The Erasmus language test: format, sample questions and worked solutions
What the university language test for Erasmus selection covers, how it is scored, and twelve sample questions in grammar, vocabulary and reading with an explanation of why each answer is correct.
Half of an Erasmus application score usually comes from a language test — and most students still do not know what that test looks like when the call opens.
This article explains the structure, the level it is written at and the question types, and ends with twelve sample questions and their solutions.
> Important: the questions below were written by narnar to match the known structure and level of these exams. They are samples, not past papers from any university. Institutions do not publish their question sets, and files circulating as "past papers" usually have no verifiable source. The point here is to show you the question types.
Who runs the test, and how?
In most countries there is no central Erasmus language exam: each university runs its own, through its school of foreign languages or a testing centre. Question counts, timing and section weights therefore vary. Across institutions, a common frame still appears:
| Section | Typical weight | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Grammar | 30–40% | Tenses, conjunctions, conditionals, passive voice |
| Vocabulary | 20–30% | Academic and everyday vocabulary, synonyms, phrasal verbs |
| Reading | 30–40% | Comprehension, main idea, inference |
| Writing / speaking | At some institutions | Short paragraph, interview-style speaking |
The test is usually multiple choice, 50–100 questions, 60–120 minutes, aimed at B1–B2. Some institutions do not accept a score below B2 for application.
One useful shortcut: many universities accept national or international exam results (TOEFL, IELTS and the national equivalents) instead of their own test. If you hold a valid score, you may not need to sit the institutional exam — check the equivalence table and validity period in your own institution's call.
How the score is calculated
The ranking score is typically half academic average, half language score. A student with an average worth 77/100 and a language result of 70 ends up around (77 × 0.5) + (70 × 0.5) = 73.5.
The practical consequence: every 10 points on the language test moves your ranking score by 5. Raising your academic average by 5 points during one semester is very hard; gaining 10 points on the language test in four weeks of work is realistic for most students.
Question types with solutions
Answer them first, then read the solution.
Grammar
1. By the time the semester ends, I ______ in three different countries.
a) will live b) will have lived c) have lived d) am living
Solution: (b). "By the time … ends" points to a moment in the future, and the action is completed before it: future perfect. The pairing of *by the time* + present simple with a future perfect main clause is a favourite of these exams.
2. If I ______ about the deadline, I would have applied last week.
a) knew b) have known c) had known d) would know
Solution: (c). Third conditional: something that did not happen in the past. The structure is fixed — *If + had + V3, would have + V3*. The second half of the sentence already tells you the first.
3. The documents ______ to the international office before Friday.
a) must submit b) must be submitted c) must submitting d) must have submitted
Solution: (b). Documents cannot submit themselves; the subject receives the action. Modal plus passive: *must be + V3*.
4. ______ the rent was higher than expected, she decided to take the room.
a) Despite b) Although c) However d) In spite of
Solution: (b). A full clause follows, so you need a conjunction: *although*. *Despite* and *in spite of* take a noun or -ing form; *however* joins two independent sentences.
5. She suggested ______ the landlord before signing anything.
a) to call b) call c) calling d) to calling
Solution: (c). *Suggest* is followed by -ing. The same group — *avoid, consider, recommend, mind* — comes back in every one of these papers.
Vocabulary
6. The scholarship is ______ to students who have completed at least two semesters.
a) available b) reachable c) capable d) affordable
Solution: (a). "Available to someone" = open for them to use. *Affordable* is about price, *capable* about a person's ability, *reachable* about physical or contact access.
7. The landlord asked for a deposit, which will be ______ at the end of the contract.
a) refunded b) reduced c) replaced d) retained
Solution: (a). A deposit is paid back: *refund*. *Retain* says the opposite — that is the trap option.
8. I couldn't ______ with the reading list, so I asked for extra time.
a) keep up b) put up c) take up d) look up
Solution: (a). *Keep up with* = not fall behind. Phrasal verbs are standard here; the five that appear most often are *keep up with, come up with, look forward to, put off, get along with*.
Reading
> Many exchange students underestimate the cost of the first month abroad. Rent and the deposit are usually paid before the first grant instalment arrives, and administrative steps — registering an address, opening a bank account, buying a transport card — all carry small fees that add up. Students who plan only for monthly expenses, rather than for this front-loaded period, often run into difficulty in the very first weeks, even when their overall budget is realistic.
9. What is the main idea of the paragraph?
a) Exchange students usually have unrealistic overall budgets.
b) The first month abroad costs more than the monthly average suggests.
c) Grant instalments are always paid late.
d) Administrative fees are the largest expense abroad.
Solution: (b). The key phrase is "front-loaded period" — the costs pile up at the start. (a) is contradicted by the last clause; (c) overstates "usually before"; (d) calls small fees the largest expense, which the text does not.
10. According to the paragraph, why do some students struggle in the first weeks?
a) Because they cannot open a bank account.
b) Because their monthly budget is too small.
c) Because they planned for average monthly costs only.
d) Because the deposit is never refunded.
Solution: (c). The text states it directly: "plan only for monthly expenses, rather than for this front-loaded period".
11. The word "underestimate" is closest in meaning to:
a) ignore completely b) think is smaller than it is c) calculate precisely d) postpone
Solution: (b). An inference-from-context item. Even without the word, the following sentence supplies the meaning.
12. Which sentence would best continue the paragraph?
a) Therefore, students should avoid renting private flats.
b) A simple fix is to budget the first month separately from the rest.
c) Scholarships are therefore unnecessary for most students.
d) Most universities refuse to help with these costs.
Solution: (b). Only this option continues the paragraph's logic; the others introduce a claim the text never makes. "Best continuation" items reward the option that extends the argument, not one that expands its scope.
A four-week study plan
Week 1 — diagnosis. Take a 40–50 question mock and sort your mistakes into three boxes: unknown word, unknown structure, carelessness. Build your study around that split; everyone's weak spot is different.
Week 2 — structure. Tenses, conditionals, passive voice, conjunctions, and verbs taking -ing or to-infinitive. These five cover most of the grammar section.
Week 3 — vocabulary and reading. Not 20 academic words a day, but 8 words in full sentences. For reading, two paragraphs a day: main idea plus one inference question.
Week 4 — timing. Work out your seconds per question (80 questions in 90 minutes ≈ 67 seconds) and take two full-length mocks under time. A large share of lost points in this exam comes not from gaps in knowledge but from running out of time in the last fifteen questions.
Three notes for exam day
- Do not leave blanks. Most institutions do not deduct for wrong answers; unless the call says otherwise, mark something.
- Start reading sections with the questions. Reading the questions first and then going back to the text saves time on long paragraphs.
- Check your equivalence options. If you hold a valid national or international score, you may be able to apply without sitting the exam; validity is often five years, but your institution's call is what binds.
If you cannot find clear information about your own university's format, pass mark or equivalence table, ask a question — students from the same institution answer. For the next stage: Erasmus interview questions.