The Certificate in Advanced English, or CAE for short, is valid for life. It is issued by the University of Cambridge and recognised by universities in the United Kingdom and the United States. It corresponds to level C1, in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. (Advanced level).
The certificate is recognised by many government, cultural, educational and financial institutions, as well as numerous other organisations around the world, as an official document confirming the required level of professional or academic language competence.
What are the exam components?
1. Reading and Use of English.
This section lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes and tests the ability to understand contemporary texts such as articles, reports, research papers, commentaries and books. This component accounts for 40% of the overall score.
2. Writing
The Writing component lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes and includes two tasks: an essay and a choice of a letter, email, report, proposal or review. This component accounts for 20% of the overall score.
3. Listening
The Listening section lasts 40 minutes. It assesses the ability to identify the main ideas and topics in authentic spoken English from a range of fields and formats, such as radio programmes, news broadcasts, discussion programmes, short stories and discussions on specific topics. This component accounts for 20% of the overall score.
4. Speaking
The Speaking component lasts 15 minutes. It assesses the ability to answer questions on everyday topics and discuss a specific contemporary issue with another candidate in front of two examiners. This component accounts for 20% of the overall score.
