Features of the Trinity GESE 1 - Pre A1 exam (level A1)

For all those who want to certify their level of oral English, Trinity makes the official GESE certificate available. It is an exam that can be done from the age of five, whoever wishes. So if you have lived in an English-speaking country or are practicing the language through some direct and constant contact with natives, today's article interests you. We are going to explain how to prepare for the A1 level of the Trinity GESE 1 exam.

What are the GESE exams?

The GESE exams are especially suitable for people of all ages who want to develop communicative speaking and listening skills in English, to use in real life, whatever the purpose, whether it be for immigration, work, study, leisure or employment. GESE is also a suitable exam for students at the end of study abroad courses. The GESE exams are developed with the structure of individual and face-to-face evaluations, demonstrating the skills of speaking and listening in English with a Trinity examiner, who encourages the candidate to show what they can do through prompts and authentic interactive dialogue . The duration of the exam is 5-25 minutes, depending on the grade .

Because candidates can plan ahead to discuss their own interests and opinions on the exam, this encourages learning and supports natural speech, helping them relax and perform at their best during the exam.

GESE is available in 12 levels:

Grades 1-12, from pre-A1 level to C2 CEFR level. Grouped by stage of development, the GESE exams offer a progressive framework for the development of English language skills and an assessment for each student:

• Grades 1-3: Initial Stage - Pre-A1-A2.1
• Grades 4-6: Elementary Stage - A2.2-B1.2
• Grades 7-9: Intermediate Stage - B2.1-B2.3
• Grades 10-12: Advanced Stage - C1.1-C2

GESE is designed to support classroom instruction and general English courses and curricula, and Trinity directly provides a wide range of guidance, videos, support and resources for each level.

Trinity's GESE ratings provide individuals and institutions with reliable evidence of English speaking skills at different levels, from beginner to advanced. GESE exams are regulated by Ofqual in the UK . They are listed in the UK Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) and are aligned with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). They have also received the ALTE Q rating from the Association of Language Testers in Europe, proving that they meet the strictest quality criteria.

GESE is a UK government approved test for visa application and clearance purposes when taken at a Trinity SELT Center. If you are preparing for GESE as Secure English Language Test (SELT) for UK Visa Purposes, you should visit UK Visa Tests. 

Structure of the GESE 1- Pre A1 exam

It is a test for level A1 , in which students achieve a very basic and elementary level, and are able to defend themselves in familiar and routine situations, in their day to day. They must show a fairly limited command of English, which is basic and useful in everyday work and social situations.

It is necessary to use simple expressions of greeting and be able to handle common everyday situations such as, for example, talking about daily routines, making simple requests, responding to non-complex instructions and defending yourself with simple demands in organizing a trip, shopping and restaurants.

In this initial stage you have to knowhow to:

• Give personal and biographical details;
• use appropriately the forms of meeting, greeting and saying goodbye;
• talk about personal tastes, express pleasure;
• name job titles and explain the tasks of individuals at work;
• make simple references to: food, types of accommodation, people and events in the world of work, travel, shopping;
• express number, quantity, prices, dates, simple measurements;
• identify common objects related to their own personal interests, the world around them or the world of work.

The exam lasts between 5 and 7 minutes, and it is about maintaining a conversation between the student and the examiner. The examiner will use drawings, pictures, photos and physical objects from everyday life and may even refer to objects found in the classroom in which the test is taking place, in order to help stimulate conversation and get the most out of it, to work directly on improvisation and check the candidate's fluency. The topics of the conversation will depend on the age of the candidate, in this way, giving them a greater opportunity to show their interest and answer the questions that are being asked.

Trinity GESE 1- Pre A1 exams

In the following table you have everything related to the next calls for 2020:

How to prepare for the exam on your own

 Before starting to prepare for the exam on your own, if you so decide, take a look at the following direct link to Trinity College, from which you can download a special guide for the GESE 1-Pre A1 level, where you can find all the information related to your level.

The following activities are also made available to you by Trinity College. Look for the Trinity GESE 1- Pre A1 level and you can start practicing, the best way to prepare for the test.

You can also access videos that Trinity College makes available to students to get inspired and see what these tests are like.

Although in the previous material the candidates are children, you have already verified that anyone, of any age, can take the exam. Therefore, the test will be adapted to the age of the candidate, the topics of the conversation.

From here we advise you to follow the following recommendations:

• Check your level of English, you must already have a consolidated A1 level and if this is not the case, get the contents of that level first and then start to prepare for the test;
• set yourself a study habit, preferably daily. It is what will allow you to advance and pass this exam with a good grade. The more vocabulary you have and the more fluency in expressing yourself, the easier it will be;
• reading will help you expand your vocabulary and structures, so we highly recommend that you do so. With this list of reading books you can help yourself, you will do well and the more you read, the better.
• don't forget about listening, they will bring you closer to accents and pronunciation. In this list we leave you a good recommendation of series and movies that can go very well for the A1 level of English.
• Always have a good dictionary at hand, it is what will allow you to solve all your doubts. We propose a list for you to choose the one that best suits you.
• do not forget to stay in direct contact with the language, as long as possible. Look for natives interested in making exchanges. Nowadays you have enough means to have contacts without leaving home;
• This test is an opportunity to certify the level of oral English of a child from the age of five. Therefore, it is recommended that if the child attends an academy, let their teachers know, in case they can emphasize that aspect.

Books to prepare for the Trinity GESE 1- Pre A1 exam

To prepare for the test directly, you have the following book, which is the one recommended by Trinity College directly, and if you join it in your study plan to the material that the same center makes available to candidates, it will be the guide that most works and helps you in this learning time:

• Trinity Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE) Grades 1-2 Student's Pack with Audio CD. See on amazon .
• READY FOR TRINITY GESE GRADE 1 2. See at amazon.
• Trinity Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE): Trinity Pub Gese Grades 1-2: Teacher's Book Pack (Trinity Graded Exams). See on amazon.

Enrollment and results

The Trinity GESE exam marks the different sections with the use of the letters A, B, C or D, with A being the highest grade and D the lowest of all. According to the average of these sections, it is determined whether the qualified receives Fail, Pass, Merit or Distintion. To make it clearer, look at the following equivalences:

Grade 1:

A = Distintion C = Pass

B = Merit D = Fail

• Fail: if you do not reach the level that you present yourself
• Pass: if you get right to the level
• Merit: if your grade is higher than fair to pass
• Distinction: if you reach the maximum score

In relation to the exam fees, you should know that these vary depending on the place where you enroll. In any case, ask for information at your exam center, since they are the ones who will confirm you with details, since the price may vary on different dates in addition to varying depending on the center where you do it.

When you are clear when you are going to take the exam, register as soon as possible, since there are a limited number of places and you can easily run out of yours. The registration can be done simply and quickly from this link .