Free study guide
How to prepare for the MET
What every part tests, how to spend your time, the mistakes that cost points — and original model answers for writing and speaking. Read a section, then practise that part straight away.
Section guides
One guide for each skill
Each guide follows the real part order, with tips for every part and the habits that lift your level.
- Free practice
Listening
3 parts · about 35 min
Understand everyday and academic English that you hear only once.
- Short conversations
- Longer conversations
- Talks
TipRead the question and options on screen while the conversation plays. They tell you what to listen for.
Read the listening guide → - Free practice
Reading & Grammar
3 parts · about 65 min
Grammar in context, then single passages and sets of related texts.
- Grammar
- Single passage
- Multiple texts
TipRead the whole sentence first. Time words (yesterday, since, by next year) and linking words (although, unless) usually decide the answer.
Read the reading & grammar guide → - AI-rated
Writing
2 tasks · about 45 min
Three short answers, then a multi-paragraph essay with an opinion.
- Three short answers
- Essay
TipAnswer the question directly in your first sentence, then add a reason or a detail. One-word answers are too short.
Read the writing guide → - AI-rated
Speaking
5 tasks · about 10 min
Five short tasks: describe, tell, give an opinion, weigh up, persuade.
- Describe a picture
- Personal experience
- Personal opinion
- Advantages and disadvantages
- Persuade an authority figure
TipStart with one sentence about the whole scene: where it is and what is happening in general.
Read the speaking guide →
Model answers
See what a strong answer looks like
Written for this site, with notes on why each one works. Read for structure — don’t memorise.
- 4 writing
- 5 speaking
“This picture shows a busy train station platform in the morning. The clock says it’s nearly a quarter to eleven, and the board shows a train to the city centre at 10:45, so the train on the right is probably about to leave.”
- Starts with the big picture (where and when), then moves around the scene in order from left to right.
- Reads the small details — the clock, the departures board — and connects them into a little story.
- Uses present continuous for actions and place phrases (on the left, next to, behind, in the middle).
Strong answer (around B2)
Official samples vs our mocks
Official digital sample tests: see the real screens
Michigan Language Assessment’s free digital sample tests run in the same computer interface as the real MET — the screens, buttons and timers. Try one before test day so nothing on screen surprises you. They open on the official site; we do not copy their questions.
No score, no rating. They show you the questions only: there is no score at the end, and your speaking and writing are not rated. To find out what you would score, take one of our mock tests — listening and reading are scored automatically, and speaking and writing are rated by AI against the official criteria.
Take a scored mock test| What you get | Official sample tests | Our mock tests |
|---|---|---|
| Questions in the official format | Yes | Yes |
| The real computer screens | Yes | Close to it |
| Timed sections in the official order | Yes | Yes |
| A score at the end | No | Yes |
| Speaking and writing rated against the criteria | No | Yes |
Test day
The week before, and on the day
The week before
- Take one full mock test in the official order to practise keeping focus for the whole test.
- Stop learning new material in the last two days — review your notes and mistakes instead.
- Check your booking: time, test centre address, and the ID you must bring.
On the day
- Sleep well and arrive early so you are not rushing.
- Keep an eye on the timer in each section and leave no question unanswered — guessing is not penalised.
- In Listening, read the question while the recording plays; you will hear it only once.
- In Speaking, keep talking until the time ends. Nerves are normal; slow down and breathe.
Free official resources
Michigan Language Assessment publishes free preparation material on its website. Our guides are written in our own words and our questions and model answers are original — for the official versions, use these links.
- MET Speaking Resource Pack ↗Official guide to the five speaking tasks and how they are rated.
- MET Writing Resource Pack ↗Official writing guide with rated sample responses and examiner comments.
- A Guide to MET for Test Takers ↗Section overviews, study tips and a readiness checklist.
- MET Test Taker Handbook ↗Test format, scoring, booking and test-day rules.
- MET preparation page ↗Official sample tests, speaking examples and videos.
- MET preparation videos ↗Short official videos on each section and key skills.
Ready?
Find your score in every skill
Preparation topics
Answer your next preparation question.
MET for Australian Visas: Home Affairs Score Requirements & Retake Rules
Check the Australian Department of Home Affairs 0–80 MET score requirements for Vocational, Competent and Proficient English (from 7 August 2025), single-section retake rules, and preparation tips.
Read the guide →MET Speaking Task 1: How to Describe a Picture in 60 Seconds
Learn how to structure MET Speaking Task 1 (Describe a picture, 60 seconds, no separate prep timer) with spatial order, present continuous action verbs, and original sample prompts.
Read the guide →MET Speaking Task 5: How to Persuade an Authority Figure in 90 Seconds
Master MET Speaking Task 5 (Stage 2, 90 seconds): how to address a manager, professor, or director politely, present two practical reasons, and propose a workable compromise.
Read the guide →How MET AI Feedback Works for Writing and Speaking Practice
Understand how AI feedback helps with MET Writing and Speaking practice: official 0–4 analytic criteria, 0–80 section score and CEFR estimates, sentence-level corrections, and honest limits.
Read the guide →Free MET Study Material, Official Sample Tests & 4-Week Plan
Organize your Michigan English Test (MET) preparation with official digital sample test links, skill-by-skill drills, timing rules, and a realistic 4-week study routine.
Read the guide →MET Writing Task 2 Essay Questions, Planning Notes & Sample Paragraph
Practise MET Writing Task 2 with 8 original multi-paragraph essay prompts, a 30-minute time plan, official 0–4 scoring criteria, and a worked B2–C1 body paragraph.
Read the guide →Full MET mock tests · real timing · AI-rated speaking & writing · scored 0–80
Try a free question