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Test Your English

Test Your English – SELC Online English Test

Challenge your English skills with SELC’s Online English test then go to your email to check your answers and final score.  This will give you a rough guide to your English level.  Then you can read more about the English language courses at SELC and choose one that’s right for you!

The test contains a reading and listening section as well as grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation questions.  You should take a maximum of 35 minutes to complete the test and do not use any other help if you want a true challenge of your English ability.

Please start the test now




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Choose the best word(s) to put in the gap:

1. On Saturdays I usually _____ shopping.
 go will do am going am go

2. Do you mind if I _____?
 smoke smoking don't smoke smoked

3. I bought _____ at the market.
 a sunglasses some sunglass the sunglass a pair of sunglasses

4. _____ a drink? We have beer or Coke.
 Want you Do you like You have Would you like

5. I am not _____ Sylvia.
 too clever as cleverer as as clever as clever

6. Jim _____ that he loved Sydney.
 spoke told speaks said

7. I don’t _____ wear a suit and tie to work.
 have to must should will

8. Sydney, _____ , has a population of over 4 million people.
 where is a beautiful city that is a beautiful city which is a beautiful city who is beautiful city

9. Stella _____ to pay for the concert tickets.
 offered proposed desired suggested

10. If I had known you were in town, I _____ visited you.
 will have should would would have

Which verb tense fits best in these sentences?

11. I’m not Australian. I _____ from England.
 comes come have come am coming

12. I _____ call you when I get home from work tonight.
 going to will planned am wanting to

13. Quick, Call an ambulance! There ____ an accident.
 made is happened has been

14. Bob felt very sick. He _____ too much beer earlier in the night.
 had drunk was drinking was drunk drink

15. Jane was tired. She _____ swimming so far.
 didn't use to get used to wasn't used to usen't to

Match the first part of the sentence with the second part

16. Bill makes friends _____
 every time. today. wherever he goes. on his feet.

17. I’ll help you _____
 very easily doing it. if I like. if you like

18. Dave fell in love with Mary _____
 at first sight. when they meet. with his heart. and she did too.

19. He asked Beth _____
 doing him a favour. to doing him a favour. to do him a favour. if she will do him a favour.

20. Excuse me, could you tell me _____
 where is the station? where I am? what is this? the bus stop is?

Which word has the same vowel sound as the first three words?

21. there, hair, glare
 here hear pear fear

22. war, tore, floor
 jar blood foul paw

23. made, play, raid
 pad tread said freight

24. pool, room, tomb
 shoot poor floor good

25. hope, soap, show
 down how through blow

What do these idioms mean?

26. The cat is out of the bag.
 Please hurry. Everyone knows the secret now. He is in trouble. Please help me.

27. It’s there in black and white.
 It's written down. It's either right or wrong. It's not coloured. It's halfway along.

28. They are like chalk and cheese.
 They are good friends. They go everywhere together. They are in love. They are very different.

29. They are thick as thieves.
 Everyone knows them. They do everything together. They are very stupid They are always in trouble.

Choose the correct preposition to put in each sentence

30. I’ll meet you _____ 7 o’clock.
 on at in for

31. I have been waiting _____ January.
 before from on since

32 We had a big party _____ Christmas.
 by at in on

33. I’ll lend you the money _____ the condition you pay it back.
 for in on by

34. She is married _____ my cousin
 with by for to

Which word or phrase is most similar in meaning to the word in CAPITAL LETTERS:

35. The passengers ALIGHTED from the ferry at the quay.
 disembarked boarded separated fled

36. The police CLAIMED that Dave had been carrying a gun.
 suggested alleged denied hinted

37. PROVIDED you keep your word, everything should be OK.
 Understanding As long as Arguing that Believing that

38. Her ATTITUDE has always been rather superior.
 personality atmosphere behaviour appearance

39. Bill ALLUDED TO our previous conversation when he rang.
 described indirectly referred to mentioned attended to

Decide which phrasal verb best completes the sentence:

40. The dog _____ Bill and bit his leg.
 took off went for made off took down

41. The match was _____ because of rain.
 called off taken down taken over given out

42. It is wrong to _____ other people.
 look over look through look for look down on

43. Betty was sad when her grandmother ______.
 passed by passed away passed through passed across

44. Bill’s friends _____ at the airport.
 saw him off picked him over put him down took him off

Choose the correct word

45. A stem is part of a
 computer flower body book

46. A wing is part of a/an
 dog newspaper aeroplane bed

47. A key is part of a.
 piano box floor teapot

48. A block is part of a
 chair door city station

49. A lane is a type of
 road human fire kitchen

50. A frame is part of a
 kitchen hallway folder door

Listen to the conversation ONCE and answer the five questions

Shaun and Fiona talk about learning Spanish.



download listening audio

51. Fiona says she speaks Spanish ___________.
 strongly well at advanced level and fluently every day

52. Fiona studied Spanish at university for a total of _________.
 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years

53. Fiona says she lived in Spain about __________.
 6 years ago 7 years ago 8 years ago 9 years ago

54. These days, Fiona keeps up her Spanish by __________.
 taking Spanish lessons in Bondi making annual trips to South America using the internet speaking with Spanish friends constantly

55. When asked what advice she would give to someone learning a language, Fiona says “___________.”
 use it as much as possible and immerse yourself in the language by living in the country and staying with a host family find a local boyfriend or girlfriend use the internet to practice all four skills all of the above

Read the text on the Sydney Harbour Bridge

When the Sydney Harbour Bridge was due to be opened on 19 March 1932 the ceremony turned into a bit of a disaster as a man on a horse suddenly rode out from the official party and slashed the ribbon with his own sword.
Why? It turns out he didn’t like the idea of the current premier of New South Wales having the honour. Despite this little hiccup the bridge was opened that day and now approximately 150,000 vehicles cross it every day.
Before the Harbour Bridge was built people could only cross the harbour by ferry or by driving for 20km inland and crossing 5 bridges before they made it to the other side. How frustrating!
The bridge took roughly 8 years to complete and it was only in 1988 that the 6.25 million Australian pounds borrowed to build it was paid off.
Sadly, 16 people died during the construction of the bridge and while it did create 1,400 jobs it also led to the demolition of 800 houses. The families living in these houses had no choice and they were given no compensation. Can you imagine if that happened today!
The famous arch, which is often called the coat hanger, is 503 metres long and the road below it is 59 metres above the ocean. Some workers that fell off the bridge lived to tell their story. Lucky men!
As you might know, it can get pretty hot in Sydney and the metal structure of the bridge can expand up to 18 cm in the heat. Our burning sun also means that a lot of paint is needed to keep the bridge looking beautiful. In fact, for one coat approximately 30,000 litres is required.
Yet, when you look at this amazing structure you know it is well worth all that paint. Wouldn’t you agree?

Answer the questions about the text

56. What went wrong at the official Harbour Bridge opening?
 It was raining The premier was late A horse broke free and ran across the bridge An unauthorised man cut the official ribbon

57. True or False: “Before the bridge opened people could only cross the harbour by ferry or a long drive.”
 True False

58. True or False: “The Australian Government is still repaying the money it borrowed to build the bridge.”
 True False

59. Complete the sentence: “Sadly, 16 people died ___________________.”
 once the bridge was built while the bridge was being built in the destruction of the bridge from falling off the bridge

60. Complete the sentence: “Approximately 800 houses were _____________ to build the bridge.”
 moved rebuilt torn down burnt down

61. True or False: “The Australian Government paid money to people that were affected by the building of the bridge.”
 True False

62. “The bridge’s famous arch is often named after an item you would typically find in?”
 your kitchen your backyard your bedroom your dining room

63. True or False: “Workers used to jump off the bridge for a swim when they were too hot.”
 True False

64. Complete the sentence: “The bridge _______________ depending on the weather.”
 changes colour needs lots of paint changes length is less safe

65. Complete the sentence: “According to the writer, the bridge requires a lot of paint and general maintenance work, which is __________________.”
 not really worth the effort very expensive and dangerous a small price to pay for such a great piece of architecture necessary to keep it safe and beautiful

Congratulations! This is the end of the test.