenarios that teachers come across every day; questions are familiar to them. 

Part 1: Giving personal information

You are asked to answer three questions on personal topics. You are expected to talk for 30 seconds per question.

Part 2: Describing a photo, expressing opinion and providing reasons and explanations

You are asked to describe a photograph and then answer two questions related to the topic illustrated in the photo. The three questions increase in complexity (from description to opinion). You are expected to talk for 45 seconds per question.

Part 3: Describing and comparing two photos and providing reasons and explanations

You are asked to compare two pictures and then answer two questions related to the topic. The three questions increase in complexity (from description to speculation). You are expected to talk for 45 seconds for each question.

Part 4: Discussing personal experience and opinion on an abstract topic

You will see a picture and be asked three questions about an abstract topic. You are given one minute to prepare an answer and in this time, you can take notes. You are expected to talk for two minutes.

Here are all our Aptis for Teachers Speaking Practice Tests. There’s a post to accompany each video, giving you explanations and tips to help you prepare. You’ll see that there’s more than one version of each video.  Why?  Because one is always mock-exam style, for you to do realistic exam practice on your own. The additional versions are to help you improve your language skills.  They include B2 model answers and written scripts.  Some also contain advice and ideas. 

Aptis ESOL for Teachers Speaking Tests

Core: Grammar

In the Aptis Core Test you have to do 50 questions in 25 minutes.  The questions are divided equally between grammar and vocabulary. The grammar component of the test contains 25 questions, which means you can take up to 30 seconds per question. 

They’re always multiple-choice questions with three options to choose from.  Most of them focus on formal written English.  However, some focus on the appropriate use of grammar when speaking, including formal and informal language. You’ll find more information about this in the accompanying posts. Our practice tests are in the same format as the official Aptis ESOL Core Test.

The only difference from the Aptis General Core Test is that the Aptis for Teachers version is set in an educational context. So teachers will also find the Aptis General grammar tests useful.

Aptis ESOL for Teachers Grammar Tests

Core: Vocabulary

In the Aptis Core Test you have to do 50 questions in 25 minutes.  The questions are divided equally between grammar and vocabulary.  The vocabulary component of the test contains 25 questions, which means you can take up to 30 seconds per question. 

There are four question-types: Word pairs, Word definitions, Word usage, Word combinations.You’ll find more information about this in the accompanying posts. Our exam-style Practice Tests cover all four parts in a way very similar to the official test (they use drop-down menus, but we’ve chosen a slightly different format here to make the exercises more directly accessible). 

Again, the only difference from the Aptis General Core Test is that the Aptis for Teachers version is set in an educational context. So teachers will also find the Aptis General vocabulary tests useful.

Aptis ESOL for Teachers Vocabulary Tests

Reading

There are four parts to the Aptis for Teachers Reading Test, and four question-types.  These get progressively more difficult as you move through the exam.  It takes 35 mins to complete this component of the test. You’ll find more details of this in Overview of the Reading Test, but here’s a summary of the four parts:

Part 1:  Sentence comprehension

This takes the form of a very short informal email, note or letter.  There are six gaps in the text, and the first gap is filled for you as an example.  You have to fill the remaining five gaps by choosing the correct word from a selection of three. 

Part 2:  Text cohesion 

You have to put seven sentences in the correct order to form a very short text.  The first sentence is done for you as an example. You have to click and drag the other six sentences into the correct order.

Part 3: Short text comprehension

You will read a short text. There are seven gaps in the text, and you have to select the right word for each gap. There are ten words to choose from. You fill the gaps by dragging the words from the list at bottom of the screen into the empty boxes.

Part 4:  Long text comprehension 

You read a long text of seven paragraphs. You then read eight paragraph headings and choose the best heading for each paragraph.  There will be one heading that you won’t need.

We give you more help with the tasks in Top Tips for passing the Reading Test.

Aptis ESOL for Teachers Reading Tests

Writing

There are four parts to the Aptis for Teachers writing test, and you have 50 minutes to do this component. All four parts of the test are based around themes and scenarios that teachers come across every day. So this test could centre round a teachers’ conference, a training course, a school exchange trip, etc. The test gets more difficult as it progresses. You’ll find more details of this in Overview of the Writing Test, but here’s a summary of the four parts:

Part 1: Writing at word-level

There are five questions. The task consists of replying to short messages from another member of the club or group you want to join. You only have to write one to five words for each response.

Part 2: Writing a short text

The task consists of writing some personal information on a form. They ask you one or two questions. You must write in complete sentences, and you have to write 20–30 words.

Part 3: Three written responses

You have to respond to three written questions from other members of the group. The style is informal; the context is writing on a social network-type website. You have to write 30-40 words per answer.

Part 4: Informal and formal emails

First you have to write a short informal email to a friend. You must write 40–50 words. Then you have to write a formal email of 120­–150 words to a person in authority. Both emails are on the same theme, but you must use different levels of formality.

We give you more help with the tasks in Top Tips for passing the Writing Test.

Aptis ESOL for Teachers Writing Tests

Listening

There are four parts to the Listening, and four task-types, which get progressively more challenging. It takes approximately 40 mins to complete this component of the exam. All the tasks focus on different aspects of real-world listening. 

Again, the only difference from the Aptis General Listening is that the Aptis for Teachers version is set in an educational context. So teachers will also find the Aptis General listening tests useful. We give you more details and examples in Overview & Tips, but here’s a brief summary of each part of the test.

Part 1: Information Recognition

You have to listen for specific information and choose an answer from three options. The missing information is often a time, a phone number or a place. The recording is normally in the form of a message or a very short dialogue.

Part 2: Information Matching

You listen to four short monologues on a certain topic or theme by four different people. You need to match each speaker to a piece of information from a drop-down list.

Part 3: Opinion Matching

You hear a discussion between a man and a woman. On the screen you will see a number of opinions, and you need to identify who gives which opinion: the woman, the man, or both of them.

Part 4: Monologue Comprehension

You hear two longer monologues and answer two questions about the speaker’s opinion or point of view. You should listen carefully to the speaker’s intonation and tone.

Aptis ESOL for Teachers Listening Tests

Coming soon!