C1 ADVANCED
This is a basic overview of the C1 Advanced from Cambridge Exam English. For access to free exam material, click on the buttons below for each part of the exam.
EXAM OVERVIEW: C1 ADVANCED
| Parts | Time | Tasks | Points |
| Use of English | 30 | 4 tasks | 36 |
| Reading | 1:00 | 4 tasks | 42 |
| Writing | 1:30 | 2 tasks | scale |
| Listening | 40 | 4 tasks | 30 |
| Speaking | 15 | 4 tasks | scale |
How does the exam work?
The C1 Advanced exam is separated into 4 parts:
- Use of English and reading
- Writing
- Listening
- Speaking
Use of English and reading: (1:30 minutes)
The Use of English and Reading parts of the exam last for 1:30 minutes (90 minutes). In this time the candidates must do 8 tasks and answer 56 different questions.
There are 8 parts in this section; 4 parts are Use of English and 4 are Reading.
The Use of English is basically an evaluation of your grammar and vocabulary. The 4 parts are always the same format and they are worth a total of 36 points.
The Reading assesses your ability to comprehend, scan and skim read, The 4 parts are always the same format and they are worth a total of 42 points.
Take a look at our example exercises and advice in more detail by clicking on the button.
Writing: (1:20)
The writing part of the exam lasts for 1 hour 20 minutes (80 minutes). In this time the candidates need to write two texts of 220-260 words.
There are 4 questions:
The 1st task is obligatory. You must do question 1 and it is always an essay. The topics are varied, but they are usually social issues such as the environment or the advantages/ disadvantages of something.
The 2nd task is a choice; you can answer one question of 2, 3, 4. DO NOT ANSWER ALL OF THE QUESTIONS. The choices include: a letter/email (formal or informal), a proposal, a report or a review. My suggestion is to focus on writing a formal or informal letter, a review and an article. The letter and the email are almost identical, so you cover both of them. The report is a little difficult because of the organisation and format, it is formal, but also really easy when you know how to organise the text.
Take a look at our example exercises and advice in more detail by clicking on the button.
Listening: (30-40 minutes)
There are 4 parts in this section. You can read the questions and listen at the same time.
The listening is basically an evaluation of your ability to comprehend audios, fill in gaps with key information and understand opinions.
Parts of the exam:
- Situations: multiple choice
- Gaps fill
- Interview: multiple choice
- Which speaker?
Take a look at our example exercises and advice in more detail by clicking on the button.
Speaking: (12-14 minutes)
There are 4 parts in this section. You can will do the exam with a partner and you will be assessed on grammar and vocabulary, pronunciation, discourse management and interactive communication using a rubric scale called the speaking assessment scale.
Take a look at our example exercises and advice in more detail by clicking on the button.