100+ Free Welsh Sylfaen (Foundation, A2) Practice Questions

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Pa air sy'n cwblhau'r frawddeg? 'Dyw hi ___ yn hoffi coffi.' (Which word completes the sentence? 'She does not like coffee.')

ddim

dim

nad

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Key Facts: Welsh Sylfaen (Foundation, A2) Exam

The Welsh Sylfaen (Foundation) WJEC/CBAC A2 exam tests everyday Welsh across reading, listening, writing, and speaking at foundation level, offered twice yearly at Welsh for Adults centres.

Sample Welsh Sylfaen (Foundation, A2) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Welsh Sylfaen (Foundation, A2) exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Darllenwch y frawddeg: 'Mae Siân yn byw yng Nghaerdydd ers pum mlynedd.' Beth yw ystyr 'ers'? (Read the sentence: 'Siân has been living in Cardiff for five years.' What does 'ers' mean?)

A.for (a period of time)

B.since (a point in time)

C.until

D.before

Explanation: 'Ers' in Welsh can mean both 'for' (duration) and 'since' (point in time). In this sentence, 'ers pum mlynedd' translates as 'for five years' — a duration. 'Ers' followed by a time span indicates how long something has been ongoing.

2Pa air sy'n cwblhau'r frawddeg yn gywir? 'Dw i'n mynd i'r siop i brynu ___ (llaeth).' (Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'I am going to the shop to buy ___ (milk).')

A.llaeth

B.laeth

C.llath

D.laethen

Explanation: 'Llaeth' (milk) does not mutate after 'brynu' (to buy) in this structure. The direct object after 'i + verb-noun' does not automatically take a soft mutation in standard Welsh; the base form 'llaeth' is correct here.

3Dewiswch y ffurf gywir o'r ferf 'mynd' yn y gorffennol: 'Fe ___ ni i'r sinema neithiwr.' (Choose the correct past-tense form of 'mynd' [to go]: 'We ___ to the cinema last night.')

A.aethon

B.aethoch

C.aeth

D.aethant

Explanation: 'Aethon ni' is the first-person plural past tense of 'mynd' (to go) in standard Southern Welsh. The ending '-on' marks the 'ni' (we) form. 'Fe aethon ni' = 'We went.'

4Beth yw ystyr 'wedi' yn y frawddeg hon? 'Dw i wedi bwyta.' (What does 'wedi' mean in this sentence? 'Dw i wedi bwyta.')

A.have (perfect aspect marker)

B.going to

C.about to

D.used to

Explanation: 'Wedi' is the Welsh perfect aspect marker used between 'bod' (to be) and a verb-noun to form the present perfect tense. 'Dw i wedi bwyta' = 'I have eaten.' It signals a completed action with present relevance.

5Darllenwch y neges: 'Annwyl Mair, dw i ddim yn gallu dod i'r parti heno oherwydd dw i'n sâl. Mae'n ddrwg 'da fi. Cofion, Rhys.' Beth yw rheswm Rhys dros beidio â mynd? (Read the message. What is Rhys's reason for not going?)

A.He is ill

B.He has to work

C.He forgot about the party

D.He has no transport

Explanation: The message states 'dw i'n sâl' which means 'I am ill.' This is given explicitly as the reason ('oherwydd' = because) for not attending the party.

6Pa eiryn sy'n dilyn 'â/ag' yn gywir yn y frawddeg? 'Mae hi'n hapus ___ ei gwaith newydd.' (Which word correctly follows 'â/ag'? 'She is happy ___ her new job.')

A.â

B.gyda

C.efo

D.am

Explanation: In formal/standard Welsh, 'â' (with) is used before consonants and 'ag' before vowels. Here, 'hapus â' means 'happy with'. Both 'â/ag' and 'gyda/efo' can mean 'with', but the question asks which correctly follows 'hapus' in a typical A2 Sylfaen construction — 'hapus â' is the standard written form.

7Darllenwch yr hysbyseb: 'Ar werth: Beic mynydd, da iawn, £150. Ffoniwch Dewi: 07700 123456.' Beth sy'n cael ei werthu? (Read the advertisement. What is being sold?)

A.A mountain bike

B.A road bike

C.A car

D.A bicycle helmet

Explanation: 'Beic mynydd' means 'mountain bike' ('beic' = bike, 'mynydd' = mountain). The advertisement is clearly offering a mountain bike for sale at £150.

8Dewiswch y treiglad (mutation) cywir ar ôl 'dy' (your): 'Ble mae ___ bag di?' (Choose the correct mutation after 'dy' [your, informal]: 'Where is your bag?')

A.fag

B.bag

C.mag

D.phag

Explanation: The second-person singular possessive pronoun 'dy' (your, informal) triggers a soft mutation on the following noun. 'Bag' → soft mutation → 'fag'. So 'dy fag di' = 'your bag'.

9Beth yw ystyr y gair 'brecwast'? (What is the meaning of the word 'brecwast'?)

A.breakfast

B.lunch

C.dinner

D.snack

Explanation: 'Brecwast' is the Welsh word for 'breakfast', the morning meal. It is a loanword from English 'breakfast' adapted to Welsh phonology and spelling conventions.

10Darllenwch y brawddegau: 'Roedd hi'n oer ddoe. Felly gwisgodd Sara gôt.' Beth wnaeth Sara oherwydd y tywydd? (Read the sentences: 'It was cold yesterday. So Sara put on a coat.' What did Sara do because of the weather?)

A.She wore a coat

B.She stayed indoors

C.She turned the heating on

D.She wore a scarf

Explanation: 'Gwisgodd Sara gôt' = 'Sara wore/put on a coat.' The verb 'gwisgo' means 'to wear/put on' and 'côt' means 'coat'. The text explicitly states this action in response to the cold.

About the Welsh Sylfaen (Foundation, A2) Exam

The WJEC Defnyddio'r Gymraeg — Sylfaen (Foundation) is the second level in the national Welsh for Adults qualification suite, mapped to CEFR A2 (Elementary). It is designed for learners who have completed the Cwrs Sylfaen or equivalent Wlpan course and who can communicate in Welsh on familiar everyday topics. The exam has four components — reading (darllen), listening (gwrando), writing (ysgrifennu), and speaking (siarad) — all reflecting realistic everyday Welsh use: shopping, travel, health, family, leisure, and community. It is offered twice yearly at approved Welsh for Adults centres across Wales and is recognised by employers, educational institutions, and Welsh Government bodies as evidence of foundation-level Welsh proficiency.

Questions

40 scored questions

Time Limit

Reading: ~45 min; Listening: ~35 min; Writing: ~45 min; Speaking: ~12 min.

Passing Score

Pass mark set per session by WJEC/CBAC; typically 50–60% overall with component minimums.

Exam Fee

Approx. £60–£100 per sitting (2026); set by individual approved Welsh for Adults centres. (WJEC/CBAC (Welsh Joint Education Committee / Cyd-Bwyllgor Addysg Cymru).)

Welsh Sylfaen (Foundation, A2) Exam Content Outline

25%

Darllen (Reading)

A2-level texts — messages, notices, adverts, short articles — MCQ testing comprehension and vocabulary.

25%

Gwrando (Listening)

A2 audio dialogues, announcements, messages — MCQ testing key facts and gist.

25%

Ysgrifennu (Writing)

Guided A2 writing: notes, messages, form-filling, and short descriptions.

25%

Siarad (Speaking)

Examiner-assessed oral tasks on familiar A2 topics.

How to Pass the Welsh Sylfaen (Foundation, A2) Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Pass mark set per session by WJEC/CBAC; typically 50–60% overall with component minimums.
Exam length: 40 questions
Time limit: Reading: ~45 min; Listening: ~35 min; Writing: ~45 min; Speaking: ~12 min.
Exam fee: Approx. £60–£100 per sitting (2026); set by individual approved Welsh for Adults centres.

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Welsh Sylfaen (Foundation, A2) Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master the three mutation types: soft (after am, i, o, dan etc.), nasal (after fy and yn location), and aspirate (after â, gyda, tua, chwe, tri/tair). Mutation mistakes are the most common Sylfaen errors — make a personalised trigger chart and test yourself daily.

2Learn the periphrastic past tense ('Wnes i + soft mutation + verb-noun') and the inflected past tense endings (-ais, -odd, -on, -och, -on nhw) for common verbs. Both patterns appear in Sylfaen reading and writing tasks.

3Practise 'wedi bod yn' for ongoing actions: 'Dw i wedi bod yn dysgu Cymraeg ers blwyddyn' (I have been learning Welsh for a year). This construction is tested at A2 and marks you out as a confident user.

4Download official WJEC Sylfaen past papers from the Question Bank at questionbank.wjec.co.uk — they are the gold standard for understanding text complexity and task types. Work through at least two complete reading and listening papers under timed conditions.

5Build your Welsh for Adults vocabulary in topic sets: weather (tywydd, bwrw glaw, heulo, oer, cynnes), transport (bws, trên, car, beic), health (meddyg, ysbyty, annwyd, sâl), and food/shopping (archfarchnad, sêl, drud, rhad). A2 reading texts draw heavily on these themes.

6Record yourself speaking Welsh for 1–2 minutes on a familiar topic (your day, your hobbies, your town) and listen back critically. The speaking component rewards learners who can sustain a response, use past and future tenses accurately, and avoid long English fillers — practice makes this automatic.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Welsh Sylfaen qualification?

The Sylfaen (Foundation) is the second level of the WJEC Defnyddio'r Gymraeg (Using Welsh) qualification suite for adult learners. It is mapped to CEFR A2 (Elementary) and is designed for learners who have completed the Cwrs Sylfaen or Wlpan foundation course. The exam tests reading, listening, writing, and speaking in everyday Welsh contexts.

Who offers the Sylfaen exam and where can I sit it?

The Sylfaen exam is offered by WJEC/CBAC, the Welsh awarding organisation. It is sat at approved Welsh for Adults centres across Wales — run by universities, further education colleges, and local authorities. Contact Dysgu Cymraeg (dysgucymraeg.cymru) or the WJEC website to find your nearest centre and upcoming session dates.

How many times a year is the Sylfaen exam available?

The exam is typically offered twice per year — in January and June — at approved Welsh for Adults examination centres. Exact dates vary by centre; learners should register through their Welsh for Adults tutor.

What grammar topics are most important for Sylfaen?

Key A2 grammar areas include: soft, nasal, and aspirate mutations (especially after prepositions and possessive pronouns); past tense constructions (wnes i + mutation; inflected past -odd/-ais/-on); imperfect tense (ro'n i'n / roedd e'n); perfect aspect (wedi); modal constructions (mae'n rhaid i fi fynd; galla i siarad); comparative adjectives (-ach); and prepositions with fused pronoun forms (arni, iddo, etc.).

Does the Sylfaen certificate have any official recognition?

Yes. The WJEC Defnyddio'r Gymraeg qualifications are recognised by Welsh employers, Welsh Government bodies, and educational institutions as evidence of Welsh language proficiency. Sylfaen (A2) demonstrates foundation-level competence and is a stepping stone toward Canolradd (B1), Uwch (B2), and Hyfedredd (C1/C2).

What is the difference between Sylfaen and the Entry level?

The Entry level (Mynediad, CEFR A1) is for absolute beginners and tests very basic Welsh. Sylfaen (A2) is the next step up, requiring learners to handle familiar everyday topics with greater accuracy — including past and future tenses, mutations triggered by various prepositions, and simple sustained conversation. Most learners take Entry first, then Sylfaen after one to two years of study.