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Every official Linguaskill practice resource and how to use it

Cambridge publishes free sample tests, answer keys, advice PDFs and two practice tools for Linguaskill. This guide lists each one, what it does and does not give you and how to combine them with a full timed practice test.

By Linguaskill AcademyPublished

Independent preparation. We are not a test centre and have no link with Cambridge.

Practice screen of the Linguaskill Listening module with an audio question
In this guide

Quick answer

The free official Linguaskill practice material sits on one Cambridge page. It has sample tests for all four modules (General and Business), answer keys for Reading and Listening, advice PDFs and a free writing tool. The sample tests give no score, so for a timed test with a level estimate you can sit our full Linguaskill practice test for free.

Everything below was checked on Cambridge's own pages and PDFs on 25 October 2026. Where Cambridge does not say something, such as whether a tool is free, we say so instead of guessing.

What official Linguaskill practice material exists?

Cambridge's Linguaskill preparation page has nine sections, from free sample tests to paid courses. The page does not state a price for every item, so the table says "free" only where the page or the tool itself says so.

Resource What it is Free?
Online sample tests One per module, in General and Business versions Yes
Answer keys PDFs for the Reading and Listening samples Direct download
Candidate advice PDFs Tips per module and per task type Direct download
Assessment criteria What Writing and Speaking answers must show at each level Direct download
Learning support videos Overview and advice per module, also on YouTube Not stated
Write & Improve Writing practice with feedback in seconds Yes
Speak & Improve Speaking practice Not stated on the page
Lesson plans Classroom plans and worksheets for all four modules Direct download
Online Tutor courses Self-study courses with Reading and Listening practice tests Paid, free demo
Linguaskill Trainer Book with six practice tests and one extra digital test Paid

Cambridge also recommends its Empower course, which has task types similar to Linguaskill. Cambridge links to a free sample of the book. The course itself is paid. In our view, the first four rows plus Write & Improve are enough to start. All of them open or download without paying.

What do the official Linguaskill sample tests include?

The official sample tests are short demonstrations of each module, hosted on the Metrica test platform (metritests.com) and linked from the Cambridge preparation page. There is one sample for each of Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking, in a General and a Business version, so eight in total. The guide to the Linguaskill sample test and its answers goes through them.

Cambridge says they "do not provide a result or save your answers". It also says the Reading and Listening samples are not adaptive and are shorter than the real test. When we opened the General Reading sample, it showed a start screen, arrow buttons to move between questions and a close link. There was nothing else.

Cambridge sample tests

  • One short test per module, in General and Business versions
  • No result and no saved answers
  • Reading and Listening are not adaptive and are shorter than the real test
  • Answer keys only for Reading and Listening

Linguaskill Academy simulator

  • All four modules in one go, or only the ones you choose
  • A level for each module and an average at the end
  • Reading and Listening answers explained
  • Writing and Speaking marked task by task
Sit the full practice test

That makes them good for one job, which is seeing what each screen looks like. They are not a way to measure your level. For a list of downloadable PDFs and what they can and cannot replace, see our page on the Linguaskill practice test PDF.

How do I use the answer keys and advice PDFs?

Use the answer keys after the sample test. Read the advice PDF for a module before you practise it. The answer keys are PDFs for the Reading and Listening samples, in both versions. The Reading key we opened lists the correct answer for each numbered question, with accepted alternatives for gap-fill items (for example "ago / back" for one gap).

In our view the advice PDFs are the most useful free documents. We read the Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking ones in full. These are the points worth remembering:

  • Reading and Listening are adaptive. Some questions are easier and some harder. The computer chooses them from your previous answers.
  • In both modules you can change an answer on the same screen, but you cannot go back to a previous screen.
  • In Listening you get a fixed reading time before the audio, ten seconds for the one-question task, 15 for the two-question task and 45 for the longer tasks (five-question multiple choice, note completion and the two matching tasks).
  • In Writing, the advice suggests about 15 minutes on Part 1 (the email) and 40 on Part 2, which adds up to the 55 minutes of the module. It also says there is no spellcheck and no maximum word count.
  • In Speaking, the first three questions are not marked, an orange bar shows thinking time and a green bar shows speaking time.

The Writing and Speaking assessment criteria are worth reading once, because they say what an answer must show to reach each CEFR level. Linguaskill Business candidates have their own Writing advice PDF, because their second task is a report. If any PDF ever disagrees with the exam format page, the format page is the one to trust.

Can I practise Writing and Speaking with feedback?

Yes, with Cambridge's own tools, but only Write & Improve is described as free. Write & Improve is a free tool from the University of Cambridge that gives a CEFR level and feedback on a text you submit, with hundreds of tasks to choose from. The Cambridge preparation page links to a workbook with Linguaskill Business writing topics. For Linguaskill General, use it for general writing practice and take the task format from the exam page.

Speak & Improve is listed on the Cambridge page as practice for speaking skills and for the experience of an online Speaking exam. The page does not say whether it is free, so check the site before you start.

The Linguaskill Writing module has two tasks, an email of at least about 50 words and an essay (or a report in Linguaskill Business) of at least about 250 words. Part 1 counts for 25% of the Writing score and Part 2 for 75%, so most of your practice time belongs on the longer task.

Which paid books and courses does Cambridge list?

Cambridge lists three Online Tutor courses and one book. None of them is needed to start. Online Tutor Intro is a 15 to 20 hour self-study course aimed mainly at B1 and B2. The two full Online Tutor courses (one for Linguaskill, one for Business) run 30 to 40 hours over six units and include a practice test component for Reading and Listening at B1 to C1. Cambridge offers a free demo, which you open by signing up for a teacher's account on Cambridge One.

The Linguaskill Trainer book has six practice tests covering all four modules plus one extra digital practice test, with audio, transcripts and answer keys through a code. Cambridge says it now covers the two-part Writing module. We could not open the publisher's own page for the book, so these details come from the Cambridge preparation page.

How do I take a full Linguaskill practice test for free?

You can take a full practice test on our simulator at no cost. You choose the modules you want and sit them one after another, each with its own timer. The timings follow Cambridge's reference lengths, which are 40 minutes for Reading, 40 for Listening, 55 for Writing and 16 for Speaking. All four modules add up to 151 minutes, not counting breaks.

At the end you get an estimated score on the 140 to 210 scale and a level for each module you took, with an average. Writing and Speaking are marked task by task. If automatic marking is not available you mark yourself with the same rubric. Your progress is saved in your browser, so you can stop and resume.

Three limits apply to our test:

  • The score is an estimate, not an official one. Cambridge does not publish how correct answers become points. The real Reading and Listening modules are adaptive.
  • Cambridge does not publish the preparation and answer seconds for each Speaking part, so the ones in our test are our own and train pace only.
  • The Listening advice tells you to listen again to check, but Cambridge does not give a number of plays, so we do not claim one.

Here is a Reading question from our bank, to see how an answer is given:

Reading: Short text with one questionLevel B1

Read the text and choose the correct answer.

SPORTS CENTRE — POOL TIMES
From next Monday the pool will open at 7.00 instead of 6.30. Closing time in the evening does not change.
What does the notice say?

See the explanation

Correct answer: Swimmers will have to wait longer to use the pool in the morning.

It opens at 7.00 instead of 6.30, so in the morning you have to wait half an hour longer. About closing, it says precisely that nothing changes, and Monday is when the new timetable starts, not a closing day.

Keep practising

You can take the full practice test for all four modules, or practise one module at a time with Writing practice and Speaking practice. For how the real exam is built, see the exam format page. For how we made this material, see about us.

In what order should I use these resources?

We would start with the format, then the free samples, then the advice and only then a timed practice test. This is our opinion, not a Cambridge recommendation:

  1. Read the exam format page so you know the modules, the timings and the two Writing tasks.
  2. Open one sample test per module to see the screens. Do not judge your level from them.
  3. Read the advice PDF for your weakest module, then practise it on its own.
  4. Use Write & Improve for extra Writing. Speak your Speaking answers aloud against a timer.
  5. Sit a full timed practice test, then compare your estimate with the CEFR bands (B1 is 140 to 159, B2 is 160 to 179, C1 is 180 to 199 and C2 is 200 to 210).

Linguaskill has no pass mark. Each module returns a score and the CEFR level it matches, so the number you want is the one your university or employer asks for.

Is there a Linguaskill practice test with a score?

Not on Cambridge's free sample tests, which give no result. The paid Online Tutor courses include a Reading and Listening practice test that helps estimate your level. Our free simulator gives an estimated score for all four modules. It is an estimate only.

Are the Linguaskill sample tests the same as the real test?

No. Cambridge says the Reading and Listening samples are not adaptive and are shorter than the real test. The real test chooses questions from your earlier answers.

Is there Linguaskill practice material for the Business test?

Yes. Cambridge publishes a Business sample for each of the four modules. Its advice PDFs tell Business candidates to use those. The Business Writing task is a report instead of an essay.

Does Linguaskill have a Use of English or grammar module?

No. The four modules are Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. Grammar and vocabulary are tested inside those tasks, for example in the gap-fill tasks in Reading.

Can I practise Linguaskill offline?

Cambridge's samples are online. The Linguaskill Trainer book gives you printed practice tests plus audio through a code, according to the Cambridge preparation page.

Sit a full Linguaskill practice test for free

All four modules at the official length. Free, no account needed.

Start the practice test

Sources

Practise with the free Linguaskill practice test

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