Accurate legal English on the page
TOLES (Test of Legal English Skills) assesses the legal English used in commercial legal practice. At every level, Foundation, Higher and Advanced, TOLES states that the exam tests legal English reading and writing skills. There is no speaking element, and the current exams do not include a listening test.
TOLES explains that employers prioritise strong and accurate writing, and describes the Foundation exam as accuracy-based rather than fluency-focused. That emphasis shapes how you should prepare.
The three exams at a glance
| Level | Length | Sections | Questions | Typed free-text answers | General English guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 90 minutes | 10 | 90 (80 multiple choice + 10 free text) | 10 | For those beginning commercial legal English |
| Higher | 90 minutes | 10 | 95 (all multiple choice) | None | At least intermediate (B1+) |
| Advanced | 120 minutes | 12 | 140 (110 multiple choice + 30 free text) | 30 | Upper intermediate to advanced (B2+) |
All three are secure, proctored online exams.
What “reading and writing” means in TOLES
Reading means understanding legal vocabulary, grammar and meaning in commercial legal contexts, and choosing the option that fits a sentence, clause or situation precisely.
Writing means producing accurate legal English. In the free-text questions at Foundation and Advanced you type the answer yourself, so spelling, word form and the exact standard expression all matter. Even in multiple-choice questions, the choice often depends on accurate grammar and collocation, the building blocks of good legal writing.
Topics the exams cover
TOLES lists 17 topic areas across the exams, including:
- court cases and litigation;
- banking;
- contracts;
- business structures (sole traders, partnerships and companies);
- insolvency and bankruptcy;
- property, including landlord and tenant;
- tort;
- employment law;
- intellectual property;
- alternative dispute resolution.
How to prepare
- Start with the official demo for your intended level. It shows the question styles and helps you choose the right level.
- Learn vocabulary in legal context. For each term, record its meaning, common collocations and a sentence from a clause, email or case summary.
- Practise active recall for Foundation and Advanced: produce terms without options, then check spelling and form.
- For Higher, practise distinguishing between close options: collocation, grammar, register and meaning.
- Edit for accuracy. Correct legal sentences for articles, prepositions, verb forms and modal verbs, and explain why each change matters.
- Simulate the exam online with the real time limit and no unauthorised materials.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a familiar-looking word before reading the whole sentence.
- Knowing a term passively but misspelling it in a free-text answer.
- Treating general English fluency as a substitute for legal collocation and precision.
Quick FAQ
Do I write essays or letters in TOLES? TOLES describes its exams as multiple-choice and typed free-text questions testing legal English reading and writing. Use the official demo to see exactly what the questions look like.
Which level should I take? Use TOLES’s entry guidance and the official demos; a strong result at the right level is more useful than a weak result at a higher one.
Official TOLES sources
- For exam candidates
- TOLES Foundation exam demo
- TOLES Higher exam demo
- TOLES Advanced exam demo
- TOLES FAQ
Accuracy note (15 September 2026): exam formats can change. Check toleslegal.com before booking.