How to prepare for the C1 Advanced (CAE) on your own
Do you want to prepare for the Advanced Certificate on your own? Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for the C1 Advanced (CAE) without attending classes.
Table of contents
Although English academies and English teachers are probably the most qualified to help anyone obtain a Cambridge Assessment English certificate, self-study is also a good option, as respectable as any other. Therefore, in this article I bring you the best tips and resources to prepare for the Advanced Certificate (now called C1 Advanced) on your own.
How to Prepare for C1 on Your Own
1. Learn What the Advanced Certificate Is and What It’s For
The Advanced Certificate, better known as the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)or currently as C1 Advanced (CAE), is an English examination from Cambridge Assessment English, an entity attached to the University of Cambridge dedicated to the development of English examinations that certify candidates’ level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Specifically, this examination, which has been called C1 Advanced for a few months, is designed to certify a C1 level according to the Common European Framework, i.e., an advanced level of English, this being the second highest level of linguistic competence, below C2.
Now that you know what the Advanced Certificate is, you might wonder why you would need it if you already have an advanced level of English. Well, if you are a little ambitious about your academic and professional career, you should know that over 8,000 institutions worldwide accept the C1 Advanced as certification of a high level of English linguistic competence, so this examination opens many doors for you academically and professionally on an international level. In addition to these 8,000 institutions that recognise this certificate, there are many more that accept it even if not officially, and this is probably due to the prestige of the University of Cambridge, one of the best universities in the world.
2. Set a Deadline
Okay, you’ve decided you want to get the CAE. Now, by when? To do this, the first thing that I recommend is that you take several level tests, either at an English academy or on your own, to establish your starting point. If the level in these tests is below B2, it’s probably more realistic to consider taking another examination such as the B1 Preliminary (PET) or the B2 First (FCE). Ideally, you should start from at least a B2 level, but it all depends on the time you can and will dedicate to it. However, with a good study pace and starting from a B2 level, between 6 and 12 months is recommended. But as I said, starting from a B2 and with good study habits. Otherwise, it’s likely that 8 or 10 months will pass and you won’t be prepared by a long shot. So, be realistic when setting a deadline.
3. Acquire Basic Material to Prepare for the C1 Advanced (CAE)
Perfect, you’ve decided by when you want to prepare for the Advanced Certificate on your own. We’re starting to get down to business, and what better way to do it than with the material you’ll need.
Basic Information
First things first: you need to know the examination and all its parts inside out. For this, I recommend you read the official guide to C1 Advanced, where you will find all the information regarding this English examination. To help you understand the examination a little better, here is a summary of the different parts (called papers) of the examination:
Reading & Use of English:
- Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Parts: 8 (3 Use of English and 5 Reading)
- Questions: 56
Writing:
- Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Parts: 2
- Questions: essay (compulsory), email/letter (choose one), proposal (choose one), report (choose one), and review (choose one).
Listening:
- Duration: 40 minutes (approx.)
- Parts: 4
- Questions: 30
Speaking:
- Duration: 15 minutes
- Parts: 4 (2 individual, 2 paired)
Although the examination is taken in 4 papers, it actually has 5 parts, as Reading and Use of English are assessed independently.
Books to Prepare for the CAE
Okay, you know the examination inside out now, let’s see what books you need to prepare for C1 and the appropriate training to pass the Advanced Certificate. For this, I will divide them into categories based on the objective of each book.
Overall Training for All Parts
In this regard, and after 7 years preparing candidates for the C1 Advanced, I recommend two books in particular, both from Cambridge University Press:
[amazon box=»110767090X»]
This book is the one I currently use and I am truly delighted with it, although not so much with its counterparts for lower levels. Divided into 14 intensive units, with its Workbook included, the Complete Advanced prepares you for all the skills equally in each one. In each unit you will see a different aspect of each part of the examination, and by unit 6 you will know the examination perfectly. Furthermore, this book correctly addresses the main topics at a semantic and grammatical level, although I also recommend that you don’t stick to this book alone, as the C1 level is so vast that no single book can cover everything you need.
[amazon box=»1107691885″]
This is the material I used previously and, although I don’t like it as much as the Complete Advanced, I must say that I found it slightly more demanding than the former, although it doesn’t focus on the examination as much as a candidate might need. However, it is still a good alternative, especially in terms of semantic demands.
Use of English, Grammar, and Vocabulary
For the development of the Use of English, grammar and the vocabulary necessary to pass the C1 Advanced, I recommend the following 3 books, which I use daily with my students to complement the shortcomings of the Complete Advanced or simply to reinforce some more problematic aspects:
[amazon box=»3190629552″]
[amazon box=»3190228884″]
[amazon box=»0230461972″]
These 3 books are classics of English learning, especially Advanced Language Practice, which is extremely comprehensive at both grammatical and semantic levels. A brilliant book, truly.
Examination Books
To begin, I will tell you that doing examinations is a magnificent way to prepare, but only when you are close to the desired level, not before. I say this because there are students who start doing examinations and get frustrated, as they don’t even understand why they are making mistakes. Therefore, save the books I recommend now for the end of your preparation.
[amazon box=»1107654963″]
This book is official from Cambridge University Press and contains 4 genuine examinations that have appeared in real sittings. The advantage of this book is that it has exactly the level that will be required in the actual examination. The disadvantage is that it only contains 4 examinations and costs a fortune, frankly. Furthermore, it doesn’t “teach” anything, so to speak, as it doesn’t provide explanations of any kind, only exercises and answers. For this reason, I would save this option for just before the examination. And in the meantime, I would practise with the options I recommend below.
[amazon box=»1285744977″]
[amazon box=»1285745078″]
In these books you will find 8 examinations at a much lower price than the previous one. Additionally, the examinations include annotations in the margins and on the answer sheets that help you improve your skills while practising for an examination. This is a very good option that I use very often with my students. Furthermore, it has a second part:
[amazon box=»1107470277″]
This book is a middle ground between Advanced 1 and the Exam Essentials. It is an official preparation material book from Cambridge University Press with 6 practice examinations. In addition, the first 2 include preparatory exercises that help you improve your examination techniques, which is highly recommended when starting to do examinations.
4. Develop a Perfect Study Routine
Great. Now that we have the material, how can you prepare for the Advanced Certificate on your own? Well, it all depends on the time you can dedicate to it and how much you want to pass. My advice for everyone is: don’t obsess, but don’t stop. That is, be consistent but don’t overdo it.
Ideally, as with studying anything, you should do it regularly, in one way or another, and rest only one or two days a week. If you are going to work with a book like Complete Advanced, it is ideal that you do one unit per week or every two weeks, depending on whether you can or want to dedicate more or less time. By working at that pace and revising regularly, you will notice significant constant progress. Naturally, you cannot simply limit yourself to doing the exercises in the book without anything else; you must create your own notes, lists, and other materials to be able to revise regularly each week. «Simply» set yourself a study schedule that you can keep to and always dedicate that time to studying English without major interruptions.
5. Immerse Yourself in English
While textbooks are phenomenal and essential, don’t limit yourself to just working with a textbook, as that, at the level of the C1 Advanced, is insufficient. To reach a level that allows you to pass the Advanced Certificate, you must immerse yourself in English. To do this you can download learning apps, subscribe to all sorts of podcasts in English, read blogs like ours, watch films and series in English, listen to the radio, change the language of your mobile and computer, etc. The more you do in English, the better. It’s that simple.
6. Contact Your Nearest Examination Centre
Very good. You are practically ready now. You have worked through several Advanced Certificate textbooksand you are more than immersed in English in your daily life. English is coming out of your ears, and furthermore, you have done several examinations and passed them. To start: Congratulations! Getting this far is very difficult and not many manage it. Well, great, the next thing is to contact your nearest examination centre to find out the dates. Find your nearest Cambridge examination centre. If you are in Spain, here are the Cambridge examination centres in Spain. If you are not in Spain, you can go hereand search among all the examination centres worldwide.
7. Register at Your Examination Centre
If you have made it this far, perhaps you don’t need to know how to register for a Cambridge English examination, but you will certainly be interested in knowing how much the examination costs. This will depend on the examination centre, but currently the price is around €185. The final price is set by the examination centre, so I cannot tell you exactly how much it will cost you.
To register you will simply need to provide your personal details, make the payment, and voilà: you are now registered for the Advanced Certificate. 😀
Summary: How to Prepare for the Advanced Certificate on Your Own
- Learn what the Advanced Certificate is and what it is for
- Set a deadline
- Acquire basic material to prepare for the CAE
- Develop a perfect study routine
- Immerse yourself in English
- Contact your examination centre
- Register at your examination centre
I sincerely hope you found this post useful. If so, why not share it with your friends, colleagues and other English students and teachers. And don’t forget to follow KSE Academy on Facebook Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube. 🙂