A2 Key Test Strategy for the KET Exam

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

• !Not reading task instructions — e.g., writing a word when a letter is required
• !Leaving blank answers in Listening (blank = wrong; a guess has a 33–50% chance of being right)
• !Running out of time in Reading/Writing because the email task took too long

Study tips

• 1Study the exact A2 Key exam format from the Cambridge Assessment English website — number of parts, time, and mark allocation.
• 2Never leave a blank in multiple-choice sections — eliminate one or two wrong options and guess from the remainder.
• 3In the Writing email task, plan first (3 content points = 3 sentences) before writing.

Sample KET A2 Key Test Strategy questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real KET questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

1. 1

   In A2 Key Reading Part 1, you see a sign: "No food or drink in the library." A question asks: "What must you NOT do in the library?" The correct answer is:

   • ARead books
   • BTalk to other students
   • CEat or drinkCorrect
   • DUse the computers
   Why this answer?

   The sign prohibits food and drink — "no food or drink." The question uses "must NOT do" which corresponds to the prohibition. Candidates who read the sign carefully answer correctly; those who infer other rules from general library knowledge make errors.