Cambridge ESOL

Cambridge CELA (previous name is ECOL) — Cambridge English Language Assessment — a group of exams that assess knowledge of English as a foreign language. They vary in difficulty and professional focus: general exams, tests for children and teenagers, business English and exams for teachers.

Cambridge Exam Preparation Materials

Types of Cambridge exams

Cambridge exams can be divided into two groups:

• Tests to confirm a certain level of language
• Specialized exams for teachers and business English learners

A2 Key — KET (Cambridge English: Key)

English proficiency exam at A2 Elementary level. The test consists of three parts:

• Reading and Writing lasts 60 minutes. The part contains 32 tasks. This block tests your ability to understand the simple written language from newspapers and magazines and to compose short messages.
• Listening lasts 30 minutes and consists of 25 questions. Instead of full-fledged texts there are announcements and small statements. The speech is slow and clear.
• Speaking lasts 10 minutes at the end of the exam. This section consists of two parts. Each of them is a conversation with a teacher or other examinees on simple topics^[1].

B1 Preliminary — PET (Cambridge English: Preliminary)

PTE tests English proficiency at level B1 Intermediate. The test consists of four parts:

• Reading includes 32 comprehension questions from magazines, newspapers and advertisements. The duration of the block is 45 minutes.
• Writing consists of 2 tasks that rate the candidate's ability to write short essays and compose messages. The section lasts 45 minutes.
• Listening offers 25 questions on four texts. The run time is 30 minutes. The assignments contain excerpts from announcements and conversations.
• Speaking consists of four parts and takes place in the format of a conversation. Speaking duration — 12-17 minutes^[2].

B2 First — FCE (Cambridge English: First)

This exam is designed for candidates who speak English at B2 Upper-Intermediate level. The test consists of four sections:

• Reading and Use of English lasts 75 minutes and consists of 52 questions. The section includes tasks for understanding texts, analyzing their content, knowledge of vocabulary and grammar of the English language.
• Writing consists of 2 parts: an essay and a letter. You have 80 minutes to complete the tasks.
• Listening includes 30 questions. You must listen to several passages (news programs, academic texts, etc.) and complete assignments. The duration of the section is 40 minutes.
• Speaking takes only 14 minutes. You are talking on a given topic with another candidate^[3].

C1 Advanced — CAE (Cambridge English: Advanced)

Examination for candidates who speak English at level C1 Advanced. The CAE certificate confirms that you can use English for work and study. The test is divided into four parts:

• Reading and Use of English lasts 90 minutes. The block includes 56 questions. The level of complexity of the texts is higher than in previous exams. Texts are mostly scientific from magazines or newspapers.
• Writing consists of two types of texts. It can be an essay, letter or review. You have 90 minutes to complete.
• Listening takes 40 minutes from the test. Audio recordings include interviews, presentations, and everyday conversations.
• Speaking tests your communication skills. The duration of the conversation is 15 minutes^[4].

C2 Proficiency — CPE (Cambridge English: Proficiency)

CPE confirms the C2 Proficient level of English. This certificate allows you to study at master's and doctoral programs abroad, participate in international conferences and seminars. CPE certificate holders can freely communicate with native speakers on any highly specialized topics. The exam consists of four parts:

• Reading and Use of English includes 53 questions and tests your ability to work with different types of texts. This part takes 90 minutes.
• Writing consists of two tasks of different types (essays, reviews, reports). You have 90 minutes to complete.
• Listening lasts 40 minutes. There are four excerpts from interviews, scientific lectures and speeches. You need to answer 30 questions.
• Speaking is a 16-minute interview with a native speaker^[5].

BEC (Business English) — English for business

The BEC exams test knowledge of business English. This exam is suitable for those who work in the business sector, marketing and finance. You have three levels to choose from:

• B1 Business Preliminary;
• B2 Business Vantage;
• C1 Business Higher.

Each of them tests the skills of writing, reading, listening and communication.

Young Learners — Exams for Kids

Cambridge Young Learners exams are designed for young candidates from 7 to 12 years old. The exams test the following skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing. Testing takes place in a game form, so taking the exam is easy and entertaining.

TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test) — Exams for teachers

The Cambridge TKT exam checks theoretical knowledge of teachers and their ability to convey information. The test is aimed at teachers of elementary, middle and high schools. You must register for this exam with at least B1 Intermediate English proficiency. The TKT certificate confirms the qualifications of a teacher and allows you to work in almost any country in the world.

The exam consists of several modules. They can be taken all at once or separately:

• 1st module — Teaching experience (Background to language teaching) lasts 80 minutes and consists of 80 questions. The block is divided into three parts:
  • Experience in learning English (15 questions)
  • Definition of language skills (40 questions)
  • Language teaching experience (25 questions)
• 2nd module — Lesson planning (Planning for language teaching) also takes 80 minutes and includes 80 questions. The test consists of two sections:
  • Planning a lesson or several lessons (40 questions)
  • Choosing the right materials for the lesson and using them (40 questions)
• 3rd module — The course of the lesson and the organization of educational activities (Classroom management): 80 minutes for 80 questions. The test includes two parts:
  • The language of the teacher and student in the classroom (40 questions)
  • Management of the learning process (40 questions)

In addition to the main modules, there are two additional ones:

• TKT: Young Learners for teachers working with children aged 6 to 12.
• TKT: CLIL — Content and Language Integrated Learning — subject-language integrated learning. The essence of this method is that students study standard subjects in a foreign language^[9].