8 Aptis for Teachers core test (grammar and vocabulary)

---

Aptis for Teachers Candidate Guide
8
Aptis for Teachers core test
(grammar and vocabulary)
The core test is the same as for Aptis General. It consists of two parts. The first part 
assesses your knowledge of English grammar. The second part assesses your knowledge 
of English vocabulary.
Part
Grammar
Part 1
Vocabulary
Part 2
Description
In this part of the test, you will answer 
25 questions.
Most of the questions test formal written 
English. A small number of questions 
test spoken English, such as knowing 
the appropriate grammar to use in a 
particular situation (formal or informal 
situations, for example).
All 25 questions are in the format of a 
3-option multiple choice.
Complete a sentence by choosing the 
correct word.
In this part of the test, you have 25 
questions. These are presented in sets 
of five.
There are a number of question types:
Word matching: find a word with a 
meaning similar to the target word.
Word definition: match a definition to 
the correct word.
Word usage: complete a sentence by 
choosing the correct word.
Word pairs or word combinations: 
these are usually the most difficult 
questions, as you need to know what 
word (from a list) is most commonly 
found with the target word (e.g. birthday 
card is common but blue card is not).
Preparation
To know which parts of grammar 
are tested, see the British Council / 
EAQUALS core inventory. This is free and 
available online at: 
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/
article/british-council-eaquals-core-
inventory-general-english
One great way to prepare for the 
grammar test is to use the British 
Council's LearnEnglish Grammar App: 
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/
grammar
To help you prepare for this part of the 
test, the LearnEnglish website has games 
and activities to help you improve your 
vocabulary. 
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/
vocabulary
Another useful tip is to take note of 
interesting words or word combinations 
when you read English texts.

---

Aptis for Teachers Candidate Guide
9
There are two question types. The first focuses on written English grammar and the 
second focuses on the use of English grammar when speaking.
Here are some examples:
1. Written grammar
He__________me that the machine was broken.
told
spoke
said
My boss says that I __________ to finish the report by Friday.
must
have
should
My new computer works __________ faster than my old one.
many
more
much
I have worked for this company __________ I left university.
since
after
from
2. Spoken grammar
John: She’s French, isn’t she?
Ahmed: No, she’s __________ from Belgium.
exactly
actually
anyway
Zeynep: I really don’t feel like going to see that movie tonight. 
Peter: Ok. __________ we can go next week instead.
Maybe
However
Nevertheless
Sample grammar questions

---

Aptis for Teachers Candidate Guide
10
The first question type tests your ability to match words with similar meanings from a list 
of options. You need to click on the arrows and choose the similar word.
Here is an example: 
For the next question type you need to match a definition to a word. Click on the arrow 
and choose the word that matches the definition.
Here is an example: 
Sample vocabulary questions