A Cambridge YLE result is not a single mark. Starters, Movers and Flyers certificates award shields for each skill: up to 5 for Listening, 5 for Reading & Writing and 5 for Speaking. For parents, that design is a gift: it tells you exactly which skill needs work. And because every paper is built from short, predictable parts that each test one specific thing, the fastest way to raise a score is not "more English" in general, but finding the one or two parts where your child loses marks and drilling exactly those. This roadmap walks through every Listening and Reading & Writing part at all three levels, each linked to a free practice page.
Read the Shields First
Each of the three papers is scored out of 5 shields, for a maximum of 15. There is no pass or fail; every child receives a certificate. Here is how to turn a shields result (or a mock-test result) into a practice plan:
- 5/5 in a skill: exam-ready. Keep it warm with one light session a week and spend the saved time on weaker skills.
- 4/5: usually one or two part types are leaking marks, most often the parts that involve writing or exact spelling.
- 3/5 or below: this is the priority skill. Work through its parts one by one using the lists below and note where your child hesitates.
- First attempt with no certificate yet? Run a mock first (next step) and read the skill scores the same way.
Step 1: A Free 15-Minute Diagnostic
Before adding lessons or buying anything, measure. The free readiness test is a 15-minute Flyers-level mini-mock built from real YLE question types. It returns an instant skill-by-skill report in the style of shields, and no account is needed to start. If your child is at Starters or Movers age, a Flyers-level mock is a stretch. Instead, let them play the free first levels of the games linked from the Starters and Movers level pages and watch which question types cause hesitation. Either way, finish this step with one sentence: "The weak part is ___."
Pre-A1 Starters, Part by Part
Starters (typical age 5–8) has the shortest papers: Listening is about 20 minutes with 4 parts and 20 questions, and Reading & Writing is about 20 minutes with 5 parts and 25 questions. Each part below links to a free guide with the exact format, parent tips and the games that train it:
- Listening Part 1: listen and draw lines matching names to people in a big picture.
- Listening Part 2: write a name or a number from a child–adult conversation.
- Listening Part 3: five short conversations, each with an A/B/C picture choice.
- Listening Part 4: colour objects in a big picture by following the dialogue.
- Reading & Writing Part 1: tick or cross whether a sentence matches a picture.
- Reading & Writing Part 2: read sentences about a big scene and write yes or no.
- Reading & Writing Part 3: unscramble jumbled letters to spell object words; spelling must be perfect.
- Reading & Writing Part 4: fill gaps in a short text using a word and picture box.
- Reading & Writing Part 5: answer questions about a three-picture story with one word.
A1 Movers, Part by Part
Movers (typical age 7–10) steps up to 5 Listening parts (about 25 minutes, 25 questions) and 6 Reading & Writing parts (30 minutes, 35 questions). New at this level: longer texts and written answers of one to three words.
- Listening Part 1: match names to people in a big picture from a dialogue.
- Listening Part 2: write words or numbers to fill gaps on a form or notebook page.
- Listening Part 3: match two sets of pictures while following a conversation.
- Listening Part 4: five short conversations, each with a 3-option picture choice.
- Listening Part 5: colour and write on a large picture following instructions.
- Reading & Writing Part 1: match definitions to pictures and copy the words; spelling counts.
- Reading & Writing Part 2: choose the right A/B/C response to continue a conversation.
- Reading & Writing Part 3: fill missing words in a picture-supported text and choose the best title.
- Reading & Writing Part 4: fill text gaps choosing from 3 options per gap; a grammar workout.
- Reading & Writing Part 5: complete sentences about a three-part story using 1–3 words.
- Reading & Writing Part 6: complete sentences about a picture and answer questions about it.
A2 Flyers, Part by Part
Flyers (typical age 9–12) is the longest: Listening is about 25 minutes with 5 parts and 25 questions, and Reading & Writing runs a full 40 minutes: 7 parts and 44 questions. Reading & Writing is where preparation pays off most at this level, simply because there are more parts and more ways to lose marks:
- Listening Part 1: match names to people in a big, busy picture from a dialogue.
- Listening Part 2: write words or numbers on a form or notebook page from a conversation.
- Listening Part 3: match named pictures on the left to lettered pictures on the right.
- Listening Part 4: five short conversations, each with a 3-option picture choice.
- Listening Part 5: colour objects and write a word on a scene following instructions.
- Reading & Writing Part 1: match 10 definitions to the correct words from a list of 15; pure vocabulary.
- Reading & Writing Part 2: complete a dialogue by choosing responses from options A–H.
- Reading & Writing Part 3: fill gaps in a text from a word box, then choose the best title.
- Reading & Writing Part 4: fill gaps choosing from 3 options and copy the words accurately.
- Reading & Writing Part 5: complete sentences about a story using 1–4 words.
- Reading & Writing Part 6: write the missing words in a letter or diary with no word list to help, so grammar must be automatic.
- Reading & Writing Part 7: write a story from three sequential pictures; our Part 7 story-writing guide explains how it is marked.
Vocabulary Gaps Hide Behind Every Part
If your child struggles across several parts of the same paper, the cause is often vocabulary rather than technique. Cambridge publishes an official wordlist per level, the lists are cumulative, and they are organised into themes: a Flyers candidate is expected to know all ~1,348 words across the three levels. You can browse every list free, theme by theme:
- Starters wordlist: 495 words in 19 themes; the foundation everything else builds on.
- Movers wordlist: 380 new words in 19 themes on top of Starters.
- Flyers wordlist: 495 new words in 19 themes; the level where unknown words cost the most marks.
What About Speaking?
Speaking is tested face-to-face with an examiner (3–5 minutes at Starters, 5–7 at Movers and 7–9 at Flyers) and it is the one paper without part-practice pages. At home, the highest-value work is pronunciation and confidence: the Speaking Coach offers listen-and-repeat practice with real AI feedback on each attempt. To be clear about what it is: focused speaking practice, not an exam simulator. For the picture tasks (spotting differences, continuing a story from pictures), practise out loud with a parent, teacher or tutor using any YLE picture set.
For Teachers: Part Pages as Targeted Homework
If you teach a YLE class, the part pages double as homework you do not have to build. Create a free class, invite students with a 6-letter join code, then share the exact part page your group is weakest in ("this week: Movers Listening Part 3, play both linked games twice") and follow the practice from your class view. The class tools are free for teachers.
The Weekly Loop That Moves Shields
Everything above compresses into a simple loop you can run in 15–20 minutes a day:
Diagnose
Run the free readiness test or a paper mock and name the single weakest part out loud.
Drill little and often
15–20 minutes a day on that one part beats a weekend cram session. The first levels of every linked game are free with a free account, so you can start today at no cost.
Re-test after two to three weeks
Repeat the diagnostic and compare the skill scores. If the weak part has moved, pick the next one and repeat.
Go deeper once it works
When targeted practice is clearly moving scores, a paid plan unlocks every level and full mock exams, or keep exploring the free-to-start games first.