Free ECL Practice Test: 50 Questions with Answers

How this practice test works

50 questions in two parts, like the ECL: 10 listening questions, then 40 reading questions.
30 seconds per question is the pace of the real test. Start the 25-minute timer if you want to work against the clock.
Your score by part and the explanation of every answer appear when you press Check my answers.
The voice is American English. Use headphones, and check the sound with the first recording.

0 of 50 answered

Part 1. Listening 10 questions

Press Play, listen, then choose the answer. In the real ECL you hear each recording once: try to answer after one listening.

Listen, then answer.
1How many tablets should the patient take in one day?
What you heard
The patient should take one tablet every eight hours.
B. Three A day has 24 hours. One tablet every 8 hours makes 3 tablets a day.
Listen, then answer.
2What does the woman say about the library?
What you heard
I'm afraid the library is closed until further notice.
A. It is closed, and no reopening date has been given. "Until further notice" means until a new announcement is made: nobody knows yet when it will open.
Listen, then answer.
3Choose the best answer.
What you heard
Do you know what time the dining facility opens?
B. At six thirty, I think. The question asks for a time, so the best answer gives one.
Listen, then answer.
4What does the man still have to do?
What you heard
Woman: Did you finish the report?
Man: Almost. I just need to check the figures one more time.
D. Check the numbers in the report. "The figures" are the numbers in the report. He has almost finished: he only needs to check them.
Listen, then answer.
5What happened?
What you heard
Private Kim arrived after the formation had already started.
A. Private Kim was late for the formation. Past perfect: the formation had started before he arrived, so he was late.
Listen, then answer.
6What does the woman mean?
What you heard
Man: I'm not sure I can finish this by Friday.
Woman: Don't worry. Take your time.
D. There is no need to hurry. "Take your time" means "do not hurry".
Listen, then answer.
7Where should the listener turn left?
What you heard
Go straight for two blocks, then turn left at the gas station. The clinic is on your right.
C. At the gas station "Go straight for two blocks, then turn left at the gas station."
Listen, then answer.
8Where is Lieutenant Brown?
What you heard
Man: Is Lieutenant Brown in her office?
Woman: She just stepped out. She'll be back in ten minutes.
C. She has left her office for a short time. "She just stepped out" means she left for a short time. She will be back in ten minutes.
Listen, then answer.
9Choose the best answer.
What you heard
What does your brother do?
C. He's a mechanic in the Air Force. "What does he do?" asks about a person's job.
Listen, then answer.
10What does the speaker advise?
What you heard
It's supposed to be cold and windy this afternoon, so bring your field jacket.
D. Bring warm clothing. Cold and windy weather: the speaker tells the listener to bring a field jacket, which is warm clothing.

Part 2. Reading 40 questions

Grammar, vocabulary and idioms in short sentences. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence or keeps its meaning.

11I would have called you if I _______ your number.
A. had had Third conditional: if + past perfect (had + past participle). The past participle of have is had: if I had had your number.
12I ______ to the airport tomorrow.
C. will go Simple future: will + the simple form of the verb (will go).
13He avoided _______ the journalist's question.
A. answering Avoid + gerund.
14I look forward to _______ from you soon.
A. hearing 'Look forward to' + gerund ('to' is a preposition here).
15My friend ______ yesterday.
C. graduated yesterday -> simple past.
16It is the _______ decision he has ever made.
A. worst Irregular superlative: bad → worse → the worst.
17_______ I in charge, I would change the schedule.
A. Were Formal inversion: 'Were I...' = 'If I were...'.
18We were just sitting down to dinner when the phone _____.
D. rang A past continuous action interrupted by a simple past tense verb. One thing was happening when something else happened.
19We are planning a big party. Would you like to participate?
A. be in on it Be in on = participate = be a part of = share in the activity
20There are too _______ mistakes in this report.
A. many Many + countable plural (mistakes).
21The recruits completed basic training. “Recruits” are:
A. newly enlisted soldiers Recruit = a person who has recently joined the armed forces.
22This is by far _______ route to the base.
A. the shortest Superlative with 'the': the shortest.
23Would you like a cookie with your coffee? A “cookie” is:
A. a small, flat, sweet baked treat Cookie (US) = biscuit (UK). In American English, a biscuit is a small soft bread roll.
24I enjoy _______ in the ocean early in the morning.
A. swimming Enjoy + gerund (-ing).
25If you had left the party early, we ______ never ______.
B. might / have met Third conditional with might.
26We had an _____ lesson yesterday. It was about biology.
B. interesting word form = interesting The lesson was interesting. The students were interested in the lesson.
27I do not remember _____ that decision. When was it made?
B. making Remember + -ing refers to a memory of something already done. With the infinitive it would mean not forgetting to do it.
28They will not qualify him because his ECL is still _____ 80.
D. under A number can be under (below) another number: his ECL score is under 80. The temperature is below zero.
29Before the war ______, the country had been prosperous.
B. broke out Narration in the past.
30Craig and I ______ to Ireland and ______ the famous Book of Kells.
D. went ... saw Two completed past actions.
31He _______ smoke, but he quit two years ago.
A. used to 'Used to + base verb' = past habit that has stopped.
32My mother _____ down the stairs three times this summer.
C. has fallen Irregular verb. Fall. Present perfect tense.
33I am not interested _____ studying English.
B. in fixed expression: to be interested in something
34What will you _____ tomorrow night?
B. do modal Put simple form after a modal. You will do what?
35It's time to hoist the flag.
C. raise Hoist is to raise something up in the air. You hoist a flag. A crane can hoist cargo.
36_____ he had trained for months, he failed the swimming test.
B. Even though Only even though can introduce a subject and a conjugated verb.
37“To relieve” a unit means:
A. to replace it in position To relieve a unit = to replace it with another unit in its position, so that it can rest or move elsewhere.
38I had breakfast quite early, then I ______ to the bus stop and caught the bus.
C. went A sequence of actions: simple past.
39_______ Pacific is the largest ocean in the world.
A. The Use the with oceans, seas and rivers: the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Nile.
40Blake is 17 years old. Neil is 18 years old. Craig is 16 years old.
C. Craig is younger than Neil. Craig (16) is younger than Neil (18). Neil is the oldest and Craig is the youngest.
41We ______ the flight tickets yet.
D. haven't booked yet goes with the present perfect negative.
42_____ for twelve hours, she still insisted on finishing the inspection.
C. Even though she had driven Even though introduces a full clause with a subject and a verb. Despite cannot.
43The success of the mission depends _______ accurate intelligence.
A. on Depend on something.
44Had I known the truth, I ______ differently.
C. would have acted Inversion (Had I known) = third conditional.
45The more you train, the _______ you become.
A. stronger Parallel comparative: 'The more..., the stronger...'.
46He _____ a large meal for his entire family yesterday.
C. cooked Regular verb past tense he cooked
47That new destroyer is awesome! “Awesome” means:
A. extremely impressive / excellent Awesome (US, informal) = great, excellent.
48The student fell asleep during the graduation speeches.
B. dropped off Drop off = fall asleep, often without meaning to.
49I can't go to the movies with you. I have to burn the midnight oil.
B. work late at night Burn the midnight oil = work or study late into the night.
50While you are taking the ECL tomorrow, I ______ your papers.
C. will be reading An action in progress at a future moment -> future progressive.

What to do with your score

Your result here is a percentage of correct answers, not an ECL score. Use it to choose what to study next:

Below 60%. Build the base first: read the grammar lessons and learn the ECL vocabulary by theme, then come back to this test in a week.
60% to 80%. Work on your weakest part: grammar practice, vocabulary practice or listening practice.
Above 80%. Take longer tests: the trainer has timed tests of 20, 40, 60 or 100 questions, close to the length of the real ECL.

Questions people ask

Is this the real ECL test?

No. The ECL is written and controlled by the Defense Language Institute English Language Center (DLIELC), and its forms are not public. These are original practice questions in the same style, to train the same skills.

How many questions are on the ECL?

The paper and online versions have 100 questions and take about 75 minutes. The computer-adaptive version, given only at the DLI campus, takes about 25 minutes on average because it chooses each question from your previous answers. How the ECL is built.

What is a passing score on the ECL?

There is no single passing score. The ECL is scored from 0 to 100 and each course sets its own minimum. Your training office can tell you the score for your course. ECL scores explained.

Is my percentage here an ECL score?

No. It shows how many of these 50 questions you answered correctly. Use it to follow your progress from one week to the next.