LanguageCert Academic Exam Pattern | Complete Section Breakdown

Exam Overview

LanguageCert Academic consists of four sections testing all language skills:

Listening Section (30 Questions)

The Listening section tests your ability to understand spoken English in academic contexts. Each part is played twice.

Part 1: Dialogue Completion (7 questions)

Listen to seven unfinished dialogues and choose the appropriate completion or continuation from three-option multiple-choice responses.

Part 2: Academic Conversations (10 questions)

Listen to five conversations in academic-related contexts and answer two three-option multiple-choice questions for each one.

Part 3: Lecture Notes (7 questions)

Listen to a lecture or podcast on an academic subject and fill in seven gaps in a notepad with no more than three words each time.

Part 4: Group Discussion (6 questions)

Listen to a group discussion or debate on an academic subject (e.g., three-speaker discussion) and answer six three-option multiple-choice questions.

Reading Section (30 Questions)

The Reading section assesses your comprehension of academic texts and vocabulary.

Part 1a: Vocabulary Replacement (6 questions)

Read six sentences and choose the correct word from a choice of three to replace the highlighted word(s) in each sentence.

Part 1b: Gap Fill (5 questions)

Read a short text with five words missing. Choose the correct word from a choice of three to complete each gap.

Part 2: Sentence Matching (6 questions)

Read a text from which six sentences have been removed. Match the correct sentences from a choice of eight to complete the text.

Part 3: Multiple Texts (varies)

Read four short texts on a common theme and answer questions to identify information from the texts.

Part 4: Academic Argumentation (6 questions)

Read a longer text with academic argumentation and answer six four-option multiple-choice questions.

Writing Section (2 Tasks)

The Writing section evaluates your ability to produce written English for academic purposes.

Part 1: Academic Report (150–200 words)

Write an academic report or article in response to an infographic stimulus. The response should express stance, opinion, justification, and argumentation as appropriate.

Part 2: Discursive Essay (250 words)

Produce a piece of discursive writing on an academic subject to persuade, argue, or hypothesise, expressing mood, opinion, justification, evaluation, etc.

Speaking Section (4 Parts)

The Speaking section is conducted with an interlocutor and tests your spoken English proficiency.

Part 1: Questions

Give and spell your name and give your country of origin; answer up to five questions on different topic areas.

Part 2: Role Play

Respond and initiate two role plays in academic-related scenarios presented by the interlocutor.

Part 3: Read Aloud

Prepare for 30 seconds and read a short academic text aloud, then answer follow-up questions.

Part 4: Presentation

Prepare and deliver a two-minute presentation on an academic-related subject in response to a stimulus given by the interlocutor. Prepare for one minute, speak for up to two minutes, and answer follow-up questions.

Preparation Tips

1. Familiarise yourself with all question types - Each part has a specific format
2. Practice under timed conditions - Build your stamina for the full exam
3. Focus on academic vocabulary - The exam uses academic contexts throughout
4. Develop note-taking skills - Essential for Listening Part 3 and Speaking Part 4

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