Cambridge English: Flyers
- General and for schools
Cambridge English: Flyers, also known as Young Learners English (YLE): Flyers, is the highest of three tests specifically designed for schoolchildren aged between 7 and 12. Cambridge English: Flyers shows a child can deal with everyday written and spoken English at a basic level.
Exam overview
| Paper | Content | Marks (% of total) |
|---|---|---|
| Listening (about 25 minutes) |
5 parts/25 questions | a maximum of five shields |
| Reading & Writing (40 minutes) |
7 parts/50 questions | a maximum of five shields |
| Speaking (7–9 minutes) |
4 parts | a maximum of five shields |
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Contact your local centre to find out how much the exam costs, available exam dates and how to register.
Cambridge English: Flyers – Information for Candidates
A handy guide to the exam, with an overview of what’s involved and examples of papers.
Give your child a head start in English
Cambridge English: Flyers is the highest of the three Cambridge English: Young Learners tests. As your child develops and works their way up to the Flyers certificate, they reach a level that will enable them to aim for Cambridge English: Key or Cambridge English: Preliminary – exams which lead to certificates internationally accepted for work and study purposes.
Real-life language skills
When children learn English, it is important that they learn English which is practical and useful. They also need to work towards international standards that will prepare them for study abroad or the international world of work.
Cambridge English: Flyers is set at Level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). A2 is the level of English needed to:
- understand simple written English
- communicate in familiar situations
- understand short notices and simple spoken directions.
It shows that a child is able to communicate at a basic level in English.
For example, at A2 level, you can expect them to:
- understand and use basic phrases and expressions
- introduce themselves and answer basic questions about their personal details
- interact with English speakers who talk slowly and clearly
- write short, simple notes.
Relevant for your child
The Cambridge English: Young Learners tests are specially tailored to suit the interests of schoolchildren, so they increase their motivation to learn English. Because the tests are based on familiar topics and situations, they give your child the confidence to use their English and inspire them to do well.
Fun and stimulating
At Cambridge ESOL, we believe that learning should not be stressful for children. By enjoying their studies, reading, listening and speaking in English come naturally. As their confidence develops, they will want to learn more and use English to a more challenging level.
Fair
Cambridge English exams cover all major varieties of English and are designed to be fair to users of all nationalities and linguistic backgrounds.
Support
A wealth of materials is available to help you and your child prepare for the tests.
A Cambridge English certificate
For children to take full advantage of the opportunities that tomorrow's world of work will offer, knowledge of English is an important asset. It is, therefore, best for your child to work towards certificates that are accepted by thousands of educational organisations and employers throughout the world.
Exam format
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Listening
Available as a paper-based test
Download a free pack of sample papers (zip file)
What’s in the Listening paper?
The Cambridge English: Flyers Listening test has five parts. Each part begins with one or two examples. Your child hears each recording twice.
Summary
Time allowed:
about 25 minutes
Number of parts:
5
Number of questions:
25
Marks:
a maximum of five shields
Parts 1–5
Part 1
What's in Part 1?A big picture which shows people doing different things. Above and below the picture, there are some names. Your child has to listen carefully to a conversation between an adult and a child and draw a line from each name to the correct person on the big picture.
What should my child practise?
Listening for names and descriptions.
How many questions are there?
5
Look at Part 1
Now look at Part 1 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Listening paper.
Part 2
What's in Part 2?A short conversation between two people. There is a form or a page of a notebook with some missing words (gaps). Your child has to listen to the recording and write a missing word or number in each gap.
What should my child practise?
Listening for names, spellings and other information.
How many questions are there?
5
Look at Part 2
Now look at Part 2 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Listening paper.
Part 3
What's in Part 3?Two sets of pictures. On the left, there are some pictures of people and their names, or other named places or objects. On the right, there is a set of pictures with letters but no words. Your child has to listen to a conversation between two people and match each of the pictures on the right to one of the named pictures on the left.
What should my child practise?
Listening for words, names and detailed information.
How many questions are there?
5
Look at Part 3
Now look at Part 3 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Listening paper.
Part 4
What's in Part 4?Five short conversations. There is a question and three pictures for each conversation. Your child has to decide which picture shows the right answer to the question and put a tick in the box under it.
What should my child practise?
Listening for specific information.
How many questions are there?
5
Look at Part 4
Now look at Part 4 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Listening paper.
Part 5
What's in Part 5?A big picture. Your child has to listen carefully to a conversation between an adult and a child and colour different objects in the picture using the colour they say in the conversation. Your child will also have to draw and colour a simple object somewhere on the picture.
What should my child practise?
Listening for words, colours and specific information.
How many questions are there?
5
Look at Part 5
Now look at Part 5 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Listening paper.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What does my child need to take to the Listening test?
For the Listening test, your child must remember to take coloured pencils or pens (red, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, black, brown and grey) and an ordinary pen or pencil.
Do you use British or American English in the Listening test?
The spelling and vocabulary on the printed test papers is British English. However, your child will also hear American accents in the Listening tests and also some American English vocabulary. We accept British or American spelling for the written answers.
How do you mark the Cambridge English: Young Learners Listening tests?
The centre where your child takes the test sends the completed Listening tests to Cambridge ESOL. Then a team of trained markers marks the papers very carefully. To make sure that your child gets the fairest possible result, we mark all papers twice. In most parts of the test, spelling has to be 100% correct. In Part 2 of the Listening test, if we want to test the spelling of a word (for example a name), we spell it in the recording.
What does my child receive after doing the test?
Your child will receive an award. This will show how many shields your child received. The maximum score is five shields for each part of the test. A result of one shield means your child can improve a lot in that skill; five shields mean that your child did very well in that skill and answered most questions correctly. With a total of 10 or 11 shields and above, your child should be ready to start preparing for the next Cambridge English exam.
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Reading & Writing
Available as a paper-based test
Download a free pack of sample papers (zip file)
What’s in the Reading & Writing paper?
The Cambridge English: Flyers Reading & Writing Test has seven parts. Each part begins with one or two examples. For all the parts of the Reading & Writing test, your child must spell their answers correctly.
Summary
Time allowed:
40 minutes
Number of parts:
7
Number of questions:
50
Marks:
a maximum of five shields
Parts 1–7
Part 1
What's in Part 1?Fifteen words and ten definitions (sentences that describe or explain ten of the fifteen words). Your child has to write the correct word next to each definition.
What should my child practise?
Reading definitions and matching to words. Copying words.
How many questions are there?
10
Look at Part 1
Now look at Part 1 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Reading & Writing paper.
Part 2
What's in Part 2?A big picture and seven sentences about the picture. Some of the sentences describe the picture correctly and some do not. If the sentence is true, your child has to write 'yes' after it. If the sentence is not true, your child has to write 'no'.
What should my child practise?
Reading sentences about a picture. Writing one-word answers.
How many questions are there?
7
Look at Part 2
Now look at Part 2 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Reading & Writing paper.
Part 3
What's in Part 3?A short conversation between two people. Everything that the first speaker says is printed on the question paper, with gaps for the second speaker's answers. For each gap, your child has to choose the correct answer from a list (A–H).
What should my child practise?
Reading and completing a conversation.
How many questions are there?
5
Look at Part 3
Now look at Part 3 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Reading & Writing paper.
Part 4
What's in Part 4?A text with some missing words (gaps) in it. Each gap represents a missing word (a noun, adjective or verb). Next to the text there is a box with words in it. Your child has to choose the correct word from the box for each gap and copy it. For the last question, your child has to choose the best title for the text from a choice of three possible titles.
What should my child practise?
Reading for specific information and gist (the main idea of a text). Copying words.
How many questions are there?
6
Look at Part 4
Now look at Part 4 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Reading & Writing paper.
Part 5
What's in Part 5?A complete story, and seven sentences about the story. Each sentence has a gap which your child has to complete using one, two, three or four words.
What should my child practise?
Reading a story. Completing sentences.
How many questions are there?
7
Look at Part 5
Now look at Part 5 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Reading & Writing paper.
Part 6
What's in Part 6?A text with some missing words (gaps). Next to the line where each word is missing, there is a choice of three possible answers. Your child has to decide which answer is correct and copy the word into the gap.
What should my child practise?
Reading and understanding a factual text. Copying words. Simple grammar.
How many questions are there?
10
Look at Part 6
Now look at Part 6 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Reading & Writing paper.
Part 7
What's in Part 7?A text from a letter or diary with five gaps. Your child has to write the missing word in each gap, but there is no list of words to choose from.
What should my child practise?
Reading and understanding a short text (e.g. page from a diary or letter). Filling in gaps in texts.
How many questions are there?
5
Look at Part 7
Now look at Part 7 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Reading & Writing paper.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What does my child need to take to the test?
For the Reading & Writing test, your child only needs a pen or pencil.
Do you use British or American English in the test?
The spelling and vocabulary on the printed test papers is British English. However, we accept British or American English for the written answers.
How do you mark the tests?
The centre where your child takes the test sends the completed Reading & Writing tests to Cambridge ESOL. Then a team of trained markers marks the papers very carefully. To make sure that your child gets the fairest possible result, we mark all papers twice
What does my child receive after doing the test?
Your child will receive an award. This will show how many shields your child received. The maximum score is five shields for each part of the test. A result of one shield means your child can improve a lot in that skill; five shields mean that your child did very well in that skill and answered most questions correctly. With a total of 10 or 11 shields and above, your child should be ready to start preparing for the next Cambridge English exam.
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Speaking
Face-to-face Speaking test
Download a free pack of sample papers (zip file)
What’s in the Speaking paper?
The Cambridge English: Flyers Speaking test has four parts. Your child takes the test alone with the examiner, but someone who speaks your child's language (maybe someone your child knows, like your child's teacher) will introduce your child to the examiner and explain what to do in your child's own language.
Summary
Time allowed:
7–9 minutes
Number of parts:
4
Marks:
a maximum of five shields
Parts 1–4
Part 1
What's in Part 1?The examiner will greet your child and ask their name. The examiner then gives your child one picture and keeps one picture which is similar but which has some differences. The examiner reads some sentences about the picture they have kept. Your child must look at the other picture and say how it is different.
What should my child practise?
Understanding and talking about differences between pictures. Talking about colour, size, number, position, how people/things look, what people are doing, etc.
Look at Part 1
Now look at Part 1 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Speaking paper.
Part 2
What's in Part 2?Your child and the examiner each have two similar pictures (for example, pictures of two different classrooms). The examiner has information about one picture, and your child has information about the other picture. First, the examiner asks your child questions about one picture, then your child asks similar questions about the other picture.
What should my child practise?
Answering questions with short answers. Asking questions to get information.
Look at Part 2
Now look at Part 2 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Speaking paper.
Part 3
What's in Part 3?The examiner shows five pictures which tell a story and tells your child about the first picture. Your child has to continue the story and describe the other four pictures.
What should my child practise?
Understanding the beginning of a story and then continuing it. Describing pictures.
Look at Part 3
Now look at Part 3 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Speaking paper.
Part 4
What's in Part 4?The examiner asks your child some questions about themselves (for example school, hobbies, birthday, family or holidays).
What should my child practise?
Understanding and responding to personal questions.
Look at Part 4
Now look at Part 4 from the sample Cambridge English: Flyers Speaking paper.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What does my child need to take to the test?
Your child doesn’t need to take anything to the Speaking test exam.
Should my child use British or American English in the Speaking test?
The spelling and vocabulary on the printed test papers is British English. In the Speaking tests, however, we accept British or American pronunciation and vocabulary.
How do you mark the Speaking test?
The Speaking Examiner marks the Speaking test, and sends the marks to Cambridge ESOL with the completed Listening and Reading & Writing papers.
What does my child receive after doing the test?
Your child will receive an award. This will show how many shields your child received. The maximum score is five shields for each part of the test. A result of one shield means your child can improve a lot in that skill; five shields mean that your child did very well in that skill and answered most questions correctly. With a total of 10 or 11 shields and above, your child should be ready to start preparing for the next Cambridge English exam.
Help prepare your child for Cambridge English: Flyers
Cambridge ESOL offers a comprehensive range of printed and online exam preparation and support products and services for teachers and learners for all Cambridge English exams.
More official preparation materials
A huge range of official Cambridge English preparation materials are also available from the Cambridge University Press website. Materials include printed and digital resources to support teachers and help learners prepare for their exam.
Visit Cambridge University PressMaterials to buy
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Books for study -
Books for study
A huge range of coursebooks, practice tests and learning resources are produced by independent publishers in the UK and overseas to help you prepare for Cambridge English: Flyers.
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Free materials
To help you get started, Cambridge ESOL has some free materials which you can download:
Sample papers
Download sample papers for Cambridge English: Flyers
Download Listening sample paper
Download Reading & Writing sample paper
Cambridge English: Flyers – Information for Candidates
A handy guide to the exam, with an overview of what’s involved and examples of papers.
Exam dates for 2011, 2012 and 2013
Dates are set by centres, taking into account local needs and conditions.
Please contact your centre to find out what dates they offer.
All test papers must be completed within a period of five days. The Listening paper is always taken before the Reading & Writing paper.
Results
Your child will receive an award. This will show how many shields your child received. The maximum score is five shields for each part of the test. A result of one shield means your child can improve a lot in that skill; five shields mean that your child did very well in that skill and answered most questions correctly.
With a total of 10 or 11 shields and above, your child should be ready to start preparing for the next Cambridge English exam.
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Special circumstances
There is a range of modified materials that can be provided for candidates with special requirements.
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