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ESL Placement Practice Test A2 – Test 1

A2 Elementary Level testEnglish

This A2 ESL placement practice test checks the grammar, vocabulary and reading skills that adult and college ESL learners need for everyday life, school and work in the United States. It has 36 multiple-choice questions that move from sentence meaning and language use to two short reading texts. Teachers and learners can use the score to see if a student is secure at A2.

Questions
36
Time
45 min
PDF
6 pages
Answer key
Included
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Read each question carefully and choose the one best answer (A, B, C or D). Choose your answers, then press “Check my answers”.

Part 1: Sentence meaning

Choose the sentence that means the same as the first sentence, or the word that best completes the meaning.

  1. "I'm hungry." Which sentence means the same?

  2. The store opens at 9 a.m. and _____ at 6 p.m.

  3. "My brother is older than me." Which sentence means the same?

  4. Can you turn on the light? It's too _____ in here.

  5. "Maria usually takes the bus to work." Which sentence means the same?

  6. I need to see a doctor. I have a terrible _____.

  7. "The class is full." Which sentence means the same?

  8. "Kevin forgot his wallet at home." Which sentence means the same?

  9. "You don't have to pay for parking here." Which sentence means the same?

  10. Please _____ this form and give it to the front desk.

  11. "I've worked at the hospital since 2019." Which sentence means the same?

  12. "The apartment isn't big enough for our family." Which sentence means the same?

Part 2: Language use

Choose the correct word or words for each gap, or choose the correct sentence.

  1. She _____ from Brazil.

  2. We _____ dinner at 7 o'clock every evening.

  3. Choose the correct question.

  4. Sorry, there aren't _____ eggs in the fridge.

  5. Last summer, my family _____ to Florida.

  6. Look! The children _____ in the park.

  7. Find the mistake: "Yesterday he didn't went to class because he was sick."

  8. My new laptop is _____ than my old one.

  9. I'm going to _____ my grandparents next weekend.

  10. Choose the correct sentence.

  11. While I _____ dinner, the phone rang.

  12. Have you ever _____ sushi?

Part 3: Reading – An email from a teacher

Read the email. Then choose the best answer to each question.

Subject: Welcome to English Class!

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the evening English class at Riverside Community Center. Our class meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Room 12, on the second floor.

Please bring a notebook and a pen to every class. You don't need to buy a book. I will give you all the papers you need.

The parking lot behind the building is free after 5 p.m. You can also take the number 14 bus. It stops right in front of the center.

If you can't come to class, please send me an email or call the front office at (555) 201-3344. After three absences, you may lose your place in the class.

See you on Monday!

Ms. Linda Park

  1. How many times a week does the class meet?

  2. Where is Room 12?

  3. What do students need to bring to class?

  4. "The parking lot behind the building is free after 5 p.m." What does this mean for students?

  5. What should a student do if he or she can't come to class?

  6. What can happen if a student misses three classes?

Part 4: Reading – A new job

Read the text. Then choose the best answer to each question.

Ahmed moved to Chicago with his wife and two children six months ago. In his home country, he was an engineer, but in the United States he needed to improve his English before he could find a job in engineering.

Three months ago, Ahmed started working at a large supermarket. He works in the produce section, where he puts fruit and vegetables on the shelves. He also helps customers find things in the store. His shift starts at 5 a.m., so he has to get up very early. It is hard, but he likes his coworkers. They are friendly, and they often help him with new words.

In the afternoons, Ahmed takes English classes at a community college. He wants to take a computer course next year too. His manager, Rosa, is happy with his work. Last week, she asked him to train two new employees. Ahmed was surprised, but he felt proud.

Ahmed hopes to work as an engineer again one day. For now, he is learning a lot, and his family is happy in their new home.

  1. What was Ahmed's job in his home country?

  2. What does Ahmed do at the supermarket?

  3. Why does Ahmed get up very early?

  4. Which word in paragraph 2 means "people you work with"?

  5. Why did Ahmed feel proud last week?

  6. Which sentence is true?

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About this test

This A2 ESL placement practice test checks the grammar, vocabulary and reading skills that adult and college ESL learners need for everyday life, school and work in the United States. It has 36 multiple-choice questions that move from sentence meaning and language use to two short reading texts. Teachers and learners can use the score to see if a student is secure at A2.

Topics covered

Sentence meaningPresent simple and continuousPast simple and past continuousPresent perfectComparatives and modalsEveryday vocabularyReading comprehension

How to use this test

  1. Download the PDF and print it, or take the test online below.
  2. Answer every question without a dictionary or time pressure.
  3. Check your answers and note the topics you need to review.

Notes for teachers

Give the test in one sitting of about 45 minutes without dictionaries. A score of 29/36 or higher suggests the learner is secure at A2; 20-28 means they are working within A2 and need more practice; below 20 suggests an A1 placement. The items target common errors such as double past forms (didn't went), 'should to', 'more light', missing auxiliaries in questions and confusing phrasal verbs like fill out/fill up. For follow-up, ask learners to correct their wrong answers in pairs and explain the rule.