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Exam Review

Key Facts: Firstwords Exam

Firstwords is Level 1 (CEFR Pre-A1) of the Pearson English International Certificate Young Learners for ages 6 to 13.

The Firstwords written test lasts 60 minutes and contains six tasks with 40 items worth 80 score points.

Each of the 40 written listening, reading and writing items carries a weighting of 2 score points.

The spoken test lasts about 20 minutes, has two tasks and is worth 20 of the 100 total score points.

Task One is listening with eight three-option picture multiple-choice items worth 16 points in total.

Firstwords is graded Distinction, Merit or Pass, and both written and spoken parts must be attempted for a certificate.

Firstwords vocabulary covers colours, numbers 1 to 20, family, animals, toys, food, the body and the home.

The qualification is delivered by Pearson Edexcel and uses general international English suitable for British and American users.

Firstwords is the Pre-A1 Level 1 of Pearson's Young Learners English certificate for ages 6-13, with a 60-minute picture-based written test (listening, reading, writing) plus a short spoken test, graded Distinction, Merit or Pass.

Sample Firstwords Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Firstwords exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Listen: "Look at the picture. The girl has a red ball." Which picture is correct?
A.A boy holding a red ball
B.A girl holding a blue ball
C.A girl holding a red ball
D.A girl holding a red book
Explanation: The sentence says a girl has a red ball, so the correct picture shows a girl holding a red ball. Both the person (girl), the object (ball) and the colour (red) must match. This is the 3-option picture multiple-choice listening task at Firstwords.
2Listen: "My cat is on the chair." Which picture is correct?
A.A cat under the chair
B.A cat on the chair
C.A dog on the chair
D.A cat by the table
Explanation: The sentence uses the preposition "on", so the cat must be on the chair. Prepositions of place such as on, under and by are tested at Firstwords. The animal (cat) and the place (chair) both have to match the picture.
3Listen: "There are four apples on the table." Which picture is correct?
A.Three apples on the table
B.Four bananas on the table
C.Four apples on the table
D.Four apples under the table
Explanation: The sentence gives the number four and the food apples, so the picture must show four apples on the table. Numbers from 1 to 20 and food words are tested at Firstwords. Counting the items correctly is the key listening skill here.
4Listen: "The dog is brown." Which picture is correct?
A.A black dog
B.A brown dog
C.A brown cat
D.A brown bird
Explanation: The sentence describes a brown dog, so both the animal (dog) and the colour (brown) must match. Simple colours like red, blue, green, yellow, black and brown are part of the Firstwords vocabulary. The correct picture shows a brown dog.
5Listen: "Sam is in the kitchen." Which picture is correct?
A.A boy in the bedroom
B.A boy in the bathroom
C.A boy in the garden
D.A boy in the kitchen
Explanation: The sentence says Sam is in the kitchen, so the picture must show a boy in the kitchen. House rooms such as kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and garden are Firstwords vocabulary. The room in the picture must match the room in the sentence.
6Listen: "The girl has two dolls." Which picture is correct?
A.A girl with one doll
B.A girl with two balls
C.A boy with two dolls
D.A girl with two dolls
Explanation: The sentence gives the number two and the toy dolls, so the picture shows a girl with two dolls. Both the number and the toy must be correct. Toys such as dolls, bicycles and computer games appear at Firstwords level.
7Listen: "My mother is happy." Which picture is correct?
A.A sad woman
B.A happy woman
C.A happy man
D.A tired woman
Explanation: The sentence describes a happy mother, so the picture shows a happy woman. Family words like mother and father and feeling words like happy, sad and tired are tested at Firstwords. The person and the feeling must both match.
8Listen: "The bird is in the tree." Which picture is correct?
A.A bird under the tree
B.A cat in the tree
C.A bird by the tree
D.A bird in the tree
Explanation: The sentence uses "in the tree", so the bird must be in the tree. The animal (bird) and the place must both match. Prepositions of place and common animals are tested in the Firstwords listening task.
9Listen: "Tom is eating a banana." Which picture is correct?
A.A boy eating an apple
B.A girl eating a banana
C.A boy eating a banana
D.A boy drinking milk
Explanation: The sentence says Tom is eating a banana, so the picture shows a boy eating a banana. Food words such as banana, apple and bread are Firstwords vocabulary. The person, the action and the food must all match.
10Listen: "The ball is under the bed." Which picture is correct?
A.A ball on the bed
B.A ball under the bed
C.A ball by the bed
D.A book under the bed
Explanation: The sentence uses "under the bed", so the ball must be under the bed. Prepositions of place such as on, under and by are very important in this listening task. The object (ball) and its place must both be correct.

About the Firstwords Exam

Firstwords is Level 1 (CEFR Pre-A1) of the Pearson English International Certificate Young Learners, a fun, stress-free English qualification delivered by Pearson Edexcel for children aged 6 to 13 and most often recommended for learners under 8. The test has two parts: a 60-minute written test that assesses listening, reading and writing, and a separate 20-minute spoken test taken with an examiner. The written part contains six tasks and 40 items worth 80 score points, including listening with three-option picture multiple choice, name-to-picture matching, reading tasks that match questions to answers, utterances to pictures and words to pictures, and a short gap-fill. Tasks use very simple high-frequency vocabulary about colours, animals, family, numbers, toys, food, the body and the home, and they rely heavily on pictures so even early readers can take part. Results are graded Distinction, Merit or Pass, and every child who passes receives a certificate. This free practice set focuses on the written multiple-choice and matching tasks rendered as picture-described questions.

Exam sponsor: Pearson Edexcel. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

100 questions

Time Limit

Written part 60 minutes; separate spoken part about 20 minutes.

Passing Score

Graded Distinction, Merit or Pass across 100 score points (80 written, 20 spoken); both parts must be attempted to earn a certificate.

Exam / Certification Fees

Set by authorised Pearson test centres locally, typically a low-cost school entry of around USD 30-60 depending on country; confirm the exact fee with your registered centre.

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

20%

Listening: picture multiple choice

Task One. Listen to short sentences and choose the correct picture from three options, identifying colours, numbers, objects, people and places.

18%

Listening: name-to-picture matching

Task Two. Listen to a short conversation twice and match seven names of people to pictures of those people or objects associated with them.

13%

Reading: match question to answer

Task Three. Read five short questions and choose the most appropriate answer, linking question words such as what, where, who and how many to suitable responses.

13%

Reading: match utterance to picture

Task Four. Match five short written utterances to the correct pictures, recognising simple functional language in familiar social situations.

20%

Reading: match word to picture

Task Five. Match eight high-frequency words for colours, animals, family, numbers, toys, food, body parts and the home to the correct picture.

16%

Reading and writing: gap fill

Task Six. Complete simple sentences using basic grammar: the verb to be, prepositions of place, plurals, possessive 's, question words and the conjunctions and and but.

Preparing for the Firstwords Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Graded Distinction, Merit or Pass across 100 score points (80 written, 20 spoken); both parts must be attempted to earn a certificate.
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: Written part 60 minutes; separate spoken part about 20 minutes.
  • Exam / certification fees: Set by authorised Pearson test centres locally, typically a low-cost school entry of around USD 30-60 depending on country; confirm the exact fee with your registered centre. Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Firstwords: Suggested Study Strategy

1Learn the Firstwords vocabulary by topic: colours, numbers 1 to 20, family members, animals, toys, food, the body, clothes, the home and classroom objects.
2Practise listening for one key detail at a time, such as a colour, a number or where something is, using on, under and by.
3For the match-question-to-answer task, learn which answer fits each question word: what (a thing), where (a place), who (a person) and how many (a number).
4Memorise short social phrases like hello, goodbye, thank you, yes please and no thank you for the match-utterance-to-picture task.
5Review simple grammar for the gap-fill: the verb to be (is and are), plurals with s, the possessive 's, and the conjunctions and and but.
6Do official Pearson Firstwords past papers, which are free with audio and answer keys, so children get used to the picture-based tasks and timing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Pearson Young Learners Firstwords test?

Firstwords is Level 1 (CEFR Pre-A1) of the Pearson English International Certificate Young Learners, a fun English qualification delivered by Pearson Edexcel for children aged 6 to 13, most often recommended for learners under 8 years old.

What is the format of the Firstwords written test?

The written test lasts 60 minutes and has six tasks worth 80 score points: a listening picture multiple choice, name-to-picture matching, three reading matching tasks (question to answer, utterance to picture, word to picture) and a short gap-fill.

Is there a speaking part at Firstwords level?

Yes. A separate spoken test of about 20 minutes is taken face to face with an examiner and has two tasks: a question-and-answer board game and a short talk. It carries 20 of the 100 total score points.

How is Firstwords graded?

The test is graded Distinction, Merit or Pass across 100 score points (80 written and 20 spoken). Both the written and spoken parts must be attempted to receive a certificate.

What vocabulary does Firstwords test?

Firstwords uses very simple high-frequency words on familiar topics: simple colours, family members, numbers 1 to 20, the home, parts of the body, children's clothes, common pets and zoo animals, toys, food and classroom objects.

Who should take the Firstwords exam?

Firstwords suits young beginner learners of English, typically kindergarten and lower-primary children, who can read the alphabet, recognise simple words and talk about basic facts about their own lives and surroundings.