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CAE (Certificate in Advanced English)
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The Certificate in Advanced English was originally offered in 1991. CAE is at Level C1 of the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) has developed a framework which covers six levels of proficiency aligned to the CEFR and shows what learners can typically do at CAE level
CAE has five papers:
- Reading
- Writing
- English in use
- Listening
- Speaking
Reading (Paper 1), 1 hour 15 minutes
This paper assesses the ability to read and understand a number of texts taken from books (fiction and non-fiction), newspapers and magazines, promotional and informational material. It contains four parts. Students are expected to be able to show understanding of gist, main points, detail, text structure or specific information, deduce meaning or recognise opinion and attitude.
Writing (Paper 2), 1 hour 30 minutes
This paper assesses the ability to write non-specialised text types such as letters, articles, reports and reviews for a given purpose and target reader, covering a range of topics. It contains two parts. Responses are of 180-220 (Part 1) or 220-260 (Part 2) words in length.
English in Use (Paper 3), 1 hour
In this paper, students are expected to demonstrate knowledge and control of the language system by completing various tasks at text and sentence level, based on authentic texts. This will include multiple choice cloze, gap-filling, word formation, key word transformations and text completion exercises. The paper contains five parts.
Listening (Paper 4), 40 minutes (approx.)
This paper assesses the ability to understand the meaning of spoken English and to extract detailed and specific information from the spoken text and to understand speakers' attitudes and opinions. The texts are taken from a variety of text types including interviews, discussions, lectures and conversations. The paper contains four parts.
Speaking (Paper 5), 15 minutes
The Speaking Test assesses the ability to interact in conversational English in a range of contexts. It contains four parts, including an interview section, individual long turns, a collaborative task and a discussion. Students are provided with stimulus materials such as photographs and drawings. They will normally take the Speaking Test in pairs.
Results
Each component carries 20% of the total marks. There are three pass grades (A, B and C) and certificates are awarded to candidates who achieve these grades. Candidates who achieve a grade D or E are judged not to have reached the required standard for CAE.
Once awarded Cambridge ESOL CAE certificates are valid for life.
Find out more about CAE
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