Cambridge Linguaskill English Test – Fast, Flexible … Fantastic?

Introduction

There is a new kid on the block and I think that Cambridge is going into attack mode with this one. Let me introduce you to their brand-new test: Linguaskill, according to Cambridge English Assessment the fastest and most flexible option for test takers, educational institutions and employers. With its features that really make it different from other tests I’m sure it will grow in popularity very quickly.

So, in this article, I’m going to give you the complete overview so you know everything you need about this new exam. I will tell you what Linguaskill is, how it works, what makes it so flexible and fast, if you should consider it as an alternative to the classic Cambridge exams, as well as my opinion. But without further ado, let’s get started.

What is Linguaskill?

Linguaskill is an English language exam similar to other tests like other Cambridge exams, IELTS and more. It tests four different language skills and comes in three modules:

• Reading and Listening (combined in one module)
  • Duration: 60-85 minutes
  • Number of tasks: 5 different task type for Reading and 2 different task types for Listening
• Writing
  • Duration: 45 minutes
  • Number of tasks: 2 texts, one shorter one (around 50 words) and one longer one (around 180 words)
• Speaking
  • Duration: 15 minutes
  • Number of tasks: 5 different tasks of varying complexity from simply reading out aloud some sentences to giving your opinion on more complex topics with time for you to prepare.

Despite the similarities to some of the more established exams, Linguaskill is always taken online and there aren’t different levels. For example, Cambridge exams use a scale and on that scale, there are different exams and you are probably familiar with A2 Key, B1 Preliminary, B2 First, etc. Linguaskill, on the other hand, doesn’t work like that. There is one test for everyone.

The cool thing is that they use an algorithm (I’m not calling it AI) to check what your level is, and that’s where this exam gets pretty interesting. In the Reading and Listening test, for example, you have to do more and more tasks until the algorithm is confident enough to determine your level. You might start with a fairly easy task and if you do well, the next one is more difficult. If that next task proves to be too hard, the following one is a little bit easier again. This way, your level can be narrowed down nicely.

Linnguaskill also comes in two versions: Linguaskill General for more education-focussed or everyday English and Linguaskill Business with an emphasis on business and more corporate settings. The task types of the two tests are the same, but the language used and tested differs depending on the format you choose.

How does Linguaskill work?

While I’ve given you just a brief overview in the previous section, let’s go into a bit more detail. Linguaskill consists of three different modules: Reading and Listening, Writing, and Speaking. Each module has its own timing and task types and we’re going to look at them now.

Reading and Listening

The Reading and Listening module combines, as the name suggests, two skills – reading and listening. That means that it is the longest module with 60-85 minutes in duration and that it has the greatest variety of task types. In the Reading section, you can find the following possible tasks:

• Read and select – You have to read a short text that you might find in a real-life context, for example, a note, a message, a short letter, etc. and you need to choose from a selection of sentences which one matches the meaning of the text.

• Gapped sentences – You read a sentence with word missing from it and you have to choose the correct word from either three or four options.

• Multiple-choice gap-fill – You read a short text with several gaps and you choose the correct word for each gap from several options. It’s similar to Gapped sentences, but there is a text and not just single sentences.

• Open gap-fill – This task is similar to Multiple-choice gap-fill with the difference that you don’t get any possible answers to choose from. You read the text and come up with the missing word for each gap.

• Extended reading – As the name suggests, you have to read a longer text and answer several multiple-choice questions.

The Listening section of this module is not as varied. There are only two different task types:

• Listen and select – You listen to one short recording and answer one multiple-choice question. The answers options might be presented as visuals or in text form.

• Extended listening – Here, like in the Extended reading task, you have to listen to a longer recording and answer several multiple-choice questions. There are usually around five questions, but in the image below, there are just three. I’m sure you still get the idea. 😜

The algorithm selects the tasks for you depending on your results in the previous task. If you do well, the level of difficulty increases. If you make a bunch of mistakes, the following task is a little bit easier. You won’t know your level until you receive your results, but that’s how it works.

You can try the Reading and Listening module if you want as well. Check out a sample for Linguaskill General here and one for Linguaskill Business here.

Writing

The Writing module takes 45 minutes and you have to write two different types of text – one is pretty short and it shouldn’t take you very long to do it, but the second one is clearly more involved and that’s where you can distinguish yourself (or show that your level is not that high after all):

• Email – In the first task, you always have to write a short email based on some kind of input (typically an email you have to reply to). The email has to be at least 50 words long – not that much if you ask me – and Cambridge recommend spending around 15 minutes of your time on this one.

Depending on the specific task, your email might need to be more formal or informal and require a certain type of language. You can check out some of my articles about writing emails for B1 Preliminary, B2 First, and C1 Advanced as well to get a better idea on how this kind of task works.

• Part 2 is a little bit different. First of all, you have to write at least 180 words, which is already a lot more than in the email task, and you might need to write a text chosen from a variety of task types. If you take Linguaskill General, you may have to write a review, an article, a web post or something similar. If you take Linguaskill Business, you write either a formal letter or a report.

Again, your choice of register and language depends on the task and you have to adapt to it. If you are not sure what it means when we talk about a formal, neutral and informal tone in your writing, feel free to check out my YouTube video that I made specially for you guys.

If you want to give the writing module a go, there is a sample test for Linguaskill General here and for Linguaskill Business here.

Speaking

The last module is Speaking. You might wonder how a speaking test works when there is no one in the room with you. It is a good question, but algorithms have become so sophisticated that they can examine your performance just from a recording of your voice.

At the beginning, there a check of your speakers and your microphone to make sure that everything works well so that you can start your test ready to go.

In the Speaking module, there are five tasks and the whole test takes around 15 minutes to complete. Everything is automatically timed and you just follow along and go through everything step by step. Let’s have a look at what exactly is expected:

• Interview – You get eight questions about yourself. For the first four questions, you have 10 seconds to answer, for questions 5-8, you have 20 seconds. The first two questions are not marked because they just ask you to spell your name.
• Reading aloud – You have to read aloud eight different sentences. That’s it.
• Long turn 1 – You need to talk about a specific topic for one minute. You get 40 seconds to think about what you want to say. Try to speak for all the time you have.
• Long turn 2 – You need to talk about some visual information for one minute. That could be a graphic, a diagram, or some other type of information. You have one minute to prepare your answer.
• Communication activity – You have 40 seconds to look at a task. Then, you have to give your opinion one five questions which are related to the task. You can only listen to those questions and they are not written out. For each question, you have 20 seconds to answer. As always, try to speak for all the time you have available.

If you want to give the speaking test a try, you can check out an example for Linguaskill General here and for Linguaskill Business here.

Why Linguaskill?

Good question with several good answers. As I’ve just mentioned, there are two different formats to choose from so Linguaskill is an attractive option in specific contexts. For example, companies can use Linguaskill Business to check their potential employees’ level of English even as part of the job interview or assessment centre, or universities or other educational institutions can ask applicants to bilingual degrees to take Linguaskill General to show that their language skills are high enough for the demands of a university-level environment.

Secondly, the adaptive technology is, at least in my opinion, pretty cool. As I said earlier, the level of difficulty in Reading and Listening adapts to your level and you won’t need to waste your time doing tasks that are too easy or too difficult.

Thirdly, the exam is modular, which means that you don’t have to take the whole exam if you don’t want to. It really depends on the specific needs and requirements in your particular context. Let’s say you are applying for a job that involves a lot of spoken communication but no emails in English, the company could ask you to take Reading and Listening as well as Speaking but not Writing because it is not essential for that job.

The next argument in favour of Linguaskill is that you get your results much faster than in classic Cambridge exams. While candidates wait up to six weeks in those old-school tests to receive their score, it only takes up to 48 hours with Linguaskill. This is perfect if you need to know your English level fast, for example, for immigration purposes or for an education provider.

Also, Linguaskill is already recognised and accepted by many employers and institutions worldwide, including in the UK, the USA, Australia and Canada. That means that you can use your results in some of the biggest English-speaking countries to find work or to study.

And last but not least, you don’t need to go to an exam with dozens and dozens of other people, but instead take the test from the comfort of your own home or at a job interview without many others surrounding you and making you feel more nervous. It’s just a little bit more relaxed.

How To Prepare For Linguaskill

If you made it this far, you are probably intrigued and want to know more about the test and what you can do to get ready for it. I would say you have two options.

1. You can use the resources on my website to look at the different modules to get a better idea.
2. You can work with me directly and let me help you get ready. If you like this option, why not book a first meeting where we can talk about what exactly you need and you I can assist you on your journey. Simply hit the button below and I look forward to hearing from you very soon. 😊