Thanks to these explanations and tips, I was able to practice effectively for my CPE. As a result, I completed all my courses and exams in one go.
Hopefully it will be helpful for you too!
About the exam:
In Part 1, you read a text with eight gaps and choose the best word from four options to fit each gap
Tip: Read a lot.
Nothing prepares you for this test better than reading. Read a lot. Candidates who often read in
English (for work, for fun) find this part of the test manageable, while those who never read tend to
find it very hard.
You should remember to keep these two things in mind:
1. Grammar matters, so look for clues that eliminate possible options. These usually come in the
form of prepositions.
2. Collocating well is just as important. Think about the context that the word is usually used in. This
will help when the options are all quite similar.
Tip: There is always only one word that fits
If you are 100% sure that two of the 4 choices are completely identical, then neither can be the
answer. There is always only one word that fits grammatically and has the right meaning.
Tip: The correct option may be:
• part of a fixed phrase or collocation.
• a phrasal verb.
• a connector.
• the only word that fits grammatically in the gap.
Strategy
o Read the title and the whole text quickly to understand its general meaning before you attempt
the task.
o Check the words before and after the gap.
o Choose the best option.
o When you have finished, read the text again with the words inserted to check that it makes
sense.
, Use of English – part 2 tips
About the exam:
The Open Cloze, part 2 of the Use of English paper, is often considered to be the most difficult
section of the whole CPE by many exam candidates. This part consists of a short text with eight
gaps. Unlike Part 1, there are no choices for what word you need. You must use your knowledge to
fill the gap with the correct word.
However, there are a few tricks which help make this section easier to manage:
The main focus in the Open Cloze is grammar. Knowing that, let’s look at some common parts of
speech that are often gapped.
o Pronouns, especially relative pronouns
o Articles and quantifiers
o Modal and auxiliary verbs
o Conjunctions
o Prepositions
Tip: The answer will always be a single word.
o Contractions (e.g. don’t, we’ve, won’t) count as two words. However, can’t is a contraction
of cannot, which is one word
Tip: Sometimes, there is more than one answer.
o Sometimes, there is more than one correct answer. Cambridge will always account for this and
all options will be accepted. However, you should not write more than one answer.
Tip: Check the spelling.
o The spelling must be correct to get a mark in the exam.
Strategy
o Read the whole text for gist before you attempt the task. It is important to notice if negative ideas
are expressed, or where there is antithesis or contrast.
o Think about the type of word that is missing. Most gapped words form part of the grammatical
structure of a sentence, but some may form part of a phrasal verb or a fixed phrase.
o You are never required to write a contraction. If you think the answer is a contraction, it must be
wrong, so think again.
o Check the words before and after the gap carefully. Remember, the gapped word must fit into
the meaning of the text as a whole. Sometimes a gapped word will affect the development of the
text, so be careful.
o When the gapped word is a quantifier, think about whether it is positive or negative. When it is a
connector, does it introduce a supporting point or a contrasting one?
o Once you have completed the task, read through the text again to make sure it makes sense.
Check your spelling: marks are not awarded for misspelt words.
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