CEFR Multilevel · Guides · November 5, 2026 · 7 min read
CEFR Multilevel exam format 2026: every part of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
The CEFR Multilevel test is Uzbekistan’s national English exam, run by the Knowledge and Skills Assessment Agency (Bilim va malakalarni baholash agentligi, uzbmb.uz). One sitting places you at B1, B2 or C1, so you do not choose a level in advance: the same paper has easy, middle and hard tasks, and your result shows where you landed. Many people call the result the “national certificate” (milliy sertifikat) in English; officially it is a certificate of foreign language proficiency.
The test has four sections:
| Section | Parts | Questions | Time | Marked by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 6 | 35 | about 45 min (incl. transfer time) | computer |
| Reading | 5 | 35 | 60 min | computer |
| Writing | 3 tasks | — | 60 min | examiners |
| Speaking | 3 parts | 8 | about 15 min | examiners (recorded) |
On paper, Listening, Reading and Writing are taken together in one block of 2 hours 45 minutes, and Speaking follows separately. On computer, everything happens in one session. The agency decides the format and the venue.
Everything below follows the agency’s published format as checked on 5 November 2026. Two parts changed recently, and many prep books and Telegram channels still describe the old versions: Speaking moved to the current 8-question format in autumn 2024, and Writing changed in October 2025. If a source talks about a 250-word essay or a 0–9 Writing band, it is out of date.
Listening: 6 parts, 35 questions
Each recording is played twice, and you get 15–30 seconds to read the questions first.
- Part 1 (8 questions). You hear the first line of a short conversation (5–10 seconds) and choose the best reply or continuation from three options. Listen for function: is the speaker inviting, complaining, apologising? “Would you mind closing the window?” needs “Not at all”, not “Yes, I would”.
- Part 2 (6 questions). A 2–3 minute monologue on an everyday topic. Fill gaps with one word and/or a number. Spelling counts, so practise dates, prices and names spelled out letter by letter.
- Part 3 (4 questions). Four speakers talk for about 30 seconds each. Match each speaker to one of six statements; two are extra. Speakers often mention the wrong option first and then reject it.
- Part 4 (5 questions). A 2–3 minute talk or conversation with eight options, three of them extra. In published mock tests this is usually a map or plan: you label places with letters. Learn direction language: opposite, next to, at the far end, turn left after the bridge.
- Part 5 (6 questions). Three dialogues of about one minute, two multiple-choice questions each (three options). The questions test attitude and implied meaning, not just facts.
- Part 6 (6 questions). A lecture of about three minutes with a gap-fill of one word and/or a number. This is the hardest Listening part, and it separates B2 from C1.
Reading: 5 parts, 35 questions, 60 minutes
- Part 1 (6 gaps). A short article of about 150 words with six gaps; write one word in each. These are grammar words more often than not: articles, prepositions, auxiliaries, linkers (which, although, since).
- Part 2 (8 questions). Eight short descriptions of people or situations and ten short texts such as adverts or notices; two texts are extra. Underline every condition in the description (“needs a weekend course”, “cannot travel far”) and check that the text meets all of them.
- Part 3 (6 questions). An article of about 600 words: choose a heading for each paragraph from eight options, two of them extra. The heading summarises the whole paragraph, not one sentence in it.
- Part 4 (9 questions). An article of about 600 words: four multiple-choice questions with four options, then five True / False / Not Given statements. “Not Given” means the text says nothing either way — not that you disagree.
- Part 5 (6 questions). An article of about 600 words: a four-gap summary (one word or a number from the text), then two multiple-choice questions.
A sensible time plan is roughly 8 minutes for Part 1, 10 for Part 2, 12 each for Parts 3–5, and a few minutes at the end to transfer and check answers.
Writing: the new format (since October 2025), 60 minutes
Tasks 1.1 and 1.2 share one stimulus: a business-style email of 50–80 words from a club, school or company that raises three points you must react to.
| Task | Target level | What you write | Length | Suggested time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | B1 | an informal message to a friend about your feelings and plans | about 50 words | 25 min for 1.1 and 1.2 together | 0–5 |
| 1.2 | B2 | a formal letter to the manager: a complaint, suggestion or request | 120–150 words | 0–5 | |
| 2 | C1 | a blog post, forum post or magazine article on a general topic, with a clear position and examples | 180–200 words | about 35 min | 0–6 |
Examiners mark each task holistically for task achievement, grammar, vocabulary, organisation, and spelling and punctuation. A score of 3–4 means you met the task’s target level; 5 (6 for Task 2) means you were above it. Writing too little costs marks, and in Task 1.1 a text of 24 words or fewer, or one that makes no sense, gets 0.
A short example of Task 1.1. Suppose the email from your sports club says the Saturday training is moving to Sunday mornings:
Hi Aziz, did you see the club’s email? Training is moving to Sunday at 8 a.m.! I’m a bit annoyed because I help my dad at the market on Sundays. I’m going to ask if there’s an evening group instead. Do you want to come with me on Friday to talk to the coach?
That is 56 words, informal, with a feeling (annoyed), a reason and a plan. Task 1.2 would then use the same facts in a polite formal letter to the club manager. More on how the marks turn into a level is in Multilevel scores and levels.
Speaking: 8 questions, about 15 minutes, recorded
You speak to a computer, and the recording is marked later by examiners.
| Part | Questions | Level | Task | Preparation | Speaking time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | 1–3 | A1–A2 | three questions about you: home, family, friends, free time | none | 30 s each |
| 1.2 | 4–6 | B1 | two photos on one theme: describe and compare (Q4), then two opinion questions | none | 45 s for Q4, 30 s each for Q5–6 |
| 2 | 7 | B2 | one photo and three questions shown together; you do not need to describe the photo | 1 min | 2 min for all three |
| 3 | 8 | C1 | a statement with a FOR / AGAINST table; use two points from each column and give a balanced argument | 1 min | 2 min |
Examples from the agency’s sample materials include “walking vs driving” in Part 1.2, “a critical decision you have made” in Part 2 and “Citizens should be allowed to carry personal guns” in Part 3. Parts 1.1, 1.2 and 2 are each scored 0–5 and Part 3 is scored 0–6. An off-topic or memorised answer can score 0, so prepared scripts are a real risk.
Two habits help most:
- Fill the time. In Part 1.1 you have 30 seconds: answer, give a reason, add an example. “I live in Chirchiq, about forty minutes from Tashkent. It’s quiet, which I like, but there isn’t much for young people to do in the evenings.” That takes about 12 seconds; keep going.
- Answer all three questions in Part 2. Candidates often spend 90 seconds on the first question and run out of time. Plan roughly 40 seconds per question during the minute of preparation.
Practical details
- Registration is through my.gov.uz, and sessions follow the agency’s schedule at uzbmb.uz, usually several times a year. The fee is set by government regulation as a multiple of the base calculation amount, so check the current amount on my.gov.uz before you pay.
- Results are usually announced about a week after the exam; the certificate with a QR code arrives through my.gov.uz.
- Validity is two years for the certificate.
How to use this
Read the format once, then work part by part. Our preparation plan suggests an order. Before you start, try one full section under timed conditions in our Multilevel mock tests to see which part costs you the most marks. If you are still deciding between this exam and IELTS, read Multilevel vs IELTS.
Nomto is an independent preparation platform and is not affiliated with the Knowledge and Skills Assessment Agency of Uzbekistan. Our scores are estimates, not official results.