Cambridge English Advanced (CAE): Changes to exam 2015

Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is at Level C1 on the CEFR. It can be taken as a computer-based or a paper-based exam. It provides high-level English skills for academic and professional success. From January 2015, Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) will have new specifications.

Changes to exam at a glance. These are the key changes to the Cambridge English: Advanced exam that will be introduced in January 2015.

Description                         Current Version	Revised Version (2015)
Format                                 Five papers	Four papers
Timing                                 4 hours 40	3 hours 55 minutes
Number of Parts                   19	18
Number of questions            114	86

Reading and Use of English

·         The Reading and Use of English papers have been combined.

·         The revised exam takes 1 hour 30 minutes, which is 45 minutes shorter than the current Reading and Use of English papers combined.

·         From 2015, there are 8 parts and 56 questions.

·         The task types in the revised Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) exam are now the same as the task types for Cambridge English: First (FCE). The differences are in levels, content and relative abstraction/cognitive challenges in the text.

·         Some of the tasks from the current Reading and Use of English papers (short texts and gapped sentences) have been dropped.

·         There is a new cross-text multiple matching task.

·         Use of English tasks are before Reading tasks so that there is a clear progression from a focus at word and sentence level to a focus on whole text content and structure.

·         The content has a stronger academic flavour, reflecting its intended use by late teens and young adults intending to study at higher education level, or by those who need a CEFR Level C1 qualification for career or immigration purposes.

Writing

·         There is a new compulsory essay in Part 1. The input takes the form of notes made during a seminar, lecture or panel discussion.

·         Part 2 will remain essentially unchanged; however, it will no longer include an article or information sheet as output text types.

·         There will no longer be questions on set texts.

Listening

·         All the current listening tasks are retained.

·         The Part 3 multiple choice task is slightly changed to focus more on interaction between speakers.

Speaking

·         In Part 1, Phase 2 is modified to reduce the number of follow up questions.

·         Part 1 timing is reduced by one minute.

·         In Part 3, visuals are replaced with written prompts. The task is now split into two to include a discussion phase and a decision-making phase.

·         The Part 4 timing is extended by one minute.

·         Some tasks may have more of a study or work theme.