C1 Advanced (CAE)

The C1 Advanced (CAE) is the Cambridge English exam used to certify a C1 level according to the Common European Framework. Here I talk about the C1 from Cambridge.

Updated on 03/01/26

The C1 Advanced (CAE) is a Cambridge Assessment English exam that certifies that a candidate possesses a C1 level of language proficiency in English, as determined by the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Until the end of 2014, this English language proficiency test was known as the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE). For this simple reason, even today, it is still common to refer to it as CAE.

This test of C1 level English aims to certify that, as a foreign speaker of English, you can comfortably work and study in an English-speaking country, demonstrating a high level of language proficiency, which is the main difference from the B2 level. Thus, with a C1, you begin to approach the naturalness with which a native speaker expresses themselves, even though it may not yet be similar.

What is C1 Level

According to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), a candidate with a C1 level of English is already very comfortable in academic and work situations where a high command of English is required. Therefore, according to the CEFR, anyone with a C1:

– Is capable of understanding a wide variety of lengthy and complex texts, as well as recognising implicit meanings in them.
– Can express themselves fluently and spontaneously with very little obvious effort to find the right expression.
– Can make flexible and effective use of the language for social, academic, and professional purposes.
– Can produce clear, well-structured, and detailed texts on subjects of some complexity, demonstrating a correct use of the mechanisms of organisation, articulation, and cohesion of the text.

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), p. 26.

What Parts Does the C1 Advanced (CAE) Have

Like the Cambridge FCE, the C1 Advanced or CAE has 5 parts. Of these 5 parts, 4 correspond to the fundamental skills of the language: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. However, there is also another part that assesses proficiency in grammar and vocabulary in English. This part of the exam is called Use of English.

However, as I already explained in the B2 level, although the full test consists of 5 parts and each of the scores is reflected in the certificate, the exam is conducted in 4 sessions, as Reading and Use of English are done in the same session.

Now let’s look at a detailed description of each part of the C1 Advanced (CAE) of Cambridge.

C1 Advanced (CAE): Reading & Use of English

• Tasks: 8 parts (5 parts of Reading and 3 parts of Use of English)
• No. of items: 56 (34 items from Reading and 22 items from Use of English)
• Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

C1 Advanced (CAE): Reading

In this part of the C1 Advanced, candidates must demonstrate they are capable of understanding long and complex texts from newspapers, works of fiction, magazines, etc.

The Reading section of the CAE is divided into 5 parts:

• Part 1:
  • No. of questions: 8
  • Description: You have to complete 8 gaps in a short text, for which 4 options (A, B, C, or D) of words or expressions are offered. Only one option is correct.
• Part 5:
  • No. of questions: 6
  • Description: You have to read a longer text and answer 6 multiple-choice questions, choosing the best option (A, B, C, or D).
• Part 6:
  • No. of questions: 4
  • Description: There are 4 short texts (A, B, C, and D) on a common theme. They are usually 4 reviews by different authors. Next, there are 4 questions for which you need to answer with one of the texts (A, B, C, or D). These questions refer to the similarities and differences between the ideas expressed in the texts. Not all letters (texts) need to be used, as one of them can remain unused.
• Part 7:
  • No. of questions: 6
  • Description: There is a long text with 6 gaps. Additionally, there are 7 paragraphs (A – G). You need to choose the appropriate paragraph for each gap. One of the options must always remain unused.
• Part 8:
  • No. of questions: 10
  • Description: You need to read several medium-length texts or a long text divided into different sections (A, B, C, D, E, …). Next, you have to answer 10 questions with the letter of the paragraph or section where the information for each question is found.

C1 Advanced (CAE): Use of English

For the Use of English section of the C1 Advanced, candidates must demonstrate their mastery and knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary. This is done through the following parts of the Use of English section of the CAE:

• Part 2:
  • No. of questions: 8
  • Description: You have to complete a short text with 8 gaps. For each one, you need to write a word or expression that fits correctly both grammatically and semantically.
• Part 3:
  • No. of questions: 8
  • Description: There is a short text missing 8 words. At the end of each line, there is a word whose root matches the one needed in the gap of that line. The exercise is to transform each word so that it fits grammatically and semantically in the gap of the same line.
• Part 4:
  • No. of questions: 6
  • Description: There are 6 pairs of sentences, with an uppercase word for each pair, and the second sentence of each pair is incomplete. The exercise is to complete the second sentence using between 3 and 6 words (including the uppercase word), so that the meaning of the second sentence is identical to that of the first.

C1 Advanced (CAE): Writing

• Tasks: 2 parts
• No. of items: 2
• Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

In the Writing section of the C1 Advanced, candidates must write two texts between 220 and 260 words in length, and they have 90 minutes to do so.

• Part 1: Essay
  • No. of questions: 1
  • Description: A situation is presented after an assumed debate on a complex and current topic, along with a series of ideas and notes summarising it. With this material, you must write an essay evaluating two of the given ideas and choosing the better of the two.
• Part 2:
  • No. of questions: 3 (choose one)
  • Description: Three possible tasks are presented, of which you must choose and complete only one. These activities may be: article, letter, email, report, proposal, or review.

C1 Advanced (CAE): Listening

• Tasks: 4 parts
• No. of items: 30
• Duration: 40 minutes (approx.)

Candidates must demonstrate how well they are able to understand different oral texts: monologues (speeches, lessons, anecdotes, etc.) and interactions (interviews, friends talking, debates, etc.).

The Listening section of the C1 Advanced (CAE) is divided into the following 4 parts:

• Part 1:
  • No. of questions: 6
  • Description: You will hear 3 different extracts of conversations between two people. For each extract, you must answer 2 multiple-choice questions by choosing the appropriate option (A, B, or C).
• Part 2:
  • No. of questions: 8
  • Description: A person gives a talk on a specific and fairly advanced topic, such as a university lecture. Next, there is a text with 8 gaps, for which you must write a word or short phrase that the speaker said.
• Part 3:
  • No. of questions: 6
  • Description: You will hear an interview or another type of interaction between two or three people. Meanwhile, you must answer 6 multiple-choice questions for which you need to choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D).
• Part 4:
  • No. of questions: 10
  • Description: You will hear 5 people, one at a time, talking about a topic they have in common. While listening to each speaker, you have to do two tasks. For each task, you must match a sentence (A – H) with each of the speakers. That is, you must match each speaker with 2 different sentences.

C1 Advanced (CAE): Speaking

• Tasks: 4 parts
• Duration: 17 minutes (approx.)

The Speaking exam of the C1 Advanced (CAE) also takes place in pairs or threes, just as occurs in the other main suite exams from Cambridge. Throughout this part, candidates must interact with each other and with the interlocutor (examiner).

The Speaking exam of the CAE is divided into the following parts:

• Part 1: Part 1 consists of a series of personal questions that the examiner asks the candidates, starting with their name, background, etc., and following with a topic related to the candidates’ preferences or personal experiences.
• Part 2: In this part, candidates are given 3 photos and 2 questions. Each one must compare two of the photos and answer the two posed questions. All of this is to be done in approximately 1 minute. Following that, the other candidate must answer another question related to the theme of the photos.
• Part 3: In part 3, the examiner presents a situation and a question with a series of ideas that candidates must discuss. They must interact, responding to the question so that the conversation flows naturally for 2 minutes. After this time, the interlocutor stops the conversation and poses another question to the candidates, who must respond in approximately 1 minute.
• Part 4: In this last part, the interlocutor asks different questions to the candidates. These questions stem from the theme raised in part 3. The interlocutor may ask independent questions to each candidate or ask them to interact with each other.

CAE Sample Test / CAE Exam in PDF

Here you can use the button to download a completely free CAE exam in PDF sample.

Although I recommend downloading this C1 Advanced exam, I warn you that it is not a good idea to practise with exams until your level is good enough to pass or be close to passing. If your English is close to level C1, starting with exams can be quite frustrating, and you will be wasting your time and the material, which is relatively limited.

How the C1 Advanced (CAE) is Scored

If you are an English teacher or you are preparing for the CAE on your own, you should know how the C1 Advanced (CAE) is scored. So pay attention:

• Reading: has 34 items. The items from parts 1 and 8 score 1 point (up to 18), while those from parts 5, 6, and 7 score 2 points (up to 32). You can achieve a maximum of 50 points.
• Use of English: has 22 items. Items from parts 2 and 3 score 1 point (up to 16), and items from part 4 score 2 points (up to 12). A maximum of 28 points can be achieved.
• Writing: has 2 tasks, each with a weight of 20 points. A maximum of 40 points can be achieved.
• Listening: has 30 items in total, and each one scores only 1 point. In total, 30 points can be attained.
• Speaking: the entire Speaking section is scored up to 75 points.

Remember that to calculate the score, you cannot add the points from different parts. What you must do is calculate the percentage of each part and then average the 5 percentages.

How to Calculate Your C1 Advanced (CAE) Exam Score

To find out how to calculate the score for the C1 Advanced (CAE), all you need to do is watch the video below or follow the instructions in this article.

The Best Books to Prepare for the C1 Advanced (CAE)

Although it’s better that you read this post to learn about the best books to prepare for the CAE, here is my favourite list of material as a summary:

1. Complete Advanced – 2nd Edition
2. Compact Advanced
3. Cambridge English Advanced 1 & 2
4. Cambridge Advanced Trainer
5. Exam Essentials: Cambridge English Advanced 1 & 2
6. Cambridge English Advanced Practice Tests Plus Volume 1
7. Reading for Advanced
8. Cambridge English Skills Real Reading
9. Cambridge English Skills Real Writing
10. Writing for Advanced
11. 50 Keyword Transformation Sentences Volume 1
12. 50 Keyword Transformation Sentences Volume 2
13. Advanced Dependent Prepositions
14. Advanced Language Practice
15. Destination C1 & C2
16. Advanced Grammar in Use
17. Cambridge English Skills Real Listening & Speaking

I hope you find it very useful. 😊