English language test A2: Pre-employment assessment to hire elementary speakers

Use our English (elementary/A2) test to hire the best

The English (elementary/A2) test evaluates candidates’ English skills at the A2 level of the CEFR framework. It will help you hire employees who can communicate about simple, routine tasks that require basic literacy and direct exchange of information.

Covered skills

Grammar & vocabulary
Simple sentence composition
Reading comprehension
Listening comprehension

Use the English (elementary/A2) test to hire

Any roles that require a basic (elementary) use of English.

Type

Language

Time

10 min

Languages

English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese

Level

Entry level

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About the English (elementary/A2) test

An elementary knowledge of English at the A2 level of the CEFR framework provides the ability to understand and use frequently used expressions around topics such as employment, family, local geography, and shopping. Candidates who have this level of English are able to communicate through simple and direct exchange of information and describe familiar topics and matters of immediate need in simple terms. This test will help you identify candidates who need to speak and understand elementary English for position in manufacturing and other industrial areas.

This English (elementary/A2) test evaluates candidates in basic English vocabulary and grammar, as well as simple sentence composition. It also assesses candidates’ reading and listening comprehension skills through simple sentences.

Candidates who do well on this test use basic sentence patterns in English to communicate information in everyday situations. They can make themselves understood, even if though they make some mistakes. They have the English literacy required to read and understand signs on the street and at the workplace and to be able to respond to answer questions and respond to simple statements.

The test is made by a subject-matter expert

Jan S.

A native of California, U.S.A. and a holder of a Master’s degree in Education, Jan has recently retired as Professor of English and Multi-Media at a small women’s university in Japan after an extensive teaching career of twenty-five years. Jan has also worked as an editor and copyeditor for academic articles, novels, children’s books, and many other types of projects. Jan currently lives in Japan.

Crafted with expert knowledge

TestGorilla’s tests are created by subject matter experts. We assess potential subject-matter experts based on their knowledge, ability, and reputation. Before being published, each test is peer-reviewed by another expert, then calibrated using hundreds of test takers with relevant experience in the subject. Our feedback mechanisms and unique algorithms allow our subject-matter experts to constantly improve their tests.

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The English (elementary/A2) test will be included in a PDF report along with the other tests from your assessment. You can easily download and share this report with colleagues and candidates.

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What is an online A2 English test? How will it help you?

An online A2 English test is a pre-employment skills assessment that helps you evaluate your candidate's ability to communicate in English verbally and through writing in business contexts.

It also helps you assess whether applicants can interpret documents and business-related conversations in basic English.

This test is designed to evaluate candidates at the A2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). You can be confident that the results are accurate and endorsed when you test your applicants’ English language skills.

Are you searching for the simplest way to learn if your candidates can speak and share basic ideas with colleagues at the A2 level? You’ve just found the best approach for candidate assessment.

TestGorilla’s experts designed this A2 English test specifically to help you hire English speakers with the right level of aptitude who are capable of meeting the demands of your role.

Elementary English skills are crucial if your company needs to frequently discuss important topics in English. Since your employees must be able to follow critical discussions and participate in work-related dialogues between team members and stakeholders, you’ll need to hire applicants with elementary English skills.

Despite the obvious advantages of hiring candidates with A2-level English skills, you’re likely to face a few difficulties during the hiring process.

What’s the best way to hire a new applicant with elementary English skills without being influenced by unconscious bias? How can you review your applicants’ information written in English without using up too much time during the hiring process? And how do you compare several candidates who all appear to have elementary English skills?

Your best option is to use our A2 English test.

Our A2 English test will help you discover whether your applicants can understand and use common expressions and interpret basic information in English. It will enable you to overcome many of the challenges you could encounter when hiring, giving you the exact results you need to find the most suitable candidate for your open role.

Evaluate 4 essential elementary English skills

This A2 English test evaluates four subskills candidates require to reach the A2 level in English. You can determine whether your candidates have attained this level by using the test to assess the following subskills.

• Elementary English grammar skills and vocabulary: Use this A2 English test to find out whether your applicants’ can hold their own in a simple conversation or when reading English text at an A2 level. The test will show you whether their grammar knowledge enables them to express themselves and interpret English speakers in basic discussions.

• Ability to compose simple sentences in English: Sentence composition is a critical skill that new hires should have. Use this A2 English test to find out whether your applicants are capable of using simple sentence patterns in writing, responding to important emails, or writing text messages to other employees.

• Elementary English reading comprehension: Can your candidates grasp the essence of a simple email or text message? They will need to read a wide range of English writing in the workplace. Discover whether applicants’ reading comprehension skills are sufficient for your team’s needs with this A2 English test.

• Simple English listening comprehension: Finally, this A2 English test assesses candidates’ ability to understand basic instructions given in English in a business environment.

Use the test to determine whether your applicants’ elementary English skills enable them to understand simple feedback, communicate clearly in introductory meetings, and respond appropriately when listening to conversations in business contexts.

Select this English language skills test to evaluate applicants effectively

This elementary English test offers various other benefits for hiring. Here are a few more reasons to use this test to enhance your hiring process and find the right professional effortlessly.

• Skip resume screening – replace it with skills testing: If resume screening takes up too much of your time, there’s a better way to assess applicants. Use this elementary English test to determine whether your applicants’ skills meet your role’s demands. It’s faster than sifting through resumes and gives you a better understanding of candidates’ abilities.

• Hire applicants with elementary English skills even if you’re not an expert: If you’re a non-native English speaker and want to assess applicants’ elementary English skills, the expert-crafted A2 English test will help you hire the right candidate. Even if you’re not an English expert, you can choose applicants with the right skills and rest assured their abilities match the requirements of your organization and team.

• Test several skills at once, including soft skills: In addition to the four elementary English subskills, you can assess other types of skills by simply creating an elementary English assessment and including up to four additional skills tests. This enables you to find out about candidates’ soft skills, values, and personalities – all at the same time.

With our A2 English test, you can shorten your recruitment process, reduce hiring costs, and find the best candidate for your organization.

It’s easy to get started with TestGorilla. Just like the 5,800+ businesses such as Publicis Groupe and Bain & Company that trust our 238 expert-built skills tests, you too can assess applicants the easy way. Get to know your candidates – use our A2 English test when hiring.

FAQs

What is the difference between an assessment and a test?

An assessment is the total package of tests and custom questions that you put together to evaluate your candidates. Each individual test within an assessment is designed to test something specific, such as a job skill or language. An assessment can consist of up to 5 tests and 20 custom questions. You can have candidates respond to your custom questions in several ways, such as with a personalized video.

Can I add my own questions to an assessment?

Yes! Custom questions are great for testing candidates in your own unique way. We support the following question types: video, multiple-choice, coding, file upload, and essay. Besides adding your own custom questions, you can also create your own tests.

How do video questions work?

A video question is a specific type of custom question you can add to your assessment. Video questions let you create a question and have your candidates use their webcam to record a video response. This is an excellent way to see how a candidate would conduct themselves in a live interview, and is especially useful for sales and hospitality roles. Some good examples of things to ask for video questions would be "Why do you want to work for our company?" or "Try to sell me an item you have on your desk right now." You can learn more about video questions here.

Can you explain how the other custom question types work?

Besides video questions, you can also add the following types of custom questions: multiple-choice, coding, file upload, and essay. Multiple-choice lets your candidates choose from a list of answers that you provide, coding lets you create a coding problem for them to solve, file upload allows your candidates to upload a file that you request (such as a resume or portfolio), and essay allows an open-ended text response to your question. You can learn more about different custom question types here.

Can I customize an assessment with my company logo and color theme?

Yes! You can add your own logo and company color theme to your assessments. This is a great way to leave a positive and lasting brand impression on your candidates.

What type of support do you offer?

Our team is always here to help. After you sign up, we’ll reach out to guide you through the first steps of setting up your TestGorilla account. If you have any further questions, you can contact our support team via email, chat or call. We also offer detailed guides in our extensive Help & Inspiration Center.

What is the cost for using the English (elementary/A2) test?

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Can I combine the English (elementary/A2) test with other tests?

Yes. You can add up to five tests to each assessment.

Where in my recruitment process should I use the English (elementary/A2) test?

We recommend using our assessment software as a pre-screening tool at the beginning of your recruitment process. You can add a link to the assessment in your job post or directly invite candidates by email.
TestGorilla replaces traditional CV screening with a much more reliable and efficient process, designed to find the most skilled candidates earlier and faster.

What is the difference between intermediate and proficient level of the English language tests?

The intermediate tests test the B1 level of the CEFR framework language skills. The proficient tests, which are more advanced, test the C1 level language skills of a candidate. You can read more about the different skill levels here.