About Cambridge Exams
General Exam Advice
I've helped people prepare for the exams below and I'd be happy to help you too!
B2 First Exam
The B2 First exam (formerly the Cambridge English: First or FCE exam) is one of the most popular Cambridge exams.
A B2 First certificate proves you have the language skills to live and work in an English-speaking country. It also demonstrates you have the skills to take courses taught in English.
The certificate is accepted by thousands of businesses and educational institutions worldwide. Lately, I've been working with lots of students who also need it to complete their undergraduate university degrees.
One nice thing about this exam is that it never expires, meaning you will never need to renew it. However, if you intend on immigrating, for example, you may be required to take another exam, such as IELTS or TOEFL instead.
C1 Advanced Exam
C1 Advanced, formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE), is another popular Cambridge English qualification. Most of my students lately have been studying this exam.
A C1 Advanced certificate shows that you are an advanced user of English and that you possess a high-level of skill with English. This is particularly appealing to many employers and universities around the world.
This certificate is accepted by thousands of businesses and educational institutions worldwide. Lately, I've also been working with lots of students who require a C1-level certificate in order to complete their Master's degree at university.
Similar to the B2 First, it will never expire, meaning you will never need to renew it. However, if you intend on immigrating, for example, to an English-speaking country, you may be required to take another Exam, such as IELTS or TOEFL instead.
Linguaskill
The Linguaskill exam is a computer-based exam offered by Cambridge. Formally known as the BULATS exam, it offers options to test candidates in both General and Business English.
This exam has modules that can be modified by both schools and employers, and is often used to test the English level of candidates before they are accepted into specific programs or jobs. It is designed to test all levels of English, and uses artificial intelligence to adapt the questions according to your level.
Students who are aiming for either a B2 or C1 level can work with me.
One word of caution: this exam seems particularly challenging to pass at a C1 level, so you may want to consider doing a face to face exam such as the C1 Advanced instead if you can.
What can I do at a B2 Level?
At a B2 level, you can:
understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in your field of specialization.
interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity with native speakers that don't require strain for either party.
communicate effectively in most social and professional situations, including giving opinions and explanations on a wide range of topics.
produce clear, detailed texts on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue by giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
work in an English-speaking environment without much difficulty
study at an advanced level, although you may not be able to articulate everything with extreme precision.
understand and participate in most conversations with native speakers, although you may still need to ask for clarification from time to time.
understand most TV shows, films, and radio programs, without subtitles.
potentially miss some nuances and lack precision, but over-all you are a confident user of the English language.
use a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures accurately and appropriately, although you may still make occasional errors.
What can I do at a C1 Level?
At a C1 level, you can:
understand complex texts on a wide range of topics, including those that are abstract, academic, or specialized.
read and understand literature, academic articles, and other sophisticated texts, without difficulty and recognise implicit meaning in them.
express yourself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for the right expression.
use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing correct use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
work in an English-speaking environment without difficulty, and articulate things related to your work with ease and precision.
understand and participate in academic lectures, debates, and discussions, demonstrating an ability to follow and respond to complex arguments.
study at an advanced level. In fact, this is the level required by many universities for entry.
understand and produce spoken and written language with a high level of fluency and a broad range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.