Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE)

Exam

Bietieva Valeriia
What is CAE Exam?
The Cambridge C1 Advanced Exam,
previously known as CAE, is the next to
last exam in the Cambridge English exam
suite. This exam is commonly accepted by
universities in the UK for advanced study
programs.

Like all of the Cambridge English exams,

the C1 Advanced is a pass/fail test and for
those who pass, it delivers a certificate
that does not expire. The CAE exam can
be either a paper-based test or a computer-
based test. In either case, it lasts 235
Exam structure
Part 1 (90 minutes)

The first section of the C1 Advanced tests reading comprehension,

grammar, and vocabulary. This part has a total of 56 multiple-choice,
fill-in-the-blank, and matching questions divided into 8 subsections.
There are about 3,500 words in total to read during this part of the
CAE, and all text is drawn from newspapers, magazines, textbooks,
advertisements, or other authentic English writing.
Part 2 (90 minutes)

The second part of the Cambridge C1 Advanced exam tests writing

ability. There are two prompts of equal length (about 250 words to
write). The first prompt is an essay stating your opinion about
something. The second prompt you can choose between several
options to respond to the information provided.
Part 3 (40 minutes)

The third section of the CAE test is listening comprehension.

You listen to radio, television, or other types of native English
speech and answer questions about what you heard. Each
recording is played two times. There is a total of 30 questions
in this part divided into 4 subsections.
Part 4 (15 minutes)

The last section of the C1 Advanced tests English speaking ability. Students
take this part of the test in pairs, and may be asked to come back to the test
center on a different day for this part, depending on the test center. The
speaking test is in four short parts: the first two you speak on your own and
with the examiner, and the second two you speak with the other candidate.
There is a second examiner in the room who takes notes but does not
participate in the interview.
Scoring
From 2016, all Cambridge English Exams are reported using the
same scoring scale. Lower-level tests are able to deliver scores on a
lower range of the scale and more difficult tests are able to deliver
scores higher on the same scale. Valid scores on the CAE Exam
range from 160 to 210. A score of 180 or above is considered a
“pass” and students with that score will receive the Cambridge C1
Advanced certificate, which corresponds to a level C1 in English on
the CEFR. Students scoring 200 or above on the C1 Advanced will
receive a Cambridge English certificate for level C2. Students
scoring between 160 and 179 will receive a B2 English certificate.