100+ Free ISE A1 Practice Questions
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Read this text about a penguin: 'A penguin is a bird, but it can't fly. It can swim very well and it lives in cold places.' What can a penguin do?
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Key Facts: ISE A1 Exam
Trinity ISE A1 is the beginner (A1) level of Trinity College London's Integrated Skills in English exam; its 90-minute Reading & Writing module tests reading through 20 items (part matching, one-word and number completion, multiple matching and word-bank gaps) marked out of 20, with 10 a pass.
Sample ISE A1 Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your ISE A1 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Read this short text: 'In Northfield, you can find a lot of different restaurants. You can try pasta, fish and other things. You can eat outside too.' What is this part of the text about?
2Read this short text: 'Northfield has an old football club. It is not very big. You can enjoy other sports too. We have a basketball club or you can play tennis.' What is this part about?
3Read this text: 'You can buy an ice cream at the new café in the town centre.' Complete the sentence with ONE word from the text: 'You can get an ice cream in the ___.'
4Read this text: 'Northfield has many old factories and some new places too. The library has photos of the old city.' Complete the sentence with ONE word from the text: 'There are old ___ in Northfield.'
5Read this text: 'In spring, Northfield has many flowers. They have different colours and the town is beautiful.' When is Northfield beautiful?
6Read this text about a town: 'There are a lot of different people in Northfield. People speak many languages. Everyone is very nice and likes to help.' What is true about the people?
7Read this text: 'The best time to visit Northfield is in June because it is sunny and nice. You can meet people and there are lots of interesting things to do.' Why is June a good time to visit?
8Read this text about a language school: 'Welcome to Newtown school! Our English classes are fun. You can practise speaking and study new words. The teacher is very friendly.' What can you do in the classes?
9Read this text: 'There are two classes in the school. Class A is easy and Class B is more difficult.' Which class is more difficult?
10Read this text: 'You can't use your mobile phones in class, but you can use a dictionary.' What can you use in class?
About the ISE A1 Exam
Trinity ISE A1 is the A1 (beginner) level of Trinity College London's Integrated Skills in English (ISE) qualification, the lowest of the six ISE levels and an international English exam for learners in full or part-time education. It is built around two modules: Reading & Writing and Speaking & Listening, which can be taken together or separately. The Reading & Writing module lasts one hour thirty minutes and contains four tasks, the first two of which assess reading through 20 objectively marked items: Task 1 is a short long-reading text in five parts and Task 2 is a set of three short multi-texts with a word bank. Reading is marked out of a maximum of 20, with 10 the normal pass mark, 15 a Merit and 18 a Distinction. Each skill is reported as Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail, and candidates must pass every skill to earn the module certificate; passing both modules at the same level earns the full ISE A1 qualification at CEFR A1.
Questions
100 scored questions
Time Limit
The Reading & Writing module lasts 1 hour 30 minutes, with about 20 minutes recommended for each reading task and 25 minutes for each writing task.
Passing Score
Reading is marked out of a maximum of 20: Pass 10, Merit 15, Distinction 18. Writing is marked out of 21: Pass 10, Merit 15, Distinction 18. Each skill is awarded Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail, and a Pass in every skill is required to pass the module.
Exam Fee
Fees are set by local centres and vary by country; the full four-skills ISE A1 costs roughly US$150 / 150 euros in many centres, with the Reading & Writing module priced lower than Speaking & Listening. (Trinity College London)
ISE A1 Exam Content Outline
Long reading (Task 1)
One short text in five parts with 10 questions: matching each part to its topic (A-F) and completing sentences with exactly one word or a number from the text.
Multi-text reading (Task 2)
Three short connected texts with 10 questions: multiple matching (write one letter A, B or C) and completing sentences using a word bank.
A1 reading skills
Skimming a short text for the main idea, scanning for names, numbers, days and times, and reading simple signs, notices and everyday messages.
A1 grammar
Present simple and continuous, articles, plurals, basic prepositions of place and time, can/can't, comparatives, superlatives and quantifiers.
A1 vocabulary
High-frequency everyday words for family, home, town, food, colours, days and feelings, plus simple synonyms, antonyms and polite phrases.
How to Pass the ISE A1 Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: Reading is marked out of a maximum of 20: Pass 10, Merit 15, Distinction 18. Writing is marked out of 21: Pass 10, Merit 15, Distinction 18. Each skill is awarded Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail, and a Pass in every skill is required to pass the module.
- Exam length: 100 questions
- Time limit: The Reading & Writing module lasts 1 hour 30 minutes, with about 20 minutes recommended for each reading task and 25 minutes for each writing task.
- Exam fee: Fees are set by local centres and vary by country; the full four-skills ISE A1 costs roughly US$150 / 150 euros in many centres, with the Reading & Writing module priced lower than Speaking & Listening.
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
ISE A1 Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Trinity ISE A1?
Trinity ISE A1 is the A1 (beginner) level of Trinity College London's Integrated Skills in English (ISE) qualification and the lowest of the six ISE levels. It assesses reading, writing, speaking and listening through two modules and is accepted by schools and institutions worldwide.
What reading tasks are in the ISE A1 exam?
Reading has two tasks. Task 1 (Long reading) is a short five-part text with 10 questions using topic matching and one-word or number completion. Task 2 (Multi-text reading) has three short texts with 10 questions using multiple matching and word-bank completion.
How is ISE A1 reading scored?
Reading is marked objectively, one mark per correct answer, out of a maximum of 20. Candidates normally pass with at least 10 marks, achieve a Merit at 15 and a Distinction at 18 or higher. Each skill is reported as Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail.
How long is the ISE A1 Reading & Writing exam?
The Reading & Writing module lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and has four tasks. Candidates are advised to spend about 20 minutes on each reading task and about 25 minutes on each of the two short writing tasks.
What CEFR level is ISE A1?
ISE A1 is set at CEFR level A1, the beginner level and the lowest ISE level. Texts are very short and use high-frequency everyday vocabulary, so it suits absolute beginners who can read simple notices, messages and factual sentences.
How much does ISE A1 cost?
Fees are set by local centres and vary by country. The full four-skills ISE A1 costs roughly US$150 or 150 euros in many centres, with the Reading & Writing module priced lower than the Speaking & Listening module.