Placement Test

Test Information

The Placement Test is very important. It is an essential part of your application to HELC. The score will help us to start planning to ensure you receive the maximum benefit from your time with us. You must complete this test if you have enrolled for a course at HELC with a representative in your country, or if you have applied directly to the school.

If you have chosen to do a General English course, Academic Year Programme or Personal Learning Programme, the test result will give us a good idea of your current level of English so that we can place you in a class at the correct level.

We need to know if your level of English is good enough to follow a particular course.

The minimum level for all courses including General English is elementary. Beginners must start on these dates: January 7, March 25, June 30 or September 15.

The minimum level for Business English, Executive English and Professional English is low intermediate and the test result will give us this information before you reserve your course. The result will also help us to give you advice about which course is most suitable for you.

If you want to do a Cambridge Examination Course, please complete the Placement Test. We also ask you to write a composition of approximately 180 words about yourself, your interests and why you are learning English. Email your completed composition to exams@hastingstest.com

Please complete the following details to enable us to correctly identify each test candidate.

Test Questions

Read the conversations below carefully. ONE word is missing in each conversation. Write the missing word in the blank spaces.

Example A.
        A: "Good morning, Cyril!"
        B: "Good ____________, sir!"    Answer A. morning

Isn't, or can't, or I'm, or he's, or haven't, etc. are each ONE word.

Example B.
        A: "Are you Italian?"
        B: "No, ____________ not.";  ;  Answer B. I'm

START OF TEST

1. A: "Where you going?"
   B: "I am going home."
2. A: " is the station?"
   B: "In Baker Street."
3. A: " are you from?"
   B: "From Spain. I'm Spanish."
4. A: " you like to travel round Europe?"
   B: "Yes, I would."
5. A: "Have you been crying?"
   B: "No, I ."
6. A: " he work in a bank?"
   B: "No, he works in a library."
7. A: " you ever had a car accident?"
   B: "Yes I have."
8. A: " you swim?"
   B: "Of course, can't everybody?"
9. A: "Does he live in Wimbledon?"
   B: "I don't know he lives."
10. A: "You were not at home yesterday."
    B: "That's right, I staying with my friends yesterday."
11. A: " does he go to work?"
    B: "By bus."
12. A: "Have you got my book? I gave it to you six weeks ."
    B: "I'll bring it on Thursday."
13. A: "How are you going to stay in America?"
    B: "For a month."
14. A: "How long you been in England?"
    B: "Since last year."
15. A: "Do you like my new car?"
    B: "Yes, I like it very ."
16. A: "Does water boil at 110° C?"
    B: "No, it . It boils at 100° C."
17. A: "The princess is attractive."
    B: "Yes - she is beautiful than her sister."
18. A: "Is Sylvia a good student?"
    B: "Yes, Sylvia's good, and Susan is also good. In fact Susan is than Sylvia."
19. A: "Have you eaten Sushi?"
    B: "No, never. What's Sushi?"
20. A: "What does she look ?"
    B: "She has thick, curly hair and brown eyes."
21. A: "Have you been to Sweden?"
    B: "Yes - I lived there two years!"
22. A: "Had the play already started when you arrived?"
    B: "No, it ."
23. A: "How are oranges?"
    B: "90 pence a kilo."
24. A: "Have you enjoyed yourself?"
    B: "Yes, it been a lovely day."
25. A: "Is a table in your room?"
    B: "Yes. It's near the bed."
26. A: " you like to see a film this evening?"
    B: "Perhaps. What's on?"
27. A: "My son like school."
    B: "Neither does mine."
28. A: "Can you run fast?"
    B: "Not now. But I when I was young."
29. A: "What you do if you had a million pounds?"
    B: "I'd stop working."
30. A: "Do you play tennis?"
    B: "Yes, I've playing since I was a boy."
31. A: "Why can't she walk?"
    B: "She broken her leg."
32. A: "Your father looks tired."
    B: "Yes he has working hard lately."
33. A: "I went to Singapore in April."
    B: " you often go abroad?"
    A: "Yes - about ten times a year."
34. A: "Where Toyota cars made?"
    B: "In Japan."
35. A: "I'm sorry, I forget - can you me why you didn't go?"
    B: "I was ill."
36. A: "I like skiing."
    B: "Oh yes! do I!"
37. A: "Do you like this necklace?"
    B: "Yes, but it's expensive for me to buy."
38. A: "I weigh a hundred and forty pounds."
    B: "No... no. me the truth!"
39. A: "Where is your office?"
    B: "It's the seventh floor."
40. A: "Is it true that you come from a very poor family?"
    B: "Yes. Life very easy for us when I was young."
41. A: "When it happen?"
    B: "In 1879."
42. A: "In some countries there's a law that says you always carry your identity card, wherever you go."
43. A: "What are the hotels in Rome ?"
    B: "Elegant and comfortable!"
44. A: "The man in England will be 107 tomorrow."
    B: "No-one will be older than that!"
45. A: "So you want to be a journalist. Can you tell me which newspaper you would like to work ? "
    B: "Er... for the Independent, I think."
46. A: "I've got three brothers."
    B: " have I!"
47. A: "My suitcase is heavy. Will you help me?"
    B: "Yes, carry it for you."
48. A: "There's nothing on this video-tape."
    B: "You didn't switch the video-recorder !"
49. A: "Where President Kennedy shot?"
    B: "Dallas."
50. A: "Did you hear the weather forecast?"
    B: "Yes. They say it definitely rain later."
51. A: "My book is than yours."
    B: "No it isn't, it's more expensive."
52. A: "What time your husband go to work today?"
    B: "Today? ...He left at half past seven."
53. A: "I'll be ready in a minute."
    B: "That's OK - your time."
54. A: "Isn't he big! When is he to go to school?"
    B: "Next year."
55. A: "If I were you, I go to see him."
    B: "OK - I will."
56. A: "Do you if I smoke?"
    B: "Not at all. Go ahead."
57. A: " the milkman brought the milk?"
    B: "Yes, it's in the fridge."
58. A: "That's the club where I usually go ."
    B: "I didn't know you liked to dance."
59. A: "There hasn't been rain for weeks."
    B: "Really? None at all?"
60. A: "I get headaches when I read."
    B: "It's probably your eyes. I think you see an optician."
61. A: "What will Anne be ?"
    B: "A white blouse and a blue skirt. Yes, look - there she is!"
62. A: "Why didn't you tell me?"
    B: "I would have told you if I known."
63. A: "Would you helping me with this?"
    B: "Of course not - it will be a pleasure!"
64. A: "How do you feel now?"
    B: "Much better, thanks. If I been a bit quicker, the bus would have missed me."
65. A: That's a strange machine - what is it ?
    B: It cuts holes in roads.
66. A: "It's raining. Don't we need to put the garden party?"
    B: "No, you shouldn't cancel it."
67. A: "Do you think we should wait?"
    B: "No, there is no point in for him."
68. A: "As soon as he woke up, he up and had a shower."
69. A: "When I was young, I to be shy."
    B: "You certainly aren't now!"
70. A: "That radio is very loud! Could you turn it a bit?"
    B: "Of course. Is that better?"
71. A: "The train already left by the time we got to the station."
72. A: "How's Ron these days?"
    B: "He's in Japan, and is Sue."
73. A: "Are you coming to Southampton with us?"
    B: "I wish I the time to come with you."
74. A: "He have gone away - nobody has seen him for weeks."
    B: "Yes, I agree. I'm sure he's gone away."
75. A: "Is the party still going to be on Saturday?"
    B: "No - they've it off till Sunday."
76. A: "Is Rosemary tall or short?"
    B: "She's tall nor short - she's just medium."
77. A: "Have you got for £5?"
    B: "Sorry. I've only got a ten pound note."
78. A: "If known you were coming, I'd have cooked something."
79. A: "Can I give you a with the cooking?"
    B: "That's very kind. Could you wash the vegetables?"
80. A: "Where's your dishwasher?"
    B: "It's repaired."
81. A: "Try some of this!"
    B: "I'd not, if you don't mind."
82. A: "What have you done to your hair?"
    B: "I've it cut, that's all."
83. A: "Do you want tea?"
    B: "Not really - I'd have coffee."
84. A: "What's a `stein'?"
    B: "It's a kind of mug for drinking beer out ."
85. A: "I never buy new cars."
    B: "Why not?"
    A: "Because older cars cost much than new ones."
86. A: "If people on the ship seen him, he would have drowned."
87. A: "What was your childhood like?"
    B: "I remember very happy as a teenager. "
88. A: "How did you get on?"
    B: "Very well, thanks. But if it been for Alan, I would have failed."
    B: "Why? What did he do?"
89. A: "When will my meal be ready?"
    B: "It will be ready the time you get home."
90. A: "Let's go to the cinema."
    B: "I won't go you come with me."
    A: "OK - I'll come."
91. A: "Did you really mean that?"
    B: "No, I was only pulling your ."
92. A: "Look at the time!"
    B: "Right - we had go home."
93. A: "What was Arthur like?"
    B: "Well - He would make personal telephone calls, no who was in the room with him."
94. A: "What shall we do this weekend?"
    B: "If you'd fix the car, we could go for a drive."
95. A: "Why are you going to the Napa Valley?"
    B: "To see the wine made. And to taste it!"
    A: "Yes - they make excellent wine there."
96. A: "What was it like, coming from Edinburgh by bus?"
    B: "Not bad. But it longer than I had expected."
97. A: "I just saw Anne a minute ago.
    B: "What? Still here? Then she have gone on holiday."
98. A: "I didn't know it was this serious."
    B: "Well, little anyone else realize the seriousness of the situation."
99. A: "What is the answer?"
    B: "I really don't know - I'm my brains."
100. A: "What did she say about your singing?"
     B: "She said it was unusual, was not what I wanted her to say."

END OF TEST