KET · Topic Vocabulary · Texas, USA

Topic Vocabulary for the KET Exam — Texas candidates

8% of the KET test plan. Thematic vocabulary sets for A2 Key: free time, travel, weather, sports, and jobs. Calibrated for Texan candidates.

Most exam coaching covers the curriculum at the same depth across all topics. That misses the asymmetry of high-stakes testing: a few topics carry disproportionate weight on the score. Topic Vocabulary sits at roughly 8% of the Cambridge Key English Test (A2) content distribution — A2 Key uses topic-based vocabulary across all skills. Key topics include: free time and entertainment, travel and holidays, weather, sports, jobs, and education. Candidates who learn vocabulary in context (whole phrases, not isolated words) respond more naturally in speaking and writing. Pass rates for the KET are published annually by the awarding body and vary by cohort and locale. For Texas candidates preparing for KET, the calibration of study to local context matters: Texas is the second-largest CDL-issuing state and a top-3 state for NCLEX-RN candidates. TxDPS administers CDL skills tests; the Texas Board of Nursing recognises NCLEX results from Pearson VUE.

Pass rates for KET (Texas, USA) are published periodically by the awarding body.

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.

  • !Knowing single words but not collocations (play football, do exercise, go swimming)
  • !Confusing "job" topics: architect/doctor/teacher vs work activities
  • !Using the wrong weather vocabulary — warm/hot/cool/cold precision matters

Study tips

  • 1Learn A2 vocabulary in collocations: do homework, make a phone call, go for a walk, take a photo.
  • 2Study job vocabulary: job titles, workplace vocabulary, and verbs for job duties.
  • 3For travel, learn the airport and hotel vocabulary set: check in, boarding pass, suitcase, reservation.
  • 4For CDL: book your skills test at a TxDPS megacenter (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin) or one of the 200+ third-party testers; megacenter wait times average 4–6 weeks.
  • 5For NCLEX-RN: the Texas Board of Nursing requires fingerprinting via IdentoGO before authorization-to-test (ATT) is issued — start that process the same day you submit your application.
  • 6Spanish-language CDL written tests are offered in Texas; the skills/road portion is conducted in English. Many CDL training programs in the Rio Grande Valley teach a bilingual track.

Sample KET Topic Vocabulary 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

    Choose the correct collocation: "I always _____ my homework before dinner."

    • Amake
    • Btake
    • CdoCorrect
    • Dhave
    Why this answer?

    "Do homework" is the correct collocation in English. "Make" is used for make a mistake/make a decision; "take" for take a photo/take a break; "have" for have a meal/have a shower. Collocations must be learned as fixed phrases.

Frequently asked questions

Which topics come up most in A2 Key exams?
Based on past Cambridge A2 Key papers, the most frequent topics are: food and drink, free time activities, sports, travel, shopping, family and friends, and school/work. Candidates who know the key vocabulary for these 7 topics have strong coverage.
What is the KET pass rate for Texan candidates?
Pass rates for KET candidates in Texas, USA are published periodically by the awarding body. Practice questions, full-length simulations, and weak-area drills are the highest-impact way to improve your odds.
How long should Texan candidates study Topic Vocabulary for the KET?
For most candidates, focused mastery of Topic Vocabulary requires 20–40 hours of deliberate practice — drilling sample questions, reviewing failure modes, and timing yourself against exam conditions. Texas is the second-largest CDL-issuing state and a top-3 state for NCLEX-RN candidates. TxDPS administers CDL skills tests; the Texas Board of Nursing recognises NCLEX results from Pearson VUE. Combine Topic Vocabulary study with full-length mock exams in the final two weeks before your test date.

Practice Cambridge KET (A2) free with Koydo.

Reading & Writing, Listening, and Speaking practice tasks.

Related study guides