Unlock hundreds more features
Save your Quiz to the Dashboard
View and Export Results
Use AI to Create Quizzes and Analyse Results

Sign inSign in with Facebook
Sign inSign in with Google

Test Your Skills with Our Free ESL 154 Practice Test

Think you can ace this ESL exam practice test? Dive into English practice now!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for ESL practice test quiz on dark blue background

Use this free ESL practice test to prepare for the ESL 154 exam with realistic grammar, vocabulary, and reading items. In minutes, you'll see where you're strong and what to review next, so you can focus your study time and walk in with confidence.

Choose the correct article: ____ apple a day keeps the doctor away.
The
No article
A
An
We use 'an' before words starting with a vowel sound; 'apple' starts with a vowel. This construction is standard for general statements about health. See more at .
She ____ to school every day.
go
going
gone
goes
In the simple present for third-person singular subjects, we add -es to the base verb: 'go' becomes 'goes'. For details, see .
Select the plural form: One cat, two ____.
cates
cat
cats
caties
Most English nouns form the plural by adding -s: 'cat' becomes 'cats'. Irregular nouns differ, but 'cat' is regular. See more at .
The cat is ____ the table.
between
on
under
in
We use 'on' to indicate an object resting atop something else. Here the cat rests on the surface of the table. More on prepositions at .
Yesterday I ____ a letter to my friend.
wrote
written
writed
write
The past simple of 'write' is the irregular form 'wrote'. Regular verbs add -ed, but 'write' is irregular. See irregular verb list at .
They ____ happy with the results.
is
was
am
are
For plural subjects like 'they', we use the plural verb 'are' in the present tense. Subject-verb agreement rules confirm this. More at .
Can I have some ____, please?
water
books
chairs
apples
'Water' is an uncountable noun and we use 'some' with uncountables in requests. Countable nouns would require 'some apples'. See .
John and Mary went to ____ house together.
theirs
his
their
her
We use the possessive adjective 'their' before a noun: 'their house'. 'Theirs' replaces the noun. See pronouns at .
Choose the opposite of 'hot'.
cold
cool
heat
warm
'Cold' is the antonym of 'hot'. 'Warm' and 'cool' are related but not direct opposites. For antonyms see .
Select the synonym of 'big'.
large
narrow
short
tiny
'Large' is a synonym of 'big', meaning of considerable size. Synonyms help vary vocabulary. More at .
I ____ like coffee in the morning.
doesn't
don't
didn't
not
With 'I' in the present simple negative, we use 'don't'. 'Doesn't' is for third-person singular. See negatives at .
I go to bed ____ 10 pm every night.
in
on
by
at
We use 'at' for specific times: 'at 10 pm'. 'On' is for days, 'in' for months or years. More on time prepositions at .
If it rains tomorrow, I ____ inside.
will stay
stay
stayed
would stay
In a first conditional sentence, we use 'will' + base verb for the result: 'will stay'. The if-clause uses present simple. See .
Which word is a preposition?
quickly
under
happy
and
'Under' is a preposition indicating position. 'Quickly' is an adverb, 'happy' an adjective, and 'and' a conjunction. More at .
She is ____ than her sister.
more tall
tallest
most tall
taller
One-syllable adjectives form comparatives with -er: 'tall' -> 'taller'. 'Tallest' is the superlative. See .
He has ____ books than I do.
less
more
many
much
We use 'more' for countable nouns in comparisons: 'more books'. 'Many' describes quantity, not comparison. More at .
When I arrived, he ____ dinner.
had cooked
cooked
was cooking
cooking
Past continuous describes an ongoing action interrupted by another in the past: 'was cooking'. The simple past would not show the interruption. See .
I ____ here since 9 am.
had been
was
am
have been
We use the present perfect continuous to express duration from the past until now: 'have been'. 'Had been' is past perfect. More at .
To 'turn down' an invitation means to ____ it.
accept
refuse
postpone
arrange
The phrasal verb 'turn down' means to refuse or reject something. It's commonly used with invitations or offers. More examples at .
When she was young, she ____ swim across the lake.
would
could
must
should
We use 'could' to express ability in the past. 'Should' suggests advice, not ability. See modal verbs at .
She decided ____ early to avoid traffic.
left
leaving
to leave
leave
After the verb 'decide', we use the infinitive form: 'to leave'. Gerunds aren't used after 'decide'. More at .
The book ____ I borrowed was fascinating.
which
whose
whom
that
In defining relative clauses, we often omit 'that' but it's correct here. 'Which' is possible in non-defining clauses, but 'that' is standard in defining contexts. See .
Do you know ____ the meeting starts?
when
does when
does
when does
In indirect questions, we use the question word + subject + verb: 'when the meeting starts'. We drop the auxiliary 'does'. More at .
There aren't ____ people in the room.
a lot
much
many
lot of
'Many' is used with countable plural nouns in negative sentences. 'Much' is for uncountables. See .
She sings ____ than her sister.
beautiful
more beautiful
more beautifully
beautifuler
Adjectives become adverbs with -ly: 'beautifully'. Comparatives add 'more'. Hence 'more beautifully'. See .
He studied hard ____ he passed the exam.
although
so that
but
because
'So that' expresses purpose: he studied hard so that he could pass. 'Because' explains reason and would reverse the clause order. More at .
If I were rich, I ____ a yacht.
bought
will buy
buys
would buy
The second conditional uses 'if' + past simple and 'would' + base verb. 'Would buy' is correct. See .
He said he ____ tired after the trip.
was
were
will be
is
In reported speech, the past simple 'was' remains 'was'. The present 'is' backshifts to 'was'. More at .
By next year, I ____ my degree.
completed
have completed
will complete
will have completed
The future perfect uses 'will have' + past participle to express completion before a future time. 'Will have completed' is correct. See .
The cake ____ by Mary yesterday.
has baked
was baked
baked
is baked
We form the passive of simple past with 'was' + past participle: 'was baked'. This emphasizes the action over the agent. More at .
We don't need ____ advice; we're experts.
much
lots
a lot
many
'Advice' is uncountable, so we use 'much'. 'Many' is for countable nouns. See .
You are coming, ____?
didn't you
don't you
won't you
aren't you
Tag questions repeat the auxiliary and subject in negative form when the main clause is positive: 'aren't you'. For more see .
If I ____ known, I would have acted differently.
would have
had
have
knew
The third conditional uses 'if' + past perfect ('had known') and 'would have' + past participle. It refers to unreal past events. See .
It's essential that he ____ present at the meeting.
is
be
will be
was
In the mandative subjunctive after expressions like 'essential', we use the base form 'be'. No 'to' or tense change. More at .
It was John ____ the window last night.
who broke
that broke
which broke
whose broke
Cleft sentences emphasize a particular element using 'It was... who'. 'Who broke' correctly refers to a person. See .
Rarely ____ he seen such chaos.
has
was
does
had
Inversion occurs after negative adverbs like 'rarely': 'Rarely has he seen'. The auxiliary precedes the subject. More at .
'Bring up' can mean to ____ something.
mention
dismiss
return
deliver
The phrasal verb 'bring up' means to mention a topic. It also can mean to raise children, but 'mention' fits here. More at .
To 'hit the sack' means to ____.
go to sleep
exercise
eat quickly
work hard
The idiom 'hit the sack' means to go to sleep. It's informal and common in spoken English. See idioms at .
If she ____ earlier, she would be here by now.
left
would leave
would have left
had left
This mixed conditional uses past perfect in the if-clause and present conditional result. 'Had left' + 'would be'. See mixed conditionals at .
He arrived ____ time despite the delay.
at
in
on
by
We say 'in time' to mean early enough or before a deadline. 'On time' means punctually at the scheduled moment. See .
She made a quick decision can be nominalized as 'She made a ____.'
rapidly decide
quickly deciding
fast decide
quick decision
Nominalization is forming a noun: here 'quick decision' instead of 'decided quickly'. It creates a concise noun phrase. See nominalization at .
The man ____ car was stolen reported it to the police.
that
who
whose
which
'Whose' is the relative pronoun indicating possession: 'whose car'. 'Who' refers to persons, not possession. See .
At 8 pm tomorrow, I ____ dinner with friends.
will be having
have
will have
am having
The future continuous expresses an action in progress at a future time: 'will be having'. 'Will have' is future perfect simple. More at .
She is ____ university student.
a
an
no article
the
We use 'a' before consonant sounds. 'University' starts with a /ju?/ consonant sound. 'An' would be incorrect. See .
He told me ____ not to be late.
not to go
not to be
not be
don't be
In reported speech, 'Don't be late' becomes 'told me not to be late'. We use the infinitive with 'not'. More at .
Which is the correct collocation?
make a decision
have a decision
take a decision
do a decision
'Make a decision' is the common collocation in American English; 'take a decision' is British. 'Do' or 'have' aren't used. See collocations at .
I can dance and she ____ too.
can
does
did
will
In parallel structures, we repeat the auxiliary: 'I can... and she can too'. We drop the main verb. More at .
You ____ finish this on time.
should
do
have
must
'Must' expresses obligation or necessity. 'Do' cannot indicate obligation here. See modal verbs at .
Which noun is derived from the verb 'act' to describe a performance?
acting
action
actment
actor
The agent noun formed from 'act' is 'actor', denoting a person performing. 'Action' denotes the process or result. See word formation at .
Identify the error: 'Having finished my work, the TV was turned on.'
Subject-verb disagreement
Dangling participle
Misplaced modifier
Wrong tense
The participle phrase 'Having finished my work' improperly modifies 'the TV'. This is a dangling participle. See .
What's the key semantic difference between 'say' and 'tell'?
Say is only for statements
Say always quotes speech
Tell never uses quotation marks
Tell requires an object
'Tell' requires a listener object: 'tell someone'. 'Say' can stand alone. This is a fundamental verb distinction. See .
Which is British usage for weekend?
at the weekend
by the weekend
on the weekend
in the weekend
British English uses 'at the weekend', while American English prefers 'on the weekend'. Prepositional differences are common. See .
Select the sentence free of a dangling modifier.
While driving home, I saw a deer.
While driving home, a deer grazed nearby.
Running quickly, the finish line appeared.
Having cooked dinner, the bell rang.
The subject 'I' correctly performs the action in 'While driving home, I saw a deer.' The others misattach the participle. More at .
0
{"name":"Choose the correct article: ____ apple a day keeps the doctor away.", "url":"https://www.quiz-maker.com/QPREVIEW","txt":"Choose the correct article: ____ apple a day keeps the doctor away., She ____ to school every day., Select the plural form: One cat, two ____.","img":"https://www.quiz-maker.com/3012/images/ogquiz.png"}

Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Key Grammar Concepts -

    After taking this ESL practice test, you'll grasp essential grammar rules and sentence structures commonly tested on the ESL 154 exam.

  2. Apply Vocabulary Effectively -

    You will expand and accurately use academic and everyday vocabulary in context, boosting your confidence for the ESL exam practice test.

  3. Analyze Reading Comprehension -

    You'll learn to identify main ideas, infer meaning, and answer questions on passages similar to those in a real ESL test practice scenario.

  4. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses -

    This free ESL practice test helps you pinpoint areas of proficiency and topics needing improvement for targeted study.

  5. Interpret Exam-Style Questions -

    You'll become familiar with the format and expectations of different question types on the ESL 154 exam practice test.

  6. Develop Effective Test Strategies -

    You'll acquire proven techniques for time management, educated guessing, and stress reduction to maximize your ESL test practice performance.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Subject-Verb Agreement -

    Mastering subject-verb agreement ensures your sentences are grammatically correct, whether you say "He runs" or "They run." Purdue OWL recommends reviewing singular and plural forms to avoid common mistakes on an esl exam practice test. Practice by identifying subjects and matching them with the proper verb endings in an online english as a second language practice test.

  2. Mastering Tenses -

    Understanding when to use present simple vs. present continuous can boost accuracy on any esl practice test; for example, "I eat" vs. "I am eating." Cambridge ESOL suggests the mnemonic "SIMPP" (Simple, Imperfect, More Perfect, Perfect Progressive) to recall key English tenses. Try timed drills that switch between past perfect ("had + past participle") and future forms in an esl test practice.

  3. Effective Article Usage -

    Knowing when to use "a/an" versus "the" is crucial for clarity - use "a/an" for general references and "the" for specific items. The British Council recommends the mnemonic "A for Any, The for That" to remember this rule during an esl example test. Consistent practice by filling gaps in sentences on an english as a second language practice test will solidify your skills.

  4. Vocabulary Building with Spaced Repetition -

    Expanding your word bank is key to success on an esl exam practice test; Oxford University Press research shows that spaced repetition helps retention. Create digital flashcards and review them at increasing intervals to move new words into long-term memory. Incorporate vocabulary from sample prompts in your esl practice test to see words in real contexts.

  5. Reading Comprehension Strategies -

    Applying the SQ3R method (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) can improve scanning and detailed reading skills for any esl practice test. University of Michigan studies highlight that previewing headings and skimming first reduces anxiety and saves time. Practice these steps on passages from a free esl example test to build speed and confidence.

Powered by: Quiz Maker