Taking YLPT, step by step

Four things to know before you sit your child down

There is a screen before the test where the adult has to do something.

• Date of birth and nationality are yours to fill in

  Before the test opens, a form asks for the child's details. The name and email address are already filled in, but Date of Birth and Where do you come from? (your nationality) are empty and the form will not move on until they are. The date is day, then month, then year.

• Once you press Submit, the child's screen locks

  The name, date of birth and nationality are greyed out afterwards, even if you log in again. It is not a dead end though: if something went in wrong, tell the centre and we can correct it.

• You may log in on your child's behalf

  An adult can sign in, fill in the form and run the sound check. What matters is that the child sits at the computer logged in with their own details, because the result attaches to that login.

• The test is only submitted if it is finished

  Closing the window before the last screen does not submit anything. Log back in with the same details and finish it. Once finished, the same login cannot start it again.

What to prepare

• Only a computer will work

  Phones, tablets (iPad and Android) and Linux will not open the test. You need Windows 11, or macOS 13 (Ventura) or later.

• Browser

  Windows takes Chrome, Firefox or Edge (93 or later); Mac and Chromebook take Chrome only. Academy and school computers often run an old browser, so check before the day.

• Internet speed

  5 Mbps upload and 5 Mbps download per child. If several children test on the same line at once, you need that much for each of them.

• Headphones that fit a child

  Closed-back, over-ear headphones work best. Adult-sized ones slide off, and a child holding them on with one hand is not listening properly. With USB headphones, check the day before that they actually make a sound.

• A quiet spot and one adult

  There is listening, so the room needs to be quiet. Stay with your child through the sound check, then let them work on their own.

Screen by screen

From signing in to reading the result, in the order the screens actually appear. Unlike the adult CEPT, the details form comes first and the test opens after it.

1. 01

   Sign in

   Enter Username, Password and Institution ID. The centre emails all three, and the Username is the email address used when registering.

   

2. 02

   Accept the terms

   An adult reads this and ticks the box.

   

3. 03

   Click the test card

   The child's test sits as a card on the Active tab. Click it to go on.

   

4. 04

   Fill in the child's details

   The test does not open yet; the details form comes first. The name and email are already filled in, and the two fields marked Date of Birth and Where do you come from? are blank. The rest (Gender, Candidate ID and so on) can be left empty. Then click Submit.

   

5. 05

   Click Open on the Test Day Timeline

   Open starts the test. It is the same Open if you have to come back part-way through.

   

6. 06

   Check the sound

   Put the headphones on your child and click Play Sound. If they cannot hear it, turn the volume up and click again.

   

7. 07

   Instructions, then Start, and the test begins

   One screen of instructions in English comes next: two parts (Listening and Reading/Writing), each recording played twice, and the arrow to move on. The last line is “Now click on Start.” From here it is the exam, so we do not show the question screens. Use the official sample below to see the same screens.

8. 08

   Read the result

   Once the test is finished, the result is on the Results tab at the top of the same screen. It is marked automatically, so it appears straight away. It is not a score or a CEFR level: it tells you which exam to prepare next: Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers or A2 Flyers.

   

What to expect while the test is running

• No timer, and no sign of how much is left

  Nothing counts down, so your child is not being rushed, and most finish in 30–40 minutes. Unlike the adult CEPT there is no progress indicator, so do not set a deadline; just let them work.

• The number of questions differs from child to child

  The test adapts: each answer decides how hard the next question is. It is normal for one child to get more questions, or take longer, than another.

• Every recording is played twice

  There is a pause to read the question first, then the same recording plays twice. Tell your child beforehand that missing it once is fine.

• Each part starts with an example

  Four listening parts of five questions each, and four reading and writing parts of up to ten questions each. Every new part opens with an example.

• Ask them to answer even when they are unsure

  The instructions say “Try to answer as many questions as you can.” The more a child shows of what they know, the more accurately the test can place them.

If something goes wrong

The child's details went in wrong

After Submit they cannot be changed from the child's screen. Tell the centre and we will correct them. Best of all, tell us before the test is taken.

The internet dropped during the test

Log back in with the same Username, Password and Institution ID and click the same Open on the Test Day Timeline. It resumes rather than starting over.

The login email never arrived

Once your payment is confirmed the centre sends the Username, Password and Institution ID automatically. It often lands in the junk or promotions folder, so look there first; if it is still missing, tell us and we will send it again.

You have forgotten the password

You reset this yourself on the Cambridge screen. Click Forgotten your password? on the sign-in screen, enter the Username and Institution ID, and click Continue. A reset link arrives by email; follow it, set a new password, and sign in with the new one.

The account is locked

Five wrong sign-in attempts in a row lock the account for 30 minutes. The username and password are case-sensitive, so check for a stray space if you pasted them. Try again once the 30 minutes have passed; if it still will not open, ask Cambridge support directly. Only Cambridge can unlock it.

The test was taken but there is no result

It may not have been finished, so nothing was submitted. Log back in and work through to the last screen. If it was finished and the Results tab is still empty, contact the centre.