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Where to find a Linguaskill sample test with answers

Which Linguaskill sample tests come with answers, what each Cambridge answer key contains, why none of them gives a score and how to check your own Writing and Speaking.

By Linguaskill AcademyPublished

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

Practice screen of the Linguaskill Reading module with a short text and three options
In this guide

Quick answer

A Linguaskill sample test has answers for two of the four modules. Cambridge publishes free answer keys for the Reading and Listening samples, in General and Business versions. For Writing it publishes sample responses with examiner comments. For Speaking it publishes none. No sample test gives a score, so to see a level 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. For a wider list of official resources, see our guide to Linguaskill practice material.

Which Linguaskill sample tests come with answers?

Reading and Listening have an answer key and Writing has marked examples. Speaking has only the sample test. Cambridge lists the online sample tests and the key PDFs on its Linguaskill preparation page (cambridgeenglish.org, consulted on 25 October 2026).

Module Sample test What you get to check your work
Reading General and Business Answer key PDF for each version
Listening General and Business Answer key PDF for each version
Writing General and Business Sample candidate responses with commentary, no answer key
Speaking General and Business Nothing to check against

The sample tests themselves are free. In Cambridge's words, they ‘do not provide a result or save your answers’. The Reading and Listening samples are not adaptive and are shorter than a real test. The Speaking sample needs a headset and a microphone.

How do the Reading and Listening answer keys work?

Each key repeats the questions and shows the correct answer. The General Reading key we opened has 13 pages and carries a 2026 copyright line. The General Listening key has seven pages. In both, the right option for a multiple-choice question is boxed, so you can compare it with your own in a few seconds.

Gap-fill answers are written out, with the alternatives the key accepts. One gap in the newspaper text accepts ‘ago’ or ‘back’. Another accepts ‘although’, ‘while’, ‘though’ or ‘whilst’. The Listening key does the same for note completion, for example ‘body position’, ‘body’s position’ or ‘position’ for a single gap. The Reading matching task gives the reviewer for each question.

The Listening key contains no audio script in the version we opened. That means it tells you what was right but not where in the recording the answer was. Cambridge's advice PDFs say more about each task. Our page on the Linguaskill practice test PDF explains what a downloadable test can and cannot do.

Can I turn my sample test marks into a Linguaskill score?

No, because Cambridge does not publish how correct answers become points. The sample tests are not adaptive, while the real Reading and Listening choose harder or easier questions from your earlier answers. Counting how many you got right tells you where your weak tasks are, but it does not give a level.

Real results come as a score on the Cambridge English Scale, with B1 at 140 to 159, B2 at 160 to 179, C1 at 180 to 199 and C2 at 200 to 210 (cambridgeenglish.org, ‘How results are presented’). There is no pass mark. For what each level means, see our guide to Linguaskill results.

What do the Linguaskill Writing sample responses show?

They show four real answers to one essay, one for each level from B1 to C2. Cambridge's document ‘Linguaskill sample candidate responses and commentaries’ answers a single task, an essay of at least 250 words on whether team sports should be compulsory in schools. An examiner's commentary follows each answer and explains why it reached its level.

Reading the four in order is useful, because the differences are specific. The B1 answer lists arguments and leaves the reader to connect them. The B2 answer has an introduction, arguments for and against and a conclusion. The C2 answer weighs both sides before giving an opinion and signposts how its ideas relate.

Two limits apply. The document was printed in May 2024, before the Writing module became two tasks, so it has no email example. It also has no answer key in the usual sense, because an essay has no single right answer. You compare your own text with the commentaries and with the Writing assessment criteria that Cambridge lists on the same page.

Is there a Speaking sample test with answers?

Not from Cambridge. The page offers the Speaking sample test, a candidate advice PDF and the assessment criteria, with no model answers. In practice you record yourself, listen back and compare what you said with the criteria.

Cambridge sample tests and keys

  • Answer keys for Reading and Listening only
  • Sample responses with comments for the Writing essay
  • No score and no saved answers
  • Nothing to check Speaking against

Linguaskill Academy simulator

  • All four modules, or only the ones you choose
  • Every Reading answer explained
  • A level for each module and an average at the end
  • Writing and Speaking marked task by task
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How can I check my answers step by step?

The order below keeps the sample test useful after you have seen the key. It is our suggestion, not a Cambridge recommendation.

  1. Sit the sample test once without looking at the key, with the module's time limit in mind.
  2. Mark it against the key and write down the task types where you lost points.
  3. Read Cambridge's advice PDF for that module, then redo only those task types.
  4. Write one Writing essay under time pressure and compare it with the B1 to C2 commentaries.
  5. Sit a full timed test to estimate a level, because the samples cannot.

You can also practise one module at a time with our Reading practice and Writing practice.

Is there a Linguaskill sample test PDF?

No, the sample tests themselves run online in the browser. What you can download as PDFs are the answer keys, the candidate advice and the assessment criteria.

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

No. The Reading and Listening samples are not adaptive and are shorter than a real test, so they show the task types but not the real difficulty curve.

Is there a Linguaskill Business sample test with answers?

Yes. Cambridge lists a Business sample and a Business answer key for Reading and for Listening. Business Writing has its own sample responses. Its second task is a report.

Does the Linguaskill sample test give a score?

No. Cambridge says the samples give no result and save no answers. A score needs a timed test that is marked for you.

Can I get Linguaskill answers for Writing and Speaking?

You cannot get answers, because an essay or a spoken reply has no single correct version. You can get sample responses and criteria for Writing and criteria for Speaking.

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