SVAR Test: All 6 Question Types with Sample Answers (2026)

SVAR tests six distinct spoken-English skills across 16 to 20 minutes, and knowing which skill each section targets is the fastest route to a useful practice plan.

The test is run by SHL India, which acquired Aspiring Minds in 2019 and continues to operate SVAR under both brand names. If you want the full breakdown of timing, delivery format, and how the test fits inside the broader AMCAT platform, the complete SVAR guide covers all of that. This article goes section by section through the six question types, with sample prompts and a structured approach for each.

What the six sections test

Section	Task	Primary skill graded
1. Reading aloud	Read displayed sentences into the mic	Pronunciation, fluency, intonation
2. Listen and repeat	Hear a sentence once, repeat it back	Active listening, memory, accent accuracy
3. Listening comprehension	Answer questions on an audio passage	Comprehension, deduction
4. Grammar correctness	Choose the grammatically correct option	Sentence accuracy, vocabulary
5. Short spoken responses	Respond to short audio instructions	Contextual understanding
6. Free speech	Speak for 30 to 45 seconds on a topic	Fluency, pronunciation, coherence

Each section is scored independently. A weaker Section 4 does not cancel out a strong Section 2 or Section 6.

Section 1: Reading sentences aloud

The first section displays 10 to 13 sentences on the screen. After a beep, you read each one aloud into the microphone. The AI grader listens for pronunciation accuracy, natural intonation, and fluency.

Sentence topics draw from everyday professional contexts: meetings, travel, customer calls, and workplace routines. The sentences are recognisable rather than tricky.

• Sample prompt: “The conference has been moved to the second floor meeting room.”
• What to do: Read it in one go, at a natural pace. Place stress on the content words (conference, second floor, meeting room). Avoid a word-by-word, robotic rhythm.
• Common mistake: Slowing to the point that delivery sounds disfluent. A moderate, even pace scores better than a halting one.

Section 2: Listen and repeat

You hear a sentence once through your speakers or headphones, then repeat it back into the microphone. Sentences in this section run 30 to 40 words, long enough to test short-term memory alongside pronunciation.

The critical constraint: no replay. If you miss a word, an approximate but grammatically correct repetition earns partial credit. Dropping one detail cleanly scores better than producing a broken or half-finished sentence.

• Sample prompt (heard once): “The client has requested a full audit of the accounts before the end of the financial quarter.”
• What to do: While listening, anchor mentally on the subject and main verb first, then fill in details as you recall them. Repeat smoothly.
• If you miss words: Bridge the gap with a grammatically consistent sentence. “The client has requested an audit before the end of the quarter” preserves the meaning and the grammar structure even with one phrase dropped.

This section catches most test-takers off guard because the one-play rule is easy to underestimate. Practise with longer English sentences heard once, then repeated from memory.

Section 3: Listening comprehension

You hear a short audio passage or a two-person conversation, then answer questions about what you heard. Questions probe specific details, the main idea, a speaker’s attitude, or a logical conclusion from the conversation.

• Sample passage (heard): A manager tells a colleague: “The Monday briefing is moved to Wednesday at 3 PM. Please inform the rest of the team before noon.”
• Sample question: “When is the briefing now scheduled?”
• Sample answer: Wednesday at 3 PM.
• What to do: Listen for numbers, times, names, and transition words (but, however, unless, only if). Those carry the details the question will probe.

Watch for a common variant: the passage states one thing, but the question asks what the speaker implied rather than what they said directly. Practise distinguishing between what was stated and what was meant.

Section 4: Grammar correctness

The grammar section presents three or four options and asks you to choose the correct sentence, or to identify the one containing an error. Errors centre on everyday structures: subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, prepositions, and articles.

• Sample question: Which sentence is grammatically correct?
  • (a) She don’t know the answer to this question.
  • (b) She doesn’t know the answer to this question.
  • (c) She didn’t knew the answer to this question.
  • (d) She not know the answer to this question.
• Correct answer: (b). “Doesn’t” is the correct third-person singular present negative for “does not.”
• Why the others fail: (a) uses “don’t” instead of “doesn’t” for a singular subject; (c) combines the past marker “didn’t” with the past form “knew”; (d) omits the auxiliary verb entirely.

Some SVAR variants embed vocabulary questions in this section: you hear a word in audio and select its closest synonym from a list. The vocabulary range stays at an everyday professional level, not GRE-level.

Section 5: Short spoken responses

You hear a brief audio instruction or question and respond verbally in one to two sentences. This section tests whether your listening comprehension translates into a coherent, contextually appropriate spoken reply.

• Sample instruction (heard): “Please describe the best time to contact a customer who prefers morning appointments.”
• Sample response: “The best time to reach a morning-preference customer is between 9 AM and 11 AM, before their midday schedule starts.”
• What to do: Match the context of the question (scheduling, customer service, workplace logistics). Respond in full sentences rather than single words or fragments.

In some company-specific SVAR variants, this section merges into Section 3. If your test has five sections rather than six, this material appears inside the comprehension block.

Section 6: Free speech

The final section gives you a topic, a short preparation window of roughly 30 seconds, and asks you to speak continuously for 30 to 45 seconds. The AI grader assesses fluency, pronunciation, intonation, vocabulary range, and how coherently you organise your ideas.

Topic types fall into a few predictable categories: everyday descriptions (a place, a season, a daily routine), general opinions (social media, health habits, the role of technology), and workplace or social scenarios.

A three-part structure works for all of them:

1. Opening statement: state your position or the subject you are describing in one direct sentence.
2. Two supporting points: expand with brief, specific examples or reasons.
3. Brief conclusion: close the idea in one sentence.

• Sample topic: “Impact of social media on daily life”

• Sample answer (approximately 40 seconds at a natural speaking pace):

  “Social media has changed how people stay connected and share information. On the positive side, it lets people communicate instantly across distances and learn from others with different experiences. On the other hand, it can pull attention away from focused work if used without limits. Used deliberately, it works as a useful tool rather than a distraction.”

• Word count of sample: 60 words. Spoken at a moderate pace, this runs 36 to 42 seconds, within the grader’s window.

• What makes it score: Opens with a clear statement, gives two balanced points, and closes cleanly. No filler phrases. Each sentence is complete.

How SVAR scores your answers

SVAR reports on two scales simultaneously. The first is a percentile rank per section, showing your standing relative to other test-takers. The second maps your spoken English to a CEFR level, the standard framework from the Council of Europe’s self-assessment grid that international employers use to benchmark language ability.

CEFR level	Descriptor	Typical standing for IT and voice-process hiring
A1 / A2	Basic user	Below most company cutoffs
B1	Independent user (lower)	May clear some Tier-3 process roles
B2	Independent user (upper)	Standard minimum for IT and voice-process roles
C1 / C2	Proficient user	Strong signal for client-facing and high-communication roles

Aim for B2 or above across all six sections. The section-wise score report tells you exactly which skill area to target in your next practice round.

For candidates whose company’s hiring process uses Versant instead of SVAR, the Deloitte Versant guide explains how Versant’s structure differs and confirms that the core spoken-English skills are the same across both tests.

The six sections above tell you what the test asks. The harder work is the practice itself. If you want the pattern-level picture alongside the question types, the AMCAT SVAR pattern and tips guide covers section timing, preparation strategy, and which score-report dimensions to prioritise before your recruitment call. And if you’re treating SVAR as the start of a broader push on spoken communication rather than a one-round fix, the communication skills guide provides the repeating practice routines that build fluency over time.