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100+ Free ECZ PSLE English 1/1 Practice Questions

Prepare for the Zambia Primary School Leaving Examination — English Language (1/1) exam with instant access — no signup required.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ECZ PSLE English 1/1 Exam

Paper 1/1

ECZ PSLE English Language paper code on the 2026 timetable

2026 Primary School Leaving Examination Timetable

90 minutes

Official duration, Tuesday 27 October 2026, 08:00–09:30

2026 Primary School Leaving Examination Timetable

K100 private

2026 private PSLE fee per candidate (public/grant-aided pay nothing)

2026 Guidelines and Regulations on Candidate Registration

7 years primary

Eligibility: completed seven years of primary education

2026 Guidelines and Regulations on Candidate Registration

Statement of results

ECZ reports PSLE outcomes on official statements; no published % cutoff for 1/1

ECZ statements of results / annual reporting

Grade 7 CDC

Content drawn from CDC upper-primary English outcomes, not Grade 12 1121

CDC English Language Syllabus Grades 2–7 / Grade 4–6 (2024)

MCQ study adaptation

This bank practises syllabus skills in multiple-choice form; official paper is written

OpenExamPrep practice policy

ECZ English Language 1/1 is Zambia’s Primary School Leaving Examination English paper. The 2026 PSLE timetable lists it for 90 minutes on Tuesday 27 October 2026, 08:00–09:30. Official tasks are written primary-leaving English. Results appear on official ECZ statements of results; no published percentage cutoff is given for this paper. 2026 fees: public and grant-aided candidates pay nothing; private candidates pay K100 per candidate. This page is a free Grade 7 English MCQ study adaptation, not an official paper.

Sample ECZ PSLE English 1/1 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ECZ PSLE English 1/1 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Read the passage and answer the question. Every Saturday Mutale walks to the open market in Chipata with a woven basket. She leaves home at sunrise so that she can choose the freshest tomatoes and rape before the sun makes them soft. Traders call out prices, and Mutale has learned to bargain politely until both sides smile. Last week she also bought a small bag of groundnuts for her grandmother, who cannot walk far. On the way home she shares the dusty path with bicycles and ox-carts. Why does Mutale leave home at sunrise?
A.So she can choose the freshest vegetables before the sun spoils them
B.So she can avoid paying for tomatoes at the market
C.So she can ride an ox-cart all the way to Lusaka
D.So she can sell her grandmother's groundnuts
Explanation: The passage says Mutale leaves at sunrise so that she can choose the freshest tomatoes and rape before the sun makes them soft. Freshness, not travel or selling, is the reason.
2Read the passage and answer the question. Every Saturday Mutale walks to the open market in Chipata with a woven basket. She leaves home at sunrise so that she can choose the freshest tomatoes and rape before the sun makes them soft. Traders call out prices, and Mutale has learned to bargain politely until both sides smile. Last week she also bought a small bag of groundnuts for her grandmother, who cannot walk far. On the way home she shares the dusty path with bicycles and ox-carts. What did Mutale buy for her grandmother last week?
A.A woven basket of rape
B.A small bag of groundnuts
C.A bicycle for the dusty path
D.A bag of soft tomatoes
Explanation: The passage states that last week she bought a small bag of groundnuts for her grandmother, who cannot walk far.
3Read the passage and answer the question. Every Saturday Mutale walks to the open market in Chipata with a woven basket. She leaves home at sunrise so that she can choose the freshest tomatoes and rape before the sun makes them soft. Traders call out prices, and Mutale has learned to bargain politely until both sides smile. Last week she also bought a small bag of groundnuts for her grandmother, who cannot walk far. On the way home she shares the dusty path with bicycles and ox-carts. What does bargain politely mean in this passage?
A.To shout until the trader gives food away
B.To hide the money and run from the stall
C.To discuss the price respectfully until both sides agree
D.To write a formal letter about the tomatoes
Explanation: Bargain means to discuss the price. The passage adds politely and until both sides smile, so the meaning is a respectful talk that ends in agreement.
4Read the passage and answer the question. Every Saturday Mutale walks to the open market in Chipata with a woven basket. She leaves home at sunrise so that she can choose the freshest vegetables before the sun makes them soft. Traders call out prices, and Mutale has learned to bargain politely until both sides smile. Last week she also bought a small bag of groundnuts for her grandmother, who cannot walk far. On the way home she shares the dusty path with bicycles and ox-carts. Which sentence best states the main idea of the passage?
A.Ox-carts are faster than bicycles on market day.
B.Grandmothers should never eat groundnuts.
C.Chipata has only one trader who sells tomatoes.
D.Mutale goes to the Chipata market early to buy fresh food and help her grandmother.
Explanation: The whole passage is about Mutale's Saturday market trip: leaving early, choosing fresh food, bargaining, and buying groundnuts for her grandmother. That combined purpose is the main idea.
5Read the passage and answer the question. Every Saturday Mutale walks to the open market in Chipata with a woven basket. She leaves home at sunrise so that she can choose the freshest tomatoes and rape before the sun makes them soft. Traders call out prices, and Mutale has learned to bargain politely until both sides smile. Last week she also bought a small bag of groundnuts for her grandmother, who cannot walk far. On the way home she shares the dusty path with bicycles and ox-carts. What can you reasonably infer about Mutale?
A.She owns the largest stall in Chipata market.
B.She dislikes her grandmother and never shares food.
C.She prefers to shop after the vegetables have wilted.
D.She is a thoughtful helper who plans her market visit carefully.
Explanation: The passage never uses the word thoughtful, but the details support it: she leaves at sunrise, bargains politely, and buys groundnuts for a grandmother who cannot walk far. That is a reasonable inference.
6Read the passage and answer the question. In September the Grade 7 class at Chibolya Primary prepared a vegetable garden behind the classroom block. They loosened the soil with hoes, mixed in kraal manure, and planted rows of rape, onions and Chinese cabbage before the first heavy rains. Each learner took a watering can on a duty roster. Teacher Phiri told them that mulch of dry grass would keep the soil moist. By the third week tiny green shoots had appeared. What did the learners mix into the soil?
A.Plastic bottles from the stream
B.Kraal manure
C.Dry cement from the storeroom
D.River sand only
Explanation: The passage says they loosened the soil with hoes and mixed in kraal manure before planting.
7Read the passage and answer the question. In September the Grade 7 class at Chibolya Primary prepared a vegetable garden behind the classroom block. They loosened the soil with hoes, mixed in kraal manure, and planted rows of rape, onions and Chinese cabbage before the first heavy rains. Each learner took a watering can on a duty roster. Teacher Phiri told them that mulch of dry grass would keep the soil moist. By the third week tiny green shoots had appeared. When did the class plant the vegetables?
A.After the maize harvest in June only
B.During the December holiday
C.Before the first heavy rains
D.After the shoots had already appeared
Explanation: The planting sentence says they planted rows of rape, onions and Chinese cabbage before the first heavy rains.
8Read the passage and answer the question. In September the Grade 7 class at Chibolya Primary prepared a vegetable garden behind the classroom block. They loosened the soil with hoes, mixed in kraal manure, and planted rows of rape, onions and Chinese cabbage before the first heavy rains. Each learner took a watering can on a duty roster. Teacher Phiri told them that mulch of dry grass would keep the soil moist. By the third week tiny green shoots had appeared. According to Teacher Phiri, what is the purpose of the dry-grass mulch?
A.To keep the soil moist
B.To hide the hoes from other classes
C.To keep birds from singing
D.To make the classroom block taller
Explanation: Teacher Phiri told them that mulch of dry grass would keep the soil moist. That stated purpose is the answer.
9Read the passage and answer the question. In September the Grade 7 class at Chibolya Primary prepared a vegetable garden behind the classroom block. They loosened the soil with hoes, mixed in kraal manure, and planted rows of rape, onions and Chinese cabbage before the first heavy rains. Each learner took a watering can on a duty roster. Teacher Phiri told them that mulch of dry grass would keep the soil moist. By the third week tiny green shoots had appeared. What does shoots mean in the last sentence?
A.Loud bangs from a gun
B.New young plant stems appearing above the soil
C.Photographs taken by Teacher Phiri
D.Watering cans left in a row
Explanation: In a garden context, tiny green shoots are the first young stems of plants coming through the soil. The third-week timing after planting confirms this meaning.
10Read the passage and answer the question. In September the Grade 7 class at Chibolya Primary prepared a vegetable garden behind the classroom block. They loosened the soil with hoes, mixed in kraal manure, and planted rows of rape, onions and Chinese cabbage before the first heavy rains. Each learner took a watering can on a duty roster. Teacher Phiri told them that mulch of dry grass would keep the soil moist. By the third week tiny green shoots had appeared. Which statement is an opinion rather than a fact from the passage?
A.The class planted onions as well as rape.
B.Teacher Phiri spoke to the class about mulch.
C.School gardens are the most exciting activity in Zambia.
D.Tiny green shoots had appeared by the third week.
Explanation: A fact can be checked in the passage. The claim that school gardens are the most exciting activity in Zambia is a judgement, not something the passage states or proves.

About the ECZ PSLE English 1/1 Exam

English Language 1/1 is the Examinations Council of Zambia Primary School Leaving Examination English paper. The Ministry of Education Curriculum Development Centre Grade 2–7 English syllabus (and the 2024 Grade 4–6 primary syllabus) develops listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar. Official 2026 paper 1/1 is 90 minutes on Tuesday 27 October 2026 (08:00–09:30). The official assessment is written. The questions on this page are an original Grade 7 English-language multiple-choice study adaptation for grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, punctuation and composition planning — not a simulation of the official paper and not Grade 12 English.

Assessment

One paper on the 2026 PSLE time-table: 1/1 English Language, 90 minutes (08:00–09:30, Tuesday 27 October 2026). It is an objective paper: candidates shade answers on an answer sheet in HB pencil. ECZ does not publish the item count. This practice bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation of CDC Grade 7 listening/speaking, reading, writing and grammar outcomes.

Time Limit

90 minutes (official 2026 PSLE timetable: Tuesday 27 October 2026, 08:00–09:30).

Passing Score

ECZ standardises each PSLE subject score onto a common 50–150 scale and reports Grade 7 performance in Divisions 1–4 (Division 1 = 115–150, Division 2 = 105–114, Division 3 = 99–104, Division 4 = 50–98 in a single subject). Certification is calculated from the best four core subjects, which must include Mathematics and English. ECZ does not publish a separate percentage cut score for this paper.

Exam Fee

Public and grant-aided candidates pay nothing. Private PSLE candidates pay K100 per candidate (2026 Guidelines and Regulations on Candidate Registration). (Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ))

ECZ PSLE English 1/1 Exam Content Outline

~32% of this study bank (not an official ECZ weight)

Grammar and language structure

Noun types, adjectives and adverbs, tense choice, concord, articles, prepositions, pronouns, active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech, conjunctions and question tags from the CDC Grade 7 Grammar/Writing component.

~18% of this study bank (not an official ECZ weight)

Vocabulary, idiom and figures of speech

Word meaning, synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and Grade 7 riddles, proverbs, idioms, similes and metaphors.

~20% of this study bank (not an official ECZ weight)

Reading comprehension skills

Main idea, supporting detail, inference, vocabulary in context, and fact versus opinion in short original Grade 7 passages.

~15% of this study bank (not an official ECZ weight)

Punctuation and spelling

Capitals, commas, apostrophes, inverted commas, sentence-end marks and high-frequency spellings assessed in Writing and Grammar.

~15% of this study bank (not an official ECZ weight)

Composition planning and writing judgement

Matching audience and layout for essays, formal and informal letters, notices, advertisements, minutes and short summaries.

How to Pass the ECZ PSLE English 1/1 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: ECZ standardises each PSLE subject score onto a common 50–150 scale and reports Grade 7 performance in Divisions 1–4 (Division 1 = 115–150, Division 2 = 105–114, Division 3 = 99–104, Division 4 = 50–98 in a single subject). Certification is calculated from the best four core subjects, which must include Mathematics and English. ECZ does not publish a separate percentage cut score for this paper.
  • Assessment: One paper on the 2026 PSLE time-table: 1/1 English Language, 90 minutes (08:00–09:30, Tuesday 27 October 2026). It is an objective paper: candidates shade answers on an answer sheet in HB pencil. ECZ does not publish the item count. This practice bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation of CDC Grade 7 listening/speaking, reading, writing and grammar outcomes.
  • Time limit: 90 minutes (official 2026 PSLE timetable: Tuesday 27 October 2026, 08:00–09:30).
  • Exam fee: Public and grant-aided candidates pay nothing. Private PSLE candidates pay K100 per candidate (2026 Guidelines and Regulations on Candidate Registration).

Keys to Passing

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

ECZ PSLE English 1/1 Study Tips from Top Performers

1These MCQs train language judgement but cannot replace writing a full composition, letter or summary under the 90-minute official paper.
2For letters, decide formal or informal first, then apply the matching layout (Dear Sir/Madam → Yours faithfully; Dear Mr Banda → Yours sincerely).
3Drill concord, tense consistency, countable versus uncountable nouns, and question tags — they appear throughout Grade 7 Structure.
4In comprehension, prove each answer with a phrase from the text; separate what is stated from what you only infer.
5Learn a short list of Grade 7 proverbs and idioms (for example blood is thicker than water; pull up your socks) and practise explaining them in your own words.
6Before an essay, plan title, introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion; do not start writing without a simple outline.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ECZ English Language 1/1?

It is the Examinations Council of Zambia Primary School Leaving Examination English Language paper, coded 1/1 on the 2026 PSLE timetable. The CDC Grade 2–7 English syllabus develops listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar at upper-primary level.

How is the official 2026 English Language paper structured?

The 2026 PSLE timetable lists 1/1 English Language for 90 minutes on Tuesday 27 October 2026, 08:00–09:30. Official assessment is written primary-leaving English (composition, comprehension and language use). It is not a 100-item multiple-choice test, and ECZ does not publish an official item count.

Are these official ECZ examination questions?

No. These are original Grade 7 English-language multiple-choice study questions aligned to official CDC outcomes. Use them to practise judgement; still write timed compositions, letters and comprehension answers in the official written format.

How is PSLE English Language graded?

ECZ reports Primary School Leaving Examination results on official statements of results, showing subject performance and the certificate award printed on that statement. There is no published single percentage pass mark for English Language 1/1. Do not use unofficial percentage bands as official cut scores.

How much does 2026 PSLE registration cost?

Public and grant-aided candidates pay nothing. Private PSLE candidates pay K100 per candidate. Confirm the current circular on exams-council.org.zm before you pay. This is not the School Certificate private fee of K600.

When is the 2026 English Language sitting?

The 2026 Primary School Leaving Examination series begins on Monday 26 October 2026. English Language 1/1 is scheduled for Tuesday 27 October 2026, 08:00–09:30. Check the official ECZ timetable at your centre.