PLACEMENT TEST

Name ___________________________________________ Date ___________class N________

LISTENING A - LISTEN TWICE TO THE MESSAGE ON AN ANSWER MACHINE. COMPLETE THE NOTES BELOW.

(1) Mr ____________ called about (2)____________. He wont be able to come on (3) ____________. Please call
him back on (4)____________________ after (5)__________ tomorrow night.

Listening B - Listen twice to a short presentation. Answer the following questions:

6 What kind of company does the speaker describe?______________________
_______________________________________________________________
7 What can you receive with this company?_____________________________
_______________________________________________________________
8 What does the company guarantee? __________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
9 What can the customer send with the gift?_____________________________
_______________________________________________________________
10 If the delivery is late, what does the customer receive? ___________________
_______________________________________________________________

Listening C - Listen twice to a speaker talking about negotiating. In each question choose the best statement
(a, b or c) which summarises what the speaker believes.
11 The speaker believes a successful negotiation is when both sides
a . exploit each others problems. / b. solve each others problems. /c. look for differences.
12 The speaker believes that most people
a . want to get the best deal for themselves./ b. look for an ideal solution./ c. think negotiating is a good way to do
business.
13 The speaker believes that
a . you shouldnt do business with I win-you lose negotiators. / b. all negotiators know the same techniques. / c.
you wont find answers to difficult negotiators in books.
14 The speaker believes that you should always
a . avoid personal questions. / b. get something in return for giving something. / c. agree to discuss everything.
15 The speaker believes that you shouldnt agree to anything
a immediately. / b . in a negotiation. / c. if you are under time pressure.

READING - BELOW ARE THREE READINGS WITH MISSING WORDS. READ AND CHOOSE A MISSING WORD FROM ANSWERS

A, B, C OR D.

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For Reading A:

1 a write b read c delete d see

2 a he b they c it d e-mail
3 a him b us c her d we
4 a always b never c every day d often
5 a who b this c these d what
READING A
Its easy to (1)_____ an e-mail. You type it onto a computer screen, hit a button and off (2)_____ goes. But the
speed of the process is also a problem. It doesnt encourage (3)_____ to think much about what we write. As a
result, e-mail messages are (4)_____ grammatically incorrect, disorganised and full of spelling and typing errors.
Badly expressed ideas are more difficult to read. They can also cause expensive misunderstandings. Managers
nowadays have to read enormous quantities of e-mails, and (5)_____ adds to the stress of their jobs.

For Reading B:

6 a hard b good c offensive d polite

7 a because b but c however d and
8 a By b As c Unless d If
9 a business b place c market d shop
10 a cheaper b less c least d same
READING B
A hard sell is often seen as (6)______ in Japan. Japanese business people may think that you are trying to convince
them (7)______ your product is no good. It is better to use a low-key sale pitch and give them objective
information. The Japanese are not accustomed to aggressive American techniques that use a persuasive winning
argument. (8)____ you are not completely honest about your product, your credibility will be damaged and what
you say will lose influence. Dont say that yours is the best on the (9)______. It is better to say, We sold more
than two million units last year. As you know our closest competitor sold (10)_____ than a million.

For Reading C:

11 a crash b share c flotation d increase

12 a broadcasted b grown c fallen d advertised
13 a outlets b shirts c middlemen d contracts
14 a logo b service c brand d manager
15 a refunded b claimed c netted d advertised
READING C
Manchester United stopped being just a famous football team several years ago and became a highly successful
multinational corporation. The words football and club were actually dropped from the players badges in 2000
in an effort to strengthen the corporate image. With a successful stock market (11) _________ in 1991 and a

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market value, according to City accountants Deloitte and Touche, of over 110m, Manchester United is as much a
triumph of the media as of great soccer. Top clubs have
(12) _________ on the back of Television contracts, says Richard Baldwin of Deloitte and Touche. With this also
comes merchandising. Manchester Uniteds megastore stocks 1,500 different items, is constantly packed, and
merchandising (13) _________ as far away as Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney attract thousands of fans who
couldnt even tell you where Manchester is on the map. United look and behave very much like a traditional
business from a corporate point of view, says Nigel Hawkins, a financial analyst. They have a strong
(14)_________ and have worked to maximise it by bringing in good people. They certainly have. One
sponsorship deal alone with Vodaphone (15)_________ Manchester 30 million.

(Grammar and Lexis) - You have 20 minutes. Complete as much of the test as you can. Complete the
sentences with answer a, b, c or d. See the example.
Ex: A: Are you Mr Jensen? B: Yes, I (a) a. am / b. m not / c. do / d. are
1 A: Is this the right place for British Airways?
B: Yes, it _____. a. isnt / b. are / c. is it / d. is
2 Roger is _____ Switzerland. a. with / b. from / c. not / d. a
3 A: Do you smoke? B: No, I _____. a. dont / b. m not / c. not / d. doesnt
4 A: _____ does he work? B: In a hospital. a. Why / b. When / c. What / d. Where
5 How _____ do they play golf? a. usually / b. every / c. often / d. time
6 Are there _____ messages for me? a. got / b. any / c. a / d. have
7 Im afraid I cant _____ the meeting at three. a. to make / b. made / c. make / d. making
8 He _____ in when I rang. a. wasnt / b. isnt / c. werent / d. didnt
9 Henry _____ school at fifteen. a. has left / b. leave / c. left / d. leaved
10 A: When _____ he phone? B: At around three. a. was / b. time / c. did / d. do
11 How _____ time off do you get a year? a . many / b. much / c. any / d. some
12 Its hotter today _____ yesterday. a. as / b. the / c. more / d. than
13 I go to work _____ foot. a. by / b. to / c. on / d. from
14 I _____ on an important project at the moment. a . going to work / b. worked / c. work / d. m working
15 I _____ the report yet. I need a couple more hours.
a .didnt finish / b. dont finish/ c. havent finished / d. m not finishing
16 I _____ a profit this year. a. set up / b. made / c. did / d. ran
17 A: Can I have extension 315? B: Ill just _____ you through. a. put / b. connect / c. call / d. play
18 Could I _____ a message? a. speak / b. leave / c. tell / d. say
19 A: Whats he like? B: He _____ a. works for the National Bank of Poland. / b. s the Public Relations
Manager./ c. s a nice man/ d. plays golf.
20 A: How do you do? B: _____ a. Pleased to meet you. / b. Im pleased too. /c. Nice to have met you.

/ d. Good to see you too.

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21 Who _____ the first e-mail? a. did send / b. did happen / c. sent/ d. was sent
22 Ill _____ with the e-mail straight away. a . send / b. deal / c. go/ d. write
23 Its the _____ meal Ive ever eaten! a. expensive than/b. more expensive/ c. expensivest/d. most expensive
24 Ill have breakfast sent _____ to your room. a. up / b. out of/ c. in/ d. at
25 Prices have remained _____ in the first quarter. a. increase / b. stable / c. same/ d. steadily
26 Im writing to _____ the refund for damaged goods. a. claim / b. tackle/ c. take/ d. book
27 35,000 people _____ in the last five years. a. were been laid off / b. lay off/ c. are laid off/ d. have been
laid off
28 It cost one hundred euros! What a complete _____ of money. a. invest / b. spent / c. waste / d. lot
29 He _____ me that he was happy in his new department. a. said / b. told / c. speak / d. asked
30 We _____ less time travelling, if we worked from home. a. spend / b. d spend / c. would spent / d. are
spending
31 Does the conference centre have internet _____? a. access / b. location / c. centre / d. transfer
32 Sorry, I didnt _____ that. Could you say it again? a. not with / b. explain/ c. catch / d. miss
33 Would you mind _____ , please? a. not to smoke / b. not smoking/ c. didnt smoking/ d. if not smoking
34 You _____ be tired after your long journey. a. can / b. let / c. must / d. ought
35 I agree with you up to a _____. a. question / b. position / c. point / d. view
36 _____ I thought everyone knew. a. Wont you hear? / b. Havent you heard? / c. Didnt you hear? / d.
Arent you hearing?
37 Lets move _____ to the next point of my presentation. a. about / b. up / c. for / d. on
38 Im sorry, but can I just _____ in here? a. come / b. interrupt / c. move / d. speak
39 So, lets sum _____ what weve discussed so far. a. about / b. up / c. with / d. for
40 I _____ from you. a. look forward to hear / b. looking forwards to hearing / c. look forward to hearing /
d. look forwards for hearing
41 How are things _____ you? a. with / b. to / c. at / d. of
42 I think its _____ of fish with cream and white wine. a. kind / b. made / c. like / d. sort
43 Im sorry for the _____ in getting back to you with the quote. a. wait / b. hold / c. late / d. delay
44 I suggested _____ the whole thing forward by a week. a. bringing / b. to bring / c. that bring /
d. we bringing
45 With _____ I think thats a little too low. a. frank / b. respect / c. honesty / d. unfortunately
46 _____ no see. You havent changed a bit! a. Long time /b. Long wait /c. Long listen /d. Long view
47 Are you saying theyve fallen _____ of projections again? a. down / b. decrease /c. short / d. rapidly
48 It was a very _____ meeting in the end. a. achievement /b. smoothly / c. success / d. fruitful
49 Ive just _____ a job with Bill Gates! a. landed / b. run / c. set / d. caught
50 Can I get hold _____ the organisers? a. to / b. of/ c. for / d. up

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SPEAKING PLACEMENT TEST

Elementary
Business and work

Do you work for? (name of company) What do you do?

What time do you start / finish work?
How often do you use English in your job? Can you write e-mails in English? Can you telephone in English?
Have you got a boss? Whats his/her name? What does he/she do?
When did you join this company?
What are you working on at the moment?

Social and travel

Hello. How are you today?

Whats your name?
Can you spell it for me?
Are you from? (name of country)
What do you do in your free time? Do you like any sports?
What do you normally do at the weekend? What are you doing this weekend?

Pre-Intermediate
Business and work

How long have you worked for your company? Where did you work before this?
What sort of company do you work for? What are its main activities?
Tell me about a colleague
What does he/she do? Has he worked at the company longer than you?
What does your job involve? If someone applied for your job, what qualities would they need?
Do you think your job will change in the future?

Social and travel

Are you married? Where did you meet your husband/wife?

How much holiday do you get a year? Do you travel for your job? Where have you visited? What do you
think of? (name of country visited)
Did you like the food there?
What kind of food did you eat? Whats a typical dish in your country? Whats it made of/served with?

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Intermediate
Business and work

If you started again, would you have done a different job?

Whats the hardest thing about your job? What do you like about it?
Who are your main competitors? What are the key differences between them and you?
What do you think makes a good boss?
What kind of decisions do you make at work? Which are the hardest decisions?
What kind of meetings do you attend? How do you prepare? What makes an effective meeting?

Social and travel

Do you eat out much? Do you take visitors? How important is entertaining visitors in your work? What kind of
things do you talk about?
When you go on business trips which airline do you normally fly with? Tell me about a recent trip
Was it successful? Why? Why not? What was the hotel/flight like?
Do you find travel stressful? How do cope with stress? How do you relax at the end of a day?

Upper Intermediate
Business and work

Does your company have a logo? What does it say about your company? How do you think your customers
describe your company?

Social and travel

How easy is it to combine your work with your family?

When youre out with colleagues, are there any topics you avoid?
Have you seen any good films recently? What happened?
What recent news story made you angry recently? Why?

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Notes to the teacher on using the Placement Test:

This test covers a range of grammar and lexis found at each level of the In Company books. The form of the test is
multiple choice which is a familiar format for many students and easy to administer. Each student will need a copy
of the test and should write his/her answers on the test. Each correct answer receives one mark. This gives a final
score out of fifty. Here is a scoring guideline to indicate the most appropriate book for the student:
Scoring:
1-14 Elementary
15-29 Pre-intermediate
30-44 Intermediate
45 + Upper Intermediate
Note that this Quick Placement Test provides an assessment of level in terms of grammar and lexis. For further
testing of spoken English, listening and reading use the other placement tests provided.

Notes to the teacher on using the Listening Placement Test:

There are three listenings which you will need to read aloud. Practise reading them a few times before using them
so that they sound natural. Include short pauses between the phrases to allow students time to complete their
answers. When administering the test give students time to read through the three parts and the questions. Here are
the three listenings you will read. Read each of them twice.

Listening A

Hello. This is Mr Davies.

Thats D-A-V-I-E-S.
Im calling about our meeting.
I cant make next Tuesday.
Can you call me back on 00 39 356 4830. Thats 00 39 356 4830.
Call me after 6.30 tomorrow night.

Listening B

Hello, my names Phil Davies and I run an online company which delivers gifts around the country.
Gifts-the-same-day dot com guarantees the customer same day delivery of anything from flowers to perfume.
Whether its for your wife or a colleague at work well make sure they receive it when you want it.
Unlike other companies all our products are chosen from the best suppliers and gift-wrapped with a personal
message from you.
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And unlike other companies who offer only a full money back guarantee for late delivery we also pay you the
value of the purchase. Thats your money back twice!

Listening C

Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. Id like to talk to you this morning about negotiating and what I feel is the
way to a successful negotiation. Ideally, a successful negotiation is a kind of joint problem-solving meeting, where
we identify each others interests, wants and needs and then explore the different ways we could satisfy those.
I say ideally because it hardly ever is like that. Win-win negotiation is a great idea, but most people have a simple
I win-you lose mentality.
So what do you do with the person who simply wont listen, who keeps interrupting, who becomes aggressive,
who makes last-minute demands, who wont make a decision? I must have read dozens of books on negotiation
tactics. The problem is, so has everybody else. So they dont really work.
My advice is: dont get personal ever; dont agree to anything until youve discussed everything; dont make any
concessions without asking for something in return; ask lots of questions; and dont give in to pressure.
Remember, if the answer must be now, the answer must be No.

Notes to the teacher on using the speaking placement test:

The following sets of questions and discussion points provide a guide to assessing a students speaking level and to
choosing the most appropriate In Company course book for their studies. They are designed to be asked by the
teacher during a conversation with the student and reflect the structures and vocabulary students will meet in each
of the In Company books. As you work through the questions, the questions become increasingly more difficult for
the student and require a higher level of English to give a fluent and accurate response.
It isnt necessary to ask a student ALL the questions. Begin with some basic questions from the Elementary section
such as How are you today? What do you do? If the student gives a confident response, move straight on to
questions in the Pre-intermediate section. Eventually you will find questions or topics that a student finds too
difficult to respond to. At this point, move back down to a level where the student is comfortable talking again.
The point at which the student starts to struggle indicates the level of course book which will provide a challenge
to the learner. If on the other hand you feel the student wants a period for revision before attempting a higher level,
you might choose the level of book which matches the questions and topics where the student seems most relaxed.
Finally, remember that these questions only provide a guide. Feel free to add some of your own supplementary
questions, let the student divert into a topic that interests him/her or encourage the student to ask you questions
too. The test should resemble a conversation between equals not an interrogation! You are strongly advised to
use this speaking placement test alongside the other In Company Placement Tests in order to ensure an accurate
assessment and to choose the right In Company book.

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FULL PLACEMENT TEST ANSWERS

24 a Grammar and Lexis

Section A: 25 b
Section B: Section C: Listening
placement scoring
Grammar Reading 1 Davies
and Lexis 26 a
1a 2 the meeting 1-14 Elementary
1d 27 d
2c 3 Tuesday 15-29 Pre-intermediate
2b 28 c
3b 4 00 39 356 4830 30-44 Intermediate
3a 29 b
4d 5 6.30 45-50 Upper Intermediate
4d 30 b
5b 6 an online company (that
31 a Reading placement
5c 6c delivers gifts) scoring
6b 32 c
7a 7 gifts such as flowers and
7c 33 b 1-4 Elementary
8d perfume
8a 34 c 5-8 Pre-intermediate
9c 8 same day delivery
9c 35 c 9-12 Intermediate
10 b 9 a personal message
10 c 36 b 13-15 Upper Intermediate
11 c 10 your money back and
11 b 37 d Listening placement
12 b the value of the purchase
12 d 38 a scoring
13 a 11 b
13 c 39 b
14 c 12 a 1-4 Elementary
14 d 40 c
15 c 13 b 5-8 Pre-intermediate
15 c 41 a
14 b 9-12 Intermediate
16 b 42 b
15 c 13-15 Upper Intermediate
17 a 43 d

18 b 44 a

19 c 45 b

20 a 46 a

21 c 47 c

22 b 48 d

23 d 49 a
50 b