SLE practice test: reading and written expression

What the real test usually looks like

The SLE has three separate tests: reading comprehension, written expression and an oral test. The Public Service Commission lists a supervised, in-person version and an unsupervised online version of the reading and written expression tests, and books the oral test separately (PSC). The commission says the reading test assesses your ability to read and understand texts in your second official language, at the levels required for bilingual positions in the federal public service (PSC). You are tested only when invited, for example by a federal organization's HR team after you apply to a bilingual position, and candidates cannot pay to be tested (PSC).

The supervised reading test (tests 633 and 634) has 60 multiple-choice questions in up to 90 minutes. 50 questions count toward your score; the other 10 are pilot questions, and they are not identified. There are two kinds of question: choosing the best word or group of words to put in a blank, and answering a question about a text. The texts are workplace writing such as emails, memos, letters, information bulletins, report excerpts and research papers (PSC).

The supervised written expression test (test 654) has 65 multiple-choice questions in up to 90 minutes, of which 55 count and 10 are unidentified pilot questions. The commission names two question types, fill in the blank and error identification, and says the test covers grammar, vocabulary and other parts of written expression needed for work-related writing (PSC).

The unsupervised online tests are shorter. The reading test has 25 questions in 45 minutes, each a workplace text such as an email followed by a question about it (PSC). The written expression test has 30 questions in 45 minutes, each a workplace text with one missing word and several options (PSC). You take them alone, in a quiet place, on a desktop or laptop. Neither can give an exemption (E).

What our mocks cover. Our full mocks are in English and follow the supervised tests' two skills in order: reading first, then writing. Reading has 25 complete-the-text questions (a short workplace email or memo with one blank) and 25 questions on a text (a workplace text of about 100 to 160 words). Writing has 35 complete-the-sentence questions on grammar and usage and 20 find-the-error questions, where a sentence has four parts in capitals and you choose the one with the error. That is 105 questions in 150 minutes, every one with four options, and you can go back and flag questions.

What our mocks leave out. There is no oral test practice, and there are no French versions: our app is in English only.

Question types with worked examples

One worked example for each question type, with the trap most people fall into.

1. Reading, complete the text. Email: "The training room is booked for the morning, ______ the session will start at 1:00 p.m." The best choice is "so": the booking is the reason the session starts later. Trap: choosing a linking word that sounds formal, such as "however", without checking the logic. Read the sentences on both sides of the blank and ask how they are connected: cause, contrast, time or example.

2. Reading, questions on a text. Notice: "Parking passes for the new year can be renewed online from January 2 to January 20. Passes not renewed by January 20 will be cancelled." Question: what happens to a pass renewed on January 25? It was cancelled on January 20, so it can no longer be renewed. The text says nothing about what happens next, so do not choose an answer that adds a late fee or a grace period. Trap: answering from what seems fair or usual. Answer only from what the text says, and watch dates, numbers and words such as "only", "unless" and "at least".

3. Writing, complete the sentence. "Each of the reports ______ been checked." The answer is "has": the subject is "each", which is singular, not "reports". Trap: letting the nearest noun choose the verb. Find the true subject first, then match the verb to it.

4. Writing, find the error. "The SUPPLIES that WAS ordered last week ARRIVED this morning AND are in the storage room." The error is "WAS": "supplies" is plural, so it should be "were". Trap: stopping at the first part that looks unusual. Read the whole sentence and test each capitalized part on its own; often only one is wrong, and the others are there to look doubtful.

Common points tested in workplace grammar questions include subject and verb agreement, verb tenses (especially "if" sentences), pronoun forms such as "me" and "I", prepositions that go with a verb ("comply with", "responsible for"), and word choice between close pairs such as "affect" and "effect".

How to prepare

1. Know which tests you are taking. Your invitation tells you whether you are sitting the supervised or the unsupervised version, and which skills the position needs. The commission's pages list the format of each (PSC).
2. Read workplace English every day. The texts are emails, memos, bulletins and report excerpts (PSC). Read your own organization's notices or public announcements and ask yourself what each one asks the reader to do.
3. Practice blanks by meaning first. Before looking at the options, guess the kind of word the blank needs: a verb, a linking word, a preposition. Then pick the option that fits both the meaning and the grammar.
4. Review the grammar that comes up most. Subject and verb agreement, tenses, pronouns, prepositions and easily confused words. Keep a short list of your own mistakes and review it.
5. Check error questions part by part. Read the full sentence once for meaning, then test each capitalized part on its own.
6. Practice at the real pace. The supervised tests allow up to 90 minutes for 60 or 65 questions, about a minute and a half a question (PSC, PSC). Take full timed mocks so the pace feels normal, then read every explanation, including for questions you got right.
7. Plan around the waiting period. The commission sets a 30-day wait before you can retake a test, and taking it again too early makes the result invalid (PSC). Prepare well before you sit it.

How scoring usually works

Results are given as a level, not a raw score. On the supervised tests, the commission turns the scored questions into a level (PSC, PSC):

• Reading (out of 50): X 0 to 17, A 18 to 27, B 28 to 37, C 38 to 44, and E (exemption) 45 to 50.
• Written expression (out of 55): X 0 to 19, A 20 to 30, B 31 to 42, C 43 to 51, and E 52 to 55.

X means below level A. E exempts you from further testing in that skill. The commission describes level B in reading as understanding most descriptive or factual work-related texts, and level C as understanding most complex details, inferences and fine points of meaning (PSC).

On the unsupervised online tests the result can be X, A, B or C, never E. Reading uses X 0 to 8, A 9 to 13, B 14 to 18 and C 19 to 25 (PSC); writing uses X 0 to 10, A 11 to 16, B 17 to 23 and C 24 to 30 (PSC). Each department chooses the level a position needs. For tests taken on or after September 1, 2022, the commission says results are valid for 5 years and can be used across the federal public service (PSC).

Our practice score is the number of our own questions you answered correctly, with a breakdown by question type, so you can see where to focus. It is a plain practice score: we never convert it to, or show it as, an A, B, C or E level, and it does not predict the level you will get.

Common mistakes on SLE-style questions

• Choosing the word that sounds formal. A longer or more formal word is not better if it does not fit the meaning of the sentence.
• Matching the verb to the nearest noun. In "the list of names is ready", the subject is "list", not "names".
• Reading the question before the text, then skimming. Detail questions often turn on a date, a condition or a word such as "only". Read the whole text once.
• Bringing in outside knowledge. The right answer is the one the text supports, even if another seems more likely in real life.
• Missing the tense of the whole sentence. Words such as "tomorrow", "last week" and "if" set the tense; check that every verb agrees with them.
• Spending too long on one blank. Make your best choice, flag it, and come back at the end.