CAE Valentijn van Dijk
Everything you need to know
General Information
• The CAE is the Cambridge English: Advanced Exam and it is one of the most important exams
from The University of Cambridge.
• By passing the CAE exam you have a C1 level of English. If you get grade A in the exam, you
will receive a certificate indicating that you’re at C2 level, not C1. So, the following is true:
Grade A means level C2, grades B & C mean level C1 and failing (grades D & F) mean level B2.
• A pass is an “A”, “B” or “C”. A fail is a “D” or “F”. You need a minimum of 180 points to pass
the test.
The Different Parts
• Reading & Use of English (8 parts) —> 90 minutes, 40% of mark
• Writing (2 parts) —> 90 minutes, 20% of mark
• Listening (4 parts) —> 40 minutes, 20% of mark
• Speaking (4 parts) —> 15 minutes, 20% of mark
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, Reading & Use of English
Reading & Use of English - General Information & Tips
• You will get 52 questions.
• Texts may be from newspapers, magazines, journals, books (fiction and non fiction),
promotional and informational material.
• You will get both multiple-choice and written questions.
• You will need to write your answers in capitals(!).
• The reading parts will take up most of the time, so make sure that you have plenty of time left
for those.
• If you have time left, check the grammar, the content and check if your answers are readable. If
you still have time left, then re-do hard questions.
• Remember, you will have 90 minutes and it will count for 40% of your final mark.
• It’s absolutely crucial to CAREFULLY READ the questions and texts! You should leave most of
the time for the Reading parts, those take up most of the time.
TIPS FROM PRACTISE TEST:
-Don’t race through the Use of English part, do it with focus!
-But do leave a lot of time left for the Reading part!
MISTAKES MADE IN PRACTISE TEST:
-Rushed through the Use of English part too quickly.
-Skipped a whole part due to not having enough time.
-Sloppy; didn’t use structure during reading.
GOOD THINGS DONE IN PRACTISE TEST:
-You made useful notes.
-At part 8 you first read each text and matched possible questions to it.
• The Reading & Use of English exam consists of 8 parts:
• Part 1 (Multiple-choice cloze) is a text with multiple-choice questions. In the text are gaps,
choose from A, B, C or D, they all have their own word. Choose the answer that fits the gap
best. There are 8 questions. It tests your vocabulary (idioms, collocations, phrasal verbs, fixed
phrases, shades of meaning, etc.). Tip: Read the title and text first, then answer the
questions.
• Part 2 (Open cloze) is a text in which there are gaps. Each gap represents a missing word. You
have to think of the correct word for each gap on your own. There are 8 questions. It tests your
grammar and vocabulary. Tip: Read the title and text first, then answer the questions.
• Part 3 (Word formation) is a text containing gaps. Each gap represents one word. At the end of
the line is the stem of a word which must be changed to the correct form which fits the
sentence. You can change the stem, for example: “long” (stem) —> “length” (your answer).
YOU CAN ALSO MAKE THE WORD NEGATIVE OR ADD SOMETHING IN FRONT OF IT: ABLE
—> INABILITY. There are 8 gaps. It tests your vocabulary. Tip: Read the title and text first,
then answer questions. You also don’t have to add something to the end of the stem, you
can also add something to the beginning of the stem (explore —> unexplored).
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