CAE Use of English (C1 level) 

The Paper

The Cambridge Advanced Exam (CAE) is considered a good level marker for the C1 language level, or advanced learners of English, and is used in various countries and institutions as proof of linguistic competence. But what does the exam test in terms of skills or language systems? 

The Cambridge UMS (Upper Main Suite) Exams is a series of exams that test the intermediate and higher levels of English. They consist of the B2 FCE and the FCE for Schools version (for younger learners), the C1 Cambridge Advanced Exam (CAE) and C2 Cambridge Proficiency Exam (CPE). They contain Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening papers, as well as a paper called Use of English. The Use of English paper tests grammar and vocabulary in various ways, and it has four short exercises.

Although they are short, the exercises are important as the Use of English paper has equal importance and value to the other papers (20% of the total result). Therefore, it is essential to make sure that your marks in each exercise are consistent as your mark will get lower and lower with inconsistent test results. 

The important thing is to give equal importance to each exercise so that you score well consistently. 

Part 1 Multiple Choice-Tips and Tricks

If you have already done the FCE, the CAE exercise is exactly the same as in that B2 exam. However, the language level is C1 now, so the level of language is more complex. 

That said, the tricks to complete the exam are the same at all levels. Think about these issues regarding the format of the exercise and the answer options: 

1. The four options in each gap are of the same form of word or phrase. The options might be an entire phrasal verb, or just the preposition or the verb. They might be verbs or adjectives in the -ing form or they might be linkers like however, moreover or although. The point is that they will be of the same word class. 
2. It's not just grammar but also meaning that you have to take care about when deciding on the correct answer. The four options may be connected in meaning but there might be one with a more distant meaning than the others. This could be disregarded fairly quickly to narrow down your options to three possibilities. The others may be similar in meaning or connected in meaning, or different but still relevant to the context. 
3. So, several options seem relevant? Well, then look at the grammar surrounding the gap, especially what comes after. Different words connect to different grammatical patterns, but they may have similar meanings, such as rather than, instead of or as opposed to. Each are similar in meaning, often fit the same context but the words after them are distinct. 

Remember the following strategies and sub-skills whenever you are tackling the exercise: 

1. Read the full text quickly, familiarising yourself with the topic and the context. Part 1 has about 150 words, and a quick read helps you understand the idea of the text. 
2. Time management is essential; the Advanced Reading and Use of English Paper is now 90 minutes long and the official answer sheet MUST be filled in during that time. Considering that there are now FOUR longer reading tasks which require about 15 minutes each, that would leave half an hour for the four shorter Use of English tasks. Part 1 is short and quick to read, so seven minutes should do this task, and you want to leave a shorter and easier exercise like the Multiple Choice to later on in the exam, prioritising the more difficult exercises. 
3. Review your answers, then fill in the answer sheet. Tailtiu Languages recommends filling in the answer sheet just after finishing and reviewing the exercise. Not waiting until the end of the exam to fill in everything helps with your time management and your focus on the subsequent exercises.  

These strategies can help you prepare and manage your time more effectively for the exam at all levels. Whenever you are doing practice exams before the actual exam day, use these strategies to prepare yourself, so that you are able to do the exam in the time given and to do the exam, and all of its exercises, with confidence.