Exam format

A2 Key is made up of three papers developed to test your English skills. 

•  | Reading and Writing 

 (1 hour)
Content: 7 parts/32 questions   
Marks (% of total): 50%  
Purpose: Shows you can understand simple written information such as signs, brochures, newspapers and magazines.

•  | Listening 

 (30 minutes, including 6 minutes’ transfer time)
Content: 5 parts/25 questions 
Marks (% of total): 25%  
Purpose: Requires you to be able to understand announcements and other spoken material when people speak reasonably slowly.

•  | Speaking 

 (8–10 minutes per pair of candidates)
Content: 2 parts  

Marks (% of total): 25%  
Purpose: Shows you can take part in a conversation by answering and asking simple questions. Your Speaking test will be conducted face to face with one or two other candidates and two examiners. This makes your test more realistic and more reliable.

________________________________________

 What’s in the Reading and Writing paper?

Parts 1–5 are about reading and Parts 6–7 are mainly about writing.

Part 1 (Multiple choice)

What do candidates have to do?  | Read six short real-world texts for the main message.
How many questions are there?  | 6
How many marks are there?  | One mark for each correct answer

Part 2 (Multiple matching)

What do candidates have to do?  | Read seven questions and three short texts on the same topic, then match the questions to the texts.
How many questions are there?  | 7
How many marks are there?  | One mark for each correct answer

Part 3 (Multiple choice)

What do candidates have to do?  | Read one long text for detailed understanding and main ideas.
How many questions are there?  | 5
How many marks are there?  | One mark for each correct answer

Part 4 (Multiple-choice cloze)

What do candidates have to do?  | Read a factual text and choose the correct vocabulary items to complete the gaps.
How many questions are there?  | 6
How many marks are there?  | One mark for each correct answer.

Part 5 (Open cloze)

What do candidates have to do?  | Complete gaps in an email (and sometimes the reply too) using one word.
How many questions are there?  | 6
How many marks are there?  | One mark for each correct answer

Part 6 (Guided writing)

What do candidates have to do?  | Write a short email or note of 25 words or more.
How many questions are there?  | 1
How many marks are there?  | The question has a maximum of 15 marks available

Part 7 (Picture story)

What do candidates have to do?  | Write a short story of 35 words or more based on three picture prompts.
How many questions are there?  | 1
How many marks are there?  | The question has a maximum of 15 marks available

Exam format

B1 Preliminary is made up of four papers developed to test students’ English skills. 

•  | Reading 

 (45 minutes)
Content: 6 parts/32 questions 
Marks (% of total): 25% 
Purpose: Shows you can read and understand the main points from signs, newspapers and magazines.

•  | Writing 

 (45 minutes)
Content: 2 parts/2 questions 
Marks (% of total): 25% 
Purpose: Shows you can use vocabulary and structure correctly.

•  | Listening 

 (30 minutes, including 6 minutes’ transfer time)
Content: 4 parts/25 questions
Marks (% of total): 25% 
Purpose: You have to be able to follow and understand a range of spoken materials including announcements and discussions about everyday life.

•  | Speaking 

 (12–17 minutes per pair of candidates)
Content: 4 parts
Marks (% of total): 25% 
Purpose: Shows how good your spoken English is as you take part in conversation by asking/answering questions and talking, for example, about your likes and dislikes. Your Speaking test will be conducted face to face with one or two other candidates and two examiners. This makes your test more realistic and more reliable.

____________________________

What’s in the Reading paper?

The B1 Preliminary Reading paper has six parts. 

Part 1 (Multiple choice)

What do candidates have to do?  | Read five real-world notices, messages and other short texts for the main message.
How many questions are there?  | 5
How many marks are there?  | One mark for each correct answer.

Part 2 (Matching)

What do candidates have to do?  | Match five descriptions of people to eight short texts on a particular topic, showing detailed comprehension.
How many questions are there?  | 5
How many marks are there?  | One mark for each correct answer.

Part 3 (Multiple choice)

What do candidates have to do?  | Read a longer text for detailed comprehension, gist, inference and global meaning, as well as writer’s attitude and opinion.
How many questions are there?  | 5
How many marks are there?  | One mark for each correct answer.

Part 4 (Gapped text)

What do candidates have to do?  | Read a longer text from which five sentences have been removed. Show understanding of how a coherent and well-structured text is formed.
How many questions are there?  | 5
How many marks are there?  | One mark for each correct answer.

Part 5 (Multiple choice cloze)

What do candidates have to do?  | Read a shorter text and choose the correct vocabulary items to complete gaps.
How many questions are there?  | 6
How many marks are there?  | One mark for each correct answer.

Part 6 (Open cloze)

What do candidates have to do?  | Read a shorter text and complete six gaps using one word for each gap.
How many questions are there?  | 6
How many marks are there?  | One mark for each correct answer.

Exam format

B2 First is a test of all areas of language ability.

The updated exam (for exam sessions from January 2015) is made up of four papers developed to test your English language skills. 

The Speaking test is taken face to face, with two candidates and two examiners. This creates a more realistic and reliable measure of your ability to use English to communicate.

•  | Reading and Use of English 

(1 hour 15 minutes) 

Content: 7 parts/52 questions  
Purpose: Shows you can deal confidently with different types of text, such as fiction, newspapers and magazines. Tests your use of English with tasks that show how well you can control your grammar and vocabulary.

•  | Writing 

 (1 hour 20 minutes)
Content: 2 parts  
Purpose: Requires you to be able to produce two different pieces of writing, such as letters, reports, reviews and essays.

•  | Listening 

 (about 40 minutes)
Content: 4 parts/30 questions  
Purpose: Requires you to be able to follow and understand a range of spoken materials, such as news programmes, presentations and everyday conversations.

•  | Speaking 

 (14 minutes per pair of candidates)
Content: 4 parts  
Purpose: Tests your ability to communicate effectively in face to face situations. You will take the Speaking test with one or two other candidates.

______________________

What’s in the Reading and Use of English paper?

The B2 First Reading and Use of English paper is in seven parts and has a mix of text types and questions.

For Parts 1 to 4, you read a range of texts and do grammar and vocabulary tasks.

For Parts 5 to 7, you read a series of texts and answer questions that test your reading ability and show that you can deal with a variety of different types of texts.

promotional and informational material.

Part 1 (Multiple-choice cloze)

What's in Part 1?  | A text with some multiple-choice questions. Each question has four options (A, B, C or D) – you have to decide which is the correct answer.
What do I have to practise?  | Vocabulary – idioms, collocations, shades of meaning, phrasal verbs, fixed phrases etc.
How many questions are there?  | 8
How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 2 (Open cloze)

What's in Part 2?  | A text in which there are some gaps, each of which represents one missing word. You have to think of the correct word for each gap.
What do I have to practise?  | Grammar and vocabulary.
How many questions are there?  | 8
How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 3 (Word formation)

What's in Part 3?  | A text containing eight gaps. Each gap represents a word. At the end of the line is a ‘prompt’ word which you have to change in some way to complete the sentence correctly.
What do I have to practise?  | Vocabulary.
How many questions are there?  | 8
How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 4 (Key word transformations)

What's in Part 4?  | Each question consists of a sentence followed by a ‘key’ word and a second sentence with a gap in the middle. You have to use this key word to complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence.
What do I have to practise?  | Grammar and vocabulary.
How many questions are there?  | 6
How many marks are there?  | Up to 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 5 (Multiple choice)

What's in Part 5?  | A text with some multiple-choice questions. For each question, there are four options and you have to choose A, B, C or D.
What do I have to practise?  | Reading for detail, opinion, tone, purpose, main idea, implication, attitude.
How many questions are there?  | 6
How many marks are there?  | 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 6 (Gapped text)

What's in Part 6?  | A single page of text with some numbered gaps which represent missing sentences. After the text there are some sentences which are not in the right order. You have to read the text and the sentences and decide which sentence best fits each gap.
What do I have to practise?  | How to understand the structure and development of a text.
How many questions are there?  | 6
How many marks are there?  | 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 7 (Multiple matching)

What's in Part 7?  | A series of statements followed by a text divided into sections or several short texts. You have to match each statement to the section or text in which you can find the information.
What do I have to practise?  | Reading for specific information, detail, opinion and attitude.
How many questions are there?  | 10
How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.

Exam format

C1 Advanced is a thorough test of all areas of language ability.

The updated exam (for exam sessions from January 2015) is made up of four papers developed to test your English language skills. 

The Speaking test is taken face to face, with two candidates and two examiners. This creates a more realistic and reliable measure of your ability to use English to communicate.

•  | Reading and Use of English 

 (1 hour 30 minutes)
Content: 8 parts/56 questions  
Purpose: Shows you can deal confidently with different types of text, such as fiction, newspapers and magazines. Tests your use of English with different types of exercise that show how well you can control your grammar and vocabulary.

•  | Writing 

 (1 hour 30 minutes)
Content: 2 parts  
Purpose: You create two different pieces of writing, such as essays, letters/emails, proposals, reports and reviews.

•  | Listening 

 (about 40 minutes)
Content: 4 parts/30 questions  
Purpose: Tests your ability to follow and understand a range of spoken materials, such as interviews, radio broadcasts, presentations, talks and everyday conversations.

•  | Speaking 

 (15 minutes per pair of candidates)
Content: 4 parts  
Purpose: Tests your ability to communicate effectively in face–to–face situations. You will take the Speaking test with another candidate.

____________________________

What’s in the Reading and Use of English paper?

The C1 Advanced Reading and Use of English paper is in eight parts and has a mix of text types and questions.

Part 1 (Multiple-choice cloze)

What's in Part 1?  | A text in which there are some numbered gaps, each of which represents a word or phrase. After the text there are four possible answers for each gap and you have to choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
What do I have to practise?  | Vocabulary – idioms, collocations, shades of meaning, phrasal verbs, fixed phrases etc.
How many questions are there?  | 8
How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 2 (Open cloze)

What's in Part 2?  | A text in which there are some gaps, each of which represents one missing word. You have to find the correct word for each gap.
What do I have to practise?  | Grammar and vocabulary.
How many questions are there?  | 8
How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 3 (Word formation)

What's in Part 3?  | A text containing eight gaps. Each gap represents a word. At the end of the line is a ‘prompt’ word which you have to change in some way to complete the sentence correctly.
What do I have to practise?  | Vocabulary.
How many questions are there?  | 8
How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 4 (Key word transformations)

What's in Part 4?  | Each question consists of a sentence followed by a ‘key’ word and a second sentence with a gap in the middle. You have to use this key word to complete the second sentence, in three to six words, so that it means the same as the first sentence.
What do I have to practise?  | Grammar, vocabulary and collocation.
How many questions are there?  | 6
How many marks are there?  | Up to 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 5 (Multiple choice)

What's in Part 5?  | A text with some multiple-choice questions. For each question, there are four options and you have to choose A, B, C or D.
What do I have to practise?  | Reading for detail, opinion, tone, purpose, main idea, implication, attitude.
How many questions are there?  | 6
How many marks are there?  | 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 6 (Cross-text multiple matching)

What's in Part 6?  | Four short texts with multiple-matching questions. You must read across all of the texts to match a prompt to elements in the texts.
What do I have to practise?  | Understanding and comparing opinions and attitudes across texts.
How many questions are there?  | 4
How many marks are there?  | 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 7 (Gapped text)

What's in Part 7?  | A single page of text with some numbered gaps which represent missing paragraphs. After the text there are some paragraphs which are not in the right order. You have to read the text and the paragraphs and decide which paragraph best fits each gap.
What do I have to practise?  | How to understand the structure and development of a text.
How many questions are there?  | 6
How many marks are there?  | 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 8 (Multiple matching)

What's in Part 8?  | A series of multiple-matching questions followed by a text or several short texts. You have to match a prompt to elements in the text.
What do I have to practise?  | Reading for specific information, detail, opinion and attitude.
How many questions are there?  | 10
How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.

Exam format

C2 Proficiency is made up of four papers developed to test your English skills.

•  | Reading and Use of English 

 (1 hour 30 minutes)
Content:7 parts/53 questions  
Purpose: Shows you can deal confidently with different types of text, such as fiction and non-fiction books, journals, newspapers and manuals.

•  | Writing 

 (1 hour 30 minutes)
Content: 2 parts  
Purpose: Requires you to be able to write a variety of text types, such as essays, reports and reviews.

•  | Listening 

 (about 40 minutes)
Content: 4 parts/30 questions  
Purpose: Requires you to be able to follow and understand a range of spoken materials, such as lectures, speeches and interviews.

•  | Speaking 

 (16 minutes per pair of candidates)
Content: 3 parts  
Purpose: Tests your ability to communicate effectively in face-to-face situations.

_____________________________

What’s in the Reading and Use of English paper?

The C2 Proficiency Reading and Use of English paper has different types of text and questions. In one part, you may have to read one long text or three or more shorter, related texts.

Part 1 (Multiple-choice cloze) 

What's in Part 1?  | A single text with eight gaps. Candidates must choose one word or phrase from a set of four to fill each gap.

What do I have to practise?  | Idioms, collocations, fixed phrases, complementation, phrasal verbs, semantic precision.
How many questions are there?  | 8
How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 2 (Open cloze)

What's in Part 2?  | A modified cloze test consisting of a text with eight gaps. Candidates think of the word which best fits each gap.
What do I have to practise?  | Awareness and control of grammar with some focus on vocabulary.
How many questions are there?  | 8
How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 3 (Word formation)

What's in Part 3?  | A text containing eight gaps. Each gap corresponds to a word. The stems of the missing words are given beside the text and must be changed to form the missing word.

What do I have to practise?  | Vocabulary, in particular the use of affixation, internal changes and compounding in word formation.
How many questions are there?  | 8

How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 4 (Key word transformations)

What's in Part 4?  | Six discrete items with a lead-in sentence and a gapped response to complete in 3–8 words including a given ‘key’ word.
What do I have to practise?  | Grammar, vocabulary and collocation.
How many questions are there?  | 6

How many marks are there?  | Up to 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 5 (Multiple choice)

What's in Part 5?  | A long text followed by some multiple-choice questions, each with four options (A, B, C or D).

What do I have to practise?  | Identifying detail, opinion, attitude, tone, purpose, main idea, implication and how a text is organised.
How many questions are there?  | 6

How many marks are there?  | 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 6 (Gapped text)

What's in Part 6?  | A text from which paragraphs have been removed and placed in jumbled order after the text. Candidates must decide from where in the text the paragraphs have been removed.

What do I have to practise?  | Understanding of cohesion, coherence, text structure, global meaning.
How many questions are there?  | 7

How many marks are there?  | 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 7 (Multiple matching)

What's in Part 7?  | A text, or several short texts, preceded by multiple-matching questions. Candidates must match a prompt to elements in the text.

What do I have to practise?  | Understanding of detail, opinion, attitude and specific information.
How many questions are there?  | 10

How many marks are there?  | 1 mark for each correct answer.