Prepare for your Manchester Exam
Know the format.
Prepare with confidence.
Welcome to the official Manchester Exam candidate guides. To perform your best on test day, it helps to understand not just what is on the exam, but how the interface, timing and sections work.
Select a module below to explore its structure, scoring rules and practical exam-taking strategies.
Reading
Understand written English at sentence, paragraph and whole-text level. Work through passage comprehension, paragraph function and sentence insertion, in that order.
Timing & structure
Part 1: 13 minutes for the passage and all six questions. Part 2: 8 minutes. Part 3: 2.5 minutes for each of four texts.
Key strategy
Plan your 13 minutes in Part 1: read the passage, answer the six questions, then check uncertain answers. You can move between these questions until you submit or the part ends.
Listening
Follow spoken English across a monologue, a dialogue and an academic lecture. Listen for the main argument, supporting details and the speaker’s meaning.
Timing & structure
Each part includes a 60-second question preview, two audio plays with a 30-second gap, then 3 minutes to finish your answers. Total time depends on the audio length.
Key strategy
Use the preview to read the questions. Listen first for the main ideas, then use the second play to confirm specific details. You can answer while the audio plays.
Writing
Produce clear, organised written English in a short functional response, then an integrated response based on an academic lecture.
Timing & structure
Part 1: 15 minutes and 150–200 words. Part 2: two audio plays, followed by 20 minutes to write 200–220 words.
Key strategy
Write in the answer box, not the notepad. Meet the minimum word count before submitting manually, stay within the limit and leave time to check your response.
Speaking
Read a passage aloud, respond to a question, then give a spoken response based on an academic audio text. Your responses are recorded; this is not a live interview.
Timing & structure
Across the three tasks: 6 minutes of preparation and 4 minutes of recording, plus audio playback and transitions. Follow the timer for each stage.
Key strategy
Use the preparation time to plan your response. Keep a steady, natural pace and speak clearly. Each response is recorded once, with no re-recording.
Academic English
Show your control of grammar, vocabulary and academic register. Tasks include multiple-choice questions and identifying errors by clicking on them.
Timing & structure
Part 1: 15 questions in 15 minutes. Part 2: 12 questions in 10 minutes. Part 3: 4 questions in 8 minutes.
Key strategy
Read the whole sentence before answering. Identify the structure or meaning being tested, rather than choosing only what sounds right.
Prepare your setup, too.
You can read these guides on any device. To take the online exam, use a Windows desktop or laptop running Windows 10 or later, with a working camera, microphone and speakers.
Allow time for identity and device checks. Your exam’s launch page tells you whether a lockdown browser is required.
