Past Paper 2023

Results are typically released within 6 to 8 weeks after the test date. Each student’s performance is carefully reviewed to ensure accuracy and fairness.

Every student will receive: A Certificate of Participation A Detailed Result Slip, which includes: A breakdown of their answers with the corresponding language aspects assessed. A summary of their strengths and areas for improvement. (Hosting schools will also receive a comprehensive report, highlighting the overall performance of students across year levels, along with key trends and recommendations for future learning strategies)

The test has been created by a team of Oxford University graduates, with expertise in language education and assessment. The chief test designer holds a Master’s degree from Oxford’s Department of Education, is a Qualified Teacher (QTS) with extensive teaching experience both in the UK and internationally, and is also a TEDx speaker on Reflective Teaching.

Unlike automated grading systems, all our SiL Tests are hand-marked by our team of specialists, which consists largely of current students and graduates from Oxford and Cambridge (Oxbridge). This ensures precise, thoughtful, and fair assessment, focusing on student understanding rather than just correct answers.

At this stage, the test is open to students from Year 1 to Year 9, with age-appropriate questions tailored to their respective curriculum levels. The assessment is designed to challenge students while maintaining accessibility.

Preparing for the English Subject Test is all about sharpening your skills and building confidence! Since the test assesses reading, grammar, and vocabulary, here’s how you can get ready: 📖 Read Widely & Actively – Explore books, articles, and passages to enhance your comprehension skills and vocabulary. Try summarizing key points to strengthen your understanding. 🖊 Practice Grammar & Sentence Structure – Review essential grammar rules, sentence formations, and common language patterns. Accuracy in writing and speaking comes from a strong grammatical foundation. 🧠 Expand Your Vocabulary – Learn new words, their meanings, and usage. Use them in sentences to reinforce memory. Flashcards, word games, and daily reading can help! 📝 Take our Sample Test – Familiarize yourself with different question formats and improve your time management. Practising under timed conditions will help you stay calm and focused on test day. 💡 Stay Curious & Confident – Engage with English in everyday life—watch English content, listen to podcasts, and have conversations to enhance fluency. The key is consistent exposure and active learning— approach the test with a growth mindset, and you’ll be set for success! 🚀

The test consists of three key sections: Reading (16 points) – Evaluates comprehension skills, including inference and critical thinking. Grammar (17 points) – Assesses sentence structure, syntax, and accurate use of language. Vocabulary (7 points) – Tests word knowledge, contextual usage, and precise expression.

Yes. If a school or parent believes there has been an error in marking, a written review request can be submitted within 14 days of receiving the results. An appeal fee may apply.

At this stage, the test is open to students from Year 1 to Year 9, with age-appropriate questions tailored to their respective curriculum levels. The assessment is designed to challenge students while maintaining accessibility.

The SiL English Subject Test is a carefully designed subject-based language assessment that evaluates students’ proficiency in key linguistic areas, including reading, grammar, and vocabulary. The test is developed by graduates from the University of Oxford’s Department of Education and is aligned with the British National Curriculum while incorporating advanced questions to distinguish high achievers.

The SiL English Subject Test is more than just an exam—it’s an opportunity to challenge yourself, showcase your skills, and gain international recognition. Designed by Oxford graduates and aligned with the British National Curriculum, this test provides a comprehensive assessment of your reading, grammar, and vocabulary skills, giving you a clear understanding of your strengths and areas for improvement. By participating, you will: ✅ Experience an international-level English assessment that prepares you for future academic and professional success. ✅ Receive insightful feedback to help you improve and excel in English. ✅ Stand out in your academic journey, as the test reflects a high standard of learning and achievement. ✅ Build confidence in language proficiency, giving you a competitive edge in exams, higher education, and career opportunities. Take this test to push your limits, track your progress, and open doors to new possibilities! 🚀

After the preliminary round tests have been marked, the top 10% of participating students from each participating country will be invited to the semi-final round. The list of semi-finalists will be expanded to include all the students whose number of points is the same as the number of points of the last students in the first 10%. The list of semi-finalists will be published on the Olympiad website within three weeks of the preliminary round date. The network of semi-final venues will be based on the location of the semi-finalists. Wildcards are available for the countries where no student qualifies for the semifinal round and will be granted to the best candidate in each category from the country. The exam level for the semi-final round will be one CEFR level higher than the one in the preliminary round. The tests for the semi-final round of the Olympiad will consist of a reading test, a writing test (30 questions) and an essay (except for Little Hippo). There is only one correct answer to every question. There are no negative marks. Little HIPPO Reading - 30 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. Writing - 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO 1 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO 2 Reading - 34 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 35 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO 3 Reading - 34 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 40 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO 4 & HIPPO S10 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO 5 & HIPPO S15 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO S19 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 50 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. The writing test will consist of a free-writing task (100 – 200 words depending on the category) and 30 questions. The level of difficulty of all the questions will be one level higher than the one in the preliminary round. The essay will be assessed only in case two or more candidates have the scores on both the reading and the writing test. Answers are given on an answer sheet (OMR) and not in the test booklet for Physical test.

Qualifier Round The Olympiad participants will be divided into Olympiad regions (hereinafter regions) for the purpose of organising regional qualifiers, namely Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, India & Southeast Asia, China & Far East, Africa and Central & South America The 2023 Qualifiers will be held in: 1. Venice, Italy, on 22-25 May 2023 for Europe; 2. Istanbul, Turkey, on 20-23 June 2023 for Centra Asia, Middle East and Africa; 3. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 6-7 July 2023 for India & Southeast Asia, China & Far East. Where the number of enrolments in a specific region reaches 10,000 students in the 2023 edition, with a minimum of 1,000 candidates per Hippo Category, HIPPO association will organise an additional round of the Olympiad, called Qualifiers. Students with the best ranking among those not qualified for the World Finals will be admitted to the Qualifiers. The number of students admitted to the Qualifiers per category and country will be proportional to the number of preliminary round participants in each category per country. No more than three students per category per country will be admitted to the Qualifiers. The Qualifiers will be held IN PERSON. There will be NO online option. If a student does not confirm their participation within 7 days of the invitation to the Qualifiers, the next student in the ranking list from the same country will be invited. Students invited to the Qualifiers will be requested to pay a participation fee of €50-€100, depending on the location. Students and accompanying teachers or parents will need to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements and cover the costs themselves. The participation fee will cover the costs of insurance, merchandising (given to the participants upon arrival), participation in the organised activities and examination preparation material that Global Hippo Association will send to the students upon confirmation of participation. Students and one accompanying teacher or parent are expected to arrive at the venue one day before the examination date. The examinations will take place on the morning after while the proclamation of winners will take place in the evening. The winner of each category will proceed to the World Finals. The World Final Round The final round of the Olympiad will be held in Rome, Italy, in October 2023. All candidates can be accompanied by their English language teacher, or an English-speaking teacher from their school. Parents who wish to accompany their children need to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements as the hotels where the students are accommodated are booked exclusively for the Olympiad participants. Three-day half-board accommodation will be provided for all the candidates and their teachers free of charge. Finalists are expected to arrive the day before the examinations start; examinations will be held over two days while the proclamation of winners and awarding ceremony will be held on the evening of the second day of examinations.

Past year questions will be given FREE to registered HIPPO participants. After checking your submission and the payment, the organiser will send email you the link to download the past year question papers and practicing link.

The tests for the preliminary round of the Olympiad will consist of two parts: a test of reading comprehension (multiple choice questions), and a Use of English test. The maximum allowed time per part is shown below. There is only one correct answer to every question. There are no negative marks. Little HIPPO Reading - 30 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 20 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 20 minutes. HIPPO 1 Reading - 30 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 20 minutes. HIPPO 2 Reading - 34 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 20 minutes. HIPPO 3 Reading - 34 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 35 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 20 minutes. HIPPO 4 & HIPPO S10 Reading - 34 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 40 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. HIPPO 5 & HIPPO S15 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. HIPPO S19 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. Answers are given on an answer sheet (OMR) and not in the test booklet for Physical test.

The Olympiad is run in four stages: Preliminary Round, National Finals, Qualifiers (Regional Qualifiers see 3. Regional Qualifiers) and World Finals. Candidates who do not qualify for either the Qualifiers or World Finals will be given a chance to participate in Play-Off Qualifiers (See 4. Play-Off Qualifiers). The first two rounds will be held on different dates in different countries. Each country coordinator needs to choose the most suitable dates for their country, taking into account the school calendar and national holidays and communicate the dates to the interested participants. The three possible sets of dates are as follows. OPTION 1 PRELIMINARY ROUND 6-7 March 2024 NATIONAL FINALS 6-7 May 2024 OPTION 2 the only option available for European countries PRELIMINARY ROUND 15-16 March 2024 NATIONAL FINALS 19-20 April 2024 OPTION 3 PRELIMINARY ROUND 15-16 April 2024 NATIONAL FINALS 13-14 May 2024 Students and schools need to contact their country coordinator for the dates in their country. Every school, independent of the type and country, can participate in the Olympiad. Schools that wish to enrol a group of candidates are required to host the preliminary round of the Olympiad, even in the countries that accept individual enrolments. Schools that wish to participate in the Olympiad need to apply through the country coordinator. If there is no country coordinator in the country, the school needs contact Global Hippo Association directly (venue@hippo-olympiad.org) for venue approval. The National Final round will be held on one of the aforementioned dates. The network of final venues will be based on the location of the finalists. The World Finals will be held in Assisi, Italy, in September 2024. 180 finalists (plus wildcards, for details please see 10. Marking and Ranking) as well as a school representative (chosen by the school), e.g., the student’s teacher, will be invited to the final round of the Olympiad. Global Hippo Association keep the right to increase the number of finalists if the number of applicants exceeds 83,295, in accordance with the Olympiad regulations

By registering the HIPPO competition either via online form, whatsapp, direct contact or schools, you will agree to allow us to use your personal data such as full name, personal phone number and email address in order for us to send you the communications such as welcoming messages, reminder, updates, announcements, future competitions and related English classes. If you do not wish to receive such messages from us directly, please revert back to us immediately in order to unsubscribe.

For the physical test, the reading test answers are marked by an OMR device and for that reason need to be properly filled in. Candidates are required to use a pen while completing the OMR form. An OMR sample form will be available on the website two weeks before the preliminary round of the Olympiad at the latest. In case an OMR form is not properly filled in (e.g. incorrect or missing candidate number) or scanned and the OMR device cannot read it, Global Hippo Association keeps the right to disqualify the candidate if the identity of the candidate cannot be established. In the semi-final round, the essay will be marked only if two or more candidates have the same number of points on both the reading and the writing test or in case of suspected cheating or malpractice. For online examinations, in case of suspected malpractice, Hippo Association keeps the right to retest the candidates using a parallel test and under the invigilation of the Hippo staff. The ranking list for all categories as well as the names of the candidates who qualified for the semi-final round will be available on http://www.hippo-olympiad.org within three weeks of the preliminary round date. The ranking list for all categories as well as the names of the candidates who qualified for the final round and eventually regional qualifiers will be available on http://www.hippo-olympiad.org withing three weeks of the semi-final round date. The final round places will be assigned in the following way: Top 140 finalists will be admitted directly from the semi-final ranking list. The number of finalists per category and country will be proportional to the number of preliminary round participants in each category per country. In order to promote a multicultural environment, wildcards will be granted to the best participant from each of the countries that does not have a finalist. In addition to the above, winners of regional qualifiers will be admitted to Finals. GLOBAL HIPPO ASSOCIATION keep the right to increase the number of finalists if the number of applicants exceeds 67,500, all in accordance with the Olympiad regulations. The exact date of the final round as well as the participation confirmation deadline will be announced in due time.

All candidates in the preliminary round, semi-final round, regional qualifier and the world final round will receive a certificate of participation after the competition. In the Qualifier round, - The winners of each category will proceed to the World Finals. - The second winners in each category will get a one-week stay at the Hippo Summer Camp, fully inclusive of accommodation, meals, activities and airport transfers. - The third winners in each category will receive a 50% discount coupon for the Hippo Summer Camp. In the Final Round, - All candidates who pass the final round tests (score 55% minimum) will be awarded a Gatehouse Awards internationally recognised certificate in English. - Hippo 3, 4 and 5 Winners will receive Bucksmore Golden Ticket Prize, a two-week stay at one of Bucksmore Education colleges and will be fully inclusive of tuition, accommodation, excursions, meals and airport transfers. - Little, Hippo 1, 2, S10, S15 and S19 Winners will receive a one-week stay at the Hippo Summer Camp, fully inclusive of accommodation, meals, activities and airport transfers. - Second place winners of Hippo 4, 5 and S19 will receive a full Mizzou K-12 Online Diploma program. - Second place winners of Little Hippo, 1, 2, 3, S10 and S15 will receive a 50% discount coupon for the Hippo Summer Camp. - Third place winners in each category will receive a Crosswords preparation book. Please note that the cost of traveling to/from the Hippo Summer Camp and Bucksmore Education college (such as air fare) will not be included. The cost will be the responsibility of the winning recipient.