How to Choose Between KET and PET: How Score Ranges Overlap, Key Difficulty Differences, and How to Determine Which Test is Right for Your Child

KET (A2 Key) and PET (B1 Preliminary) are adjacent levels in the Cambridge English exams: KET aligns with CEFR A2, and PET with B1. A practical question when deciding which to take is: should your child take KET first, or go straight to PET? This article clarifies the relationship between the two based on the scoring rules and official conversion guide published on the Cambridge English website, and provides recommendations on how to choose. For detailed introductions to both exams, see How to Take the KET and How to Take the PET.

I. The Score Ranges for Both Exams Overlap

This is the most important factor to consider when making a choice. According to the official website, KET targets A2 but can also reliably assess the higher B1 level; PET targets B1 but can also reliably assess the lower A2 level. Results for both exams are reported using the same metric—the Cambridge English Scale:

Two key takeaways from the table:

• Students already at the B1 level can earn a B1 certificate by taking KET (Grade A), but since KET scores are capped at 150, higher proficiency cannot be reflected;
• Students still at the A2 level can earn an A2 certificate by taking PET, but they will not receive a PET Grade A, B, or C. If they score between 100 and 119, taking PET yields no certificate, whereas the same score on KET would earn an A1 certificate.

Therefore, the key to choosing which exam to take is not about 'daring to take on a challenge,' but rather which score range your child's current level falls into.

II. Where the Differences in Difficulty Lie

The biggest jump is in Writing (from short texts of a few dozen words to two full essays of about 100 words each, requiring attention to style and tone) and Speaking (being able to speak continuously for 1 minute and discuss a conclusion with a partner). For detailed requirements for each section, see articles 245–247 for KET and 249–252 for PET.

III. Assessing Level Using Official Practice Tests

Cambridge provides a conversion table using official practice tests to estimate scale scores. Have your child take one of each practice test, compare the results with the scores below, and you can get a rough idea of which range they fall into:

The official guidelines state that this table applies only to official practice tests and is for reference only; it cannot accurately predict formal exam scores. For students near the cutoff (within about 3 scale points), we recommend continuing to improve before reassessing. Additionally, the four skills are equally weighted, and the total score is the average of the four, so there is no minimum score required for each individual skill. This means overall proficiency is what matters, but a significantly weak skill will still pull down the total score.

IV. How to Choose

Below are practical recommendations based on the official guidelines mentioned above:

Here are a few more points to consider:

• Purpose: The official website notes that schools or institutions may require specific scores or grades (overall or for a particular skill). If there are clear university admissions or program requirements, check exactly which exam and grade are required first;
• Version: Both exams offer a for Schools version and a standard version. The grades and format are identical, but the for Schools version features content more relevant to school-aged students. Enrolled students generally choose the for Schools version (practical recommendation);
• Timing: Results for computer-based exams are usually released 5–10 business days after the test, while paper-based exams take 4–6 weeks. If you plan to take KET first and then PET, allow time for results and to address any knowledge gaps;
• Certificate Validity: Cambridge English certificates do not expire. A KET certificate earned earlier remains valid indefinitely (though institutions may set their own limits on how old an accepted score can be).

Conclusion

The score ranges for KET and PET overlap: if your child is at the B1 level, they can earn a B1 certificate by taking KET, but the score is capped at 150; if they are still at the A2 level, they can earn an A2 certificate by taking PET, but will not receive a PET grade. The key to choosing which exam to take is determining which score range your child's current level falls into—have them take one of each official practice test, compare the results with the conversion table, and factor in their Writing and Speaking skills. If you want to know which exam is best for your child, you can book a free assessment with us, or check out our KET Training and PET Training.

Verification note: This article was verified in September 2026. The correspondence of KET and PET scale scores and grades with the CEFR, the score ranges for which no certificates are issued, the statement that both exams can reliably assess the higher or lower level, the fact that schools and institutions may require specific scores or grades, result release times, and certificate validity are sourced from the Cambridge English website's score information page. The duration, number of questions, and question types for each paper of both exams are from the official A2 Key and B1 Preliminary exam format pages, and have been verified in articles 244 and 248 on this site. The differences between the for Schools and standard versions are from the overview pages for both exams on the official website. The conversion table of practice test scores to scale scores, the equal weighting of the four skills, and the absence of a minimum score requirement for individual papers are from Cambridge's 'The Cambridge English Scale explained: A guide to converting practice test scores' (2023 edition). The recommendations in the 'How to Choose' section and the version selection advice are our practical recommendations.

References:

• Cambridge English：Results
• Cambridge English：A2 Key for Schools and A2 Key
• Cambridge English：B1 Preliminary for Schools and B1 Preliminary
• Cambridge English：Converting practice test scores to Cambridge English Scale scores（PDF）