KET uses language from real life situations and covers the four language skills - reading, writing, listening and speaking. It provides an assessment of practical skills, and encourages the development of abilities which can be used while travelling, as well as in study and working situations.
If you are successful, you will receive a certificate awarded by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. You will also receive a statement of results, showing how you have performed in each of the three papers.
KET has three papers:
Reading and Writing (Paper 1), 1 hour 10 minutes
The Reading and Writing paper assesses your ability to read and understand factual texts from signs, brochures, newspapers and magazines. You need to be able to understand the main messages, and have ways of dealing with unfamiliar words and structures.
You are assessed on your ability to complete gaps in simple texts, transfer information to forms, and complete an everyday writing task, such as writing a short note or message of around 20-25 words, to show you can use structure, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation.
Listening (Paper 2), 30 minutes (approx.)
The Listening paper assesses your ability to understand recorded material such as announcements and monologues, delivered at a moderate pace, and to understand factual information in the recordings.
Speaking (Paper 3), 8-10 minutes
The Speaking Test assesses your ability to interact in conversational English with an examiner and with another candidate. You need to be able to answer and ask questions about yourself and to talk freely about your likes and dislikes.