Cambridge Exams

Let’s talk about the Cambridge Exams, and how you should best prepare yourself.

Whether you want to pass the Cambridge B2, C1 or the C2, the exam format is the same, and the only difference is the level overall. That is, the level of vocabulary, grammar and listening will be much higher, for example, in the Cambridge C2 compared to, say, the Cambridge B2.

How to Pass the Cambridge Exams

To pass either of the Cambridge exams, you will need to get a 60 percent score in each of the following sections at either a B2, C1 or a C2 level:

• Reading and use of English (¹ hour ¹⁵ minutes).
• Writing (¹ hour ²⁰ minutes).
• Listening (⁴⁰ minutes).
• Speaking (¹⁵ minutes).

So, how should you study for each of these four parts so that you can pass the exam? Well, let’s break it down for you. But first, we will quickly delve into a few essential things you should know before getting started.

Reading and use of English (1 hour 15 minutes)

It’s in the Reading and Use of English section, where your overall level of grammar and knowledge of collocations will be put to the test. Reading and use of English is divided into two sections consisting of four parts each. The first part (parts 1 - 4) is a grammar section consisting of:

Multiple Choice Cloze

In this part you'll need to have a grasp of collocations, that is, words which have a common co-occurrence with one another. For example, we say, “make money” and not “do money”.

Here, “make” collocates with “money”, and not “do”, hence the correct collocation “make”. So, this is what we mean by “co-occurrence or words which naturally go together. Here, you will be tested specifically on this.

Open Cloze

Here, you will have to use your intuition and perform a grammar analysis to select the correct word for each gap. You shall need to be familiar with the 6 parts of Speech in English, which are nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions and prepositions.

So, you will need to analyze the context before and after the gap both using your intuition and knowledge of the 6 parts of speech. For example,

• They didn’t know how to invest x the right stock

Here, x = Preposition, because you need a preposition to relate the noun “the right stock” to the rest of the sentence. So, you can’t use an adjective, for example.

Also, the verb “invest” takes the preposition “in”. In this exercise, it’s important to first use your intuition, then use logic (or a grammar analysis) to see if your intuition is correct or not

So, by analyzing the words before and after the space you are doing a “grammar analysis”, and you should be doing this as well as using your intuition. This is especially important given that, in the Open Cloze you will not have a selection of words from which to choose.

Word Formation

In this exercise, you’ll be given a short text alongside words that need to be modified to fit each gap accordingly. In this case, you should familiarise yourself with prefixes (morphemes that go before words to change their meaning) and suffixes (morphemes that go after words to change their grammatical category), i.e.

The prefix -im makes the adjective “polite” negative:

• Impolite. = adjective.

However, the noun suffix -ness changes the grammatical category of “impolite” as an adjective to a noun:

• Impoliteness. = noun.

Same as before, start by reading the text both before and after the gap and use your intuition first, and your logic second.

Get acquainted with prefixes and suffixes, because, ultimately, this is going to help you pass this exercise.

Key Word Transformations

Here, you’ll be given several sentences for which you’ll need to write another sentence that has the same meaning, however, you must not change the word given and depending on the level of the exam (B1, C1, C2), you’ll have fewer or more words that you can use. For example, in the B2 exam, you can use between 2 and 5 words.

In this exercise, you should use both your intuition and your grammar knowledge to create a new sentence by changing words that already exist in the first sentence to other categories of words so that they can fit grammatically into your new sentence.

In all these parts, multiple choice cloze, open cloze, word formation and key word transformations, are specifically designed to help you understand and learn how to target all these parts effectively for the B2, C1 and C2 exams.

We have entire series on these sections for all the exams, B2, C1 and C2 for the Reading and Use of English part for free here on YouTube.

The remaining four parts of the Reading and use of English (parts 5 - 8) are less about grammar and more about your ability to match the correct paragraphs to the gaps within the various texts you’ll read.

Furthermore, you’ll have to read the texts both thoroughly and carefully and decide on the correct answer. It’s here where you’ll be expected to have a good grasp of the contextual language in which you’ll need to decide on the most appropriate response for each text.

Lastly, this exercise is less about grammar and focuses more on your ability to understand multiple short texts on various topics.

Writing (1 hour 20 minutes)

In the writing exercise, you shall be given a topic on which to write a short essay. The length of your essay will depend on whether you're doing the B2, C1 or C2 exam.

Importantly, you should focus on writing with correct grammar, spelling and punctuation above all else. Secondly, try to make your text relatively simple whilst also getting your point across. Above all, focus on being correct rather than being too elaborate. If you attempt to be too elaborate this could lead to more errors. Keep your sentences simple, short and correct.

Try to form your writing in the following way: introduction, main idea and summary.

Do exactly as they ask and stick to these points we went over.

Here are some very common mistakes people make in the writing section and some things you can do to improve.

Listening (40 minutes)

The listening section is composed of four parts. It’s here where you will be exposed to different accents, so it’s important to stay focused and calm whilst you take notes, or underline parts of the exam relevant to what you heard so that you can better ascertain the most appropriate answer.

The format will be multiple choice, so it’s best that you first take your time to read the answers before listening so you can make a good analysis prior to listening.

Each recording will play twice, so you’ll have the opportunity to listen again to anything you may have missed or not picked up on in the first recording.

Speaking (15 minutes)

In the speaking section, there are four parts. Each part will only last between 2 and 5 minutes.

Similarly to the recommendations we gave you in the writing section, try to prioritize uttering short, simple but grammatically correct sentences rather than trying to be too elaborate and circumvent your points.

Also, it would be excellent if you insert connectors into your speaking as much as possible. That is, words such as furthermore, moreover, although, so, for instance, though, for example,

• Moreover, I think that…
• Although this woman looks happy, she might…
• I would say though, that…

These kinds of connectors make a huge difference!

Describing and comparing images may seem a little strange, however, just make sure you stick to using sentences that are short, correct and simple, and try to avoid making your sentence too long because you’ll be more likely to commit more errors.

The key is, aim to speak fluently and calmly whilst making as few errors as possible. It’s only fifteen minutes divided into four parts, so you’ll have plenty of time to rest and think and strategize after each.

What is the CEFR and what does it have to do with B2, C1 and C2 accreditation?

Firstly, the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is a guideline or framework for assessing the language level of language learners. That is to say, the CEFR is very helpful in determining what level you have in any given language.

Importantly, institutions, universities, schools and companies, especially in the context of the European Union and the United Kingdom use the CEFR framework to measure one’s language level. So, having a B2, C1 or C2 qualification is particularly useful when you want to work in certain government positions, enter universities, do an Erasmus or gain new employment.

Cambridge courses, whether you are studying for the B2, C1, or C2 are in line with your objectives of achieving a CERF qualification. Whether you are in need of a B2, C1 or C2 accreditation, our learning platform will prepare you specifically for these Cambridge exams (First B2, Advanced C1 and Proficiency C2).

That is to say, upon completion of our courses, you will come out with real insights and knowledge on the specific elements of the Cambridge exams, which in turn, will better prepare you to acquire an CEFR qualification.

Most importantly, all our courses form part of a unique package as part of your subscription plan. So, you will have full access to our entire learning platform and all available courses on the platform.

The main parts of the Cambridge exams you need to study for

In summary, there are four essential components of the exams for which you will need to prepare yourself well based on the current exams (B2, C1 and C2) from Cambridge English:

• Multiple Choice Cloze
• Open Cloze
• Word Formation
• Key Word Transformations

It’s important to note, we target these sections specifically within our courses. These sections are within the “Reading and Use of English” part of the exam.

Moreover, you can learn more about how we teach these sections of the exam depending on the level you wish to take, whether it be the First B2, Advanced C1 or Proficiency C2.

x

x.