CERTIFICATE OF PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH (CPE)
The University of Cambridge provides worldwide known exams for learners of English language. The British Council in Poland organizes these exams for learners in Poland.
CPE is the highest-level exam for learners represneting Level C2 of the Council of Europe’s Common Earuopean Framework of Reference for Langauges (CEFR).
This means that taking the CPE exam, you can:
- understand and talk on serious subjects of different nature, distinguish and use colloquial and cultural nuances and allusions
- take part in official and formal debates in work area
- know how to handle specific or delicate nuances
- understand, talk about and write opinions, complex articles and essays on such subjects of social, cultural, aristic, political or labour character.
CPE consists of the following parts:
- The Reading Part (ca 1,5hs)
- The Writing Part (ca 2 hs)
- The Use of English Part (ca 1,5hs)
- The Listening Part (ca 40 min)
- The Speaking Part (ca 1 min)
The Reading Part
It consists of 4 tasks such as a multiple choice test or filling gaps text. Texts are excerpts from the press of all kinds and books. It checks your knowledge of understanding details and contexts, ideas and allusions in the text.
The Writing Part
It examines your skill of writing different kinds of texts such as articles, essays and reports. The texts provoke to interpret, hypothesise and evaluate their content so you need to use a very rich vocabulary and style in responding.
The Use of English Part
It examines, in 5 parts with exercises, your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, based on open clause, key word transformation, word formation and gaps filling. Also, it contains two short texts with questions checking your understanding of them and the text’s summary request.
The Listening Part
It contains 4 parts with recorded texts and questions to answer. The texts include interviews, discussions, lectures, documentations, dialogues or instructions to read and understand so that you can answer theses questions. The questions are of multiple choice, sentence completion or matching nature.
The Speaking Part
Two candidates and two examiners take part in this exam. The candidates have a conversation with one examiner on general issues, next they talk with each other on photos presented to them and still further, they both need to discuss a subject.