STEP English test strategies: grammar, reading and listening

STEP at a glance

Source: ETEC STEP test page, checked 7 October 2026. ETEC's page does not state the number of questions or the test length; check your booking confirmation. Changes to a booking are possible up to 48 hours before the test. Calculators are not allowed.

Worked grammar examples: the errors Arabic speakers make most

Original practice items. Choose the correct option, then read why.

1. 'She has lived in Jeddah ...... 2019.' (a) for (b) since (c) from (d) at. Answer (b). 'Since' goes with a point in time (2019); 'for' goes with a length of time (for six years). The present perfect 'has lived' signals a situation continuing to now.
2. 'One of the students ...... absent today.' (a) are (b) were (c) is (d) be. Answer (c). The subject is 'one', which is singular; 'of the students' does not change it.
3. 'He is ...... honest man.' (a) a (b) an (c) the (d) no article. Answer (b). 'Honest' starts with a vowel sound because the h is silent, so 'an'. Articles depend on sound, not spelling.
4. 'If I ...... more time, I would join the club.' (a) have (b) had (c) will have (d) would have. Answer (b). The second conditional uses the past simple in the if-clause and 'would' in the result clause.
5. 'The book ...... I borrowed was excellent.' (a) who (b) which (c) whom (d) whose. Answer (b). 'Which' (or 'that') refers to things; 'who' and 'whom' refer to people.

Worked reading example

Passage: 'Many students believe that rereading their notes is the best way to revise. Research on memory suggests otherwise: testing yourself, even when you get answers wrong, tends to produce stronger recall than rereading. The effort of retrieving information appears to be what makes it stick.' Question: According to the passage, why does self-testing help? (a) It is faster than rereading. (b) The effort of remembering strengthens memory. (c) Students enjoy it more. (d) It prevents wrong answers.

1. Read the question first: it asks for a reason ('why').
2. Find the sentence that gives a reason: 'The effort of retrieving information appears to be what makes it stick.'
3. Match the meaning, not the words: option (b) paraphrases that sentence.
4. Eliminate: speed (a) and enjoyment (c) are never mentioned, and (d) contradicts 'even when you get answers wrong'. Answer (b).

Common mistakes

• Reading every word of a passage slowly before looking at the questions, then running out of time.
• Choosing a reading option because it repeats words from the passage, when its meaning is different.
• Dropping or adding 'the' by translating from Arabic, which uses the definite article differently.
• Using the present simple for continuing situations: 'I live here since 2019' instead of 'I have lived here since 2019'.
• Prepositions that do not map onto Arabic: 'interested in', 'good at', 'depend on', 'married to'.
• Stopping to replay a missed listening detail in your head and missing the next one. Let it go and keep listening.

A four-week routine and how lessons help

STEP runs digitally all year, so you can choose a test date and plan backwards. A workable routine for four weeks: 20 minutes of grammar a day on one structure at a time, three timed reading passages a week, and 15 minutes of listening a day to recorded English such as news reports or lectures, checking a transcript afterwards. In the last week, do two full timed practice sessions and review every error by type.

In one-to-one lessons the tutor starts with a short diagnostic of grammar, reading and listening, then teaches the structures your child gets wrong most often and has them explain each answer before moving on. Reading lessons build the question-first method and speed. Because STEP is an English test, our English tutors can prepare students for it directly, and families can state an accent preference when booking. Explanations of difficult grammar in Arabic are possible with Arabic-speaking tutors, who are available for some subjects; ask when you book.

Self-check

• Correct this: 'He don't like coffee.' (Answer: He doesn't like coffee.)
• Fill the gap: 'I have studied English ...... six years.' (Answer: for)
• Choose: 'This is the ...... (good / better / best) result in the class.' (Answer: best)
• Correct this: 'The informations are useful.' (Answer: The information is useful; 'information' is uncountable.)
• Explain the difference between 'a university' and 'an umbrella'. (Answer: the first word starts with a 'y' sound, the second with a vowel sound)