Writing guide

I've found this publication which lists the different types of writing pieces candidates may be asked to produce during the CAE examination.
I hope this guide, which contains examples of each type, may be useful.
The link to access the guide is: http://issuu.com/sinead78/docs/cae_writing_guide

Use of English - part 2

Another activity to practise Use of English for CAE exam, part 2 or structural cloze.  Remember that what you need to complete the text are words used to put a sentence together, i.e. the 'structure' or 'function' words.  For example: auxiliares, articles, determiners, conjunctions, prepositions, etc.

Use of English - part 2 (Open cloze)

• What do you know about volcanoes?
• Are there volcanoes near your house?
• What benefits and what dangers may volcanoes have?

The exercise below talks about the topic of volcanoes and it also allows you to practise part 2 of the Use of English (paper 3) of the CAE exam.

Speaking - full video

The video below offers an opportunity to see two candidates taking the Speaking part of the exam.  You will see the different sections in which paper 5 is divided and it will give you an idea of the timing for each one.
Try to think how you would perform in paper 5.  Take a note of anything that you see in these candidates that may be useful for you.  Also, pay attention to the interlocutors, to see how they interact with the candidates.

Use of English - part 1

If you need some help with Paper 3 (Use of English), part 1 of the CAE exam, you can practise with the following activity. 

Speaking part 3

Part 3 of the Speaking paper involves having a discussion about a particular topic between the two candidates. Each candidate should give his/her opinion about the situation and ask for the other candidate's point of view. If possible, candidates should agree on how to solve the problem at hand, but if they can't agree on the same option/s, there's no problem. They should show that they have decided to disagree.

Speaking part 2

The video below shows two candidates going through part 2 of the Speaking paper.
As you watch the video, pay attention to how the interlocutor interacts with the candidates, and how the candidates manage the task they have to perform.
Think about how you would have carried out this part.  Would you have done the same?  What other things could you have said? etc.

Paper 3 - part 1

The exercise below can be used to practise Paper 3, part 1 of the CAE exam.

Reading, part 3 - Multiple choice

The first part of the CAE exam is concerned with Reading.  There are four parts in Paper 1 (the Reading paper).  Part 3 presents a text followed by some multiple choice questions. 
The activity below may give you some practice with this part.

Use of English - part 2

In Paper 3, part 2 of the CAE exam you must complete a text using only ONE word in each empty space. There aren't any given options because the missing words are function words or structural words. This means that the words you need to use are the only possibility so that the sentences are grammatically correct, or lexically correct. 

For example, in the following sentence, how many possibilities can you use to fill in the space? 

They ought ___ finish this on time. 

As you can see, the only word that fits is TO. 

 You can practise this part of the exam with the following activity.

Use of English - Paper 3, part 1

If you need some help with Paper 3, part 1 of the CAE exam, you can practise with the following activity:

Speaking - Part 1

In the speaking part of the CAE exam, candidates are tested in pairs or, in some cases, in groups of three.  This is to test the ability of the candidates to interact fluently in a conversation with other people.
In this post there is a sample video of part 1 of the Speaking paper of CAE.  Watch the video to get an idea of what is expected of candidates taking this exam.

Reading - missing paragraphs - The Zimmers

We are used to seeing young musicians playing in rock bands. But, do rock musicians necessarily have to be young?. Read the text below and insert the missing paragraphs back into the main text, and learn about The Zimmers.

Reading - missing paragraphs - A swimming challenge

Another text to practise this area of the exam.  If you are not planning to sit for this exam, you may also find this activity interesting to practise reading comprehension.

Reading - missing paragraphs

This is another reading passage to practise this part of the exam.

Read the whole text first to have a general idea of its content.  Then pay attention to the last sentence before a gap and to the first sentence after a gap, and try to establish a connection with the missing paragraphs at the bottom of the text.  Remember that a text is a unit and that every paragraph has a connection with both, the previous and the following one.

Use of English, part 2

Complete the text below using only ONE word in each space.

Part 4 - Use of English (trios)

In previous posts I left some activities to practise part 4 of the Use of English part of the CAE exam. My students find this part quite challenging, and I thought that it may also be interesting for other students facing this exam. Hope you find this new set of sentences useful.

Use of English - Part 4

As I've said in previous posts, part 4 of the Use of English paper of the CAE exam turns out to be problematic for some students. I'm leaving a new set of sentences to work with. I hope you find them useful.

Reading - missing paragraphs

The exercise below is to practise the section of the Reading paper where you have to insert paragraphs that have been removed.

Listening

The best way to improve your listening is to listen, listen and listen some more!
Try to find every opportunity you can to listen to some material appropriate for advanced levels, even if they are not specific for the exam, they will be useful to train your ear.

Reading - missing paragraphs

Part two of the Reading paper presents candidates an activity in which paragraphs have been removed. Candidates must decide where the missing paragraphs belong. The text below can be used to practise this type of exercise.

Use of English - Open Cloze

In the CAE, paper 3 or Use of English (paper 1 as from 2014, combined Reading and Use of English) the open cloze section needs practice to become more familiar and confident with this type of activity. The text below gives practice with this section.

Reading - Missing paragraphs

The text below can be useful to practise reading comprehension and to practise for the CAE exam.

One word for three sentences (part 4 - Use of English)

One of the most challenging parts of the Use of English section of the CAE exam is part 4. Candidates should decide which single word can complete three different sentences. I'd like to share one activity to practise this task for thouse of you who are preparing the CAE exam.

One word for three sentences (trios)

This exercise is to help students with Part 4 of the Use of English section of the CAE exam. The missing words in these sentences come from the reading activity about the man who swam the Amazon, in this blog.

Use of English - Part 4 (one word, three sentences)

This part of the exam tests your knowledge of vocabulary, in particular words that have more than one meaning and which can be used as verbs, nouns, adj., in idioms, colloquial expressions, etc.