What components does Aptis Advanced have?

Aptis Advanced has 6 components: Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. Grammar and Vocabulary are combined into a single 25-minute section. The other components are timed separately. Total exam length is about 2 to 3 hours.

What's a typical Aptis Reading question?

Reading has 4 parts: Part 1 (sentence comprehension, fill the gap), Part 2 (text cohesion, drag words into a paragraph), Part 3 (text matching, match opinions to people), Part 4 (long text, multiple-choice on detail and inference). Total 35 minutes.

How realistic are these samples vs the actual exam?

The samples follow the official British Council format published in the Aptis Advanced specification. Question style, length and difficulty match the real exam. They are sample questions written for practice purposes — not leaked questions.

Aptis Advanced exam samples — All components in one place

Aptis Advanced at a glance

Component	Time	Items	Format
Grammar & Vocabulary	25 min	50 items	Multiple choice + matching
Reading	35 min	4 parts	Gap-fill, drag-and-drop, matching, MCQ
Listening	35 min	4 parts	Audio + MCQ
Speaking	12 min	4 parts	Recorded into a computer
Writing	55 min	4 parts	Typed into a computer

1. Grammar — sample question

Choose the correct option.

"By the time we arrived, the meeting __________ for over an hour."

was going on
had been going on ✅
has been going on
would go on

Why "had been going on": we need past perfect continuous because the action started before another past moment ("by the time we arrived") and was still in progress.

2. Vocabulary — sample question (collocation)

Choose the word that best fits.

"The team was praised for the way they __________ the crisis under enormous pressure."

did
made
handled ✅
got

Why "handled": the C1 collocation is "handle a crisis" / "handle pressure". A B2 candidate often picks "did" or "managed", which sound off.

3. Reading — sample (Part 4 inference)

Text excerpt:

"Although the report was officially welcomed by the board, several members later admitted, off the record, that they had concerns about how its findings would be implemented in practice. The CEO's silence on the matter, normally a sign of agreement, did little to reassure them."

Question: What does the writer suggest about the board's reaction to the report?

The board fully supported the report.
The board's public reaction differed from their private one. ✅
The CEO disagreed with the report openly.
The board rejected the report.

Why B: "officially welcomed" + "off the record… concerns" sets up the public/private contrast. C1 reading rewards detecting that implicit gap.

4. Listening — sample (Part 3 attitude)

Audio (transcript):

"I won't say I told you so, but… the new system was supposed to make our lives easier, and now I'm spending half my Monday morning untangling what it did over the weekend."

Question: How does the speaker feel about the new system?

Enthusiastic
Neutral
Frustrated, with a hint of "I knew this would happen" ✅
Pleased with the time savings

Why C: "I won't say I told you so, but…" is the giveaway phrase. C1 listening expects you to read tone, not just facts.

5. Speaking

Speaking has 4 parts: 30-45-second responses (Parts 1-3) plus a 2-minute integrated discussion (Part 4). Full samples and tips on a dedicated page:

→ Aptis Speaking samples

6. Writing

Writing has 4 parts including a formal + informal email pair on the same situation. Annotated C1 samples with what makes a B2 vs C1 answer:

→ Aptis Writing samples (C1)

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