Why has my candidate received an asterisk (*) instead of a result?

Speaking

Candidates receive an asterisk (*) if the audio quality of the responses was not of a sufficient quality that we were able to assess the responses. Cambridge English is therefore unable to provide a response for the candidate.

If the candidate still requires a score they will need to be entered for the Speaking test again.

For more information on setting up Speaking tests see the Speaking Test Setup article. 

Reading and Listening

Candidates receive an asterisk (*) for Reading and Listening where they have not answered sufficient questions within the time limit for their CEFR level (result) to be determined. To avoid this happening, we recommend that the timer is not enabled and the test is left to run its course with the candidate answering as many questions as the test allows. The test normally takes between 60-85 minutes. 

Can I request a Results Enquiry for an unmarkable test where they've received an asterisk?

It is not possible to have a Results Enquiry for an unmarkable test.

My candidate has taken two of the three Linguaskill tests, but received an asterisk (*) for Speaking/Reading and Listening. Can you assess my candidate's result based on their performance in the other tests?

No, as these are modular tests we cannot offer a result for Speaking or Reading and Listening based on the performance in other skills.

If a candidate needs a score in each component they will need to retake the component that they received an asterisk (*) score for, ensuring that they answer enough questions for the system to calculate their score.