Anglia Examinations Primary Exam Level
What does Primary test?
- an understanding of about 400 words (the First Step and Junior words plus 200 more) in familiar categories like jobs, feelings, weather and sport
- how to make questions and answers
- how to say you can and can’t do things
- how to say you’ve got things, like things, haven’t got things and don’t like things
- how to say the time and describe when things happen
- understanding messages
What does the candidate have to do in the Primary exam?
- read and choose answers
- identify word groups
- fill in gaps
- write some words and phrases
- answer multiple-choice questions
Performance Indicators
The candidate
- has a basic active vocabulary of about 400 words
- can tell the time
- can describe present actions, give personal and family information, describe habits, routines, and everyday activities
- can communicate when and how often an action or event takes place
- can form questions and negatives
An alternative version is available for adults learning at this level. The exam consists of the same performance indicators, but is based more towards adult senarios. It also reflects an adult's ability to answer a higher number of questions. The word list has been slightly revised. For practice material, please click here. (Link to Adult Learner Practice Material)
Grammar and Structures List
| Grammar and Structures | What are they used for? | Some examples |
| VERBS | ||
| There is/ there are | Identifying something/someone | There is a book on the table. There are four girls in the kitchen. |
| Present simple | Talking about habits, routines, facts (such as where a person lives), the actions of everyday life | My uncle lives in a small house. She is thirteen years old. I always take the bus to school. |
| The present simple with the verb 'like' + 'ing' in the third person singular and plural | Describing what people or animals like doing | My cat likes sleeping in the garden. My brothers like playing football in the park. |
| Present continuous | Talking about present actions | My brothers are playing football in the park at the moment. |
| Interrogative forms of the above two tenses | Asking and answering questions about the above | Do they often go to the cinema? Do you have/ Have you got a computer? Are the children doing their homework? Is she eating her breakfast at the moment? |
| Negative forms of the above two tenses | Describing an ability or skill | He can play the guitar. They can cook. |
| PRONOUNS | ||
| All personal pronouns as subject or object - I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, you, him, her, it, us, them | Describing and identifying people, animals and objects | Do you want my father? He is in the garden. John is with him. |
| Demonstrative pronouns - this, these, that, those | Asking for, and giving information | These are tables. That family is rich. Is this a kettle? |
| CONJUNCTIONS | ||
| because, and, or, but, then, next | Linking sentence parts and ideas | John and Mary are in the garden because it is sunny. |
| INTERROGATIVE WORDS | ||
| INTERROGATIVE WORDS What, Who, Where, When, Why, How many | Asking questions about people, animals and objects | What is this? Who is that girl? Where are Peter and Paul? |
| ADVERBS | ||
| Adverbs of time - today, now, at the moment Adverbs of frequency - always, never, sometimes, often, usually, every day, every week, every month | Describing when and how often someone does something or something happens.Discriminating between the present continuous and the present simple | I usually eat an egg for breakfast. At the moment, John is playing in the park. |
| PREPOSITIONS | ||
| in, on, at, to | Talking about time, place, position | The examination finishes at 4 pm. My brother is 10 years old in August. I am going to Disney World on 1st August. |
| TIME EXPRESSIONS | ||
| 10.15 = ten fifteen or (a) quarter past ten | Telling the time | ten fifteen, twenty past one, half past ten, a quarter to two, eleven forty-five, etc. |
| NOUNS | ||
Singular/plural | Talking about numbers of things
| e.g. book-books, box-boxes, man-men, woman-women, child-children, party-parties I have three sweets.
|
| Countable and uncountable nouns | Talking about amounts and quantities | Can I have the butter? Can I have two sweets? |
| SALUTATIONS (WRITING) | ||
| The formulaic salutations of informal writing in messages such as emails, postcards | Written communication | Dear ... Love from ... |
Wordlist:
New words for this level are in bold
| SET OF LEXICAL ITEMS | |
| NOUNS | |
| Clothes | dress, shirt, T-shirt, trousers, skirt, boots, socks, shoes, trainers, hat, watch clothes, jeans, jacket, tie, coat |
| Food, meals and drink | food, cake, ice cream, chocolate, pizza, egg, biscuits, hamburger, hot-dog, omelette, steak, fish, salad, breakfast, lunch, dinner, milk, juice, party,bread, tea, coffee, water, lemonade, chicken, sandwich, sugar, ketchup, chips, cheese, sweets, butter |
| Birds | bird, penguin, parrot, duck, hen, chicken |
| Jobs | teacher, job, doctor, farmer, secretary, businessman/woman, policeman/woman, shop assistant, in the army, student |
| School | pen, pencil, rubber, ruler, book, desk, computer, classroom, bag, blackboard, homework, work, test, exam, student, lesson |
| Transport | bus, bicycle, car, train, aeroplane, helicopter, boat, taxi, bike, motor bicycle, motorbike, tractor, lorry (Brit), truck (Amer) |
| Animals | animal, cat, dog, monkey, lion, bear, elephant, crocodile, snake, tiger, zebra, rabbit, mouse, fox, frog, spider, hippo, giraffe, horse, sheep, cow, pet |
| Household | house, chair, table, window, door, television, bed, bath, clock, picture, vase, photo, radio, mat, floor, cupboard, video, mirror, sofa, armchair, shower, wardrobe |
| Kitchen | glass, plate, bowl, cup, knife, fork spoon |
| Vegetables | vegetable, potato, tomato, carrot, cabbage |
| Fruit | apple, banana, orange, lemon, pear, peach, cherry, strawberry, melon |
| Fish | fish, dolphin, octopus, shark, whale, starfish, goldfish |
| Garden | garden, flower, tree, grass |
| Days of the week | day, week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, birthday, weekend |
| Months of the year | month, year, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December |
| Sport | sport, football, tennis, ball, swimming, basketball, volleyball, baseball, fishing, football match, tennis racket, running |
| Places | school, house, park, garden, home, shop, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living room zoo, farm, supermarket, office, cinema, cafe, restaurant, car park, flat, swimming pool, town centre, beach, sea, mountains, town, city, village, fields, country (e.g. England etc.), countryside |
| Musical Instruments | guitar, piano, drum |
| Toys | ball, kite, castle, soldiers, paint, paintbrush, puppet, drum |
| Weather | sun, rain, wind, snow, hot, cold |
| Parts of the body | hair, eyes, mouth, nose, face, arms, legs, foot/feet, head, hands |
| Letters | a-z |
| Cardinal numbers | one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty twenty-one to sixty |
| Time expressions | four fifteen, [a] quarter past/to four, half past four, ten past four, four ten, ten to four, etc. morning, evening, today |
| Exams | letters, words, sentence, question, answer, story |
| Family members and people | mother, father, brother, sister, baby, girl, boy, man, woman, children, family, child, aunt, uncle, cousin, grandmother, grandfather, Mum, Dad, friend |
| Shapes | shape, square, circle, triangle, rectangle |
| Miscellaneous | film, newspaper, magazine, star, moon, thing |
| ADJECTIVES | |
| Size | tall, short, big, small, long, little |
| Feelings | happy, sad, favourite, best, |
| Colours | colour, black, blue, green, yellow, white, orange, red, grey, brown, pink, purple |
| Age | old, young, new |
| Other | clever, nice, good |
| Modifiers | very |
| VERBS | am/are/is, cook, draw, drink, eat, go, have, has, like, listen, play, read, sit, stand, watch, wear, write, buy, can, clean, do, drive, get up, have/has got, live, look, make, ride, run, sleep, start, swim, talk, tell, understand, walk, want, wash, work, |
| PREPOSITIONS | in, under, behind, on, near, in front of, at, with, to |
| ADVERBS | today, now, at the moment, never, always, sometimes, often, usually, every day, every week |
Useful Links
Primary Level Exam Past Papers
- Link to Primary exam papers (Exam Template, audio file and marking keys)
- Link to Primary level Speaking test for students.
- Primary level past exams paper (for teachers).
Speaking video example
Link to a video of a Primary speaking exam
Step to Book Audio Files
Adult Version of Primary Level
An alternative version is available for adults learning at this level. The exam consists of the same performance indicators but is based more on adult scenarios. It also reflects an adult's ability to answer a higher number of questions. The word list has been slightly revised.