VSTEP.3-5 Exam Format: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
At a glance
| Skill | Parts | Questions / tasks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 3 | 35 questions | ~40 min |
| Reading | 4 | 40 questions | 60 min |
| Writing | 2 | 2 tasks | 60 min |
| Speaking | 3 | 3 parts | ~12 min |
Listening, Reading and Writing usually run back to back in one session; Speaking is taken separately, either with an examiner or recorded on a computer, depending on the test centre.
Listening (35 questions, about 40 minutes)
- Part 1 – 8 questions: 8 short announcements, instructions or exchanges, one question each.
- Part 2 – 12 questions: 3 longer conversations, four questions each.
- Part 3 – 15 questions: 3 long talks such as lectures, talks or discussions, five questions each.
Each recording is played only once. You get time to read the questions before each recording — the most important moment to underline keywords. More in Listening Part 1 tips.
Reading (40 questions, 60 minutes)
Four passages with ten questions each, about 1,900–2,500 words in total. Difficulty rises through the paper: the first two passages cover everyday topics (daily life, work, adverts, emails), the last two are academic (science, history, economics, the environment) with subject-specific vocabulary.
Question types include main idea, detail, inference, vocabulary in context, reference (what a pronoun refers to) and the writer's purpose. On average you have about 15 minutes per passage.
Writing (2 tasks, 60 minutes)
- Task 1 (about 20 minutes, 120+ words): a letter or email replying to a situation — informal, semi-formal or formal.
- Task 2 (about 40 minutes, 250+ words): an essay giving your opinion, discussing both sides, causes and solutions, or advantages and disadvantages of a social issue.
Task 2 carries more weight than Task 1 (it is usually counted double), so don't spend too long on the letter.
Speaking (3 parts, about 12 minutes)
- Part 1 – Social interaction (~3 minutes): answer questions on two familiar topics such as your hometown, hobbies or work.
- Part 2 – Solution discussion (~4 minutes, 1 minute to prepare): you get a situation and three options, choose the best one and explain why you rejected the others.
- Part 3 – Topic development (~5 minutes, 1 minute to prepare): develop a topic using a mind map of prompts, then answer follow-up questions.
Suggested timing
The fastest way to get used to the pace is to take mock tests under real timing, then review every question you missed.