CAMBRIDGE · USE OF ENGLISH SCORING
Cambridge Use of English Scoring
Use of English is out of 28 raw marks at all three levels that report it, and every one of those marks is decided by a fixed answer key. The two rules that matter most are spelling, which must be correct, and the two-mark split in key word transformations, which gives partial credit.
Marks per Part
| Exam | Part | Task | Questions | Marks each | Part total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2 First | Reading and Use of English, Part 2 | Open Cloze | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| B2 First | Reading and Use of English, Part 3 | Word Formation | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| B2 First | Reading and Use of English, Part 4 | Key Word Transformation | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| C1 Advanced | Reading and Use of English, Part 2 | Open Cloze | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| C1 Advanced | Reading and Use of English, Part 3 | Word Formation | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| C1 Advanced | Reading and Use of English, Part 4 | Key Word Transformation | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| C2 Proficiency | Reading and Use of English, Part 2 | Open Cloze | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| C2 Proficiency | Reading and Use of English, Part 3 | Word Formation | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| C2 Proficiency | Reading and Use of English, Part 4 | Key Word Transformation | 6 | 2 | 12 |
That is 8 + 8 + 12 = 28 marks at B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency alike.
Marking Rules
| Rule | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Spelling must be correct | In open cloze, word formation and transformations. A misspelt key is wrong. |
| One answer per gap | Writing two alternatives in one gap scores zero if either is wrong. |
| Transformations are marked in two halves | Each half is one mark. Get the grammar right and the phrasal verb wrong and you still score 1. |
| The key word must not change | Changing it (for example give to gave) scores zero for the item. |
| Word limits | B2 First 2-5 words, C1 Advanced 3-6, C2 Proficiency 3-8, including the key word. Contractions count as two words. |
| Capital letters | On the paper answer sheet, answers are written in capital letters, one letter per box. |
How a transformation is split
I’m sure she remembered the meeting.
MUST
She ________ the meeting.
Key: must have remembered, marked as must have (1 mark) | remembered (1 mark). A candidate who writes must have remember keeps the first mark and loses the second.
From Raw Marks to a Scale Score
Raw marks on each paper are converted to a score on the Cambridge English Scale. Cambridge publishes the raw marks that reach each CEFR boundary on its official practice tests. These are the only official figures; the conversion for a live exam is set for that exam version and is not published.
| Exam | Raw marks available | Scale score: raw marks needed |
|---|---|---|
| B2 First | 28 | 180: 24 · 160: 18 · 140: 11 · 122: 7 |
| C1 Advanced | 28 | 200: 23 · 180: 16 · 160: 11 · 142: 8 |
| C2 Proficiency | 28 | 220: 22 · 200: 17 · 180: 13 · 162: 9 |
Estimate a Use of English scale score from a practice test
Uses Cambridge’s published anchor points and a straight line between them. Live exams are equated session by session, so treat anything within 3 points of a boundary as borderline.
Between two published points the estimate is a straight line, which is what this formula does. r is your raw mark, and r1, S1 and r2, S2 are the published points either side of it.
A linear estimate only. It is a guide to where a practice result sits, not a prediction of the live exam.
How It Counts Towards the Result
The Use of English scale score is a fifth of the result at B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency. The overall score is the average of the skill scores, rounded to the nearest whole number:
A2 Key and B1 Preliminary: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking.
B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency: Use of English is the fifth score.
There is no minimum per skill. The grade is decided by the overall score:
| Exam | Grade A | Grade B | Grade C | Level below | Reported range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 Key | 140-150 | 133-139 | 120-132 | 100-119 | 82-150 |
| B1 Preliminary | 160-170 | 153-159 | 140-152 | 120-139 | 102-170 |
| B2 First | 180-190 | 173-179 | 160-172 | 140-159 | 122-190 |
| C1 Advanced | 200-210 | 193-199 | 180-192 | 160-179 | 142-210 |
| C2 Proficiency | 220-230 | 213-219 | 200-212 | 180-199 | 162-230 |
Raising a Use of English Score
- Check spelling last, deliberately. It is the cheapest mark on the paper to lose.
- In transformations, always write something. Half an answer can still earn a mark.
- Count words in every transformation, contractions as two.
- Study the keys you miss, by type. Most candidates lose Use of English marks to the same five or six structures.
Practice sets for every level are on the Cambridge Use of English samples page.
