C A M B R I D G EE X A M I N AT I O N S , C E RT I F I C AT E S & D I P L O M A SEnglish as aForeign Language

CAE CERT I F I C AT E I N

ADVANCED ENGLISH

HANDBOOK© UCLES 2001 NOT FOR RESALEPage 2PREFACEThis Handbook is intended principally for teachers andcourse designers who are, or intend to become, involved inpreparing candidates for the Certificate in Advanced English(CAE). There are separate Handbooks for other CambridgeEFL examinations.The introductory part of the handbook provides a generalbackground to the Cambridge EFL examinations and anoverview of the work of UCLES EFL, including a descriptionof current procedures for test design, production andmarking. It is hoped that this will be of interest both to thosewho are familiar with the Cambridge EFL examinations, andto those who are coming to them for the first time.For further information on any of the Cambridge EFLexaminations, please contact:EFL InformationUniversity of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate1 Hills RoadCambridge

CB1 2EUUnited KingdomTel: +44 1223 553355Fax: +44 1223 460278email: efl@ucles.org.ukwww.cambridge-efl.org.ukPage 3CONTENTSThis booklet provides the following information about CAE:Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Background to CAE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . 6CAE Content: An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Grading and Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . 7CAE Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . 8CAE Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8A Detailed Guide to CAEPaper 1 Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . 9Paper 2 Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Paper 3 English in Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Paper 4 Listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Paper 5 Speaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . 49Common Questions and Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Page 4INTRODUCTIONIntroduction to UCLESThe University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate(UCLES) was established as a department of the University ofCambridge in 1858 in order to set a standard of efficiencyfor schools in England. The Cambridge examinations cover awide range of academic and vocational subjects and includeexaminations specially designed for the international market.Examinations in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) werestarted at UCLES in 1913, with the Certificate of Proficiencyin English (CPE). The First Certificate in English (FCE) wasintroduced in 1939. Other EFL examinations and schemesfor Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) havebeen added periodically since then, so that UCLES nowoffers the most comprehensive range of EFL examinationsand TEFL schemes with a total annual candidature of over500,000.English as a Foreign Language (EFL)UCLES EFL has specific responsibility for all the professionaland specialist aspects of the EFL examinations and the TEFLschemes. The EFL team is made up of staff withqualifications mainly in the area of applied linguistics andTEFL, and with considerable experience in overseas teaching

situations.The work of UCLES EFL covers four main areas:• question paper production;• support for the administration of the examinations(particularly the Speaking Tests);• processing of examinations (marking, etc.);• user service.The core of the EFL system is the question paper productionprocess. This is described in detail on page 5. There is aprogramme of ongoing validation, and specialist staff workon analysis and evaluation in the production and review ofexaminations. The aim is to ensure that standards are beingmet and that the examinations develop in order to meet thechanging needs of candidates and other test users.UCLES EFL is responsible for ensuring that variousprofessional requirements are met. This includes, forexample, the development and implementation of trainingand monitoring procedures which are required for carryingout the assessment of spoken and written language byexaminers. UCLES EFL is also responsible for theadministration and processing of examinations.For UCLES EFL, user service concerns professional matterssuch as the production of information for test users, e.g.specifications, handbooks, sample materials, examinationreports, etc. It is also the responsibility of EFL staff to ensurethat obligations to test users are met, and that in this contextUCLES EFL examinations fulfil the Code of Practiceestablished by the Association of Language Testers in Europe(see below). This Code of Practice focuses on theresponsibilities of both examination providers andexamination users and covers four main areas:• developing examinations;• interpreting examination results;• striving for fairness;• informing examination takers.The Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE)UCLES is a member of the Association of Language Testers inEurope (ALTE) which was formed in 1990. The members areall providers of language examinations and certificates fromcountries within the European Union.The principal objectives of ALTE are as follows:• to establish a framework of levels of proficiency inorder to promote the transnational recognition ofcertification, especially in Europe;• to establish common standards for all stages of thelanguage testing process: i.e., for test development,question and materials writing, test administration,marking and grading, reporting of test results, testanalysis and reporting of findings;• to collaborate on joint projects and in the exchangeof ideas and know-how.At the present stage of development of the framework,considerable agreement has been reached on the contentdefinition of all five levels of proficiency. Further empiricalresearch is taking place.More information about ALTE and copies of ALTE documentscan be obtained from the ALTE Secretariat at UCLES.Page 5Cambridge Level FiveCertificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)Cambridge Level One

Key English Test (KET)Cambridge Level TwoPreliminary English Test (PET)Cambridge Level ThreeFirst Certificate in English (FCE)Cambridge Level FourCertificate in Advanced English (CAE)TrialconstructionTriallingreviewTriallingThe Production Cycle for Pretested Question PapersUCLES employs a team of Item Writers to produceexamination material, and throughout the writing and editingprocess strict guidelines are followed in order to ensure thatthe materials conform to the test specifications. Topics orcontexts of language use which might introduce a biasagainst any group of candidates of a particular background(i.e. on the basis of sex, ethnic origin, etc.) are avoided.After selection and editing, the items are compiled intopretest papers. Pretesting plays a central role as it allows forquestions and materials with known measurementcharacteristics to be banked so that new versions of questionpapers can be produced as and when required. Thepretesting process helps to ensure that all versions conformto the test requirements in terms of content and level ofdifficulty.Each pretest paper contains anchor items or is supplied tocandidates with an additional anchor test. The anchor itemsare carefully chosen on the basis of their knownmeasurement characteristics and their inclusion means thatall new items can be linked to a common scale of difficulty.Pretest papers are despatched to a wide variety of EFLschools and colleges, which have offered to administer thepretests to candidates of a suitable level. After the completedpretests are returned to the Pretesting Section of UCLES EFL,a score for each student is provided to the centre within twoweeks of receiving the completed scripts. The items aremarked and analysed, and those which are found to besuitable are banked.Material for the productive components of the examinationsis trialled with candidates to assess its suitability forinclusion in the Materials Bank.The UCLES Main Suite: A Five-Level SystemUCLES has developed a series of examinations with similarcharacteristics, spanning five levels. Within the series of fivelevels, the Certificate in Advanced English is at CambridgeLevel Four.The annual candidature for the CAE examination is in excessof 50,000 worldwide.A BPre-editing and editingof materialPretestconstructionRevisionRejectionPretestingItemanalysisMATERIALS BANK*Question paper

construction*electronic bank for pretested materialsCommissioning of materialfor question papersThe Production of EFL Question PapersThe production process for question papers for EFLexaminations and TEFL schemes begins with thecommissioning of material and ends with the printing ofquestion papers.For the majority of EFL question papers there are five mainstages in the production process:• commissioning;• editing;• pretesting/trialling;• analysis and banking of material;• question paper construction.This process can be represented in the diagram below.Page 6BACKGROUND TO CAECAE was introduced in December 1991. It is designed tooffer a high-level qualification in the language to thosewishing to use English for professional or study purposes.It is also designed to encourage the development of the skillsrequired by students progressing towards CPE, with emphasisvery much on real-world tasks.The Level of CAEAs well as being at Cambridge Level Four, CAE also fallswithin Level Four of the ALTE framework, and a briefdescription of this level is given below. This description isnot a specification for the examination content but refers tolanguage activities in real-world, non-examination contexts.ALTE Level Four – Competent UserAt this level, learners are expected to be able to use thestructures of a language with ease and fluency. They areaware of the relationship between the language and theculture it exists in, and of the significance of register. Thismeans that to some extent they are able to adapt theirlanguage use to a variety of social situations, and expressopinions and take part in discussions and arguments in aculturally acceptable way. Learners at this level can developtheir own interests in reading both factual and fictional texts.They can also produce a variety of types of texts andutterances, such as letters of varying degrees of formality.They can use language in a creative and flexible way, withthe ability to respond appropriately to unforeseen as well aspredictable situations, producing quite long and complexutterances.The written and spoken texts encountered in most commoneveryday situations can be dealt with at a level below thatreached by the Level Four Learner, but certain more difficultsituations, e.g. discussing abstract or cultural topics with agood degree of fluency, demand this level of language. Usersat this level can enjoy a wide range of social contacts.Examinations at Level Four may be used as proof of the levelof language necessary to work at a managerial orprofessional level or follow a course of academic study atuniversity level.Varieties of EnglishCandidates’ responses to tasks in the Cambridge EFLexaminations are acceptable in varieties of English whichwould enable candidates to function in the widest range ofinternational contexts. Candidates are expected to use a

particular variety with some degree of consistency in areassuch as spelling, and not for example switch from using aBritish spelling of a word to an American spelling of thesame word in the same written response to a given task.CAE CandidatureInformation is collected about the CAE candidates at eachsession, when candidates fill in a Candidate InformationSheet. The candidates for CAE come from a wide range ofbackgrounds and take the examination for a number ofdifferent reasons. The following points summarise thecharacteristics of the current CAE candidature.Nationality – CAE is taken by candidates throughout theworld in about 67 countries, although the total number ofnationalities represented in the candidature is over 175. Themajority of these candidates enter for CAE in European andSouth American countries. Many candidates also take theexamination in the UK.Age – Nearly 80% of candidates are under 25, with theaverage age being about 23. In some countries the averageage is lower (e.g. in Greece it is about 17).Gender – About 70% of candidates are female.Employment – Most candidates are students, although thereare considerable differences in the proportion of students indifferent countries.Exam Preparation – A large proportion of candidates (about80%) undertake a preparatory course before taking theexamination.Reasons for taking CAE – Candidates’ reasons for wanting anEnglish language qualification are roughly distributed asfollows:• for study (44%)• for work (41%)• other (15%)The examination consists of five papers:RecognitionCAE is recognised by the majority of British universities forEnglish language entrance requirements. These are listed in aleaflet ‘Universities and Colleges in Britain’ available fromUCLES. More information about university or corporaterecognition is also available from the UCLES website.CAE CONTENT: AN OVERV I E WReading 1 hour 15 minutesWriting 2 hoursEnglish in Use 1 hour 30 minutesListening 45 minutes (approximately)Speaking 15 minutes (approximately)Page 7There are four compulsory texts, giving a total of about3,000 words. There are forty to fifty questions. The three tasktypes are: multiple matching, multiple choice and gappedtext.WritingCandidates are expected to complete writing tasks inresponse to the stimuli provided (input text and taskinstructions). The input texts are taken from articles, leaflets,notices, formal and informal letters, etc. Both audience andpurpose are made clear in the task instructions.The first part is compulsory and candidates must completeone or more tasks in response to a reading input which isusually made up of several short texts. The second partinvolves choosing one of four tasks from a range of writing

activities (letters, articles, instructions, messages, reports,etc.). Responses should be about 250 words in length.English in UseCandidates are expected to demonstrate the ability to applytheir knowledge of the language system by completing tasksbased on authentic passages. They must complete six taskswith a total of eighty items. The tasks include the followingtypes: cloze exercises, a proof-reading exercise, wordformation exercises and text completion.ListeningCandidates are expected to understand each text as a whole,gain detailed understanding and appreciate gist and theattitude of the speaker. They must also be able to identifyand interpret the context. Texts take the form ofannouncements, speeches, radio broadcasts, etc.There are four parts lasting approximately forty-five minutesin all, with a total of thirty to forty questions. The first twoparts consist of two short monologues, the third of a longerdialogue/interview and the fourth of themed monologues.The tasks candidates are asked to perform include thefollowing: multiple choice, multiple matching and note orsentence completion.SpeakingThe Speaking paper is conducted by two examiners with apair of candidates. They must be able to demonstrate a rangeof oral skills: interactional, social, transactional, negotiationand collaboration. The test lasts for about fifteen minutes.The candidates first respond to one another’s and theinterlocutor’s questions about their interests, careers, etc.Each candidate is then given a set of visual stimuli whichserves to encourage a ‘long turn’ from each candidate.The final two parts are linked. The candidates first completea collaborative task. This is followed by further discussionbetween candidates and the interlocutor on points whichhave arisen from the collaborative task.GRADING AND RESULTSThe five CAE papers total 200 marks, after weighting. Eachpaper is weighted to 40 marks.A candidate’s overall CAE grade is based on the total scoregained by the candidate in all five papers. It is not necessaryto achieve a satisfactory level in all five papers in order topass the examination.The overall grade boundaries (A, B, C, D and E) are setaccording to the following information:• statistics on the candidature;• statistics on overall candidate performance;• statistics on individual items, for those parts of theexamination for which this is appropriate (Papers 1,3 and 4);• advice, based on the performance of candidates,and recommendations of examiners where this isrelevant (Papers 2 and 5);• comparison with statistics from previous years’examination performance and candidature.Results are reported as three passing grades (A, B and C) andtwo failing grades (D and E). The minimum successfulperformance which a candidate typically requires in order toachieve a Grade C corresponds to about 60% of the totalmarks. Statements of results are sent out to all candidatesand include a graphical display of the candidate’sperformance in each paper. These are shown against the

scale, Exceptional – Good – Borderline – Weak and indicatethe candidate’s relative performance in each paper.AwardsThe Awarding Committee meets after the grade boundarieshave been confirmed. It deals with all cases presented forspecial consideration, e.g. temporary disability,unsatisfactory examination conditions, suspected collusion,etc. The committee can decide to ask for scripts to be remarked,to check results, to change grades, to withholdresults, etc. Results may be withheld because of infringementof regulations or because further investigation is needed.Centres are notified if a candidate’s results have beenscrutinised by the Awarding Committee.ReadingCandidates are expected to be able to read and understandtexts taken from magazines, newspapers, leaflets, etc. Theyshould demonstrate a variety of reading skills includingskimming, scanning, deduction of meaning from context andselection of relevant information to complete the given task.Page 8CAE SUPPORTCourse MaterialsA number of coursebooks and practice materials areavailable from publishers. A comprehensive list of thosepublished by UK Publishers is available from UCLES and ison the UCLES website. CAE requires an all-round languageability and this should be borne in mind when selectingcourse materials. Most coursebooks will need to besupplemented; care should be taken to ensure that coursebooks and practice materials selected accurately reflect thecontent and format of the examination.N.B. UCLES does not undertake to advise on textbooks orcourses of study.Past Papers & Examination ReportsPast examination papers, which can be used for practice, areavailable from Local Secretaries and from the PublicationsDepartment at UCLES. The sample question papers includedin this Handbook (in reduced format) are taken fromprevious CAE examinations and trialled materials.Examination Reports are also available from LocalSecretaries or from the UCLES website. However, candidatesare strongly advised not to concentrate unduly on workingthrough practice tests and examinations as this will not byitself make them more proficient in the different skills.Seminars for TeachersUCLES offers a wide range of seminars designed for teachersconcerned with the EFL examinations; some are also suitableas introductions for administrators, school directors, etc.Some seminars are intended to provide information andsupport for teachers who are familiar with the examinations,and others can be used to introduce teachers to establishedexaminations and also to new or revised UCLESexaminations. Contact EFL Information for further details.Notification of ResultsStatements of results are issued through centresapproximately two months after the examination has beentaken.Certificates are issued about six weeks after the issue ofstatements of results. Enquiries about results may be madethrough Local Secretaries, within a month of the issue ofstatements of results.

CAE ADMINISTRATIONCAE is held each year in June and December in about 1,000centres worldwide. Candidates must enter through arecognised centre.Special ArrangementsSpecial arrangements are available for disabled candidates.These may include extra time, separate accommodation orequipment, Braille transcription, etc. Consult the UCLESLocal Secretary in your area for more details.Further InformationCopies of the Regulations and details of entry procedure,current fees and further information about this and otherCambridge examinations can be obtained from the LocalSecretary for UCLES examinations in your area, or from theaddress on page 1. In some areas this information can alsobe obtained from the British Council.

Paper 1 sample papers

A DETAILED GUIDE TO CAEPAPER 1 READINGGeneral DescriptionPaper FormatThe paper contains four parts. Each part contains a text andcorresponding comprehension tasks. A text may consist ofseveral short pieces.Number of QuestionsApproximately 45.Length of Texts3,000 words approximately overall; 450 – 1,200 wordsapproximately per text.Text TypesFrom the following: newspapers, magazines, journals, nonliterarybooks, leaflets, brochures, etc.From the following: informational, descriptive, narrative,persuasive, opinion/comment, advice/instructional,imaginative/journalistic.Task TypesMultiple matching, multiple choice, gapped text.Task FocusUnderstanding gist, main points, detail, text structure orspecific information, deducing meaning or recognisingopinion/attitude.AnsweringFor all parts of this paper, candidates indicate their answersby shading the correct lozenges on an answer sheet.Timing1 hour 15 minutes.MarksOne mark is given for each correct answer to the multiplematchingtasks; two marks are given for each correct answerto the multiple-choice and gapped-text tasks.Part1

234Task Typeand FocusMultiple matchingMain focus: specificinformationGapped textMain focus: text structureMultiple choiceMain focus: detail, gist,opinion/attitudeMultiple matchingMain focus: specificinformation12–186 or 75–712–22A text preceded by multiple-matching questions.Candidates must match a prompt from one list to aprompt in another list, or match prompts to sections inthe text.A text followed by four-option multiple-choicequestions.A text from which paragraphs have been removed andplaced in jumbled order after the text. Candidates mustdecide from where in the text the paragraphs have beenremoved.As Part 1.Number ofQuestionsTask FormatPage 10Students should practise skimming and scanning texts,looking for sections of the text which are close in meaning tothe wording of the questions. They should be discouragedfrom selecting an answer solely on the basis of lexicalproximity, however, since careful reading of a particular partof the text is required to ensure an accurate match in termsof meaning. Candidates need practice in doing multiplematchingtasks within a certain time-limit and withoutrecourse to a dictionary.Part 2, the gapped-text task, tests understanding of how textsare structured and the ability to predict text development.The task requires candidates to select from a number ofchoices the paragraphs which fit the gaps in a text; only oneanswer is correct in each case. The task consists of a singlepagegapped text followed by the extracts from the text andone extra paragraph which does not fit in any of the gaps.Candidates should be trained to read the gapped text first inorder to gain an overall idea of the structure and themeaning of the text, and to notice carefully the informationand ideas before and after each gap as well as throughoutthe whole of the gapped text. The way in which a text hasbeen gapped may require the reader to consider largesections of the text, including more than one gap, in order toreconstitute a particular part of the text. Candidates shouldbe trained to consider the development of the text as a

whole, and not to focus on each gap separately. Sometimescandidates will need to choose carefully between twoextracts as possible answers and will need practice inmaking decisions about which is the most logical extract tofill the particular gap. Practice is needed in a wide range oflinguistic devices which mark the logical and cohesivedevelopment of a text, e.g. words and phrases indicatingtime, cause and effect, contrasting arguments, pronouns,repetition, use of verb tenses.Candidates should beware of approaching the gapped-texttask as an exercise requiring them merely to identify extractsfrom the text and sections in the text containing the samewords, including names and dates; the task is designed totest understanding of the development of ideas, opinions,events rather than the superficial recognition of individualwords.Part 3, the multiple-choice task, tests detailed understandingof a text, including opinions and attitudes expressed in it.Candidates need to read the text closely in order todistinguish between, for example, apparently similarviewpoints, outcomes, reasons. The task consists of a singlepagetext followed by a number of questions; the questionsare presented in the same order as the information in the textso that candidates can follow the development of the text.The final question may depend on interpretation of the textas a whole, e.g. the writer’s purpose, attitude or opinion.Candidates should read each question very carefully, as wellas the four possible answers. The questions can be answeredcorrectly only by close reference to the text.PREPARING FOR PAPER 1IntroductionThe Reading paper consists of four parts, tested by means ofdifferent types of task. The range of texts and task typeswhich appear on the Reading paper is intended to encouragefamiliarity with texts from a range of sources, written fordifferent purposes and presented in different formats. TheReading paper aims to test skills which reflect the real-worldneeds of learners/users of English at an advanced level, i.e.the ability to process large quantities of text in real time.The variety of sources used for texts on the Reading paper isreflected in the contents of coursebooks and skills booksavailable for CAE students. Students should also beencouraged to read widely outside the classroom, for theirown needs and interests.Task Focus and FormatThe task formats included on the Reading paper indicate themain purposes for reading.Part 1 of the paper, the first multiple-matching task, tests theability to locate particular information, including opinion orattitude, by skimming and scanning a text. The task consistsof one or two sets of questions followed by a single page oftext; the text may be continuous, or consist of a group ofshort texts or of a text divided into sections. Candidates arerequired to match the questions with the relevantinformation from the text. Some of the options will becorrect for more than one question, and there may be morethan one correct answer to some questions; if so, theinstructions to candidates will indicate this. The range ofpossible answers may be presented in the form of a list of,for example, names of people or places, titles of books orfilms or types of occupation. The questions for the multiplematching

task are printed before the text so that thecandidate knows what to look for in the text. Where the textis made up of several sections or shorter texts, it can behelpful to skim the whole text before scanning it for thespecific information required. Candidates should notice theparticular wording of questions since these are intended tolead the reader to specific information and to disregardirrelevant information. Candidates should practise scanningtexts for particular information required and not feel thatthey must read every word in the text.In preparing for Part 1 of the CAE Reading paper, candidatesshould practise reading the instructions carefully andnoticing the information provided in the instructionsregarding the type of text, its content and the precise natureof the multiple-matching task. It can be helpful for studentsto underline key words in the questions as this helps whentrying to find the information in the text which provides theanswers.Page 11Candidates should be encouraged to read the text beforereading the multiple-choice questions.Preparation for the multiple-choice task should includepractice in reading a text quickly for a first overallimpression, followed by close reading of the text in order toprevent any misunderstandings which may lead candidatesto choose an answer subsequently proved wrong.Part 4 of the Reading paper complements Part 1; both aremultiple-matching tasks, testing candidates’ ability to locatespecific information in a text. The task usually requirescandidates to scan a two-page text; this may be continuousor made up of a group of shorter texts or sections of text. Theadvice on preparation for Part 1 also applies toPart 4; in addition, candidates should be reminded to foldout the second page of the text so that all the information isavailable to them simultaneously.When preparing for the examination, it is helpful forcandidates to spend time going through past papers. TheReading paper has a standard structure and format so thatcandidates will know, in general terms, what to expect ineach part of the paper. The number of questions within atask may vary for different Reading tests.It is important to familiarise candidates with the instructionson the front page of the question paper, and for each part ofthe test; candidates should also be familiar with thetechnique of indicating their answers on the separate answersheet so that they can do this quickly and accurately. Somecandidates prefer to transfer their answers at the end of eachtask rather than wait until the end of the examination, incase they do not finish the paper.Page 12

I have this problem withguide books. I read toomany hurriedly (usually ona plane) and then forgetthem and my debt to them.When I’m travelling, I soon learnwhich to reach for first (perhapsthe safest indicator of which is

best). But a few countries later Ihave forgotten perhaps not which Ichose, but almost certainly why.Good ones are the kick-start forthe experience, rather than theexperience itself.So, drawing up a shortlist ofthe best guide book series seemeda touch high-handed – especiallywhen you add the vagaries of theseries to the equation, for eventhe best produces its share ofhopeless volumes.What turned it into the confidentwork of minutes rather than daysof agonising was a simple and,once I had thought of it, obvioustest. All that was necessary wasto imagine I was going somewhereI knew absolutely nothingabout and ask myself what guidebooks I would look at first. Theefficacy of this ploy was suchthat, when I asked a few otherpeople to do the same, it came asno surprise to find that we werein almost total agreement.The first two were the easiest.Without any question my firststop would be the Lonely Planetand the Rough Guide series. Icouldn’t, and wouldn’t, choosebetween them in advance. Thereis more between titles within theseries than there is between theseries themselves. If bothcovered my destinations (as theyusually do), I would want themboth in my hand luggage.Both are practical and tell youthe things you really want toknow (such as where to get agood cheap meal, and the bus toyour next destination). Bothstarted with the young backpackerin mind, and both are now

broadening their target readershipto include the more affluent 30-plus reader.The Rough Guides, perhapsthe more even of the two series,tend to be stronger on Europe andthe cultural background, and themore obsessed with what is nowtermed political correctness (yetthey rarely have anything to dowith politics).The Lonely Planets areusually stronger east of Suez, andcapture the sheer joy of travellingsomewhat better. Neither objectsto the generalisation that theRough Guides are travels bywriters, whereas their Australianrivals are written by travellers.To complain, as criticsoccasionally have, that theseguides are guilty of attracting toomany people to unspoiled spots,is to miss the point. It proves thatboth series are good guide books.The Rough Guide empireemerged from unpromising beginnings.The very first one,written 10 years ago, was thebook on Greece its young authorswanted, but couldn’t find. It hadmany defects not worth dwellingon now (the current edition isexcellent), but for similar reasonsI was slow to appreciate the valueof the Cadogan series. Its Greekvolume, by its most prolificauthor, is widely admired. But Ihave rarely found it worthconsulting.It was not until a recent trawlof Caribbean islands that I foundthe Cadogan volume was the oneI was reaching for first. It was theone which really captured the‘feel’of the islands. It also had

reliable recommendations.Further investigation revealedthe series to be the best-written ofall, with a record of bringing onpromising young writers, as wellas capturing such establishedstars as Michael Haag, whoseEgypt it has just published.Prague, New York, Portugal andMorocco are particularly goodtitles.The best book for adestination depends on thedestination and you, as well as onthe book itself. For instance, theCaribbean Islands Handbookfrom the dourly named Tradeand Travel Publications had alsoaccompanied me around theCaribbean. This comes from thesame stable as the SouthAmerican Handbook, now in its70th edition, and widely held tobe the greatest guide book of alltime.For erudition and encyclopedicscope, the South Americanvolume is without equal. But,though not without a certain wryhumour (and on occasionsa barely suppressed joy atunearthing arcane information),one wishes it would allow itselfto be outrageously subjectiveonce in a while. This probablyexplains why it was rarely thefirst I reached for. The Caribbeanis a place for colour and gutreactions, rather than deadpanassessment.The Michelin green guides aregood value and manage thebalancing act between opinionand solid information to perfection.Michelin’s star system(from three for ‘worth the

journey’ downwards) tells thenewcomer to a region exactlywhat and where its priorities are,and is the best aid to planning anitinerary from scratch that Iknow. There is nothing onrestaurants and hotels, of course,and the red guides with which thegreen mesh ingeniously, thoughexcellent works of reference intheir way, do not entirely fillthe gap. Michelin is no goodon atmosphere – or people.Personally, they interest me morethan buildings and museums.The future almost certainlylies with more graphicallyadventurous guides. Amongthose warranting honourablemention are the Access series onAmerican and European cities,with its user-friendly layout, andthe stunning artwork of the new,and few, Everyman guides,which are literally a joy to hold.In this video age, it will no longerbe enough to tell people how touse the buses. You need to showthem the ticket machines, too.0150/1/S963Travel CompanionsMark Ottaway looks at the besttravel guide books available[Turn overPAPER 1 READING SAMPLE PAPER2Part 1Note:Indicate your answers on the separate answer sheet.Page 13A He actually started toying with the team andtrying to gain attention. He would increasehis heart rate and show distress so a teammember had to quickly suit up to check himover. But as the person entered the pool,

his heart rate returned to normal.B It is large but has only a small opening so,once in, getting out isn't easy. The boats atthe event would have panicked the creatureand it ended up beached, battered anddrained of energy.C The story actually appeared in severalnational newspapers as well as the localpress. Publicity is very important forcharities like the Marine Life Rescue,providing precious exposure which pleasesthe sponsor companies and highlights theteam's work.D Luck then seemed to be on the team's sidewhen a double-glazing van-driver stopped toinvestigate. The driver offered his servicesto transport the dolphin back to the Sea LifeCentre and a lady spectator gave the team abrand new cooler box to store valuablewater to keep the dolphin moist.E However, by the time they arrived, thedolphin had started to swim unsupported.The press picked up on the story anddescended on the Sea Life Centre wantingstories, pictures and any information theycould get hold of. And they wanted a name.Mark and the other team members had ahasty think and came up with 'Muddy' – afterall, it was found at Mudeford.F Now the battle to save its life could begin,but a transportation problem arose. How doyou get a grown dolphin back to the Sea LifeCentre without a vehicle big enough?G The creature was so weakened by theordeal that it could not even keep itself afloatand had to be walked in the tank to stop itfrom just sinking to the bottom anddrowning. Most people can only walk adolphin for around 20 minutes to half anhour. Holding a 150 kg animal away fromyour body and walking through water at seatemperature saps your strength.0150/1 W96 [Turn over5Remember to put your answers on the separate answer sheet.4

Part 2For questions 18–23, choose which of the paragraphs A–G on page 5 fit into the numbered gaps in thefollowing magazine article. There is one extra paragraph which does not fit in any of the gaps. Indicateyour answers on the separate answer sheet.[Turn overPage 1424 Why were there sometimes problems between Mackintosh and his clients?A Mackintosh resented interference from his clients.B Clients refused to pay him in full for his work.C Mackintosh did not pay enough attention to detail.D Clients did not like the changes Mackintosh made.25 According to the writer, Mackintosh decided to enter the competition becauseA not many drawings had to be submitted.B no designs were required for furniture.C there was no need to worry about cost.D he had designed similar buildings before.26 What was significant about Mackintosh's entry for the competition?A It was considered to be ahead of its time.B It was based on architecture from Austria and Germany.C It changed the opinion of him in his own country.D It was the most attractive building he had designed.27 Mackintosh's original designs for the Art Lover's HouseA included areas intended for commercial use.B gave full information about the interior.C concentrated on external features.D were incomplete in certain respects.28 If Mackintosh could see the Art Lover's House now, the writer feels he would probablyA think that it had cost too much.B wish he had completed his designs.C think it was an improvement on his design.D approve of Roxburgh's approach to building it.Remember to put your answers on the separate answer sheet.0151/1 W96 [Turn over7 6Part 3sheet,On your answerPage 15Part 4For questions 29 – 46, answer by choosing from the list of races (A – G).Some of the choices may be required more than once.Note: When more then one answer is required, these may be given In any order.Indicate your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Page 16C BOSTON MARATHONQualifying for Boston has become a goal forrunners everywhere. Arguably the world’s mostfamous marathon (now over 100 years old),Boston was known to sports fans decadesbefore there was any such thing as a runningboom. While the event has been modernised toaccommodate the financial realities of big-timemarathoning, Boston retains many of its charmsand traditions from the old days. One isthe Monday noon start (Patriots Day inMassachusetts) at Hopkinton's village green.The Boston experience includes Hopkinton’scrowded and frantic start, the deafening cheersfrom the women of Wellesley College, the realitytest of the Newton Hills (including, at 17 miles,the infamous Heartbreak Hill) and a downtownBoston finish in front of thousands of spectators.Runners take over the city the weekend before,with exhibitions, warm-up runs along the CharlesRiver and famous-runner sightings amongthe leading activities. Moderately demandingqualifying standards limit the field to about 7,000and add prestige to the event.D NEW YORK CITY MARATHONThe ‘big daddy’ of the modern big-citymegamarathon, the New York traces its humbleorigins to a four-lap run around Central Parkwhich took place in 1970, with 55 finishers.When the race went citywide in 1976, the worldtook notice, and the field has now ballooned tonearly 30,000. Apply early for entry – morerunners are rejected than accepted through NewYork's lottery system.The race starts at the world’s largestsuspension bridge, the Verrazano Narrows,and finishes among falling autumn leaves instately Central Park. The meandering point-topointcourse (with some hills) passes throughall five New York boroughs, giving runnersa rich sampling of the city's many ethnicneighbourhoods and subcultures and weavingthem through crowds of enthusiastic spectators.The race-support covers every imaginablerunner need, from foreign-language translation

to psychological trauma counselling.A SWISS ALPINE RACESThis is as beautiful – and tortuous – as it sounds:the Swiss Alpine races take runners throughverdant upland meadows and deep woods onprimitive running trails. Runners travel throughtunnels, over high wooden bridges, up flights ofsteps and through mountain villages, with onlyyodelling spectators to break the silence.Two of the three races (the 28-kilometreLandwasserlauf and the 67-kilometre ‘marathon’)begin benignly enough on a stadium track inDavos (at 5,000m), a centre for high-altitudesports training in Europe. The mid-distanceSertiglauf covers the last 39 kilometres of themarathon course, providing runners with thechallenge of crossing the 3,000 m Sertig Pass.Founded as recently as 1986, the racesalready attract more than 2,000 runners fromover 20 countries to the south-eastern, Germanspeakingquadrant of Switzerland. A trainingcamp, held the week before the race, includesalpine running and hiking in the mountains tohelp runners to acclimatise to the altitude.B STRAMILANO 15KM & HALF-MARATHONItaly’s electrifying Stramilano breaks the patternfor road races by holding separate events in fourclasses of running. On the Saturday, thousandsof spectators jam the streets at the heart of thecity of 1.7 million people to watch 200 élite menrun a four-lap half-marathon. The next day'scitizens’ 15-kilometre race draws a field ofaround 50,000 from 50 countries to trek from thePiazza Duomo (the square in front of Milan'smassive white marble cathedral, which datesfrom 1386) to Arena Stadium. About 2,500 nonéliterunners opt for a half-marathon that beginsand ends in the stadium. Finally, there’s a6-kilometre junior fun run from the PiazzaDuomo to the stadium.Founded in 1972, Stramilano is one of thebest deals in international road racing. For theequivalent of £5, runners receive a programme,medal and T-shirt. Until recently, the race hasbeen largely unknown outside Italy, even thoughMilan has long been Italy's centre for finance, sport

and some of the greatest northern Italian cuisine.9WORLD’S TOP DISTANCE RACESWe’ve scoured the globe to find the world's best distance events – and we’vefound them, 7 races which you simply must run if you get the chance.0150/1 S9710E THE MÉDOC AND GRAVES MARATHONIt may not be the ideal race to set a world best in,but if it’s fun and frivolity you want throughoutyour 42 kilometres, then Médoc has it inabundance. It features an extraordinary party inthe grounds of an ancient château, a route thatcuts through the cloistered, manicured privatevineyards of the region, and the kind ofhospitality and atmosphere that no other eventcan match.Fancy dress is the order of the day, withwide-eyed villagers turning out to cheer onhordes of runners as they make their slowprogress from the wine parishes of Pauillac,St Estèphe, St Julien and Margaux. Finishersget an open-air supper and take home awooden-cased bottle of claret, a pendant cast asa bunch of grapes and a knapsack to carry thegoodies in. Understandably, the French make upthe lion’s share of the field, but although largetour groups are discouraged, single competitorsor small independent groups are welcomed withopen arms. Apply early – it’s the most popularmarathon in France and always heavily oversubscribed.But with all that for under a fiver, it’snot hard to understand why.F BOLDER BOULDERSet in the Rocky Mountain foothills and with thepresence of a core of élite athletes and a fitnessmadpopulation, one of America’s largest 10-kilometre races is a natural outgrowth of theBoulder Community. Few cities do a better job ofgiving 30,000 runners a memorable day withoutlosing them in the masses. Some 40 wavestarts, in which runners are grouped with thoseof similar ability, ensure a smooth, uncrowdedcourse. The ‘citizen’ divisions begin first, so thatlater everybody gets to watch separate fields ofélite men and women sprint to the tape in the

51,000-seat Folsom Field stadium.To take your mind off the gruelling nature ofthis hilly, mile-high course, there are entertainersperforming along the way, including bellydancers, gymnasts and rock bands. There are10 prizes for each age group, and all finishersreceive a certificate with their official time andplacing. The race has gone from strength tostrength since 1979, when local banker SteveBosley and Olympic gold medallist Frank Shortercreated the event.0150/1 S97G LONDON MARATHONInspired by Chris Brasher’s trip to New York in1980, the race has now surpassed its olderAmerican cousin in numbers of applicants,entrants and finishers. In 1994, with the finishmoved from Westminster Bridge back down theMall to the steps of Buckingham Palace, thenumber of finishers reached a historic high of25,000.The now familiar flat-to-downhill course,starting at Greenwich Park and on BlackheathCommon and passing the Cutty Sark, the Towerof London and the Houses of Parliament alongthe way, packs in more history than asecondary-school textbook.Competition for places is intense, with thelottery for ‘open’ spots denting more than a fewBritish club runners’ ambitions. Not only is therace the world’s biggest in numerical terms, italso raises the most money for charity. Cartooncharacters, charging rhinos and Zulu warriors allfind their way onto the start line, with thousandsof pounds riding on their successful finish.Page 17PAPER 1 READING ANSWER KEYPart 11 D2 B3 E4/5 A/B6/7 F/G8 D9 C10 A11 G12/13 A/B14 E15 C

16 E17 CPart 218 D19 G20 E21 C22 B23 APart 324 A25 C26 A27 D28 DPart 429 B30 G31 C32 B33 C34 D35 A36 D37 C38/39 D/G40 C41/42 B/E43 C44 A45 D46 FQuestions 1–17 and 29–46 are given one mark each.Questions 18–28 are given two marks each.The total score is adjusted to give a mark out of 40.PAPER 1 READING ANSWER SHEET

Paper 2 sample papers

Page 18PAPER 2 WRITINGGeneral DescriptionPaper FormatThe paper contains two parts.Number of TasksCandidates are required to complete two tasks: a compulsoryone in Part 1 and one from a choice of four in Part 2.Task TypesFrom the following: newspaper and magazine articles,contributions to leaflets and brochures, notices,announcements, personal notes and messages, formal andinformal letters, reports, proposals, reviews, instructions,

directions, competition entries, information sheets, memos,written for a given purpose and target reader.AnsweringCandidates write their answers on separate answer paper.Timing2 hours.MarksEach question in the paper carries equal marks.12Task Type and FocusApplying informationcontained in the input,selecting & summarisinginput, comparing items ofinformation; task types fromthe following: newspaperand magazine articles,contributions to leaflets andbrochures, notices,announcements, personalnotes and messages, formaland informal letters, reports,proposals, reviews,instructions, directions,competition entries,information sheets, memos.Task types as for Part 1.One or morecompulsory tasks.Approx. 250 wordsin total.Four questions fromwhich candidateschoose one.Approx. 250 words.A contextualised writing task givingcandidates guidance to the content throughinstructions and one or more texts and/orvisual prompts.A contextualised writing task specified in nomore than 80 wordsNumber of Tasksand LengthTask Format PartPage 19PREPARING FOR PAPER 2Part 1Part 1 is compulsory and requires candidates to processabout 400 words of input material, and use the informationappropriately to perform the task required. Candidates mustread all the input material carefully, selecting that which isimportant. Input material may consist of varied combinationsof text and notes, sometimes supported by illustrations ordiagrams. The task is often divided into more than onesection. Task types will vary in Part 1, and may includeformal letters, informal letters, reports, articles, notes or anycombination of these. (See page 18 for full list.)Part 2In Part 2, candidates have to choose one of four tasks. Thispart covers a range of task types, such as articles, reports and

leaflets, and includes a work-orientated task as the last of thefour questions.Students must become aware of the need to adopt anappropriate style, layout and register for the format (or texttype) of each writing task: the overall aim of the task beingto have a positive effect on the target reader. Teachers needto spend time focusing on the key elements of the task typeand draw attention to the differences and constraintsinvolved. Notes, for example, need to be concise, while areport should not look like a discursive composition or aletter. Candidates should be told to avoid selecting a task inPart 2 if they are unfamiliar with the appropriate features ofthe particular format. Equally, candidates with no relevantbusiness or work experience are not advised to choose thework question. During the preparation stage, students canlearn to write in a variety of styles and registers and identifywhich tasks are best suited to their interests and experience.Examiners are looking for an appropriate selection andexpansion of the key points. Paragraphs should be wellorganised and points need to be appropriately linked.Therefore, answers need to be planned carefully andstudents may need help in this respect. They also need topractise checking their work for errors and inaccuracies. Toget them into the habit, teachers can encourage students togive homework a final check, in class, before handing it in.Answers which suffer from irrelevance, repetition, deviation,needless repetition of rubric, illegibility, misinterpretation oromission are likely to be penalised. In assessing writtenwork, teachers should become familiar with the assessmentcriteria and try to apply them. Examiners will consider anumber of factors, such as: content, organisation, cohesion,range and accuracy of structure and vocabulary, register andeffect on target reader. Feedback on students’ written workwhich relates to the assessment criteria will help them tolearn what is being assessed and where their strengths andweaknesses lie.Some students fail to do as well as they might otherwise dueto their poor grammar. To help rectify this, teachers shouldencourage students to spend time looking carefully at theircorrected written work. Serious, numerous and/or repetitiveerrors may need to be dealt with systematically. There arevarious ways in which this might be done. Some studentsmay benefit from re-writing their work, in whole or in part,leaving gaps where grammatical errors occur. They can thengo back to the gapped version later and try to fill the gaps.Further remedial action may be taken where errors persist.Model answers which incorporate typical student errors,such as spelling, unnecessary and omitted words can alsohelp students to identify and correct common grammaticalerrors.Well-written model answers can also provide students withgood examples of natural language appropriate to the task.However, care should be taken. Students do not need towrite ‘perfect’ answers; model answers which are beyond thelevel to which students might reasonably aspire might bede-motivating and therefore should be avoided.To become more effective at written communication,students often need to improve the range and extent of theirproductive vocabulary. Word lists, recycling activities,vocabulary games and exercises, as well as extensive andintensive reading practice will serve to achieve this aim.

Page 20ASSESSMENTAn impression mark is awarded to each piece of writing; alltasks carry the same maximum mark.The general impression mark scheme is used in conjunctionwith a task-specific mark scheme, which focuses on criteriaspecific to each particular task. This summarises the content,organisation and cohesion, range of structures andvocabulary, register and format, and target reader indicatedin the task which need to be included to achieve band 3 orabove.Acceptable performance at CAE is represented by a band of3. A piece of writing which fails to meet the criteriadescribed in the task-specific mark scheme for that taskcannot achieve more than band 2. The accuracy oflanguage, including spelling and punctuation, is assessed onthe general impression scale for all tasks.General Impression Mark SchemeThis mark scheme is interpreted at CAE level.Band 5 Minimal errors: resourceful, controlled and natural use of language, showing good range ofvocabulary and structure. Task fully completed, with good use of cohesive devices, consistentlyappropriate register. No relevant omissions.N.B. Not necessarily a flawless performance.Very positive effect on target reader.Sufficiently natural, errors only when more complex language attempted. Some evidence ofrange of vocabulary and structure. Good realisation of task, only minor omissions. Attentionpaid to organisation and cohesion; register usually appropriate. Positive effect on target readerachieved.(a) Fewer than 50 words per question.or (b) Totally illegible work.or (c) Total irrelevance (often a previously prepared answer to a different question).Band 4Band 3Band 2Band 1Band 0Either (a) task reasonably achieved, accuracy of language satisfactory and adequate range ofvocabulary and range of structures or (b) an ambitious attempt at the task, causing a number ofnon-impeding errors, but a good range of vocabulary and structure demonstrated. There may beminor omissions, but content clearly organised.Would achieve the required effect on target reader.Some attempt at task but lack of expansion and/or notable omissions/irrelevancies. Noticeablelifting of language from the input, often inappropriately. Errors sometimes obscurecommunication and/or language is too elementary for this level. Content not clearly organised.Would have a negative effect on target reader.Serious lack of control and/or frequent basic errors. Narrow range of language. Inadequate attemptat task. Very negative effect on target reader.Page 21During marking, each examiner is apportioned scriptschosen on a random basis from the whole entry in order toensure there is no concentration of good or weak scripts orof one large centre of one country in the allocation of anyone examiner. Each script is marked twice by differentexaminers, and where there is significant disagreement in themarks allocated, the script is marked a third time.Length

The specific number of words used is not taken into account(except in band 0), as length is an integral part of taskachievement. Significantly fewer words are likely to meanthat the task has not been completed, whereas over-longpieces of writing may involve irrelevance or have a negativeeffect on the target reader. If this is the case, over-length willbe penalised.HandwritingWork which is difficult to read is penalised by a one orpossibly two-band reduction depending on the degree ofillegibility.SpellingAmerican spelling is acceptable, but there should beconsistency. Poor spelling is penalised by a one-bandreduction if it interferes with communication.IrrelevanceThe examiners’ first priority is to give credit for thecandidates’ efforts at communication, but candidates arepenalised for content irrelevant to the task set.LayoutFollowing the conventions of the various task types (writingletters, reports, instructions, etc.) is part of task achievement.Any acceptable modern layout for a formal letter may beused. Paragraphs should be clearly laid out either byindenting or by leaving a space between each paragraph.MARKINGThe panel of examiners is divided into small teams, eachwith a very experienced examiner as Team Leader. APrincipal Examiner guides and monitors the marking process,beginning with a meeting of the Principal Examiner for thepaper and the Team Leaders. This is held immediately afterthe examination and begins the process of establishing acommon standard of assessment by the selection of samplescripts for all the questions in Paper 2. These are chosen todemonstrate the range of responses and different levels ofcompetence, and a task-specific mark scheme is finalised foreach individual task on the paper.Examiners discuss these task-specific and general markschemes and refer to them regularly while they are working.A rigorous process of co-ordination and checking is carriedout before and throughout the marking process.Page 22PAPER 2 WRITING SAMPLE PAPERPart 1You do not need to includepostal addresses.You should use your own words as far as possible.

Page 23Part 2Page 24MARK SCHEMES & SAMPLE SCRIPTS WITH EXAMINER COMMENTSThe accuracy of language, including spelling and punctuation, is assessed on the general impression scale for all tasks. Criteria forassessing specific range of language and task achievement are outlined below.QUESTION 1TASK-SPECIFIC MARK SCHEMEBAND 3 DESCRIPTORS (SATISFACTORY)Content (points covered)To obtain a band 3 or above, both tasks must be attemptedand use made of the information in the poster and thememo across the two tasks. N.B. It is not necessary toinclude all the handwritten notes on the memo, even for

a 5.Article: must inform students of Principal’s intentions andencourage them to oppose these plans.Letter: must state students’ /committee’s opposition to thePrincipal’s plans.Organisation and CohesionArticle: early mention of the issue. Clearly organised withsuitable paragraphing. Better candidates will attempt toengage the reader’s attention.Part 1The testing focus of Part 1 is on content, effective organisation of the input, appropriacy of the piece(s) of writing to the intendedaudience, and on accuracy. Some use of key words from the input is acceptable, but candidates should have re-worded phrasesappropriately. The range of vocabulary, functions and structures will be defined by the task.Letter: formal letter layout with appropriate opening andclosing formulae (addresses not needed). Suitable linking ofideas and clear paragraphing.RangeArticle: language of giving information, opinion andpersuasion.Letter: language of disagreement and opinion.RegisterArticle: consistently informal or neutral, with rallying tonethat will encourage students to take action.Letter: formal with polite opposition.Target ReaderArticle: will be clearly informed and prepared to take action.Letter: will understand the students’ position.CANDIDAT E ASave Our SportsOur College wants to sell off sports facilities.The student welfare committee has recently been confronted by a memo fromour Principle, in which he showed his intention to hire the sports hall to thepublic and to sell the football field.Principal Baton backed his decision by saying the college had to save – a factwe had never heard of – and that the sports facilities are under-used. Thecommittee has conducted a survey to prove that this is not the case. Over sixtypercent of the students use the sports hall more than three times a week. Andthough there are only two football matches a month the field is used fortraining.We need your help! Support the committee that we can use our sports facilitiesfurther on and don’t have to pay membership for our own sports centre. Showthe Principal your enthusiasm and interest. I am sure that, if we stand together,we will get our sports back.Page 25EXAMINER COMMENTSContentArticle: Fully completed.Letter: Fully completed and particularly resourceful.Organisation and CohesionArticle: A well thought out approach to organisation. Threelogical paragraphs which define the context, set out the facts,and call for action.Letter: Well organised. Links the committee’s opposition anda positive suggestion for future discussion.RangeArticle: Good evidence of range e.g. conducted a survey; ifwe stand together.Letter: Good range e.g. proved the contrary; decided tooppose; at least in this form. Extremely diplomatic - But I am

sure we can talk about this matter...RegisterArticle: Could perhaps have adopted a more rallying tonefrom the outset, though this comes through at the end of thearticle e.g. We need your help! Support the committee...Letter: very controlled indignation e.g. to express thecommittee’s concern. Good formal language throughout.Target ReaderArticle: Would be informed.Letter: Might be prepared to negotiate.AccuracyArticle: Not a flawless performance e.g. we can use oursports facilities further on...Letter: Generally accurate but one or two slips e.g. besidesthe high school fees.Band 5The Student WelfareCommitteeChristopher HalleEinstein College 12 June 1997E.G. Baton, PrincipleDear Mr Baton,I am writing to you to express the committee’s concern about your plans for the sportsfacilities. You asserted a lack of student interest. So we conducted a survey whichproved the contrary. Sixty percent of the students use the sports hall more than threetimes a week and the football ground is also used for training between the matches.Therefore the committee decided to oppose your intention, at least in this form. Studentswould not be able to practise if the hall were open for public all day and it is certainlynot fair that they should pay besides the high school fees. The committee also had notheared that the college had to cut costs.But I am sure we can talk about this matter and would be glad if we could arrange ameeting between you and the committee.I look forward to hearing from you.Yours sincerely,Christopher HalleCHRISTOPHER HALLE(Student Welfare Committee)Page 26Part 2In Part 2, there is more latitude in the interpretation of the task. The task assessment focus is mainly on content, range andstyle/register, with attention paid to how successfully the candidate has produced the task type required.QUESTION 2TASK-SPECIFIC MARK SCHEMEBAND 3 DESCRIPTORS (SATISFACTORY)Content (points covered)For a band 3 or above, the competition entry must addressboth parts of the question:• state what appeals to the candidate about Australia;• explain how the candidate will benefit from studyingthere.Organisation and CohesionThe piece of writing should be clearly organised withsuitable paragraphing. N.B. It is acceptable to open andclose the competition entry in letter format to the school.RangeLanguage of description, opinion and explanation.RegisterMust be consistent, but could range from fairly informal tofairly formal. Should have enthusiastic tone.

Target ReaderWould be informed and would consider shortlisting the entryfor competition.CANDIDATE BAustralia, a different way of lifeFirst of all Australia seems to be one of the ideal place to live on earth.This country offers a huge varieties of wild and weird animals such as the Kangourou and thekoala.Who has never dreamt to study in a country with a warm and welcoming climate.Farthermore the Australia has been choose to be the next olympic country. It shows, beyond theshadow of a doubt that Australia is a fair countryBut, above all, what can lead to believe that studying in such a country is benefit is the kindnessand the good spirit state of the people.All this point make me want to study in Australia.EXAMINER COMMENTSContentAt 112 words the task is inadequately covered. If each of thepoints made had been expanded and explored, the contentmight have been adequate for the task set.Organisation and CohesionThe candidate has written sentence paragraphs. These readmore like the sub-headings of a longer article.RangeSome range has been demonstrated by the candidate e.g.beyond the shadow of a doubt.RegisterThe register is appropriate for an article.Target ReaderWould not consider shortlisting the entry.AccuracyFrequent basic errors e.g. one of the ideal place; a hugevarieties; the Australia has been choose; All this point.Band 1Page 27QUESTION 3TASK-SPECIFIC MARK SCHEMEBAND 3 DESCRIPTORS (SATISFACTORY)Content (points covered)For a band 3 or above, the article must:• name the winner and runner-up;• give details of the hobby or pastime of each;• say why they have won (this may be implicit).Organisation and CohesionEarly reference to the competition. The article should beclearly organised with suitable paragraphing.RangeLanguage of description, evaluation and opinion. Vocabularyrelating to the hobbies chosen.RegisterConsistently neutral, formal or informal.Target ReaderWould be informed.CANDIDATE CIf you are an usual reader of their magazine, maybe you’ll remember our competition ‘The most interestinghobby’; the entry forms were included in the last issue and now it is time to reveal the winners.I’ve chosen two amazing collectors, but who are they? and what do they collect?Let’s start with the runner-up, Jane Hemsworth, from Bramley: she collects cigarrette’s packets! She is

always looking for a new brand, a new strange size or shape of these little boxes which hasn’t any interestfor most of us. ‘Have you ever realised how interesting the design of the letters are?’ she asked me;nevertheless she is a Graphic Designer. But you don’t know everything, she is a non-smoker!And the 1st prize winner, Richard James, from Chelsea: he collects helmets!; every single one you are ableto name is already in his collection: helmets for bycicles, motorbikes, for jokeys, the different ones used inthe construction of buildings ... and WAR HELMETS! It was his grandfather who gave him his first piecesfrom the II World War and since then, Richard is specially interested in these sort of helmets.More than 500 entries were registered in this competition; the selection was hard but, in the end, I decidedthat the two prizewinners mentioned above were the ones with the most amazing and amusing hobbies.EXAMINER COMMENTSContentThe task has been completed, even though it is slightlyunderlength. The prize winners are named and their hobbiesdescribed in detail. The final sentence gives a clear, if brief,explanation as to why these two entries won thecompetition.Organisation and CohesionGood opening and conclusion, which are linked well to thebody of the article. The descriptions of the hobbies areappropriately paragraphed.RangeSome good relevant vocabulary relating to magazines andcompetitions e.g. in the last issue; to reveal the winners.RegisterConsistently and appropriately informal. The tone is livelyand addresses the reader directly.Target ReaderWould be informed.AccuracyThere are some non-impeding errors e.g. cigarrette’s packets;nevertheless; jokeys; bycicles. There are also several basicerrors e.g. ....how interesting the design of the letters are;....and since then, Richard is specially interested in....Band 3Page 28RangeLanguage of description, opinion and possibly comparisonand contrast. Range of tenses. Vocabulary relating torelationships.RegisterNeutral to formal. Must be consistent throughout.Target ReaderWould be clearly informed.CANDIDATE DQUESTION 4TASK-SPECIFIC MARK SCHEMEBAND 3 DESCRIPTORS (SATISFACTORY)Content (points covered)For a band 3 or above, the report must describe the currenttypical family situation in the candidate’s own country (oneaspect of this is sufficient) and mention how this mightchange in the future. N.B. Candidate’s own view of whatshould happen is an acceptable interpretation.Organisation and Cohesion

Clear organisation of main points. Appropriate introductionand conclusion. N.B. Acceptable to write as a newspaperreport.The family in FranceNowadays, in France, the average number of children is two per family, whereas elderly people used tohave five or six sisters and brothers or even more when they were young, at least in my region: Brittany,where children were useful in farms as they were growing up.More and more people divorce, and afterwards remain single, live with someone, or get marriedanother time. If they have children, these live generally with their mother but it occurs more and morethat they live with their father. That is probably due to this trend that there are less and less weddings.Young people prefer living with a mate without marrying him or her, or if they marry, they do it laterthan their parents who used to do it around the age of 20. That is why they usually have their first childlater than their parents.Grand-parents are still important in French families, but when they get older, they do not usually comeand live in their children’s place as before. They are healthy enough to live alone or they go toresidences for old people. Children sometimes live in towns further from their parents’ place thanbefore, but their place is still the one where we like to stay at the week-ends or the holidays.Unfortunately, I think that this trend of living further from their parents than before will get worse in theyears to come, because of the unemployment rate. Indeed even if young people tend to live longer intheir parents’ house, they have to search a job not only in their town but sometimes in the wholecountry, and when they find one, they leave, even abroad sometimes, because it is so hard to getsomething!I think that the average number of children will remain the same or will decrease, as people have theirchildren older and perhaps do not want to give birth to future unemployed people.Finally, I think that the number of divorces, and people who live together but unmarried, will increase.Page 29EXAMINER COMMENTSContentThe task has been fully completed. It is informative, anddeals well with both the current family situation, and how itmight change in future.Organisation and CohesionThere is an absence of report features, such as headings, butthe writing is appropriately paragraphed, with anintroduction and conclusion. It is well-organised and on thewhole coherent, though at times the sentences are long anda little difficult to follow e.g. Indeed, even if young people...because it is so hard to get something!RangeThere is evidence of range. The language of comparison isgood e.g. whereas; more and more people. A range ofrelevant topic vocabulary has also been used e.g. ....theaverage number of children is two per family; due to thistrend.RegisterConsistently and appropriately neutral.

Target ReaderWould be well informed.AccuracyOccasionally awkward e.g. That is probably due to this trendthat there are less and less weddings. A few non-impedingerrors, e.g. search a job.Band 4QUESTION 5TASK-SPECIFIC MARK SCHEMEBAND 3 DESCRIPTORS (SATISFACTORY)Content (points covered)For a band 3 or above, the text for the leaflet must addressthe three points:• brief history of the company;• its main activities;• its future plans.Organisation and CohesionClear organisation and layout, withheadings/bullets/numbered points an advantage.RangeLanguage of description and giving information. Vocabularyappropriate for the company chosen. Range of tenses.RegisterAs appropriate to the context. Must be consistent throughout.Target ReaderWould have a clear picture of the company.Page 30CANDIDATE EAN INFORMATION LEAFLET:PICKYA WARM WELCOME TO PICKY, THE WORLDS BIGGEST PRODUCER OF TOOTH-PICKS.THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN 1637 BY A MAIN CALLED DAVID PICKY. DAVID PICKY WAS ASAILOR AND ON ONE OF HIS MANY TRAVELS HE SAW THAT THE NATIVES WERE PICKING THEIRTEETHE WITH SOME OLD BONE. PICKY GOT AN IDEA AND STARTED TO WORK ON IT AS SOON ASHE REACHED DOVER. HE STARTED UP HIS OWN FACTORY AND NOW WE ARE THE LARGESTEXPORTER OF TOOTH-PICKS.OUR MAIN EXPORT IS THE ORDINARY TOOTHPICK MADE FROM WOOD. WE PRODUCE ABOUT117 MILION PICKS PER DAY AND WE MAKE ABOUT 1 MILION PICKS FROM ONE TREE. THAN WEALSO HAVE THE MOST LUXORIOUS OF THE PICKS AND THATS THE ONE WE NAMED ‘THE QUEEN’,WHICH IS MADE FROM SOLID GOLD. SINCE GOLD IS A SOFT METAL, WE HAVE TO SPRAY IT WITHA SPECIAL MIXTURE THAT MAKES IT HARD AND RESISTANT.THE MIXTURE IS OF COURSE SECRET AND IT IS ONLY OUR WINDOW CLEANER WHO KNOWS THEINGREDIENTS.HERE AT PICKY WE ALSO HAVE THE BIGGEST MOULD, NOWERE AT PRESENT IS THERE A BIGGERONE. IN THE MOULD CAN WE MAKE UP TO 1000 PICKS AT A TIME, BY SQUEESING BITS ANDPIECES OF WOOD. THE PROCESS IS VERY DELECAT, SO OUR WORKERS NEEDS TO WEAR SILKGLOVES. WHEN THE TOOTH-PICKS ARE PACKED IN TO BOXES THE WORKERS MUST MAKE SURETHAT ALL THE TOOTH-PICKS IN THE SAME BOX HAVE THE SAME COLOUR. IT WOULD HAVE ADEVESTATING EFFECT TO OUR REPURTATION IF ONE OF OUR BOXES CONTAINED A SLIGHTLYDARKER OR LIGHTER COLOURD PICK THAN THE OTHERS IN THE BOX.WE HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED YOUR VISIT AT PICKY AND DO NOT FORGETT TO PICK UP YOUROWN SAMPLE FROM THE RECEPTION.EXAMINER COMMENTSContentAn attempt at the task has been made, but the text omits tomention future plans, so it cannot achieve more than

band 2.Organisation and CohesionThe candidate has organised the writing e.g. there is awelcoming introductory sentence, appropriate paragraphingof the main content points, and a good conclusion to theleaflet.RangeThere is certainly evidence of range e.g. was founded;mould; it would have a devestating effect. The language isambitious e.g. Since gold is a soft metal, we have to spray itwith a special mixture.RegisterFriendly and welcoming tone.Target ReaderWould be interested and partially informed.AccuracyMostly spelling errors e.g. milion; luxorious; colourd;repurtation. Also mistakes in verb agreement e.g. our workersneeds.Band 2

Paper 3 sample paper

Page 31PAPER 3 ENGLISH IN USEGeneral DescriptionPaper FormatThe paper contains six parts.Number of Questions80.Task TypesMultiple-choice cloze, open cloze, error correction, wordformation, register transfer, gapped text.Task FocusUnderstanding and control of the formal elements oflanguage in context.AnsweringFor all parts of this paper candidates write their answers onan answer sheet.Timing1 hour 30 minutes.MarksOne mark is given for each correct answer.Part123456Task Type and FocusMultiple-choice clozeAn emphasis on lexisOpen clozeAn emphasis on structureError correction

An emphasis on structure,lexis and punctuationWord formationAn emphasis on lexisRegister transferAn emphasis on registerGapped textAn emphasis on cohesionand coherence15151613615A modified cloze text of approximately 200 wordscontaining 15 gaps and followed by 15 four-optionmultiple-choice questions.A modified cloze text of approximately 200 wordscontaining 15 gaps.A text of approximately 200 words containing errors asspecified in the rubric, e.g., extra words, mis-spellings,punctuation errors, etc., which must be identified.Two short texts of up to 130 words each. Candidatesmust form an appropriate word to complete each gapusing the given prompt words.Two texts, each about 150 words in length.The first may include information in tabularform, and is followed by an incomplete (gapped) textproviding the same information in a different registerwhich candidates must complete.A text of about 300 words with gaps at phrase and/orsentence level followed by a list of 10 options.Candidates must select the correct options from the listto complete the text.Number ofQuestionsTask FormatPage 32and collocations is as important as knowing the meaning ofwords and candidates should be encouraged to learn wholephrases rather than words in isolation.In Parts 1, 2 and 6 it is a good idea for candidates to start bythinking briefly about the title as this might provide clues asto style and/or subject matter. By reading the text throughquickly, ignoring the gaps as much as possible, candidateswill become aware of the general subject of the text and itsstyle. Consideration of such features may help whendeciding which words are right. When deciding which wordor phrase should go in each gap, candidates must givecareful consideration to the local context and other parts ofthe text as well. Clues may lie in a number of features, suchas the grammatical context and/or the punctuation.The exact nature of the correction task in Part 3 varies frompaper to paper, so candidates must learn to look carefully atthe task instructions and the example answers, and followthe guidance they offer. The skill of proof-reading can haveobvious benefits for candidates’ own writing. Teachers maychoose to indicate to students in which lines of their writtenwork errors have occurred to provide further proof-readingpractice. Teachers may also choose to encourage students to

proof-read and help correct each other’s written work.In Part 4, the word formation task, candidates should look atthe surrounding context to determine the exact form of therequired word. Prefixes, suffixes and plural forms will beincluded. Concentrating on the use of prefixes and suffixes tobuild words and focusing on how words change word classwill help candidates, not only in this task, but also to furtherextend their own lexicons.To prepare for Part 5, the transfer of information from onetext type to another, candidates will benefit from extensivework on text comparison. They need to become acquaintedwith the relevant grammatical and lexical features ofdifferent styles of writing. This will also have obviousbenefits for candidates’ writing for Paper 2.Apart from in the spelling/punctuation error task, theabsence or misuse of capital letters in answers is ignored.However, incorrect spelling is penalised.PREPARING FOR PAPER 3The English in Use paper is divided into six parts, each partbeing defined in terms of its task type and language focus.In Part 1, candidates must choose one word from a set offour (A, B, C, D) to fill a gap in a text. This involveschoosing the answer which has the right meaning and fitsboth in the local grammatical context and within the text asa whole. This part of the paper tests phrases andcollocations, as well as idioms, phrasal verbs and linkers.Part 2 is an open modified cloze containing fifteen gaps,testing awareness and control of structural items. Answersmust be correct both syntactically and semantically. A singleword is needed to fill each gap but there may be more thanone word which is acceptable for each gap.Part 3 consists of a correction exercise of which there aretwo types. In the first, candidates have to identify additionalwords which are incorporated into the text. In the secondtype, errors of spelling and punctuation have to beidentified. There are 16 lines to be corrected and candidatesshould not expect more than five lines to be correct.Part 4 is designed to test awareness of word formation. Thetask requires candidates to form an appropriate word, usingthe given prompt words, to fill each of the gaps in the twoshort texts.Part 5 is designed to test awareness and control of featuresof style and appropriateness. The task requires candidates totransfer information given in one text into another. The twotexts are different from each other in terms of register,writer’s purpose and/or style. The grammar and items ofvocabulary given in one text need to be transformed intosuitable expressions in order to complete the second text.The answers must be grammatically accurate as well asstylistically appropriate in terms of both the text’s audienceand the writer’s purpose. Content words, i.e. nouns, verbs,adjectives and adverbs, contained in the first text may not beused in the second. However, structural words, i.e.conjunctions, prepositions, articles, etc may be used.Part 6 consists of a text from which a selection ofphrases/short sentences have been removed and placedbelow the text along with several additional phrases.Candidates need to select the appropriate phrase/shortsentence for each gap in the text. This task is devised to testan awareness of discourse features which operate within andacross a text, particularly features of cohesion and

coherence.To develop their grammatical awareness, candidates willneed plenty of controlled practice. They should also becomefamiliar with grammatical terminology, such as adjective,conjunction, preposition, etc. Knowing grammatical patternsPage 33PAPER 3 ENGLISH IN USE SAMPLE PAPERSection A Part 1

Page 34Section B4Part 2 Part 3

Page 356Part 4For questions 47-61, read the two texts on pages 6 and 7. Use the words in the boxes to theright of the two texts to form one word that fits in the same numbered space in the text. Writethe new word in the correct box on your answer sheet. The exercise begins with an example (0).With this letter you will find your (0) ... to attend theAnnual General Meeting of the Society. Please notethat it will take place on 10 September (the lastnewsletter (47) ... stated that the meeting would beon 9 September). The meeting will begin at 8pm but(48) ... will be available from 7pm. You will thereforehave time to chat (49) ... with committee membersand (50) ... of the Society before the meetingcommences.At 8pm, the Chairman will make a brief (51) ...speech and then put forward some proposals foryour (52) ... There will also be elections to fill the two(53) ... on the committee. The enclosed agendagives a full description of the business to beconducted at the meeting.0 INVITE47 CORRECT48 REFRESH49 FORMAL50 OFFICE51 INTRODUCE52 APPROVE53 VACANT

0 0 Example: invitationANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGEXTRACT FROM LETTER7DREAMINGThe first study of what goes on in our heads duringdreaming has been completed, casting light on anactivity that humans have always found (54) .... . Theresearch, reported in the journal Nature, opens up a(55) .... new chapter in efforts to understand what wedo with a (56) .... of our lives. It supports the (57) ....that dreams are formed by calling up images from astore of emotional memories. Scientists finddreaming an enormous puzzle. The reason for their(58) .... lies in the (59) .... complicated design of thebrain which contains as many nerve cells as thereare stars in the universe. Each of the nerve cellscommunicates with thousands of its neighbours,producing an (60) .... amount of chatter. Now ,however, it seems scientists are beginning to makesense of the brain’s (61) .... activity.54 MYSTERY55 SIGNIFY56 THREE57 SUPPOSE58 IGNORE59 ASTONISH60 BELIEVE61 NIGHTMAGAZINE EXTRACTPage 36Part 6complex rules (80) .... The monstrous infant becomes the caring, responsible adult whoselife experiences revolve around both the joys and pains, and the giving and receiving, offriendships and other relationships. It is this remarkable transformation which is the central

characteristic of being human.For questions 75–80, read the following text and then choose from the list A–J given below the bestphrase to fill each of the spaces. Write one letter (A–J) in the correct box on your answer sheet.Each correct phrase may only be used once. Some of the suggested answers do not fit at all.The exercise begins with an example (0).(79) .... on being able to form reciprocal bonds with others and to follow8Part 5For questions 62–74, read the following notes made by a club secretary. Use the information inthe notes to complete the numbered gaps in the letter to club members which follows. Then writethe new words in the correct spaces on your answer sheet. The words you need do not occur inthe notes. Use no more than two words for each gap. The exercise begins with an example (0).Write to all club members to make them feel at home and to give them the latest details about all theactivities coming up soon.Mention:• Party on 18th - mainly to say hello to new members. If old members bring along 2 new members,they get in without paying for ticket. Otherwise £2 (this includes disco, snacks, coffee).• Talk by James Dixon ‘Sailing Round the World’. (M. told S. that he’s got some fantastic videofilm as well as loads of interesting anecdotes about his adventures.) Push for a good turnout,otherwise it looks bad - he’s put off a meeting with another group to speak to us.• Excursion to London (end Dec?) - to museum, restaurant and theatre but only if enough membersare interested. People must let us know now if they think they might come along. Ask members togive us ideas on particular museums, restaurants and theatres they’d like to go to.Dear Club Members,We have an exciting few months ahead of us. The purpose of this letter is to (0) ... you on our plans for (62) ...First of all, there is a party to (63) ... new members. It costs £2 to come unless you (64) ... by two new members,in which case you get in (65) ... The price of the ticket includes entertainment and (66) ...On the 31st, there is going to be talk by James Dixon about (67) ... round the world. He (68) ... to be a veryentertaining speaker and to have some interesting films of his journey. We are hoping very much that a (69) ... ofmembers will be able to attend this meeting. Mr Dixon was kind enough (70) ... a meeting (71) ... in order to bewith us.Finally, can I remind you about our (72) ... visit to London. If there is enough interest we shall organise a visit tothe capital towards the end of December. Please (73) ... us as soon as possible if you think you might be interestedso that we can decide whether to go ahead with plans. We should also be grateful for (74) ... specific places tovisit or shows to see in the evening.Looking forward to seeing you soon,John Smith

0 0 Example: updateNOTESLETTER,

0 J 0 0 Example: JPage 37PAPER 3 ENGLISH IN USE ANSWER KEYPart 11 A2 B3 C4 A5 D6 D7 C8 B9 B10 A11 D12 B13 A14 D15 CPart 216 every/each17 as18 in19 but/though/although/yet20 to21 by22 are23 for/at24 all25 by26 them27 needs/requires28 where29 What

30 own/personalPart 331 a32 .33 had34 really35 all36 .37 on38 these39 .40 all41 been42 which43 .44 quite45 warm46 veryPart 447 incorrectly48 refreshments49 informally50 officers/officials51 introductory52 approval53 vacancies54 mysterious55 significant56 third57 supposition58 ignorance59 astonishingly60 unbelievable61 nightly/night-timePart 562 the future/future events63 welcome/introduce (the/our)64 are accompanied65 free/for nothing66 refreshments67 his journey(s)/trip(s)68 is said/supposed/known/considered69 large/great number70 to postpone71 somewhere else/previously arranged72 proposed/planned/possible73 inform/tell/contact74 suggestions/recommendations about/concerningPart 675 F76 I77 C78 A79 B80 HPage 38PAPER 3 ENGLISH IN USE ANSWER SHEETS

Paper 4 sample papers

Page 39PAPER 4 LISTENINGGeneral DescriptionPaper FormatThe paper contains four parts. Each part contains a recordedtext or texts and corresponding comprehension tasks.Number of Questions30–40.Text TypesFrom the following:Monologues: announcements, radio broadcasts, telephonemessages, speeches, talks, lectures.Conversations between 2 or 3 speakers: interviews,discussions.Recording InformationThe texts in Parts 1, 3 & 4 are heard twice; the text in Part 2is heard once only.Recordings will contain a variety of accents corresponding tostandard variants of English native speaker accent, and toEnglish non-native speaker accents that approximate to thenorms of native speaker accents.Background sounds may be included before speaking begins,to provide contextual information. Subdued reaction from anaudience to talks, speeches, etc., may also be included.Task TypesFrom the following: note taking, sentence completion,multiple choice, multiple matching.Task FocusUnderstanding specific information, gist, attitude, opinion,main points and detail.AnsweringFor all parts of the paper candidates write their answers onan answer sheet.TimingApproximately 45 minutes.MarksEach question in the paper carries one mark.1234Task Type and FocusSentence completion,note takingUnderstanding specificinformationSentence completion,note takingUnderstanding specificinformationSentence completion,multiple choiceUnderstanding specificinformation, gist and attitudeMultiple matching,multiple choiceIdentifying speakers and

topics, interpreting context,recognising function andattitude8–108–106–1010A monologue of approximately 2 minutes, heard twice,from the following range of text types: announcements,radio broadcasts, telephone messages, speeches, talks,lectures, etc.A monologue of approximately 2 minutes, heard onceonly, from the range of text types above.A conversation between 2 or 3 speakers, ofapproximately 4 minutes, heard twice, from thefollowing text types; interviews, discussions.A series of five themed monologues, of approximately 30seconds each; the whole sequence is heard twice.In the multiple-matching format there are two tasks; thequestions require selection of the correct option from alist of eight. In the multiple-choice format there are tenquestions with two questions for each speaker. Thequestions require selection of the correct option from achoice of three.Number ofQuestionsText type PartPage 40may represent an authentic response to a text, for example,where a listener takes notes in a talk or lecture. Others aremore abstract, testing areas of understanding in situationswhere the listener in the real world makes no directresponse, for example, multiple-choice questions.The main task types can be divided into those which areproductive, where the candidates give a written response tosome kind of prompt, and objective, where the candidateschoose from a number of alternatives.Productive TasksThere are two main types of productive task, each of whichrequires quite a different kind of response from thecandidate.Note Taking (Parts 1 & 2)Candidates are asked to note down points of informationfrom the text in response to given prompts. These promptsmay take the form of questions to be answered, lists of pointsunder headings to be completed, or the notes made by animagined listener with certain sections gapped out.Candidates are required to write a word or short phrase inresponse to prompts which focus on the main points ofinformation presented in the text. Such tasks test listening fordetail and the ability to follow the structure of the text andlocate relevant information. Most answers will be short,often single words or noun groups. Candidates will not beasked to produce or interpret any particular system of notetaking and will not be penalised for the omission of articles,prepositions, etc., except where they are essential formeaningSentence Completion (Parts 1, 2 & 3)Candidates are asked to complete gaps in sentences withinformation from the text. The sentences provide a kind ofsummary of the main ideas presented in the text and may

focus on abstract ideas and feelings expressed by speakers aswell as points of information. Such tasks test a wide range oflistening skills, therefore, in addition to those tested by notetaking, including the attitudes and opinions of speakers, bothstated and implied. Most answers are short, again generallyin the form of single words or noun groups, and must fit intothe grammatical structure of the sentence. Candidates needto check carefully, therefore, that their answers produce afinal completed sentence which is both coherent andgrammatically correct, as well as including the relevantinformation. Candidates should be discouraged fromattempting to write long or complicated answers, the size ofthe boxes on the question paper and answer sheet serving asa guide to the length of expected responses.In productive tasks, the questions generally follow the orderof information found in the text, and candidates will oftenwrite down actual words that are heard on the tape. Theyshould not automatically assume that there is a need to findPREPARING FOR PAPER 4IntroductionThis paper comprises four recordings each with a separatetask. On any one version of the paper there is a range of taskand text types, reflecting the variety of real-world listeningsituations which candidates at this level need to be able tocope with. Candidates should be familiar with the text andtask types and prepared in terms of the listening skills testedby each task type.In preparing for this part of the examination, candidatesshould be made aware that understanding spoken Englishinvolves extracting the main points of information and doesnot necessarily depend on understanding every word that isspoken. Candidates need to have an opportunity to hear aswide a variety as possible of unsimplified English spoken atnatural speed. Classroom practice using task-based exercisesis recommended. Exercises which encourage learners tolisten with a specific focus, for example, understanding themain points of what they hear, note-taking exercises,inferring attitude, etc., will help candidates.The instructions on the tape are followed by a pause for thecandidates to study the task for that section. Candidatesshould use this time to study the questions on the page tohelp them predict what they will hear. This mirrors whathappens in real-life listening situations when we all bring avariety of extra areas of knowledge to what we hear, such asknowledge of the context, the speaker and/or the subject.The use of pre-listening tasks in classwork will be of greatbenefit in raising awareness of this and candidates should begiven practice in anticipating what they will hear and/or thekind of information they will need to grasp. For example,candidates should look at the words before and after eachgap in a sentence completion task and think about what kindof information is missing. Helping learners to developstrategies to prepare for listening is important for candidates’confidence and is an essential element in reducing feelingsof anxiety which may beset them if they feel they have‘missed’ an answer or lost their place.Text TypesTexts are adapted from authentic sources and recorded in astudio to ensure the required level of sound quality. Textsmay take the form of monologues, dialogues, three-wayinterviews or include contributions from a number of

speakers. They have their origin in a range of authenticsources, including broadcast interviews and documentaryfeatures, talks and lectures, public announcements and moreinformal conversations.Task TypesEach text is accompanied by a task that aims to test thecommunicative point of what is said. Some of these tasksPage 41synonyms or to paraphrase ideas, but should aim tocomplete the task with the information given in the mannermost appropriate to the task. Although candidates are neverasked to spell words which fall outside the CAE level, it isimportant to train students to be as accurate as possible andto check spelling carefully.Objective TasksThe most familiar objective task type is multiple choicewhich is regularly used on the paper. It is especially suitablefor testing the understanding of texts that include bothconcrete information and more abstract ideas. It is often usedto test understanding of the attitudes and opinions ofspeakers, both stated and implied, as well as the ability todistinguish what was said from what was not said.In the Part 3 multiple choice task, the questions generallyfollow the order of information found in the text, but thefinal question may test global understanding of the text as awhole.In the Part 4 multiple choice task, candidates are tested onany combination of the following skills dependent on thecontent and purpose of the extracts:identifying speakers, topics, and speakers’ opinions;interpreting context; recognising the function of what is said;understanding speakers’ attitudes.The other objective task in Part 4 is multiple matching. Thefocus of the task is the same as for the multiple choice task.N.B. In the sample paper there is an example of each of thetwo tasks for Part 4. Please note that the CAE listening testconsists of four parts, not five. The inclusion of both tasks isfor information only.Page 42PAPER 4 LISTENING SAMPLE PAPERSection ASection B Part 2Part 1Page 43Section CSection D Part 4 (multiple matching task)Part 35Page 446Alternative taskPart 4 (multiple-choice task)You will hear five short extracts in which different people are talking aboutperformances that they have been to. For questions 26–35, choose the correctoption A, B or C.You will hear the recording twice.26 The concert was unusual because the musicians didn’t useA microphones.B instruments.C a stage.27 In talking about the concert, the speaker says sheA hadn’t heard that kind of music before.B hadn’t really liked the music.C hadn’t understood the music very well.

28 What does the speaker say about the concert?A The musicians were very old.B The songs were too unfamiliar.C The sound quality was poor.29 The audience wereA appreciative.B dissatisfied.C inattentive.30 What does the speaker say about the theatre?A It had recently moved.B It was overcrowded.C It was unusually small.31 The play was spoilt because the actorsA forgot their lines.B were unenthusiastic.C had too much make-up on.732 At the start of the concert, the speaker was surprised by the number ofA people who arrived late.B people he recognised.C female performers.33 What section of the orchestra did the speaker find disappointing?A the violinsB the brassC the drums34 The acrobatic acts wereA impressive.B alarming.C repetitive.35 How did the speaker feel at the end of the performance?A She didn’t realise it was so late.B She felt it should have ended earlier.C She would have preferred an evening ticket.Page 45PAPER 4 TAPESCRIPTPart 1Presenter: Sharks have had a bad press but, even thoughsome of them do possess rows of razor sharpteeth, some of them aren’t dangerous at all.This afternoon Paul Barker, author of the bestsellingnovel Monsters, which was later madeinto a film, explains how he feels about them.Paul Barker: When I wrote Monsters more than twentyyears ago, I knew it was doomed to fail. Forone thing, it was a first novel, and everyoneknows that no-one reads first novels! Foranother, it was a first novel about fish – notexactly a crowd-pleaser. And finally, I knewfor certain no-one could ever turn the bookinto a movie: no-one could hope to catch andtrain a real great white shark, and thetechnology of the day wasn’t advancedenough to build a replacement. So much forwhat I knew! When Monsters, the book andthe movie, became monsters in their ownright, I was left to wonder why. What hadtransformed a simple story into a world-widesuccess? The answer, of course, was in theanimal.Sharks have been objects of fascinationand hatred for more than 3,000 years; eversince man first ventured into the sea. They’vebeen villains in literature almost since thedawn of the language. They’re the masters ofthe environment man sprang from and where

he’s always felt like an outsider. And, as such,they do make convincing villains, huge andmenacing. At least, that’s the traditional imageof the shark, but it’s clear that we’vemisjudged them. They’re marvellousexamples of evolutionary perfection. They’rewonderful creatures with extraordinarysensory powers, and they play an importantpart in maintaining the balance of nature. Infact, they should much more properly beregarded as victims. Some species, includingthe great white, are thought to be in danger ofextinction, thanks to over-fishing.Fortified with this new knowledge, when Irecently set out to write a new tale of the sea,I was faced with a problem: what, or who, tocast as the enemy of my shark-scientist hero? Icould not, in all conscience, choose ananimal. For I believe that evil is non-existentin the animal world. Aggression, yes.Violence, of course. But evil? No. So, who’sthe villain? Man! That’s the creature I believeto be the most vicious and destructivemonster in the sea!Part 2Curator: It’s particularly good to welcome you all hereboth in your capacity as interestedprofessionals – your interest is very heartening– and as the very first group of experts tocome here since the £2.5m refurbishment ofthe gallery, which was completed only lastmonth, as you know.The whole plan was conceived nearly fiveyears ago when I first took over as curatorhere, but it took three years to raise the twoand a half million pounds we needed, andwork on the project itself lasted somefourteen months. What has resulted is atransformation of the main gallery, with farbetter natural lighting now in this maingallery; two new galleries, the Wessex andSpithead; a passenger lift from street level –which was a lamentable omission before –and a comfortable new restaurant, where youcan get meals all day. This has proved a hitwith local people who come here to eat nowin their lunch break, then stroll round lookingat a few pictures before going back to work.We have also introduced cassettes giving acommentary in ten languages. As I say, wehave two new galleries, the Wessex, wherewe always display the top forty items in thecollection as selected by local citizens everytwo months – maybe schoolchildren or artstudents, or something like that, and these‘citizens’ choices’ as we call them are put ondisplay with their comments and reasons.Then in the other new gallery, the Spithead,we try always to have something importanton loan. At the moment we have a loanexhibition which is from Spain – quite

magnificent. And, of course, in the old MainGallery we rotate the best of our owncollection up to 1920 or thereabouts and,finally, in the Solent Gallery we show modernart. There is some debate whether we shouldcontinue the division between thepre-1920 art in the Main Gallery and post-1920 in the Solent, and I’d welcome yourviews on that one.Now someone asked about funding. Weactually get nothing from government, butwe’re very indebted to local author JaneSmithson. Jane Smithson was an art lover whogenerously endowed the gallery and enabledus to assemble one of the finest collectionsoutside London.That’s all I have to say by way ofintroduction, so if you’d like to come withme....Page 46Part 3Interviewer: Well, I have with me today two peoplewho’ve written books about the same man,the novelist Raymond Rennie; his officialbiographer, Dorothy Horseman, and hisunofficial biographer, Brian Feltham. Now,Rennie wrote; ‘If anyone tries to write abiography of me, how complicated they aregoing to find it, how misled they are going tobe.’ Brian, was it complicated?Brian: Very much so. An unofficial biographer isespecially vulnerable, but part of the fun ofthe chase is discovering all the false leads.Rennie’s trail is superbly difficult to follow.Here was a man who kept two diaries, eitheror both of which might have misled, but whocouldn’t resist salting his fiction with realnames and biographical facts.Interviewer: Well, Dorothy, you were the officialbiographer, your project had Rennie’s officialblessing, what help did you get from himwhen he was alive?Dorothy: Not a great deal. What he did for me wasthis, he said, ‘Dorothy, if you want to see me,you can see me. If you want to see me often,you can see me often. I will see you whenyou want to see me.’ And he also went onand said that, ‘I will not tell you everythingDorothy, but if you ask me a question, I willtell you the truth.’ And I believe he did justthat.Interviewer: And, of course, you had an enormous amountof help by having access to his letters.Dorothy: Help? Since I’ve now got something like twoand a half tons of them, it doesn’t alwaysseem like help. Sometimes, I feel as thoughI’m drowning.Interviewer: Well, Brian doesn’t have that problem, nothaving access to any private papers. You hadto, shall we say, extrapolate from what is inthe fictional and what is in the public

domain. How much of your work in this area,do you think, is accurate and how much isyour surmise which you would like to betruthful because it makes good reading?Brian: No, it’s incorrect to say I haven’t had accessto Rennie’s private papers. In fact, both ofthese biographies are based on the samemajor collections of papers, most of whichare open to scholars. Over a thousand lettersand a huge collection of various otherdocuments are available. When I makeallegations, I make them on the basis of manyof the same documents as Dorothy has used,as well as, of course, interviews withhundreds of people who knew Rennie,including his wife, who spoke to me at greatlength.Interviewer: And did you feel that you were getting at onetruth, that there was one Raymond Rennie, orwere you on the track of a number ofRennies?Brian: Well, my job was made more difficult byDorothy, in fact, it seems to me ethicallywrong to have an official biographer who hasexclusive access to some of the material. Ithink that’s a real problem for people who seebiography as history. It’s not one person’sprovince to have a culturally important figureas her sole preserve. It should be open toother people in order to start a good healthydebate on the subject. If Rennie’s importantenough, several people should be working onhim.Interviewer: Umm ... what do you say to that, Dorothy?Dorothy: The fact remains that this is always done, youhave official biographers and the same ruleshave always applied. I see why this should bechanged, but it hasn’t happened yet. Brian’sbook, however, doesn’t tell me anythingabout Rennie that I didn’t already know, it’sjust that he’s selected different data on whichto build his biography. It’s a matter of what,amongst all that material, you regard asrelevant, as adding to our understanding ofthe man.Brian: And that’s exactly my point. That’s why weshouldn’t have an official biographer, itshouldn’t just be one person’s view.Interviewer: And there, I’m afraid, we’ll have to leave it forthe moment. Brian, Dorothy, thank you bothvery much indeed.Part 4 (Multiple-matching task)1 Well, it was very different when I was at school.Oh yes. Where I went, we were always taughtto keep ourselves neat and tidy, not like theseyoungsters nowadays. I mean, you should seethe riffraff who live in our street walking pasteach day. Long greasy hair, shirts hanging out,kicking tin cans along the pavement... oh dear,oh dear. More discipline at home and school,that’s what they need.

2 I tell you, it’s a dog’s life. Up and down to theboiler room, turning the heating on and off. Iwish they’d make their minds up! And thenit’s time to move a few hundred chairs forsome exam or other. You’d think those youngrascals could move the odd chair themselves,wouldn’t you? And do I get a word of thanks?Not likely! Ah well, no rest for the wicked, Isuppose. Just off to replace a broken window.The little...3 It’d be all right if we didn’t have so muchextra work. I mean, the lessons are quitePage 47couldn’t get enough of it. They shouted theirheads off – cheering and clapping. I was a bitdisappointed though ...3 This was an interesting experience. For a start,the theatre was in Pelman Street. Now I’vewalked up and down that street many times, butI never realised there was a theatre there. It wasvery intimate – it only holds a maximum of fortypeople. The show was a big success up inLondon last year, huge audiences, butunfortunately only a handful of people turned upfor the performance here. I’m not surprisedthough – it was rather amateurish. They couldhave done with using at least a bit of make-upand learning their parts better. They relied oncovering up their mistakes by really throwingthemselves into their characters.4 This was one of the few classical concerts thatI decided to go to. As I sat there in theaudience waiting for the performance to begin,I spotted quite a few of my colleagues whoI hadn’t realised appreciated that type of music.We sat there for quite a while because theconcert was delayed for some reason. Whenthe orchestra finally trooped in I noticed thatone of the trumpeters was Mary Brownlowwhom I’d been to school with. I was amazedbecause I never realised she was at all musical.But then I remembered that she did play thedrums when she was younger and I think herbrother played the violin. Unfortunately, Marydid not play very well and made quite a fewmistakes, especially in the first piece.5 Well I thought I’d go to the circus. My friend hasa couple of kids who were keen to see it andthey invited me along. I quite enjoyed it really,even though it tied up the whole afternoon.There were no animals, just clowns, acrobats,people throwing burning sticks in the air – youknow the kind of thing. I think the acrobatsmade the greatest impact. They must trainincredibly hard to achieve such levels of fitness.The whole show lasted a couple of hours, whichwas about right, but I think we would have goneto a later show if it hadn’t been for the kids.interesting. Sometimes. Well, not very boringanyway. But the assignments and projects justgo on and on. You never seem to get to the end

of them. I think it’s seriously affecting myfootball.4 You see, it all boils down to one thing. Thesedays, pupils have a choice. All my staff do theirbest in the classroom and I have everyconfidence in them, but at the end of the day it’sup to the individual pupil to decide whether heor she is going to do the homework, or revise forthe exam, or learn anything at all! We can’t forcethem. It simply doesn’t work. No, what we haveto do is much more difficult. We have to makethem want to learn. No easy task, believe youme!5 I just hope they’re going to push her enough.You know what I mean, at that age they’re ina dream half the time, thinking about makeupor boys or something. At her last school theysaid she needed to spend more time on herhomework. What’s more, her report didn’tlook all that good to me. I’ll have to speak toher form teacher about it next time I see him –I don’t get the impression he’s particularlyconcerned.Alternative Part 4 task (Multiple Choice)1 A friend of mine phoned up at the last minuteand asked me if I wanted to go to this show. Itwas being put on by a group of South Africansingers who were touring this country for fourweeks. My friend had heard they were brilliantand this would be the last chance to see thembefore they returned home. Well when wearrived what struck me most was that thestage was completely bare, apart from a fewmicrophone stands. And when they started, itwas incredible. I’ve never really heard anythinglike it before. They just stood and sang and allthe orchestral noises like drums and violinsounds they just made with their voices. I wascompletely spell-bound from the beginning toend ...2 I’d been looking forward to this show for a longtime. I used to be a big fan of James Hoppermany years ago. I was hoping he’d do all theold familiar songs and I think the rest of theaudience were too. The thing was, the rest of theband was completely out of time. They just keptlosing the rhythm and some of the old songswere almost unrecognisable. It didn’t help thatyou couldn’t hear his guitar very well and all ofthe voices were a bit distorted. But the audiencePage 48PAPER 4 LISTENING ANSWER SHEETPAPER 4 LISTENING ANSWER KEYPart 11 first/1st novel (about fish)/(about a fish)2 into a movie/filmas a movie/filma movie/film3 caught/captured (and) trained4 simple story5 fascination (and) hatred/hate

6 (the) balance of/in (the) nature7 over-fishing8 evil9 manPart 210 £2.5m(illion)11 14/fourteen months12 better/improved (natural) lighting13 (passenger) lift14 local citizens/people15 modern artpost-1920 art16 (a/an/the) local author/art loverPart 317 (very) complicated/complex/intricate18 (2/two) diaries19 tell her everything20 the truth21 letters/private papers22 private papers23 Rennie’s/his wife24 exclusive access25 should/could/need/have to be changedneed changingshould/could/need to/have to changePart 4Multiple matching26 B27 A28 F29 E30 G31 C32 G33 B34 H35 EPart 4Multiple choice36 B37 A38 C39 A40 C41 A42 B43 B44 A45 C

Paper 5 sample papers

Page 49PAPER 5 SPEAKINGGeneral Description

Paper FormatThe paper contains four parts.The standard format is two candidates and two examiners.One examiner acts as both interlocutor and assessor andmanages the interaction either by asking questions orproviding cues for candidates. The other acts as assessor anddoes not join in the conversation.Task TypesSocial interaction with the interlocutor and the othercandidate; transactional long and short turns.Task FocusUsing transactional, interactional and social language.TimingApproximately 15 minutes.MarksCandidates are assessed on their performance throughout thetest.1234Task Type and FocusThree-way conversationbetween the candidates andthe InterlocutorUsing general interactionaland social languageIndividual long turns withbrief responses from secondcandidateUsing transactional language,comparing, contrasting andhypothesisingTwo-way interaction betweenthe candidatesNegotiating andcollaborating; reachingagreement or ‘agreeing todisagree’Three-way conversationbetween the candidates andthe interlocutorExplaining, summarising,developing the discussion3 minutes4 minutes4 minutes4 minutesThe candidates are asked to respond to one another’squestions about themselves, and respond to theinterlocutor’s questions.Each candidate in turn is given visual prompts. Theytalk about the prompts for about one minute; thesecond candidate responds as specified.The candidates are given visual and/or writtenprompts to set up a problem-solving task, involvingsequencing, ranking, comparing & contrasting,selecting, etc. Based on this output candidates areasked about their decisions.The topic area from Part 3 is opened up by discussingwider issues.

Length Task Format PartPage 50PREPARING FOR PAPER 5IntroductionThe CAE Speaking Test is designed to offer candidates theopportunity to demonstrate their ability to use their spokenlanguage skills effectively in a range of contexts. The testtakes about 15 minutes for a pair of candidates. Oneexaminer, the interlocutor, conducts the test and gives aglobal assessment of each candidate’s performance. Theother, the assessor, does not take any part in the interactionbut focuses solely on listening to, and making an assessmentof, the candidate’s oral proficiency. The test is divided intofour parts and each part sets candidates a different task.It is essential that students are able to participate in pair andgroup activities effectively, showing sensitivity to turn-takingand responding appropriately to their partners. Pair andgroup activities should be a regular feature of classroomlearning.Students should be given extensive practice in listeningcarefully to instructions and remembering what they areasked to do. They should be encouraged to react to picturesand diagrams, etc., rather than merely describe them, usingspeculative or hypothetical language whenever possible.Students need to be equipped with the right kind oflanguage for, e.g. exchanging information/opinions, givingreasons, speculating, hypothesising, agreeing, disagreeing,politely justifying and negotiating.During classroom activities, students should be instructed tospeak clearly so that they can be heard and paraphraseeffectively when they do not know or cannot remember aword. Students should be familiar with the timing and thefocus of each part of the test. They should be able to handlethe whole test confidently, yet ask for clarification/repetitionif needed.Part 1This part of the test gives candidates the opportunity to showtheir ability to use general interactional and social language.The interlocutor introduces both examiners to thecandidates, then candidates ask each other questions aboutthemselves using prompts given by the interlocutor. Theinterlocutor may ask the candidates further questions aboutthemselves as appropriate. Candidates are expected torespond to their partner’s and to the interlocutor’s questions,and to listen to what their partner has to say.Students should be made aware that they are expected toreact naturally to their partners and not rehearse speechesfor this part of the test. They should show sensitivity to eachother’s contributions, invite their partners to participate, andnot dominate the interaction.Part 2In this part of the test, each candidate is given theopportunity to speak for a longer period of time (one minute)without interruption. Each candidate is asked to comment onand/or react to a different set of pictures or photographs.Candidates may be asked to describe, compare, contrast,comment, identify, eliminate and hypothesise or speculate.Tasks may be completely different for each candidate or theymay be ‘shared’, e.g. when there is a group of threecandidates. Shared tasks set candidates the same task buteach candidate, in turn, receives different visual stimuli.

Candidates are expected to listen carefully to the verbalinstructions they are given, show their ability to organisetheir thoughts and ideas, and express themselves coherentlyin appropriate language. Candidates should pay attentionwhile their partner is speaking, as they are asked tocomment briefly (up to 20 seconds) after their partner hasspoken.Give students practice in talking for one minute on a setsubject, or ‘holding the floor’ in a classroom situation so thatthey can organise their thoughts and ideas during this longturn. Make students aware that, in this part of the test, it isessential not to interrupt while their partners are speaking.Students need to be clear about what is considered aninadequate response, e.g. ‘In the first picture the scene looksmodern, in the other it looks old-fashioned’, instead of, e.g.‘Both pictures of the building portray a calm and peacefulsetting, but the older scene suggests that there was moretraffic on the river at the time, whereas ...’ Students shouldrealise that their responses need to go beyond the level ofpure description and contain a speculative element.Students who listen carefully to their instructions and followthem will do well.Part 3In Part 3, candidates are expected to negotiate andcollaborate with each other, discussing a problem-solvingtask fully, openly and clearly. Candidates may be asked todiscuss, evaluate, speculate and/or select. They are given aset of visual prompts on which the task is based. The taskgives candidates the opportunity to show their own range oflanguage and their ability to invite the opinions and ideas oftheir partner. There is no right or wrong answer to this taskbut candidates are asked to reach a conclusion. They can,however, agree to differ. At the end of this part they areasked to report on the outcome of their discussion.For this part of the test, candidates need to be able tointeract and carry out the task while keeping theconversation going. Encourage students to make use ofconversation ‘fillers’, e.g. ‘Well, now, let me see ...’, whichPage 51Grammar and Vocabulary (Accuracy and Appropriacy)On this scale, candidates are awarded marks for the accurateand appropriate use of syntactic forms and vocabulary inorder to meet the task requirements. At CAE level,candidates are expected to know enough grammar andvocabulary to produce accurate and appropriate languagewithout continual pauses to search for words or structures.The range and appropriate use of vocabulary are assessed onthis scale. However, it should be noted that only theaccuracy of the grammar is assessed here as the range ofgrammatical structures is assessed under DiscourseManagement.Discourse ManagementOn this scale, examiners are looking for evidence of thecandidate’s ability to express ideas and opinions in coherent,connected speech.The CAE speaking tasks require candidates to constructsentences and produce utterances (extended as appropriate)in order to convey information and to express or justifyopinions. The candidate’s ability to maintain a coherent flowof language with an appropriate range of linguistic resourcesover several utterances is assessed here.

Pronunciation (Individual Sounds and Prosodic Features)This refers to the candidate’s ability to producecomprehensible utterances to fulfil the CAE speaking taskrequirements, i.e. it refers to the production of individualsounds, the appropriate linking of words, and the use ofstress and intonation to convey the intended meaning.First language accents are acceptable, providedcommunication is not impeded. It is recognised that at CAElevel, even in the top assessment band, candidates’pronunciation will be influenced by features of their firstlanguage.Interactive Communication (Turn-taking, Initiating andResponding)This refers to the candidate’s ability to interact with theinterlocutor and the other candidate by initiating andresponding appropriately and at the required speed andrhythm to fulfil the task requirements. It includes the abilityto use functional language and strategies to maintain orrepair interaction, e.g. in conversational turn-taking, and awillingness to develop the conversation and move the tasktowards a conclusion.they can call upon (sparingly) to give themselves time tothink. Expose students to as great a variety of visual stimulias possible and invite their reactions to them. Studentsshould attempt to demonstrate their command of a widerange of linguistic resources and communication strategies.Simply agreeing or disagreeing with, or echoing, what theirpartner has said will not enable them to do this. Each studentshould make a positive contribution to the task in question.Although the completion of the task is not essential, it isadvisable for students to attempt to reach the specifiedoutcome within the time allotted.Part 4In Part 4, candidates participate in a wider discussion of theissues raised in Part 3. The questions become broader andoften more abstract as the discussion develops. Candidatesmay be asked to respond to the same or different questions.At the end of the Speaking Test, candidates are thanked forattending, but are given no indication of the level of theirachievement.Students should be encouraged to talk about issues ofgeneral interest and express an opinion about them so thatthey can participate fully in the last part of the test. They areasked questions by the interlocutor and they are expected todevelop the discussion, rather than simply give one-wordanswers. Students should be aware that they are not beingassessed on their ideas, but examiners can only assesscandidates on the language they produce and thosecandidates who fail to make a contribution will not do well.At this stage of the test, both candidates can interact morefreely, giving them a final opportunity to show examinerswhat they are capable of.ASSESSMENT AND MARKINGThroughout the test, candidates are assessed not in relationto each other but according to the following criteria:Grammar and Vocabulary, Discourse Management,Pronunciation, and Interactive Communication. Thesecriteria should be interpreted within the overall context ofthe Cambridge Common Scale for Speaking (page 53), whereCAE is at Level 4.Both examiners assess the candidates. The assessor applies

detailed Analytical Scales; the interlocutor applies a GlobalScale, which is a less detailed scale based on the AnalyticalScales.Page 52Candidates should be able to maintain the coherence of thediscussion and may, if necessary, ask the interlocutor or theother candidate for clarification.Typical Minimum Adequate PerformanceA typical minimum adequate performance at CAE level canbe summarised as follows:Develops the interaction with contributions which aremostly coherent and extended when dealing with the CAElevel tasks. Grammar is mostly accurate and vocabularyappropriate. Utterances are understood with very littlestrain on the listener.Candidates are assessed on their own individualperformance according to the established criteria and are notassessed in relation to each other.Assessment is based on performance in the whole test, and isnot related to performance in particular parts of the test. Theassessor awards marks for each of the four criteria listedabove. The interlocutor awards each candidate one globalmark.In many countries, Oral Examiners are assigned to teams,each of which is led by a Team Leader who may beresponsible for approximately fifteen Oral Examiners. TeamLeaders give advice and support to Oral Examiners, asrequired.The Team Leaders are responsible to a Senior Team Leaderwho is the professional representative of UCLES for the oralexaminations. Senior Team Leaders are appointed by UCLESand attend an annual co-ordination and development sessionin the UK. Team Leaders are appointed by the Senior TeamLeader in consultation with the local administration.After initial training of examiners, standardisation of markingis maintained by both annual examiner co-ordinationsessions and by monitoring visits to centres by Team Leaders.During the co-ordination sessions, examiners watch anddiscuss sample Speaking Tests recorded on video, and thenconduct practice tests with volunteer ‘candidates’ in order toestablish a common standard of assessment.The sample tests on video are selected to demonstrate arange of task types and different levels of competence, andare pre-marked by a team of experienced examiners.Page 53CambridgeMain SuiteCPECAEFCEPETKETCambridge Common Scale for SpeakingCAMBRIDGE LEVEL 5Fully operational command of the spoken language.Able to handle communication in most situations, including unfamiliar or unexpected ones.Able to use accurate and appropriate linguistic resources to express complex ideas and concepts andproduce extended discourse that is coherent and always easy to follow.Rarely produces inaccuracies and inappropriacies.

Pronunciation is easily understood and prosodic features are used effectively; many features, includingpausing and hesitation, are ‘native-like’.CAMBRIDGE LEVEL 4Good operational command of the spoken language.Able to handle communication in most situations.Able to use accurate and appropriate linguistic resources to express ideas and produce discourse that isgenerally coherent.Occasionally produces inaccuracies and inappropriacies.Maintains a flow of language with only natural hesitation resulting from considerations of appropriacyor expression.L1 accent may be evident but does not affect the clarity of the message.CAMBRIDGE LEVEL 2 (Threshold)Limited but effective command of the spoken language.Able to handle communication in most familiar situations.Able to construct longer utterances but is not able to use complex language except in well-rehearsedutterances.Has problems searching for language resources to express ideas and concepts resulting in pauses andhesitation.Pronunciation is generally intelligible, but L1 features may put a strain on the listener.Has some ability to compensate for communication difficulties using repair strategies but may requireprompting and assistance by an interlocutor.CAMBRIDGE LEVEL 1 (Waystage)Basic command of the spoken language.Able to convey basic meaning in very familiar or highly predictable situations.Produces utterances which tend to be very short – words or phrases – with frequent hesitations andpauses. Dependent on rehearsed or formulaic phrases with limited generative capacity.Only able to produce limited extended discourse.Pronunciation is heavily influenced by L1 features and may at times be difficult to understand.Requires prompting and assistance by an interlocutor to prevent communication from breaking down.Pre-Waystage LevelZeroCAMBRIDGE LEVEL 3Generally effective command of the spoken language.Able to handle communication in familiar situations.Able to organise extended discourse but occasionally produces utterances that lack coherence andsome inaccuracies and inappropriate usage occur.Maintains a flow of language, although hesitation may occur whilst searching for language resources.Although pronunciation is easily understood, L1 features may be intrusive.Does not require major assistance or prompting by an interlocutor.Page 5411. Protective Clothing (Compare, contrast and speculate)Interlocutor In this part of the test I’m going to give each of you the chance to talk for about aminute and to comment briefly after your partner has spoken.First, you will each have the same set of photographs to look at. They showpeople wearing protective clothing.Hand over the same set of photographs to each candidate.Candidate A, it’s your turn first. I’d like you to compare and contrast two orthree of these photographs, saying what kind of clothing the people are wearingand why you think the protection might be necessary.Don’t forget, you have about one minute for this.All right? So, Candidate A, would you start now, please?Candidate A Approximately one minute.Interlocutor Thank you. Now, Candidate B, can you tell us who you think is in the greaterneed of protection?Candidate B Approximately 20 seconds.Interlocutor Thank you.

12. A Quiet Day on the Coast (Compare, contrast and speculate)Interlocutor Now, I’m going to give each of you the same pair of cartoons to look at. Theyshow two images of a day by the sea.Hand over the same pair of cartoons to each candidate.Now, Candidate B, it’s your turn. I’d like you to compare and contrast thesepictures, saying how the people might be feeling and what the disadvantages ofeach situation might be.Don’t forget, you have about one minute for this.All right? So, Candidate B, would you start now, please?Candidate B Approximately one minute.Interlocutor Thank you. Now, Candidate A, can you tell us which situation you think is themore realistic?Candidate A Approximately 20 seconds.Interlocutor Thank you.

PAPER 5 SPEAKING SAMPLE PAPERInterlocutor Good morning (afternoon / evening). My name is ... and this is my colleague ... .And your names are ....?Can I have your mark sheets, please? Thank you.First of all, we’d like to know a little about you.(Select one or two questions as appropriate.)Where do you both/all live?What do you enjoy about living there?How long have you been studying English?Have you been studying English together?Now I’d like you to ask each other something about:(Select two or three prompts in any order as appropriate.)• your interests and leisure activities• your feelings about life in this country• your reasons for studying English• places of interest you have visited in this country(Ask candidate(s) further questions as necessary.)• What have you both/all enjoyed/disliked most about studying English?• What interesting things have you done recently?• How would you feel about going to live abroad permanently?• Looking back on your life, what do you consider to be the most memorableevent?• What do you hope to achieve in the future?Thank you.(3 minutes) PART 1PART 2 (4 minutes)Page 55

1211Page 56PARTS 3 and 4Famous First (Discuss, evaluate and select) Test Material 28Part 3 (4 minutes)Interlocutor Now, I’d like you to discuss something between/among yourselves, but pleasespeak so that we can hear you.Here are some pictures showing when some famous events first took place.Place picture sheet 28 in front of the candidates.Talk to each other about the effect each of these events has had on the worldwe live in, and then decide which one has had the greatest influence on people’slives.You have about four minutes for this.Candidates A&B Approximately four minutes.Interlocutor Thank you.So, which have you chosen?Retrieve picture sheet 28...................................................PART 4 (4 minutes)Interlocutor Select any of the following questions as appropriate• Which famous event would you like to have been involved in?• How important is it to enjoy new experiences in life? (Why?)• Some people say nothing can be achieved without an effort.How far do you agree?• What aspects of life today do you think will be remembered in the future?• How do you think life will change in this century?Thank you. That is the end of the test.Check that all test materials have been replaced in the file.

Page 5728Page 58COMMON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSGENERALWhat is the mark allocation for each paper?Each paper is equally weighted at 40 marks.An overview of the marks allocation:

Paper 1Parts 1 & 4 – 1 mark for each correct answerParts 2 & 3 – 2 marks each for each correct answerPaper 2Each of the 2 questions is marked out of 5Paper 31 mark for each correct answerPaper 41 mark for each correct answerPaper 5Each candidate is assessed out of 30The total for each paper is weighted to 40, bringing themaximum total to 200.What is the pass mark?To pass the examination with Grade C it is necessary toachieve approximately 60% of the total marks available(200).Must candidates achieve a pass on each paper to passthe examination?No. Candidates cannot pass or fail any individual paper. Thecandidate’s grade is based on their total score from all fivepapers. There are no ‘hurdles’ or minimum levels ofachievement required.Can candidates make notes on the question paper?Yes, but their notes won’t be marked.Is the use of dictionaries allowed?No.How can I get hold of CAE past papers?CAE past papers, and those for other EFL main suiteexaminations, are published by UCLES after eachadministration of the examination. These can be orderedthrough the UCLES publications department.Do I need to take a course if I want to take the CAEexamination?No, it is not necessary, although most candidates take apreparatory course before they take the examination.PAPER 1 READINGWhat is the mark allocation?One mark is given for each correct answer to the multiplematchingtasks; two marks are given for each correct answerto the multiple-choice and gapped-text tasks. The total scoreis then weighted out of a maximum 40 marks for the wholepaper.As the Paper is 1 hour 15 minutes long, what would bethe recommended timing for each Part?This very much depends on candidates’ own strengths andpreferred way of working, but it is worth bearing in mindhow the tasks are weighted (see above). Normally 50% ofthe marks are allocated to the two multiple-matching tasks(First and Fourth texts) while the other two tasks (multiplechoiceand gapped-text) account for the remaining 50%.If candidates make a mistake in filling in their answersheets, is this picked up by the computer?If they omit a question, the computer accepts the answersheet. If they fill in more than one lozenge for a question,the computer rejects it.Do questions in the multiple-choice task follow theorder of the text?Yes, with global questions at the end.What about the danger in Part 2, for example, that if acandidate makes one mistake, this may have a knock-on

effect on at least one other question?The statistical analysis produced when material is pretestedshows whether candidates are choosing wrong answers, sothis potential problem can be spotted in advance.PAPER 2 WRITINGIs each Part worth equal marks?Yes.If candidates do include the address when writing aletter, will they be penalised?Candidates do not need to include addresses, but they willnot be penalised if they do. Occasionally the instructionsmay ask for addresses.Page 59How do you guarantee that the different versions are allequal in difficulty?For security purposes, there are several versions of theListening Test in use at each session. As for the other papers,the material for the Listening Tests is pretested in advance, inorder to check that it is suitable in terms of content as wellas levels of difficulty. At the test construction stage, papersare put together at the same level of difficulty, as shown bypretesting statistics. After the examination has been taken,before grading takes place, the Listening Test results areanalysed and the average marks gained by candidates ineach test are compared.PAPER 5 SPEAKINGIs Part 1 assessed?The examiners assess performance throughout the wholetest.Is 2:2 the only possible format?The standard format is 2:2 and, wherever possible, this willbe the form which the Speaking Test will take. At centreswhere there is an uneven number of candidates, the lastcandidate will form a group of three with the previous pairof candidates. In exceptional circumstances only a 1:1format will be allowed.Are candidates from the same school paired together?In some centres candidates from the same school are pairedtogether. However, where candidates from a number ofdifferent schools are entered at the same centre, somecandidates may find that they are paired with a candidatefrom another school. Candidates should check with thecentre through which they are entering for the localprocedure.Does knowing your partner make it easier or harder todo well?There is no evidence to suggest that candidates performbetter when examined with someone they know or viceversa. Some candidates feel relaxed and confident whenpaired with someone they know; others may feel inhibited.In both cases, the examiners are trained to provide equalopportunities for all candidates to perform to the best of theirability.Does it matter if a candidate uses slang or speaks with aregional or other accent?The use of slang is acceptable provided that it is appropriate.Different varieties of standard English accents, e.g. UK,North American, Australian, etc. are also acceptable.Should candidates write their answers in pen or pencil?Pen should always be used, as answers in pencil may notalways be legible.

PAPER 3 ENGLISH IN USEWhat is the mark allocation overall?There is one mark for each question.If candidates write two possible answers to a question,how are they marked?If both are correct, the candidate is awarded the mark(s); ifone is incorrect, no marks are awarded. (This is also thesame for Paper 4.)What if the answer is right, but a candidate has misspeltit?All spellings must be correct in Paper 3.How should answers for the ‘punctuation/spelling’ typetask in Part 3 be recorded?The correct spelling of the incorrect word, or thepunctuation mark together with the word which precedes orfollows it, should be written on the answer sheet.In Part 5, can a cognate of one of the words used in thefirst text be used in the answer?No. This task requires candidates to find a new way ofexpressing the information from the first text.What happens if a candidate writes more than twowords as an answer in Part 5?No marks will be awarded for an answer of more than twowords.PAPER 4 LISTENINGIs there any background noise on the tape?No. Sound effects may be used to ‘set the scene’, but are notused while there is speech. Very subdued audience reactionmay be heard when a speaker is giving a talk, but this isnever intrusive.Does spelling have to be correct?Common words and those which are easy to spell areexpected to be correct.Page 60May candidates interrupt or ask questions during theirpartner’s ‘long turn’ in Part 2?No. Listening candidates should allow their partner to speakwithout interruption in this part of the test.What about the mis-matching of candidates, e.g. a shyperson with an extrovert?Examiners are trained to deal with this kind of situation andensure no-one is disadvantaged. Everyone has the chance toshow what they can do. However, candidates mustremember that, while it is important not to dominate aweaker candidate, it is vital that they make the best use ofthe time available to show off their language skills.ENTRIES & RESULTSWhat is the date of the CAE examination?The CAE examination can be taken twice a year, in June andin December. The dates are published in the ExaminationRegulations. Check with your UCLES Local Secretary orBritish Council Office.Where can candidates enrol?The UCLES Local Secretary or British Council Office cangive you information about centres where the examination istaken. Do not apply to UCLES directly. Fees are payable tothe local centre, and will vary slightly from place to place.How do I get my results?Results are issued to Local Secretaries approximately sixweeks after the examination has been taken. Certificates areissued about a month after that.