Standardized Test of English Proficiency (STEP)
Universities, scholarship programmes and employers all look at your STEP score. We've handpicked 565 questions covering most topics on the latest syllabus, to help you push for a top score before test day!
Try 10 free questions and see your levelTake a full mock exam and check your level
- 565 questions in the bank
- 100 questions in 125 min per mock
- 38 flashcards
Past exam questions with every option explained
If your exam were today, would you pass?
Try 10 free questions without signing up. Get your score and find your weak areas as soon as you finish.
By the time William is forty years old, he ____ fifteen novels and two collections of short stories.
All 10 free questions with answers and an explanation for every option
What you get
- 565questions in the bankPractise with the answer shown right away, or sit a full timed mock
- 3unitsSplit by the exam syllabus
- 38flashcardsTo lock in terms and definitions
- 52quick review pointsEach unit in a few key lines
Unit map
- 01Reading Comprehension40 questions
- 02Structure40 questions
- 03Listening Comprehension20 questions
Exam facts
Standardized Test of English Proficiency (STEP) — Number of questions: 100 questions. Exam time: 125 minutes. Pass mark: There is no single pass mark; each university or employer sets the score it requires. Calculator: Not allowed. Exam fee: SAR 150 inside Saudi Arabia, SAR 200 abroad. Source: Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) (Last verified: 2026-10-31). Question bank: full mock exams of 100 questions in 125 minutes, like the real test with a result for every unit, plus 565 explained questions across 3 units, every option explained, a review of your mistakes, and two ways to practise: see the answer right away, or sit a full timed mock. Free questions: a 10-question diagnostic test covering the main units, no sign-up; at the end you get your score and your weakest units.
- Exam language
- English
- Number of questions
- 100 questions Source
- Exam time
- 125 minutes Source
- Pass mark
- There is no single pass mark; each university or employer sets the score it requires Source
- Calculator
- Not allowed Source
- Exam fee
- SAR 150 inside Saudi Arabia, SAR 200 abroad Source
- Registration
- The test is digital only and available throughout 2026, with registration open all year Source
- Results
- 3 to 5 working days after the test, in your beneficiary profile Source
- Validity
- Three years from the test date Source
Last verified: 2026-10-31
Where other sources differ
- An older four-part split (Reading 40%, Structure 30%, Listening 20%, Compositional Analysis 10%) still circulates online. ETEC's current page lists three parts only: Reading 40%, Structure 40% and Listening 20%, with compositional analysis questions (error spotting, punctuation, sentence order) counted under Structure.
How to register
- Go to ETEC's e-services portal (e-services.etec.gov.sa) and open your beneficiary profile, or create an account if you do not have one.
- Choose the Standardized Test of English Proficiency (STEP). It is digital only and available all year, so pick the city, test centre and time that suit you.
- Pay the test fee: SAR 150 inside Saudi Arabia or SAR 200 abroad. You can delete or change the booking up to 48 hours before the test.
- Bring proof of identity on test day: a national ID for Saudis or an iqama for non-Saudis, a passport, or a Saudi driving licence. Calculators are not allowed.
- Your result appears in your beneficiary profile 3 to 5 working days later (Sunday to Thursday) and stays valid for three years from the test date.
Exam body
Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC): Official website: Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC)
Study guides
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on STEP and how long is it?
The test has 100 scored multiple-choice questions with four options: 40 reading, 40 structure and 20 listening, and it may include unscored pilot questions. The full mock exam on this site has 100 questions in 125 minutes with the same weights.
Can I try STEP English questions for free?
Yes. Free questions: a 10-question diagnostic test covering the main units, no sign-up; at the end you get your score and your weakest units. The free practice test page lists the same questions with answers and an explanation for every option. The rest of the questions and the full mock exams come with a pass from SAR 26.
What makes this STEP English question bank different?
Question bank: full mock exams of 100 questions in 125 minutes, like the real test with a result for every unit, plus 565 explained questions across 3 units, every option explained, a review of your mistakes, and two ways to practise: see the answer right away, or sit a full timed mock. Every question is reviewed and referenced, ready to practise on your phone. Try the free questions and read the explanations before buying full access.
What are the parts of STEP and what does each one test?
According to ETEC's page: Reading Comprehension 40% (main idea, vocabulary in context, details, inference and pronoun reference), Structure 40% (tenses, conditionals, passive voice, prepositions and connectors, plus error spotting, punctuation and sentence order) and Listening Comprehension 20% (conversations and short talks followed by questions).
What STEP score do I need?
There is no single pass mark: each university, program or employer sets its own minimum, so check with the one you are applying to. For example, King Saud University's graduate studies table treats STEP 83 as IELTS 6, 75 as 5.5 and 67 as 5.
How much does STEP cost and how long is the result valid?
It costs SAR 150 inside Saudi Arabia and SAR 200 abroad. Results come out 3 to 5 working days later and stay valid for three years from the test date.
When can I take the test?
The test is digital and available all year at ETEC test centres, so you choose your own date in your beneficiary profile. You can change or delete the booking up to 48 hours before the test.
How do I practise the listening section here?
Every listening question has an audio recording you play on the same page, on a phone or a computer, then answer. After you answer, the full transcript appears with every option explained, so you can see the sentence you missed.
Is my mock exam score an official result?
No. Scores on this site are for practice only and are not an official result. This site is independent and is not affiliated with ETEC, Qiyas or any government body. They do show where you'd stand if the test were today: the full mock exam has the test's question count, time and part weights, and your score is split across the three parts so you can see where you lose points.
Is this an official site, and how do I pay?
It is an independent site, not part of Qiyas or any government body, and every question is reviewed before it is published. You pay once, with no automatic renewal, through Waffo Pancake (the merchant of record) by Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and your statement shows "WAFFO". If you were charged twice or the pass did not open, email support@saudiexams.com.
Study material sample: Reading Comprehension
Summary
Reading Comprehension is 40 of the 100 questions on STEP, which is 40% of the score and ties for the largest part with Structure. You read an English passage and answer several questions on it. The questions cover main idea and best title, vocabulary in context, stated details, inference and the author's purpose, pronoun reference, and text organization. The fastest approach: read the question first so you know what to look for, then read the passage and mark numbers, names and key words, and go back to the paragraph the question names. A detail question has its answer written in the text. An inference question has an answer built from the text but not copied from it. Never rely on outside knowledge: the correct answer is the one the passage itself supports.
What the exam focuses on
- Main idea: the correct title covers the whole passage, not one paragraph or a side detail.
- Vocabulary in context: read the sentence before and after the word, then test each option in its place.
- Stated details: go back to the paragraph the question names and match the option to a specific sentence.
Show 5 more
- NOT and EXCEPT questions: three options are true in the passage and the fourth is the answer.
- Inference: the answer must follow from the text with clear evidence, being merely possible is not enough.
- Author's purpose: decide whether the writer explains, persuades, describes or warns, from the tone and wording.
- Pronoun reference: find the nearest noun before the pronoun that matches in number and meaning and makes sense in the sentence.
- Paragraph organization: each paragraph usually has a main sentence near the start, which tells you what it is about.
Common traps
- An option that is true in real life but not stated in the passage: reject it, because the question is about the text, not your own knowledge.
- An option that reuses the passage's words but changes the meaning, such as swapping cause and result or altering a number or name.
- A title that is too narrow and describes one detail, or too broad and goes beyond the topic of the passage.
Show 5 more
- The word has a well-known meaning but the context needs another: do not pick the first meaning that comes to mind before testing the options in the sentence.
- In a NOT question a rushed reader picks the first option that is true in the text, but the answer is the one that is false or not mentioned.
- Absolute words in an option such as always, never, only and all often make it wrong, because passages rarely generalize that strongly.
- Linking a pronoun to the closest noun without checking the meaning: the closest noun is not always the referent.
- Reading the wrong paragraph: the question says according to paragraph (3) and the student answers from a similar-looking paragraph.
Try the flashcards
Tap a card to see the answer
What is the best order for solving a reading question?
Read the question first, then the passage while marking key words, then return to the named paragraph and match the answer to a specific sentence.
How do you find the best title?
Choose the title that covers the whole passage, and drop the narrow one that describes a detail and the broad one that goes beyond the topic.
A familiar word has a strange meaning in the sentence: what do you do?
Do not hold on to the well-known meaning, but put each option in place of the word and reread. Example: The bank of the river (riverside, not a money bank).
How do you solve a NOT/EXCEPT question?
Look up each option in the text and cross out the three that are stated; the one left is the answer. Example: Which is NOT mentioned?
What is the difference between a stated detail and an inference?
A detail is written in the text with the same meaning; an inference is understood from the text with evidence and is not written outright. Example: The passage suggests…
An option has always, never or only: do you choose it?
Be wary of it, since passages rarely generalize that strongly. Check the text before you reject or pick it.
How do you find what the pronoun they refers to?
Look for a plural noun before it that makes sense, then put it in place of the pronoun. Example: Scientists study stars because they want to learn how the universe began.
What can this refer to at the start of a sentence?
It can point to the whole idea of the previous sentence, not a single noun. Example: Prices rose quickly. This made saving harder.
Why you can trust these questions
- Published questions: 565. We reviewed every one before publishing it: the answer, the explanation of each option and the source.
- Exam facts last checked against the organiser’s website: 2026-10-31. We check them again every three months and two weeks before each test.
- Found a mistake? Tap "Report an error" under any question in the practice area, or email us at support@saudiexams.com
- Independent website. Not affiliated with ETEC (Qiyas), the Financial Academy or any government body.
Update log
- 2026-10-31 Published the exam facts from ETEC's page: the three parts and their weights, the fee, and when results come out and how long they stay valid.