Solutions

Gold
Placement test A
Pre-Intermediate to Upper Intermediate

Introduction
This placement test is intended to help teachers decide which level of the course (Pre-Intermediate,
Intermediate or Upper Intermediate) is the most suitable for their students. It should be given at the
beginning of the school year, and there are A and B versions available.
The placement test has been developed after consultation with teachers and is designed to assess students’
knowledge of key language as well as their receptive and productive skills. This will enable teachers to have a
greater understanding of what level their students are at.
The test contains:
• 45 multiple-choice questions that assess students’ knowledge of key grammar and vocabulary from Pre-
Intermediate to Upper Intermediate levels.
• a reading text with 15 graded comprehension questions.
• an optional writing task that assesses students’ ability to produce the language.
The 45 multiple-choice questions and the reading task are designed to be done together in a 45-minute lesson.
The writing task can be done in the following lesson and should take approximately 20 minutes.

Interpreting scores
Pre- Upper
Total Intermediate
Intermediate Intermediate
Grammar & Vocabulary 45  0–10 11–27 28–45
Reading 15 0–7  8–12 13–15
Writing 9 0–5 6–7 8–9

This table acts as a guideline for teachers when choosing which level is suitable for
their students. Reading and writing scores are included separately so that teachers
who choose not to include these tasks in the placement test can still make an accurate
assessment of their students’ abilities.
Where there is a discrepancy in the level attained in the different parts of the test, a
student’s score for grammar and vocabulary should take precedence. Alternatively, a
teacher may wish to conduct an additional oral interview to confirm the result.
Students whose scores fall on the borderlines should be placed according to the level
of the rest of the class and monitored closely at the start of the course.

photocopiable © Oxford University Press Solutions Gold Placement test A    1
Placement test A

Grammar and Vocabulary 14 This picture in the 1700s.

Circle the correct answers. A  painted   B  was painting 
C  was painted   D  is painted
1 I a cup of tea at the moment.
A  make  B  makes 15 You can’t drive down there. The road
C  ’m making   D  making since Monday.
A  is closed   B  has been closed 
2 Where when I saw you on the bus C  was closed   D  has closed
last night?
A  did you go   B  were you going  16 Which TV programmes did watch
C  have you gone   D  are you going when you were little?
A  you used   B  you use 
3 We make a lot of noise because we C  you use to   D  you used to
don’t want to wake up the neighbours.
A  needn’t   B  don’t have to  17 Sarah is so friendly. Everyone gets
C  have to   D  mustn’t with her.
A on B in C over D up
4 I’m so tired! I don’t think I can carry
with the race. 18 George a book since lunchtime.
A on B up C out D over A  reads    B  is reading  
C  read    D has been reading
5 Later today, I my friends in the park.
A  meet   B  meeting  19 This time tomorrow, we on a plane
C  met   D  ’m going to meet to Turkey!
A  sit  B  ’ll sit  C  ’ll be sitting  D  sitting
6 If we hurry, we miss the start of the
film. 20 I’m going on holiday in July. I’ll all
A will B don’t C are D won’t my exams by then.
A  have finished   B  be finishing 
7 I’ve been at this school five years. C  be finished   D  finished
A since B for C until D of
21 Can you talk , please? I’m trying to
8 I can’t find Dad. Has he to work? work.
A go B gone C been D went A  more quiet   B  more quietly 
9 What yesterday? C  quieter   D  most quietly
A  did you B  have you done  22 Fiona is a great friend. She’s the
C  did you do D  you done selfish person that I know.
10 Excuse me, where can I find out the A less B more C most D least
for my flight? 23 I hate this weather! I wish I in a
A  departure gate   B  departure’s gate  warmer country!
C  departures gate   D  gate of departure
A lived B  ’d live C live D  can live
11 If I a lot of money, I’d share it with
24 How many photos did you at the
my family.
wedding?
A won B win C  ’ll win D  ’d win
A do B take C make D bring
12 When I arrived at the beach, I remembered that I
25 I don’t like these new trousers. I shouldn’t
been there before.
them, but they looked OK in the
A was B have C am D had shop.
13 Before the exam yesterday, my friend A  be buying   B  buy  
that she was really nervous. C  have bought     D bought
A  said me B  told me C says D  tells me

photocopiable © Oxford University Press Solutions Gold Placement test A    2
Placement test A

26 I’m very unhappy this situation! 36 By the time we stop for a break, we
A  about    B  around for four hours!
C of   D  for A  ’ll be studying    B  ’ll have been studying 
C  have studied    D ’ll have studied
27 Everyone who enters the competition will
a certificate. 37 As soon as I the cleaning, I’ll start
A  given    B be given making lunch.
C give  D  be giving A  finish    B  ’ll finish 
C  ’ll have finished   D  I’ll be finished
28 Katy asked me where my new jacket.
A  I’ve bought   B have I bought  38 He smiled at me .
C  I’d bought   D  had I bought A  friendly   B  like friendship 
C  in a friendly way   D  friendliness
29 If I’d seen Zoe last night, I her the
news. 39 Never before so embarrassed.
A  told  B  ’d tell  C  ’d have told  D  ’d told A  she felt   B  she’d felt 
C  had she felt   D 
hadn’t she felt
30 Who was that woman the red car?
A  who drive   B  driving  40 I feel sorry for Ben. He invited everyone to his
C  drive    D was driving party, but people came.
A  a few B few C  a little D little
31 I was tired when the party started because I
for hours. 41 It’s a good offer, but I think I’ll have to
A  cooked   B  has cooked  .
C  been cooking    D  had been cooking A  turn it down    B turn down it 
C  let it down   D  let down it
32 When I was little, I often spend time
at my grandparents’ house. 42 The burglar to have got into the
A have B would C had D used building through a window.
A  is thought   B  has thought 
33 We worked all morning. We just stopped C  had thought    D has been thought
a coffee at about 10 o’clock.
A  having  B  for having  43 My sister blamed me us late.
C  to have   D  for have A  making   B  make 
C  that I made   D for making
34 How to play this game if I don’t
understand the rules? 44 The man demanded him our
A  I supposed   B  am I supposed  passports.
C  am I suppose    D do I suppose A  showing   B  us showing 
C  us to show   D 
that we show
35 Daniel hasn’t replied to my message. He
seen it. 45 If Lucy hadn’t gone to university, she
A  might not   B  mightn’t  such a good job today.
C  might haven’t   D  might not have A  wouldn’t have had  B  hadn’t had 
C  wouldn’t have  D  didn’t have

Mark: /45

photocopiable © Oxford University Press Solutions Gold Placement test A    3
Placement test A

Reading 1 Read the text. Are the sentences true (T) or

false (F)?
1 Students who ‘take a gap year’ rarely go to
university.
How old are students when they finish school in your 2 Visiting other countries was a popular gap-year
country? Do you think that they are ready to go to activity in the 1980s.
university at that age? Lots of students in the UK and
the USA take a ‘gap year’ after gaining a place at 3 Gap years weren’t as popular in the 1990s as
university. ‘Taking a gap year’ means having a year they are now.
without studying, and British students usually choose 4 Lots of students do unpaid work in their gap
to take this break between school and university,
years.
when they are 18. Gap years became very popular
during the 1980s and the 1990s. In those years, 5 In some cases, students have to pay to work as
students often chose to spend a year travelling to a volunteer.
exciting locations like India, Thailand and Australia.
2 Choose the best answers.
Recently, however, gap years have started to become
less popular. One of the reasons for this is that 1 When is the most common time for British
university education, in the UK at least, has become students to take a gap year?
a lot more expensive. A year-long holiday now seems A When they have just finished school.
like a luxury to many students – and to their parents!
A lot of students also worry that on a gap year they B When they have just finished university.
might lose the habit of studying, forget what they C After their first year of university.
have learned at school, or feel ‘left behind’ as their
friends begin their university courses. And unless 2 Which of these possible problems does the text
they are very organised, there’s always the chance mention?
that they might waste their gap year at home or in a A Students on a gap year might travel to
low-skill job. dangerous countries.
On the other hand, people who have experienced B Students on a gap year might spend all their
the benefits of a gap year say that it gives you a money before their trip is finished.
chance to grow up and become independent, that
it helps you develop life skills, and that a ‘useful’ gap
C Students on a gap year might forget how to
year can look good on your CV. Students now often study well.
volunteer to work, for example, on environmental
3 How can doing a gap year help students in their
or social projects in developing countries. There
are plenty of companies that can organise your gap future life?
year programme for you, from working at an animal A They can try different types of work and
rescue centre in Africa to teaching football at a youth decide what career they want.
club in Brazil. The only disadvantage is that, instead
of earning money while you work, you have to pay for
B They can earn a lot of money.
the experience! C They can learn new, adult skills that will
help them in later life.
Instead of travelling the world, however, the best
way to impress a future employer with your gap 4 Which of these gap year experiences is NOT
year might be to gain work experience in your mentioned in the text?
chosen career. For example, a student interested
in a career in engineering might find it more useful A Helping a conservation charity.
to find an ‘uncool’ work placement in their home B Building a community centre.
town than to spend six months backpacking around C Encouraging children to do sport.
South America. Having experience of the world of
work, might, for an ambitious student, give them an 5 What is the main purpose of the text?
advantage both in their future university studies and A To consider the advantages and
in a competitive job market.
disadvantages of taking a gap year.
B To persuade students that they should take
a gap year.
C To warn students that they shouldn’t spend
their gap years in a foreign country.

photocopiable © Oxford University Press Solutions Gold Placement test A    4
3 Answer the questions.
1 Give two reasons from the text why gap years
have become less popular since the 1990s.


2 How have gap years changed in that time?


3 What sort of gap year should an ambitious
student choose, according to the text?


4 Why does the writer use the word ‘uncool’ in
the final paragraph?


5 Overall, does the writer have a positive or
negative view of gap years? Give some evidence
from the text.

Mark: /15

Writing
Write about celebrations. Write three paragraphs.
Paragraph 1: Write about the special days that you
and your family usually celebrate each year.
Paragraph 2: Describe a particular celebration that
you really enjoyed.
Paragraph 3: Explain what you are going to do for your
next party.

Mark: /9

photocopiable © Oxford University Press Solutions Gold Placement test A    5