A2 Key or B1 Preliminary for Schools: Which level fits your child?
“Should my child take KET or PET?” is easier to ask than to answer. A school year, birthday or a friend’s exam choice can be a starting point for conversation, but none shows what your child can do independently today. A2 Key for Schools centres on clear short communication. B1 Preliminary for Schools asks for longer, better-supported writing and more interactive speaking. Two short work samples and a four-skill record make the choice more concrete.
Compare the actual tasks, not the labels
In the official A2 Key for Schools format, Reading and Writing share a 60-minute, seven-part component. Writing asks for an email or note of at least 25 words and a story of at least 35 words from three pictures. Speaking has personal questions and a discussion of likes and dislikes. B1 Preliminary for Schools separates Reading and Writing into 45-minute components. Writing includes an email of about 100 words plus a choice of article or story. Speaking adds a colour photograph, discussion of options to reach a decision, and a broader conversation.
These differences represent changes in what a reader or partner needs. An A2 student should make a simple plan clear: when, where and what to bring. A B1 student may have to answer several email notes, justify a recommendation and respond to another opinion. B1 is not merely “A2 but longer.” Conversely, a child who has not mastered every difficult word can still be ready to explore B1 tasks if the core A2 messages are independent and the child can explain choices.
Remove the age myth
Cambridge English’s for Schools FAQ says candidates of any age may take the exams, while their topics are designed for the interests of school-age learners. There is no fixed birthday at which a student must move from A2 to B1. Consider school recommendations, motivation, exam timing and evidence across the four skills. “Everyone in the class is taking PET” is not the same as an individual assessment; “my child is young” is not enough to rule B1 out.
Collect an A2 short-message sample
Give this original prompt: “Your friend will be late to the club meeting. Write the new time, where to meet and what to bring.” Allow five minutes and avoid supplying sentence endings. Look for all three facts, a clear reader, and whether the child can notice a missing piece after re-reading the prompt. Note use of a dictionary or help. A draft such as “Hi Sam, we meet at four in the library. Bring your notebook. See you there!” communicates the plan, though it would need expansion to meet the official Part 6 minimum of 25 words.
If your child pads the message with unrelated sentences solely to reach 25 words, practise adding useful context instead. If they cannot yet communicate the three basic details independently, work on those A2 skills with a teacher. A successful single attempt is encouraging, but give a second prompt with a different place and time to see whether the method transfers beyond a familiar example.
Then sample B1 reasoning and interaction
Use a second original prompt: “Should your club hold a book sale or a short film evening?” Ask your child to recommend one option, give two reasons, acknowledge an advantage of the other option and close with a decision. This can be a short paragraph or a two-minute conversation. “A book sale is good” offers a preference. “A book sale costs less and students can bring books from home; a film could attract families, but we have no projector” contains reasoning, comparison and a practical constraint.
Try an email with several requests as another B1 check. A student may speak persuasively yet miss half of the questions when writing about 100 words. Another may write carefully but miss key details in listening. That uneven profile is normal evidence for planning, not a failure label. A teacher can weigh reading, writing, listening and speaking together, identify the support needed and help decide whether the proposed exam date is realistic.
Build a four-skill evidence sheet
Write reading, writing, listening and speaking as four rows. For each, record “independent,” “with a small prompt,” or “not yet,” followed by one specific task. “Answers three A2 email requests independently but omits the second B1 note” is more useful than “between A2 and B1.” In reading, distinguish the main point of a short message from the writer’s attitude in a longer passage. In listening, separate catching a time or place from recognising an opinion. In speaking, note whether the student merely states a choice or answers a partner’s proposal.
Compare the sheet with school practice results and the teacher’s observations. If one skill leads while another lags, avoid reducing the student to one number. The teacher may recommend a level while targeting a specific gap in preparation. Revisit the same type of evidence after several weeks using fresh prompts. The purpose of the level choice is to identify the next useful learning task and an appropriate exam target, not to make a permanent judgement about the child.
Take the evidence to a teacher-led programme
Flalingo’s own A2 materials include short email, directions and picture-story tasks; its B1 materials include an email of about 100 words, a reasoned article and a collaborative decision. These are examples of the kind of work that can support a level discussion. Use the English-for-kids guide to explore a teacher-led assessment path and the materials overview to see the task progression. Bring the first A2 message, the B1 reasoning sample and the four-skill sheet; ask which task your child should be able to complete independently next.
Common questions
Are for Schools exams limited to certain ages?
No. Cambridge does not set a specific age limit; the content is chosen for school-age learners.
Does strong A2 writing mean automatic B1 readiness?
No. Longer responses, interaction, reading and listening need their own evidence.
Should a school’s PET recommendation be ignored?
No. Ask what work supports it, then compare that evidence with your child’s independent samples.
Sources checked 27 September 2026: Cambridge A2 format, Cambridge B1 format, and Cambridge for Schools FAQ.
Discuss your child’s work with a teacher
Keep the first writing sample and any exam notice you have received from the school. When exploring Flalingo’s teacher-led programmes, share the particular skill your child needs to practise: Programme for ages 9–12 · Programme for ages 13+.
Age is a starting point; exam level and lesson suitability also depend on the skills your child can use independently.
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