Part 1: Reading

CAE Reading Part 1

1. 2. Read the title and look at any pictures to get a general idea of the subject and style of the piece. Before you read the piece, read the question stems (just the questions, not the answers). Identify the key words and then find the part of the text that is relevant to each question. 3. 4. Read the piece quickly but pay close attention to the part of the text that has the answer to the question. The answer will be found in the text, it will not be based on your general impression of it. Eliminating obviously incorrect answers will help you choose the correct one.

CAE Reading Part 2

1. 2. Read the title and look at any pictures to give yourself a general idea of the subject and style of the piece. Read the article at a quick pace. Try and remember the topic of each paragraph, but pay special attention to anchors (logic al connecting words, pronouns, and time clauses). A word like so indicates a logical progressionlook for a reason something happened; these refers to something in a previous paragraph find them; afterwards refers to a progression of timewhat happened before? 3. 4. Read the paragraphs to be inserted in the text. Notice the content, but pay special attention again to anchors. Dont insist on completing this part of the test in order! Some of the paragraphs are easier to match than the others. Answer the easy questions first and cross them off your question sheet when they have been used. 5. 6. Always check that the paragraphs match the text before and after them. If the last paragraph doesnt seem to fit, take a minute to check your other answers. One of them may be wrong as well and you dont want to miss two questions.

CAE Reading Part 3

1. 2. 3. 4. Read the title and look at any pictures to get a general idea of the subject and style of the piece. Read just the question stems (not the answers) of the first two questions. Now start reading the text until you find the part that answers the first and second questions. The questions are in the order of the text, so you can use the question stems to locate the exact part of the text that will provide the answers. Only when you have found and read the relevant part of the text carefully should you read the answer choices and select the one that matches the text. 5. Continue reading question stems, finding the relevant text and choosing your answer based on the text. Breaking the text into smaller pieces will make it easier to find the answers. They can all be found in the text, you will never be required to just choose what feels right.

CAE Reading Part 4

1. Quickly look at the title and look at any pictures to give yourself a general idea of the subject and style of the piece, don t read the text until you have analysed the questions. 2. 3. Read the questions carefully and underline the key expressions in each one to help focus your mind on what you are reading for. Try and remember these key expressions as you read the text at a reasonably fast pace. Some of the answers will be obvious as you read, fill in your answer sheet as you go along. 4. Be careful that your answers match all of the information in the question. Sometimes the question will be looking for more than just one criteria so you need to be careful. 5. Go back to the unanswered questions; look at the key expressions you underlined and try to remember which area of the text had material related to them. When you are scanning the text, try to keep several questions in mind at once to make more efficient use of your time.

Part 2: Writing
There are many different formats of writing that can be required on the CAE. The writing paper is not as simple as using pretty words to make nice sentences. There are very clear instructions for each section and you must follow all of the instructions to receive a good mark. Below are my tips for each of the parts. When you are ready to try a practice CAE writing task.

CAE Writing Part 1

1. 2. You are required to complete the task in Part 1. You will need to write either a letter, a report, a proposal, or an article. Read the instructions carefully. Pay careful attention to the type of writing you are asked to do and to your audience. You will receive a very poor mark if you are asked to write a report for your principal but write an informal letter. 3. Identify the task, usually you are required to do three things in your writing. Make a plan before you start writing so you are certain you fully answer the question. 4. Notice that the word limit is written in bold type, do you think this is important? If your boss asks you for a one page proposal, he will not be pleased with a two page proposal. Expressing your ideas completely within the word limit is an important part of getting a good mark. 5. Notice another set of words in bold: using the information appropriately. You must decide what information will help you make the most persuasive or informative piece of writing. This will also allow you to expand on some of the information which will give you a higher mark than if you robotically copy the phrases from the question into your answer. 6. Use your own words as far as possible. This phrase is not in bold but it is still an important part of getting a good mark. Write paraphrases next to the information on the question sheet. This will help you avoid subconsciously using the words from the question as you write.

CAE Writing Part 2

1. You have a choice of tasks in Part 2. You will be able to choose from a wide range of subject matter and a number of different writing formats: an article, a competition entry, a contribution to a larger piece (such as a book), an information sheet, a letter, a proposal, a report or a review. 2. Select the question you wish to answer based on your familiarity with the writing style required, your interest in the topic, and your range of vocabulary related to the topic. 3. Read the question carefully and underline the task (usually the task will have two or three parts) and the target reader. This will help you ensure you answer the question completely and use the correct level of formality. 4. Make a plan before you begin writing. This will not only improve your organization, but writing down the information will allow you to concentrate on the language.

Part 3: Use of English

Below you will find my tips for each part of the use of English paper.

CAE Use of English Part 1

1. 2. 3. 4. Read the text quickly to understand the topic, style and tone of the piece. Now read again and try to guess what word might fill the gap without looking at the proposed answers. Pay close attention to the words before and after the gaps, they will determine what words can and cant be used. Now look at the answer choices. Select any answers that you guessed and then read the sentences carefully, before and after the gaps, to help you make your choice. 5. Do not spend too long on this part, it is very confusing and more time usually doesnt help you get more correct answers.

CAE Use of English Part 2

1. 2. 3. Read over the entire text once quickly. Take note of the topic, the style and the opinion of the writer. Now read it again more carefully, filling in the gaps and paying close attention to the words before and after them. If you dont know what the missing word is, read the whole sentence again carefully and identify what function it has: is it a pronoun? an auxiliary verb? part of a phrasal or prepositional verb? part of an expression? Analyse the sentence to find out what is missing.

CAE Use of English Part 3

1. 2. 3. Quickly read the entire text to notice the topic, style, tone and attitude of the writer. You must understand the context of the sentences because there is usually at least one word that must be made negative. After you have changed the word, read the sentence again to check that it makes sense and the grammar is correct (does the word have to be plural?).

CAE Use of English Part 4

1. Part 4 requires a bit of creativity. Sometimes it may help to work on this part for 5 minutes, then do a different part, and then come back to Part 4 with hopefully a fresh perspective. 2. 3. 4. Read the three sentences forming the question and identify what part of speech the word is, it will be the same part of speech in all three. Write the words that come to mind when you read each sentence. Try to think of as many ways as you can to fill each gap. Look for similarities among the words you chose for each sentence. Sometimes a word will work for two sentences but not for three, this is why you must read and try and complete all three sentences. 5. If you dont find the answer right away, do a different exercise and come back. Sometimes a little time is all you need to find it.

CAE Use of English Part 5

1. This is the most difficult part of the Use of English paper. Make sure you allow at least 15 minutes to complete it. Take your time, be methodical, analytical and careful. 2. The questions are each worth two points, you get one point for using the key word correctly and another for identifying the remaining grammar or vocabulary needed to complete the sentence. 3. Read the two sentences and compare them. Underline everything in the first sentence that is given in the second sentence, this will show you the part of the sentence to be transformed. 4. Look at the key word and identify the role it will play in the transformation. The other part of your answer is usually part of a phrase or expression that is a way of retstating the information you identified as neding to be transformed. 5. 6. Use the parts of the second sentence before and after the gap to help you remember the words you need. You can get one point for half of the correct answer, so always write something on the answer sheet!

Part 4: Listening
Below you will find my tips for each part of the listening paper.

CAE Listening Part 1

1. 2. Quickly read the first line above the question to understand the context of the conversation you are about to hear. Use the preparation time to identify and underline the most important information in the question stems (not the answers), then quickly read the answer choices. 3. 4. 5. Read the underlined information again before the conversation begins. The questions may not be answered in order in the conversation, so concentrate on both questions as you listen. Select an answer (even if you are not sure) after you hear the recording the first time and then confirm it or change it after the second time.

CAE Listening Part 2

1. 2. Quickly read the introduction at the top of the page to familiarise yourself with the context of the text. Use your preparation time not just to read the text, but to guess what word or type of word will fill each gap. Even general guesses like a place, a person, a length of time like 2 weeks or 4 months, a date, a title, a job, some sort of hobby, etc. will help you identify the answer when you hear it. 3. 4. 5. The questions will be answered in order by the recording, always try to anticipate the next question. The text on the question sheet will be paraphrased in the recording, but the answers will be the words actually used by the speaker. Make sure your answers are gramatically correct in the context of the sentences on the question sheet (Does this answer need to be plural? Does it need an article? What tense does this verb have to be in?).

CAE Listening Part 3

1. 2. Quickly read the task introduction to learn the context of the recording. Read the question stems carefully (not the answers yet) and underline the most important information. The recording will answer the questions in order, so it is important that you know when the questions are being discussed. 3. 4. 5. Skim the answers as quickly as you can, but it is quite likely you wont have enough time to read them carefu lly. As you listen, identify the question you are waiting to answer and the part of the conversation that contains the information you need. Mark possible correct answers as you hear the recording for the first time then listen closely to the relevant sections to confirm your answers the second time.

CAE Listening Part 4

1. Remember that there are two tasks you must complete as you listen to the recording. All five speakers will be heard once before the recording is repeated. 2. Quickly read the introduction and the headings of the columns. Context is extremely important in this part so you must clearly understand the situation and the nature of the two tasks. Underline the important expressions in the headings for tasks one and two. 3. As you read through the possible answers,dont focus on those words but try to think of words or expressions which are related to the ones in the columns. It is highly unlikely that you will hear the exact words that are written on the question sheet in the recording. So you should try to think of how those words might be described. 4. Dont be afraid to choose more than one possible answer as you listen to the speakers the first time. Decide between them as you listen again.

Copying your answers to the answer sheet

1. Answer every question! No answer gets the same score as an incorrect answer, but with multiple choice questions you can sometimes guess correctly. 2. Be careful in Part 2 to check your answers for correct grammar. If your answers are not gramatically correct or are misspelled, they will be marked wrong. Dont lose points because you are in a hurry. This is the last part of the test, you can relax once the answer sheets are collected.

Part 5: Speaking
The speaking test is a test of communication. You dont have to speak quickly, you dont have to hurry your answers, and you dont have to worry about your accent. To get a good mark on the speaking test you need to produce relevant, informative answers to the examiners questions. It is very important that you listen carefully to the examiner and read any material you are given carefully as well. Test format and marking: two candidates take the speaking test together, in most cases the candidates do not know each other. There are also two Cambridge representatives in the exam, the interlocutor and the assessor. The interlocutor will ask questions and interact with the candidates while the assessor will not interact or say anything, he or she will be giving marks in the following categories:

Grammatical Resource: measures the range and accuracy of simple and complex grammatical structures Lexical Resource: measures the range and appropriacy of vocabulary Discourse Management: measures the ability to logically connect phrases to form coherent and relevant answers to the tasks Pronunciation: measures the ability to form intelligible speech, includes stress and intonation as well as individual sounds Interactive Communication: measures the ability to take an active role in the development of discussions by taking time to speak and also inviting others to speak One final mark will be given by the interlocutor:

Global Achievement: measures the overall effectiveness in responding to the tasks in the different sections of the speaking test

Parts of the CAE speaking test:

Part 1: Candidates will each be asked questions about themselves. Topics will be home, work, school, hobbies, habits, interests and future plans.

Be relaxed and natural. Smile. Be the kind of person who is nice to have a conversation with! Give honest answers even if you think they are not good. Your opinions and lifestyle are not part of the marking criteria. Dont give one-word answers! The examiner will not ask you follow-up questions. Give complete answers. Because should be your favourite word in this part of the test. Listen to your partner, you may be asked the same question and you dont want to repeat their answer. Part 2: Candidates will have to speak for one minute about two pictures. They will compare the pictures and answer two questions about each one within the time limit. Candidates will also have to answer a short question about their partners pictures

Time management is very important for this task. You must answer two questions about two photographs in one minute,which is 15 seconds per answer, and you must compare the pictures as you do this. Choose which two of the three pictures you will talk about and tell the interlocutor which pictures you will be talking about at the start of your turn. Dont simply describe the pictures, this is not part of the task! Answer the first question about the first picture. Give a good, complete response. Answer the same question about the second picture, but connect the two answers with a simple comparative word or phrase: and, but, while, whereas, although, on the other hand, compared to, just like, or contrary to. Now repeat the process with the other question.

Pay attention as your partner completes their task and listen carefully to the question you are asked about their pictures so you are able to give an original, informative and relevant answer Part 3: Candidates have a task to complete together without any input from the interloctor. A number of pictures related to a theme will be provided and candidates will have to discuss the pictures, give their opinion, and make a decision about the pictures.

Turn your chair to face your partner. This will provide a physical reminder of what is important in this task, which is to interact with your partner. Start the task with a question about one of the pictures to your partner, you should be trying to involve your partner and respond to what he or she is saying during this task. Discuss all of the pictures before discussing the decision. You are not required to actually agree about the decision. In fact, if you reach agreement before the time limit, it makes it difficult to continue the discussion. If your partner talks too much: you can still receive a good mark if you use appropriate phrases to interrupt them. Can I make a point? Id just like to say Excuse me, but I have to disagree

If your partner doesnt talk at all: you can still receive a good mark if you encourage them to speak and give them time to answer. Remember, this is an interactive task and you must demonstrate your awareness of how to participate in a discussion Part 4: The interlocutor will join in the discussion on the general theme of the pictures from part 3. The interlocutor will ask the candidates questions and encourage them to share their opinions about the questions and each others answers.

Relax! The hard parts of the test are over, now you can just have a normal conversation with the people sitting at th e table with you. Give your honest opinion and dont hesitate to react to what the other candidate says. Dont dominate the conversation, the other candidate deserves a turn to speak as well. The end of the test: The interlocutor will say, Thank you. That is the end of the test. Thank the interlocutor and the assessor and leave. Dont ask your score. Dont say, Oh my god, Im so glad thats over! Behave like you are at a job interview, go outside before you stop taking the test.