Cambridge English Qualifications: Test Format

At a Glance

Each exam tests the same four skills — Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking — and from B2 First upwards a fifth score, Use of English, is reported alongside them. Speaking is always face to face, with two examiners and usually two candidates in the room. Everything else can be taken on paper or on computer at a test centre; the tasks, the marking and the certificate are the same either way.

The Five Exams

Which Exam Should You Take?

Take the exam at the level you are confident of reaching, not the one above it. A strong performance earns a certificate one level higher (a Grade A on B2 First is reported as C1), and a narrow miss still earns a certificate one level lower. Aim two levels too high and a fail gives you nothing.

Check what your university or employer actually asks for. Many state a Cambridge English Scale score (for example "176 overall, no skill below 169") rather than a grade, and the score can be met on more than one exam.

Exam Maps: Every Paper and Part

Question numbers restart on every paper. Marks show what each part is worth, and the last column shows which of the reported scores it feeds — which is not always the paper it is printed on.

A2 Key — CEFR A2, about 2 hours

Reading and Writing · 60 minutes · 50% of the total

Listening · About 30 minutes · 25% of the total

Speaking · 8-10 minutes per pair · 25% of the total

B1 Preliminary — CEFR B1, about 2 hours 20 minutes

Reading · 45 minutes · 25% of the total

Writing · 45 minutes · 25% of the total

Listening · About 30 minutes · 25% of the total

Speaking · 10-12 minutes per pair · 25% of the total

B2 First — CEFR B2, about 3 hours 30 minutes

Reading and Use of English · 1 hour 15 minutes · 40% of the total

Writing · 1 hour 20 minutes · 20% of the total

Listening · About 40 minutes · 20% of the total

Speaking · 14 minutes per pair · 20% of the total

C1 Advanced — CEFR C1, about 4 hours

Reading and Use of English · 1 hour 30 minutes · 40% of the total

Writing · 1 hour 30 minutes · 20% of the total

Listening · About 40 minutes · 20% of the total

Speaking · 15 minutes per pair · 20% of the total

C2 Proficiency — CEFR C2, about 4 hours

Reading and Use of English · 1 hour 30 minutes · 40% of the total

Writing · 1 hour 30 minutes · 20% of the total

Listening · About 40 minutes · 20% of the total

Speaking · 16 minutes per pair · 20% of the total

How the Scoring Works

Your raw marks on each paper are converted to a score on the Cambridge English Scale, which runs from 80 to 230 across all five exams. Because every exam reports on the same scale, a 175 means the same thing whether it came from B1 Preliminary or C1 Advanced.

The overall score is the plain average of the skill scores, rounded to the nearest whole number. At A2 Key and B1 Preliminary there are four:

At B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency, Use of English is a fifth score with the same weight:

There is no minimum score per paper. A weak Listening score can be carried by strong Reading and Speaking scores, which is why the grade depends on the overall figure alone.

Grades and Certificates

Grades A, B and C are passes at the exam’s own level, with a Grade A at A2, B1, B2 and C1 certifying the level above. A score in the "level below" band earns a Cambridge English certificate at that lower level. Below that, the score appears on the Statement of Results but no certificate is issued.

Digital results arrive 5-10 working days after the exam session; paper-based results 4-6 weeks after the exam session. Certificates do not expire, although universities and visa authorities may ask for a result from the last two years.

Full detail per skill, including the official raw-mark conversion points, is on the Reading, Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking scoring pages.

Cambridge Scores and IELTS

Cambridge publishes a comparison between the Cambridge English Scale and IELTS band scores, which is what most universities use when they accept both.

What Has Changed Recently

None of these changed the task types, the number of questions or the marking. A practice test written to the current handbooks is still an accurate rehearsal of the exam.

How to Prepare

1. Confirm your level first. Do one complete set of sample parts at the level you are aiming for, under the real timing, and score it honestly. If you are well below the Grade C threshold, take the exam below.
2. Learn the task types, not just the language. Every part has a method, and the method is worth marks on its own. Each task type has a page on this site with a worked example.
3. Work the paper that carries the most weight. From B2 upwards, Reading and Use of English is 40% of the result.
4. Get writing marked against the four subscales. Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language move separately, and most candidates lose marks in only one or two.
5. Rehearse Speaking with a partner. Interactive Communication is marked, and it cannot be practised alone.

Practice parts for every level, with audio, transcripts and model answers, are on the Reading, Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking samples pages.

Common Questions