PERSONAL DETAILS

NAME:

DATE OF BIRTH:

PHONE/CONTACT:

PLACE OF BIRTH:

Placement test
C-C Sarl placement test has been designed to help course providers place students in the
most appropriate level of the outcomes course.

The most objective test, and the most straightforward to administer, is the Placement Test. The Oral
and Writing Placement Tests are open-ended and, therefore, more subjective in nature. Some course
providers may wish to use only the Placement Test in determining the appropriate level for each
student, while others may wish to use it in combination with the Oral and/or Writing Placement Tests.

The charts on the following pages show suggested placement levels related to each of the different tests
in the Outcomes Placement Test Package.
 Placement Test Results
Placement Test score
Recommended level of Outcomes
(50 items: 1 point per item)
0– 18 points Outcomes Elementary
19– 25 points Outcomes Pre-Intermediate
26– 32 points Outcomes Intermediate
33– 39 points Outcomes Upper Intermediate
40– 46 points Outcomes Advanced
Higher level series recommended.
47– 50 points

Results
The chart below suggests which level of the Outcomes course would be most appropriate for a particular
student, based on that student’s total score on the Writing Placement Test.

Writing Placement Test Results

Writing Placement Test score Recommended level of Outcomes
0 – 1 points Outcomes Elementary
2 – 3 points Outcomes Pre-Intermediate
4 – 5 points Outcomes Intermediate
6 – 7 points Outcomes Upper Intermediate
8 – 9 points Outcomes Advanced
Higher level series recommended.
10 points
Name: ________________________________________________________ Date: _______________

PLACEMENT TEST
Circle the correct letter.
________________________________________________________________________________

1 I’m 18 and my brother is 20, so he’s 8 My friend Siena ........ to Russia last year
........ me. a went
a the oldest of b has gone
b older than c has been
c as old as
9 This is ........ area, with a lot of factories
2 Carl’s very ........ . He’s never late, and he and warehouses.
never forgets to do things. a an agricultural
a reliable b an industrial
b patient c a residential
c strict
10 If I ........ well in my exams, I ........ to
3 We stayed in a lovely villa ........ the university.
sea. a will do; will go
a it overlooks b will do; go
b overlooked c c do; will go
overlooking
11 She was so upset that she burst ........
4 Not until the 1980s ........ for the tears.
average person to own a computer. a into
a it was possible b out
b was it possible c with
c was possible
12 Where did you go ........ holiday last
5 Jan ........ her arm on a hot iron. year?
a broke a for
b burned b on
c sprained c to

6 Tomorrow’s a holiday, so we ........ go 13 Ocean currents ........ play an important

to work. part in regulating global climate.
a have to a are known to
b mustn’t b thought to
c don’t have to c are believed that they

7 I usually ........ swimming at least once a 14 My cousin ........ getting a job in

week. Bahrain.
a go a would like
b do b is planning
c play c is thinking of
15 I can’t ........ your hair, because I haven’t 22 “It’s pouring down, and it’s freezing.”
got any scissors. What are the weather conditions?
a brush a high winds and snow
b cut b heavy rain and cold temperatures
c wash c thick cloud but quite warm

16 I wish I ........ have an exam 23 ........ feeling OK? You don’t look very
tomorrow! well.
a don’t a Do you
b didn’t b You are
c won’t c Are you

17 The government plans to ........ taxes 24 Daniel’s hair is getting far too long; he
on sales of luxury items. should ........ soon.
a increase a cut it
b expand b have cut it
c go up c have it cut

18 When I first moved to Hong Kong, life 25 Mandy works for a computer software
in a different country was very strange, company. She got ........ recently, and so
but now I’m used ........ here. now she’s an area manager.
a living a made redundant
b to live b promoted
c to living c a raise

19 There ........ milk in the fridge. 26 I can’t hear you – it’s ........ noisy in here.
a is some a too
b are some b too much
c is a c too many

20 Criminals are people who are guilty of 27 Jamal has just sent me ........ to arrange
........ the law. plans for this weekend.
a breaking a a blog
b cheating b an email
c committing c a website

21 Why on earth isn’t Josh here yet? ........ 28 I promise I’ll call you as soon as I ........ .
for him for over an a I arrive
hour! b I arrived
a I’m waiting c I’ll arrive
b I’ve been waiting
c I’ve waited
29 Photographers and designers need to 35 “It leaves from Platform 2 at 4.15.”
be very ........ . The speaker is talking about ........ .
a creative a an airline flight
b fit b a train
c annoying c a taxi

30 The global financial crisis, ........ is 36 I went to a lovely ........ last Saturday.
forcing lots of small businesses to close, The bride was my best friend when we
does not look set to end soon. were at school.
a it a anniversary
b that b marriage
c which c wedding

31 There ........ a terrible accident if the pilot 37 “I’ve got a headache.”

hadn’t reacted so quickly. “Maybe you ........ to take an aspirin.”
a had been a should
b was b ought
c would have been c don’t

32 “Are you ready to order?” 38 The patient had an ........ to insert metal
“Not yet – I’m still looking at the ........ pins in his broken leg.
.” a bill a injection
b menu b operation
c service c X-ray

33 “My job is never boring.” 39 She won a seat in parliament at the last
The speaker’s job is always ........ . ........ .
a interesting a general election
b popular b opinion poll
c difficult c referendum

34 I’ve been working here ........ about 40 I’m surprised you didn’t get upset. If
the last two years. someone said that to me, ........ really
a during angry.
b for a I’m
c since b I was
c I’d be
Name: ________________________________________________________ Date: _______________

ORAL PLACEMENT TEST

Topic Speaking Prompts Score

Elementary
Personal • What’s your name? How do you spell it? Where do you live? What’s your phone
12345
information number? What’s your email address?
• How many people are there in your family? Tell me about your parents / brothers
Family 12345
or sisters / children. What are their names, ages, etc?
• Where are you from? What is your home town or city? Do (or did) you like living
Home 12345
there? Is it: – big? – beautiful? – noisy? – clean?
• What do (or did) you study? Is (or was) it: – interesting? – difficult? What will you
Studies 12345
do (or did you do) after finishing your studies?
• What job do you do (or want to do)? When did (or will) you start working? Why
Work 12345
did (or do) you want to do this job?
Pre-Intermediate
Appearance • Tell me about your best friend. Describe his/her appearance (e.g. colour
12345
& character of hair/eyes, height) and character (e.g. kind, funny). When did you meet?
• What’s the weather like today? Which is your favourite season? What is the
Weather 12345
weather like then? What weather makes you feel happy/sad/etc?
• Do you enjoy shopping? How often do you go shopping? Do you go shopping
Shopping 12345
alone or with friends? What sort of things do you usually buy?
Sports & • How much exercise do you do? Is exercise important? Why (not)? Do you
12345
exercise like playing/watching sports? What sports do you like playing/watching?
Intermediate
• Do you usually eat healthy meals? What is some of your favourite food? Do
Food 12345
you like eating out (e.g. restaurants)? Why (not)? Do you like cooking?
• Do you like animals? What are some of your favourite animals? What pet(s) do
Animals 12345
you have (or would you like to have)? How do animals help people?
Computers • Do you often use computers, mp3 players, games consoles, etc? What do
12345
& gadgets you mainly use the Internet for? What problems can computers/etc cause?
• What languages do you speak? Is it important to speak several languages? Why
Languages 12345
(not)? Is it a good or bad thing that most people in the world learn English?
Upper Intermediate
• Do you like to travel? Why (not)? What place would you most like to visit? Why?
Travel 12345
What’s your (least) favourite way to travel? Does travel really ‘broaden the mind’?
• Is crime a problem in this (or your) country? What can be done to reduce crime?
Crime 12345
Are the laws in this (or your) country generally too strict, or not strict enough?
• What sort of career do you want? What do you want most from it (e.g. money,
Careers 12345
creativity, etc)? Should a career be the most important thing in someone’s life?
Art, books, • How often do you listen to music, read a book, visit an exhibition? Do you play an
12345
music etc. instrument/paint/write/etc? Are art/music/etc important to society? Why (not)?
Advanced
News & • How closely do you follow the news? Which media (e.g. TV, newspapers, online)
12345
the media cover the news best? Give examples. What will news media be like in the future?
• Why do people choose to live in cities? What are the (dis)advantages of city life,
Cities 12345
compared to living in the countryside? Which do/would you prefer?
Man & • How do we affect nature (e.g. rainforests)? How does nature affect us (e.g.
12345
nature floods)? Will problems such as pollution or endangered species ever be solved?
Society & • Do you often mix with people from a different culture to yours? Do you like or
12345
culture dislike this? What are the benefits and/or problems of a multicultural society?
Name: ________________________________________________________ Date: _______________

WRITING PLACEMENT TEST

Choose ONE of these topics and write about it.
_________________________________________________________________________________

• Write a personal profile about yourself for a website where you can meet new Internet friends. You
should answer these questions:
- What is your name, age, etc?
- Where you are from, and what do you do?
- What do you look like, and what sort of person are you?
- What are your interests and your likes/dislikes?
- What sort of new friends do you want to meet?

• Write an email to a friend from another part of the world who wants to know more about your
country. You can use your own ideas, and/or you can describe some of these things:
- how big the country is, where it is and what the land is like (forests, mountains, etc)
- main cities, famous landmarks and tourist attractions
- the local language(s) and culture
- what the people are like
- traditional food, music, dances, etc of your country
You should finish your email by inviting your friend to visit your country some time so that they
can see what it is like.

• Write about a strong childhood memory – for example, something that made you very happy or
very frightened. Briefly explain how old you were and where you were, and tell the story of what
happened. Try to remember details such as sounds, smells, colours and the weather, and describe
these in your story. Explain how you felt and why you felt this way. How do you feel now about
the event?

• Write a review of your favourite film, play or book. Explain what type of work it is (for example, a
comedy film, a romantic novel, etc.) Say where and when the story takes place, and briefly
describe what happens. Describe the main characters, and say whether you like or dislike each of
them, and why. Try to explain why this work is your favourite.

• Write an article discussing whether you think our world is getting better or getting worse. You can
use your own ideas, but you might like to include some of these issues:
- medicine, scientific research, technology
- war, conflict between countries/groups
- freedom and human rights
- education, knowledge and skills
- quality of life
You should finish your article with a short conclusion summarising the main argument.