CEFR Multilevel · Guides · November 5, 2026 · 5 min read
How to prepare for the Multilevel exam: an 8-week plan with daily tasks and mock tests
This plan assumes you have about eight weeks and 60–90 minutes a day, and that you are somewhere between B1 and B2 now. If you have less time, there is a three-week version at the end. The plan is built around one fact about the exam: your level is the average of four sections, each scored 0–75, so a weak section costs you far more than a strong section earns. (The numbers are explained in Multilevel scores and levels.)
Before you start: one diagnostic mock
Do one full mock test under real timing before you study anything. Listening and Reading take about 1 hour 45 minutes together; do Writing (60 minutes) and Speaking (15 minutes) on the same day or the next. Our Multilevel mock tests mark Listening and Reading against the answer key and give an approximate 0–75 score for Writing and Speaking.
Write down four numbers. Then answer three questions:
- Which section is lowest? That is your main project.
- In Listening and Reading, which part loses the most marks? (Often Listening Part 6 and Reading Part 4.)
- In Writing and Speaking, did you finish every task in time? Unfinished tasks are the easiest marks to win back.
Weeks 1–2: format and foundations
Goal: no surprises on exam day and no lost marks from misunderstanding instructions.
- Daily (20 min): one Listening part and one Reading part, alternating so that you cover all eleven parts in the first week. Read the exam format first so you know what each part tests.
- Daily (15 min): vocabulary from your mistakes. Keep a notebook with three columns: the word or phrase, the sentence where you met it, your own new sentence.
- Three times a week (20 min): Writing Task 1.1 and 1.2 from one stimulus. Time yourself: 25 minutes for both.
- Speaking, every day (10 min): Part 1.1 questions about you. Record, listen back, and check that each answer fills the 30 seconds with an answer + reason + example.
Common trap: in Listening Parts 2 and 6, write exactly what you hear, spelled correctly. Practise numbers and dates aloud: “the fifteenth of March”, “two hundred and forty”, “nineteen ninety-eight”.
Weeks 3–4: the expensive parts
Goal: fix the parts that separate B1 from B2.
- Listening Part 4 (map or plan) and Part 5 (attitude questions). For maps, say the route aloud before the audio starts: “entrance at the bottom, café on the left…”. For Part 5, listen for the speaker’s opinion words: to be honest, I wasn’t expecting, it’s not that bad.
- Reading Part 3 (headings) and Part 4 (True/False/Not Given). For headings, read the first two and the last sentence of each paragraph and summarise it in five words before you look at the options. For T/F/NG, find the exact sentence in the text and compare it word by word; if you cannot find any sentence about the statement, the answer is probably Not Given.
- Writing Task 2 (blog post, forum post or article, 180–200 words, 35 minutes). Use a four-paragraph shape: a hook and your position; first reason with an example; second reason or a counter-argument you answer; a short conclusion that speaks to the reader. Write two a week.
- Speaking Part 1.2: compare two photos for 45 seconds. Use comparison language: whereas, while the first shows…, both photos, the main difference is….
A short model opening for a Task 2 blog post on “Should young people work while they study?”:
Most of my friends have a part-time job, and I used to think it was a waste of study time. After a year of working weekends at a café, I’ve changed my mind — but only up to a point.
It sets a personal, readable tone that suits a blog, states a position and promises a nuance. That is what C1-level task achievement looks like.
Weeks 5–6: timing and stamina
Goal: everything done inside the time, with time to check.
- One full section per day under exam timing, rotating: Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking, then repeat.
- Speaking Part 2 and Part 3. In Part 2 you have one minute to prepare three answers and two minutes to give them; divide them roughly 40/40/40 seconds and say “Moving on to the second question…” so the examiner hears the structure. In Part 3 choose two points FOR and two AGAINST in the minute of preparation and finish with your own view in one sentence.
- Writing review. Reread your last six texts and list your three most frequent mistakes (often articles, verb tenses and missing commas after linkers). Check for those three every time.
Try a second full mock at the end of week 6. Compare the four numbers with your first mock. If one section has not moved, give it half of your study time in weeks 7–8.
Weeks 7–8: mocks and polish
- Two full mock tests a week apart, under real conditions: one sitting for Listening, Reading and Writing, then Speaking.
- After each mock, spend as long reviewing as you spent taking it. For every wrong answer in Listening and Reading, write why you chose it: misheard, didn’t know a word, ran out of time, misread the question.
- Last three days: light work only. One Listening part, one Reading part, one Speaking practice a day. Sleep matters more than one more mock.
If you only have three weeks
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | One diagnostic mock; then the format of every part, one part of Listening and Reading a day; Writing 1.1 + 1.2 every other day |
| 2 | Your weakest section every day; Writing Task 2 three times; Speaking Parts 2 and 3 daily with a timer |
| 3 | Two full mocks; error review; light practice in the last two days |
Mistakes we see most often
- Learning a speech for Speaking. Memorised or off-topic answers can score 0. Learn useful phrases, not scripts.
- Writing too little in Task 1.1. About 50 words is the target; a very short message is penalised.
- Using informal language in Task 1.2. “Hey, your new rule is bad” will not reach B2. Start with “I am writing regarding…” and end with “I look forward to your reply.”
- Studying old-format material. Since October 2025 there is no 250-word essay and no 0–9 Writing band. If a book or video uses them, it predates the current exam.
- Ignoring the weakest section. A rise from 40 to 55 in Writing moves your average more than a rise from 60 to 70 in Reading.
If you are still choosing between this exam and IELTS, read Multilevel vs IELTS before you commit to a date.
Nomto is independent and not affiliated with the Knowledge and Skills Assessment Agency of Uzbekistan. Mock test scores on Nomto are approximate estimates, not official results.