Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET) uses real-life situations that are especially designed to help you understand factual information and show awareness of opinions, attitudes and mood in both spoken and written English.

Cambridge English: Preliminary is set at Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). 

Real-life language skills

The B1 CEFR is the level of English needed to:

	Deal with everyday events
	Read simple textbooks or magazine articles
	Write letters on familiar subjects
	Take notes in a meeting

It shows that you are able to communicate at a basic level in English. For example, at B1 level, you can expect to: Understand the main points of instructions or public announcements Deal with many situations you might meet when travelling as a tourist in an English-speaking country Ask simple questions and take part in factual conversations in a work environment Write letters or make notes on familiar matters Preparing for Cambridge English: PET will give you these kinds of practical language skills.

What's in the Exam?

You can see the exam format and good overview of this test by clicking here.

Reliable 

Backed by the largest research program of its kind, Cambridge English exams provide the most reliable reflection of your language skills.

Fair 

Cambridge English exams cover all major varieties of English and are designed to be fair to users of all nationalities and linguistic backgrounds.

Support 

A wealth of materials is available to help you prepare for your exam. You can get practice exams with detailed answer feedback that will show you your strengths and weaknesses.

A Cambridge English qualification

Once you have earned a Cambridge English certificate, you hold one of the most valuable English qualifications in the world.

The Importance of an English Speaking Test

There are four language skills that we need for complete communication. Though related, each of the four skills — listening, reading, writing and speaking — are distinct and each contributes uniquely to a student’s overall communicative ability. It’s this broader trait of communicative competence — not specific individual skills — that is critical in most academic (and later in workplace settings).

That's why it's important to test for each of these four language skills individually because each is a critical aspect of communicative competence.

It's typically the speaking skill that doesn't get assessed, which often means it is not specifically taught.  This can lead to students who can comprehend English at higher grade levels, but are handicapped in their ability to effectively communicate through speaking.

Cambridge ESOL tests are the industry standard in delivering a comprehensive, four skill English language assessment for your students. Cambridge Speaking tests, for example, are conducted by trained, certified examiners. The video below shows an actual YLE "Flyers" Speaking test in progress.

For more a in-depth look at this exam, click here to read the examiner's commentary for this PET video.

Have Fun Practicing your English!

Academy Island   

An unknown alien life form lands on earth and has to learn English to get by in a range of social situations. Players of Academy Island have to progress through different difficulty levels by helping the alien use English in a range of situations such as shopping in a bakery and visiting places such as an art gallery and library.

A great game for B1 level students...have fun while improving your English skills!