Linguaskill Business is an online English test that many employers and recruiters use to check workplace English. It reports a CEFR level for each skill, so preparing well for Reading and Writing can lift your overall result quickly. This guide explains how the two modules work and gives you a simple plan for the weeks before the test.
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How the Reading module works
Reading is adaptive: each answer changes the difficulty of the next question, and you cannot go back. That means two things for your preparation. First, read every question to the end before you answer. Second, practise all task types, because you will not know in advance which ones you get. The main types are read and select, gapped sentences, multiple-choice gap-fill, open gap-fill and extended reading, and at higher levels also tasks with missing paragraphs, missing sentences and matching across several texts.
How the Writing module works
Writing has two tasks in about 55 minutes. Part 1 is a short email of at least 50 words that answers three points. Part 2 is a longer piece of at least 250 words: a report in Linguaskill Business, an essay in Linguaskill General. Markers look at four things: whether you cover every point, how well you organise the text, the range and accuracy of your language, and whether the tone fits the reader.
- Email: answer all three points, one short paragraph each. A missing point costs more than a small grammar mistake.
- Report: use a title and headings, an introduction that states the purpose, one section per point and a clear recommendation.
- Time: about 15 minutes for the email and 40 for the report, including a few minutes to plan and to check.
A four-week plan
- Week 1: take a level check and one full Reading practice test to see where you stand. Note the task types that cost you most.
- Week 2: work through those task types one at a time, with explanations, at your level and one level above.
- Week 3: write two emails and one report under time pressure. Compare them with model answers and a checklist.
- Week 4: do two full mock tests in real conditions, then repeat the weakest task type and rest the day before the test.
The mistakes that cost the most
- Choosing an option because it repeats words from the text. Correct answers usually paraphrase.
- Missing small words that change meaning: may and must, some and all, until and by.
- Writing a report with no recommendation, or an email that forgets one of the three points.
- Spending too long on one Reading question. Answer, move on, keep your rhythm.
Practise with explained answers
The Linguaskill Business Reading & Writing Trainer covers all task types with 8 practice tests and 5 full mock tests. If you prefer to study online with marked quizzes, the Linguaskill Business online course is built on the same material, and the first 2 lessons are free. Preparing for Linguaskill General instead? See the Linguaskill General course.
