C1 ADVANCED (CAE) LISTENING: 10 TESTS

Cae listening consists of four tasks, 30 questions in total, and it lasts for about 40 minutes. You will listen to each task two times. There are some posts on this blog with explanations, tips and strategies that can help you to do it well.

Part 1. Multiple Choice I (6 questions)
Part 2. Sentence Completion (8 questions)
Part 3. Multiple Choice II (6 questions)
Part 4. Multiple Matching (10 questions)

Below you will find links to practice CAE listening. There are ten tests, and each one has answers keys and tapescript.
test 1          test 2
test 3          test 4
test 5          test 6
test 7          test 8
test 9          test 10

C1 ADVANCED (CAE) READING AND USE OF ENGLISH: 10 TESTS

The reading and use of English paper lasts for 90 minutes, consists of eight tasks and has a total of 56 questions. There are some posts on this blog with explanations, tips and strategies that can help you to do it well.

Task 1. Multiple Choice Cloze (8 questions)

Task 2. Open Cloze (8 questions)

Task 3. Word Formation (8 questions)

Task 4. Key Word Transformation (6 questions)

Task 5. Multiple Choice (6 questions)

Task 6. Cross-text Multiple Matching (4 questions)

Task 7. Gapped Text (6 questions)

Task 8. Multiple Matching (10 questions)

Below you will find links to practice CAE reading and use of English. There are ten tests, and each one has answers, explanations and some vocabulary.
test 1          test 2
test 3          test 4
test 5          test 6
test 7          test 8
test 9          test 10

FIRST CERTIFICATE B2: CLOZE TESTS

Most of my students don´t like cloze tests, they consider them as one of the most challenging tasks to do. You need to complete the gaps with grammatical words such as articles, auxiliaries verbs, linking words, relative pronouns, comparisons, possessive adjectives, etc.

Here are some useful exercises to practice:

Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
Test 5
Test 6

FIRST CERTIFICATE B2: MULTIPLE CHOICE

This part tests vocabulary, grammar, prepositions, linkers, phrasal verbs and collocations.
Here are some exercises:

Test grammar 1
Test grammar 2
Test grammar 3
Test grammar 4
Test grammar 5

Test phrasal verb 1
Test phrasal verb 2

Test word families 1
Test word families 2

Test preposition 1
Test preposition 2

FIRST CERTIFICATE B2: WORD FORMATION

To do this test, the first thing you have to do is to read the sentence carefully to decide what kind of word you need: a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb and of course if it is positive or negative, singular or plural. After that, you have to modify the word by adding suffixes, prefixes.

Here are some exercises to practice:

Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
Test 5
Test 6

WRITING AN ESSAY C1

This post aims to help you to write an excellent argumentative or opinion essay.
First, read the question and underline the keywords. Then, think on as many ideas as you can (brainstorming)  and decide on which ones are the best for your essay.
Now it is time to plan your essay carefully based on a structure which should have an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
The introduction should consist of three sentences: two about the topic and one thesis sentence (describing what you are going to do in your essay).
The body should have three paragraphs if it is an opinion essay or two paragraphs in case it is an advantage and disadvantage essay. Each section should have three ideas, and it would be advisable to write the topic sentence, then write the reason, give examples, an explanation and details.
The conclusion should have a summary of the main ideas and your opinion but never new ideas.
Here are links to some examples:
Fast food essay: the outline, explanations and the composition.
Drug abuse: ideas, layout, explanations and the essay.

FIRST CERTIFICATE B2: KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION

One of the most challenging task when sitting a test is the key word transformations. There are many different techniques to do well this section. Think about phrasal verbs, collocations, changing tense verbs, fixed expressions, shifting a word category, etc. The more you practice, the better results you will get.
Here are some exercises to practice the reading and use of English part 4 of the first certificate test.

Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
Test 5
Test 6
Test 7
Test 8
Test 9
Test 10
Test 11
Test 12

C1: WRITING

ADVANCED OR CAE OR C1 WRITING TIPS

In the exam, you have 90 minutes to write two compositions, and each one has to have between  220 and 260 words. The first one is an essay while the second one you have a choice of three: report, proposal, letter, email or review. 

The examiner will assess your composition on four assessment criteria: contents (you have answered the questions), communicative achievement ( you have used the correct tone and writing features), organisation ( you have used the proper paragraphs and linkers) and language ( you have used a good range and accuracy of vocabulary and grammar). 

As there are 90 minutes to write both, you should spend the 45 minutes in each one. It could be a good idea to spend: 10 minutes planning, 25 minutes writing and 10 minutes checking and writing into the answer sheet. 

READING B1

Here are some links to help you for reading exams. There are five types of exercises: signs, details, matching, gist and gap. First click on a number, then click the bottoms above to choose different kinds of exercises and finally click home when finishing.

Exercises:           
                              1 / 2 / 3 / 4  / 5 /  6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 /
                             11 / 12  /13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 

C1 ADVANCED: READING AND USE OF ENGLISH PART 1,2,3 AND 4

Are you sitting the advanced test in a near future? Here you will find some useful links to practise and improve your English.

Part 1 multiple choice cloze:

Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4, Exercise 5

Part 2 open cloze test:

Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4, Exercise 5

Part 3 word formation:

Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4, Exercise 5

Part 4 key word transformations:

Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4, Exercise 5

FIRST / B2 EXERCISES READING AND USE OF ENGLISH PARTS 1,2,3 AND 4

Are you sitting the fce test in a near future? Here you'll find useful links where to practice and improve for parts 1 to 4.

Part 1 multiple choice cloze:

Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4, Exercise 5

Part 2 open cloze test:

Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4, Exercise 5

Part 3 word formation:

Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4, Exercise 5

Part 4 key word transformations:

Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4, Exercise 5

PET READING AND WRITING PRACTICE TEST

Here you will find reading and writing practice tests: 

You have 90 minutes to do it.

test 1: reading part 1, reading part 2, reading part 3, reading part 4, reading part 5,  writing part 1, writing part 2, writing part 3

test 2: reading part 1, reading part 2, reading part 3, reading part 4, reading part 5, writing part 1, writing part 2, writing part 3

test 3: reading part 1, reading part 2, reading part 3, reading part 4, reading part 5,   writing part 1, writing part 2, writing part 3

test 4: reading part 1, reading part 2, reading part 3, reading part 4, reading part 5,  writing part 1, writing part 2, writing part 3

test 5: reading part 1, reading part 2, reading part 3, reading part 4, reading part 5, writing part 1, writing part 2, writing part 3 

TIPS FOR WRITING PET QUESTIONS

Writing part 1: sentence transformation:
TASK INFORMATION: 
You have to rewrite the sentence  using between three and five words so that it has the same meaning as the original given.
ACTION PLAN: 
First, identify what you have to do: passive voice, reported speech, comparison, present perfect, etc.
Then, check it means the same as the first sentence and check the spelling.

Writing part 2: writing a short message of about 35-45 words:
TASK INFORMATION: 
You are told who to write to and why and you have to include three content points in which you have to apologise, suggest, invite, thank, recommend, give advise, etc.
ACTION PLAN: 
First, read the task and underline who you are writing to, why you are writing, what you are writing and the three content points.
Think how to open and close your message, then write your message, don`t forget to include the three points, use linking words and check for mistakes and the number of words written.

Writing part 3: 
TASK INFORMATION:
You will have to write either an informal letter or a story in around 100 words.
TASK INFORMATION:
First, read the questions and choose the best one for you, then, underline who will read it and the keywords. Afterwards, write down your ideas, choose the best one and write a brief plan.

TIPS FOR PET READING QUESTIONS

Here you will find some tips and advice on the five parts of the reading.
Part 1: three-option multiple choice
TASK INFORMATION: 
You will be given five short texts (signs, messages, emails, labels, postcards, notes, etc) and there is a three-option multiple choice with each one.
ACTION PLAN:
First, read the text carefully and then read each of the three options. Choose your answer and read both the text and the answer to check your choice is correct.

Part 2: matching
TASK INFORMATION: 
You will be given five short descriptions of people and you have to match them to five short description of eight on a particular topic such as holiday, books, films, etc.
ACTION PLAN:
First, read the five description of the people and underline the key words. Then, read the eight topic texts and underline any information that matches. Finally,check that your choice match on all points.

Part 3: true or false
TASK INFORMATION: 
You will be given a long text with ten true/false statements. If the statment is correct, writes A and if the statement is incorrect, writes B.
ACTION PLAN:
First, read the ten statements which come in the order on the information of the text and underline the key words. Then, read the text and find the key information.

Part 4: four-option multiple choice
TASK INFORMATION: 
You will be given a long text with four-option multiple choice. The text is usually about someone´s attittude, opinion and what their purpose is.
ACTION PLAN:
First, read the text quickly to get a general idea of it. Then, read the text carefully and answer the questions.

Part 5: four-option multiple choice cloze test
TASK INFORMATION: 
You will have to fill in the 10 gaps of a text and you will be given four options for each gap. You are tested on grammar and vocabulary.
ACTION PLAN:
First, read the text to get a general idea. Then, read again and remember to read what comes before and after the gap before choosing.

C1 ADVANCED: LISTENING PART 4

TASK INFORMATION

a)    Part 4 consists of a series of five short monologues, each lasting about 30 seconds and you will hear the recording twice.

b)   The monologues are all on a related topic.

c)    There are two parallel matching tasks relating to the monologues. Each task consists of five questions and you have to select the correct option from a set of eight.

d)   You have to choose the correct option to match with each monologue.

e)   The tasks focus on two different aspects of the monologues ( for example, identifying what happened to the speaker and understanding why the speaker chose a particular course of action)

f)    You have to complete both tasks while you listen.

g)   The answers in each monologue can be in any order, for example you might hear the answer to task 2 before the answer to task 1.

h)   With each speaker, there will be one or two options that distract but are not the right answer. You must read the options very carefully to find the perfect match.

ACTION PLAN

a)    Use the preparation time to read the instructions and options for both task very carefully.

b)   Before you listen, think about words and phrases a speaker might use to express the ideas in the options in a different way.

c)    The answers to the tasks may come at the beginning, middle or end of what each speaker says.

d)   The speaker is unlikely to use exactly the same words as the options, so listen for paraphrases.

     EXERCISES: 1

C1 ADVANCED: LISTENING PART 3

TASK INFORMATION

a)    In part 3 you hear two or more speakers, (e.g. an interview or a discussion).

b)   The recording lasts about for minutes and is played twice.

c)    You have to answer six four-option multiple-choice questions about the recording.

d)   The questions focus mainly on the speakers’ feelings, attitudes and opinions. Some questions will also focus on detailed or gist understanding of the recording.

e)   Don’t forget the questions follow the order of the recording.

f)    In  multiple-choice questions, there will be always something in the recording that suggests each of the distracting options, but only one option will match what the recording says.

ACTION PLAN

a)    Use the preparation time to read the questions carefully and think about possible answers, to underline key words in the question or statement introducing the options to help you focus on what you have to listen for.

b)   Remember that the questions follow the order of the recording.

c)    Choose all the correct answers you can the first time you listen to the recording and check your answers when you listen to the recording the second time.

d)   Never leave a blank. Make a logical guess.

      EXERCISES: 1, 

C1 ADVANCED: LISTENING PART 2

TASK INFORMATION

a)    You will hear a monologue (for example a talk, a lecture or a broadcast) providing factual information and opinion. It will last approximately three minutes and is played twice.

b)   On the question paper, there are eight sentences about the recording, each with a gap.

c)    The sentences focus on specific information and stated opinion in the recording.

d)   You must complete the gap with an appropriate word or short phrase from the recording.

e)   All the questions follow the order of the information in the recording, and for each one you will hear a “cue” that indicates an answer is coming.

f)    Often you will hear several words that could fit the gap, but only one matches the meaning of the sentence.

g)   You must spell the words correctly.

ACTION PLAN

a)    Read the introduction and the title to help you understand the context and topic.

b)   Use the preparation time to read the questions carefully before you listen. Try to predict what sort of word is needed in each gap.

c)    Remember that the answers will come in the order of the questions.

d)   You will hear a word or phrase in the recording that matches something on the question paper. This will give you a clue that the answer is coming soon.

e)   Remember the answers are short - usually one to three words, and are often nouns.

f)    You don’t need to make any grammatical changes to what you hear.

g)   Never leave a blank. Make a logical guess.

EXERCISES: 1, 2

C1 ADVANCED: LISTENING PART 1

TASK INFORMATION

a)    Part 1 consists of three short recordings, each with two three-option multiple-choice questions. Each recording lasts about one minute and is played twice.

b)   The recordings are about unrelated topics.

c)    Part 1 tests your understanding of:  for example gist, detail, speaker’s opinions, attitude, function, agreement and listener course of the action.

d)   The recordings are taken from a wide range of contexts and cover a variety of topics, styles of delivery and voices.

e)   Each recording involves more than one speaker.

f)    There will usually be something in the recording that might distract you into choosing the wrong option, so make sure you listen carefully.

ACTION PLAN

a)    Use the listening preparation time to read the questions and think about possible answers. For each question or statement, underline keywords.

b)   Choose all the correct answers you can the first time you listen to the recording. Don’t worry about missing a question; leave it and listen for the answer to the next question.

c)    Listen to the whole recording before you answer either of the questions relating to it.

d)   Check your answers when you listen to the recording for the second time and answer any questions you have missed.

e)   Do not leave any answers blank. Make a guess if you are not sure.

      EXERCISES: 1, 

C1 ADVANCED: READING AND USE OF ENGLISH PART 8

     1. TASK INFORMATION:

a)    In part 8 there may be one long text divided into usually four sections labelled A-D or four shorter texts labelled A-D.

b)   There are 10 questions which you have to match with the sections or short texts, which answer each of the ten questions and write down the appropriate letter.

c)    It is important to read the questions carefully. It can help you underline key words so that you know what to focus on.

d)   Part 8 tests your ability to locate which section of text contains details, opinions and attitudes expressed in the questions. You need to be able to distinguish the correct section from other sections which may contain information or opinions which appear similar.

e)   You will need to use the same option for more than one question.

2.  ACTION PLAN:

a)    Read the introduction to the text(s) to find out what kind of text it is and the topic.

b)   In this reading task, the questions are printed before the text, you should therefore take time to familiarize themselves with the questions and underline the key words before you approach the text.

c)    If you do this, you will know what information you have to find and will recognize it more quickly when you start reading. If you are familiar with the ten questions, you may only need to read each section once to find the answers.

d)   In this task, the questions do not match the order in which the answers appear in the text(s).

e)   Skim the text(s) to get a quick impression of the content. Do not read it/them in detail. Then, read each question and scan the text(s) to find the information or opinion that you need. Remember to check your answers.

f)    The questions usually use different words to communicate the ideas in the text(s), so if you find identical words in the question and the text(s) it does not mean you have found the right answer.

USEFUL LINKS:  EXERCISE 1    EXERCISE 2

C1 ADVANCED (CAE) : READING AND USE OF ENGLISH PART 7

1)    TASK INFORMATION:

a)    Part 7 consists of one long text with six gaps numbered 41-46, and it checks your understanding of the overall structure of the text and how it develops its ideas.

b)   Six paragraphs have been removed from the text and placed after it in random order. There is also a seventh paragraph that does not fit in the text at all. These paragraphs are labelled A-G.

c)    You have to decide which of the sections A-G fits in each of the six gaps in the text.

d)   Read the title, and there is often also some general information about the content of the text under the title.

e)   Connecting words or phrases will help you work out how the paragraphs fit together, and words like they, so, there, etc. that refer to other parts of the text will also provide useful clues.

2)  ACTION PLAN:

a)    Read the instruction, the title and any background information.

b)    Read through the text. What is each paragraph about? By making notes next to each paragraph, you see how the text is organised and structured.

c)    Read the sentences A-G carefully one by one, noticing the differences between them.

d)   In both the main text and the paragraphs A-G, underline vocabulary links, reference words such as this or her, and linking expressions.

e)   Look carefully at the words that come before and after the missing paragraph and make sure your choice of paragraphs fits at both ends.

f)    When you have chosen your answers, read through the text with your answers in place. Does it make sense?

g)   In conclusion, by following this process: reading the text carefully once; dealt with the sentences one by one and seen that each of them can only fill one possible gap and avoided reading back and forth between multiple missing sentences and gaps; you are using the quickest and most effective approach to this task.

CLICK HERE: exercise 1 / exercise 2