FCE and CAE –
exam specifications
from December 2008
Bulletin 5, November 2006
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
FCE and CAE -
exam specifications from December 2008
Over the last two years, Cambridge ESOL has carried out a thorough review of the FCE and CAE
examinations, two of the world’s best known and most widely recognised qualifications for learners
of English. Cambridge ESOL’s specialist exam development and research teams, working closely
with external consultants and senior examiners, looked at possible improvements in every aspect
of the exams, and carried out consultation with exam centres, teachers and learners around
the world.
As a result of this review, a number of improvements to the exams will be introduced in
December 2008. These will not affect the level of the exams or the reliability of the results.
Summary of changes
• The overall length of the FCE and CAE exams will be reduced by approximately one hour
• The tests will focus on a wider range of skills and functions
• Some components of the exams will include new and/or improved task types
• Some components will be more standardised in content, making them user-friendly
for students preparing for the exams
What happens next?
• New exam specifications and sample exam materials will be available from December 2006
• Teacher training seminars will start from April 2007 onwards. Information will be available
on the website (www.CambridgeESOL.org/exams)
• The changed FCE and CAE exams will be administered for the first time in December 2008
Benefits
Benefits to test takers, teachers and stakeholders:
1. A shorter exam will be more appealing for test takers.
2. There will be a more straightforward progression from FCE to CPE as the exams will be structured
more similarly, thus encouraging candidates to progress from one level to the next: from B2 to C1
to C2 in the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
3. The updated structure of the exams will also help teachers who teach FCE, CAE and CPE.
4. Cambridge ESOL is looking into the presentation of results in order to assist candidates in
understanding how they have performed. This will also help other users in the interpretation of
results.
5. The changed exam formats will allow the use of new technologies in the future to speed up postexam
processes such as marking of exam papers. Enhancements such as these will ultimately
bring benefits to test takers and test users, which may include faster turnaround of results.
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
Review process
The purpose of the FCE and CAE review was to ensure that the exams continue to meet the user’s
needs in terms of content and length. Among other issues, the review addressed the question of
whether a reduction in the length of exams would make them more accessible to candidates; while
of course maintaining the thoroughness of assessment.
The FCE and CAE review followed the standard review process as shown below:
Research activity
Using sophisticated research methodologies
Cambridge ESOL’s enquiry into and analysis of various possible changes to the FCE and CAE exams
have been led by an extensive programme using the latest research and validation techniques
which provided an input for internal investigations and consultations (see above).
Validating and testing
The mapping of the exams to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
will ensure that the changes are properly validated and will provide a useful guideline for describing
changes to test takers and test users.
How the exams will change
The tables on the following pages show the changes to all the papers in both FCE and CAE that will
be introduced from the December 2008 examinations. There is also a summary of the changes in
terms of exam timings, task types and test focus.
INITIAL SURVEY
MEETINGS WITH
CONSULTANTS
SPECIFICATIONS DRAFTED
CONSULTATION SEMINARS
WITH TEACHERS
CONSULTATION WITH
EXAMINERS
CONSULTATION FEEDBACK
REVIEWED
SPECIFICATIONS AMENDED
TRIAL TASKS
WRITTEN
TRIAL TASKS
TRIALLED
TRIAL TASKS
REVIEWED
SPECIFICATIONS
REDRAFTED & APPROVED *
External Consultation Trialling
Ongoing Research
* Current status
SPECIFICATIONS
REVIEWED
FCE: Specification from December 2008
Paper Timing/Length Task Types and Format Test Focus
Reading • 1 hour
• 30 questions
• length of texts:
about 550–700
words per text
• about 2,000 words
overall
Part 1 - multiple choice
Part 2 - gapped text task –
sentences removed
Part 3 - multiple matching
Part 1 - detail, opinion, gist, attitude, deducing meaning,
text organisation features (exemplification,
comparison, reference), tone, purpose, main idea
Part 2 - text structure, cohesion and coherence
Part 3 - specific information, detail, opinion and attitude
Writing • 1 hour 20 minutes
• 2 parts
Part 1 - compulsory letter or email
(120-150 words)
Part 2 - Q2-4 choice of one task from
the following: article, letter,
report, essay, review, story
Q.5 task based on set texts–
task types from: article,
essay, report, review, letter;
two set books to be used,
with a question on each text
(120-180 words)
Part 1 - focus on expressing opinions, justifying,
persuading, comparing, recommending,
suggesting, advising, apologising, describing and
explaining
Part 2 - varying focuses according to task, including:
expressing opinions, justifying, comparing,
recommending, advising, describing and
explaining
Use of
English
• 45 minutes
• 42 questions
Part 1 - multiple choice cloze
Part 2 - open cloze
Part 3 - word formation
Part 4 - key word transformations
Part 1 - lexical/lexico-grammatical
Part 2 - grammatical/lexico-grammatical
Part 3 - lexical/lexico-grammatical
Part 4 - lexical and grammatical
Listening • 40 minutes
• 30 questions
Part 1 - multiple choice – eight short
unrelated extracts; monologues
or exchanges between
interacting speakers; one
question per text
Part 2 - sentence completion –
a monologue or text with
interacting speakers
Part 3 - multiple matching –
five short related monologues.
One task, requiring selection
from list of six options.
Part 4 - multiple choice – a monologue
or text involving interacting
speakers.
All texts will be heard twice.
Part 1 - general gist, detail, function, purpose, attitude,
opinion, relationship, topic, place, situation,
genre, agreement
Part 2 - detail, specific information, stated opinion
Part 3 - as for Part 1
Part 4 - opinion, attitude, gist, main idea, specific
information
Speaking • 14 minutes
• 4 parts
Part 1 - conversation between the
interlocutor and each candidate
(spoken questions)
Part 2 - individual one-minute ‘long
turn’ for each candidate with a
brief response from the second
candidate (each candidate is
given two photographs with a
question)
Part 3 - two-way conversation between
the candidates (visual and
written stimuli, with spoken
instructions)
Part 4 - discussion on topics related
to Part 3 (spoken questions)
Part 1 - general interactional and social language
Part 2 - organising a larger unit of discourse; comparing,
describing, expressing opinions
Part 3 - sustaining an interaction; exchanging ideas,
expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing
and/or disagreeing, suggesting, speculating,
evaluating, reaching a decision through
negotiation, etc.
Part 4 - expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing
and/or disagreeing
Total Time: 3 hours 59 minutes
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
FCE: Summary of changes and rationale
Paper Change Rationale
Paper 1 Reading • three tasks (instead of four)
• reduced to one hour by removing Part 1
• testing focus for the multiple choice
is widened
• gapped task will only be in sentence form
(without paragraphs as an alternative)
From 1 hour 15 minutes, 35 questions
To 1 hour, 30 questions
• the new format is shorter, but has a broader test focus
• item numbers will be fixed by part which simplifies the format
• no alternative tasks will be available, which will make it more
accessible for preparation
Paper 2 Writing • includes the production of emails
• reduction in word length for Part 1
• includes a review task type
• includes a rationalisation of the set
text question
From 1 hour 30 minutes
To 1 hour 20 minutes
• writing more briefly is a relevant real life skill, so the output
required from Part 1 is reduced. The letter or email are compulsory
because writing these is an important skill relevant to the
candidature
• the writing of email messages is added because they are used
in modern life
• a review task is added to Part 2 to increase the choices and
broaden the candidates’ experience
• the set text questions will be related to a specific book
• set books are reduced from five to two, as not all are well used
Paper 3
Use of English
• reduced to 45 minutes by removing Part 4
(error correction) and amending lengths of
the other parts
From 1 hour 15 minutes, 65 questions
To 45 minutes, 42 questions
• four of the five current tasks remain the same
• the grammar that the error correction task tests is tested
elsewhere in the paper
• the skill of error correction can be tested through the writing paper
Paper 4 Listening • format to be standardised with other ESOL
general English listening tests by having only
one task available in each section
• the length and test focus are not affected
• a single task type in each section will improve comparability
between versions of the test and standardise the candidate
experience. Candidates will know exactly which tasks to expect
• the sentence completion task will be retained in Part 2 as this is
more suitable to the level than note-taking
• For Part 4, the multiple-choice task will be the only task retained;
ensuring reliability between versions and over time
Paper 5 Speaking • questions to be added to the visuals page
in Parts 2 and 3
• no change to the overall timing
• adding questions to the visuals page will help candidates to recall
the tasks. This will standardise their responses and improve the
comparability of the tasks
• Part 4 is enhanced with additional prompts for the interlocutor
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
CAE: Specification from December 2008
Paper Timing/Length Task Types and Format Test Focus
Reading • 1 hour 15 minutes
• 34 questions
• length of texts:
about 550–850 per
part
• about 3,000 words
overall
Part 1 - three themed texts with two
multiple-choice questions on
each text
Part 2 - gapped text task – paragraphs
removed
Part 3 - multiple choice
Part 4 - multiple matching
Part 1 - detail, opinion, tone, purpose, main idea,
implication, attitude, text organisation features
(exemplification, comparison, reference)
Part 2 - text structure, cohesion and coherence
Part 3 - as for Part 1
Part 4 - specific information, detail, opinion and attitude
Writing • 1 hour 30 minutes
• 2 parts
Part 1 - compulsory task from: article,
report, proposal, letter (180-
220 words)
Part 2 - Q.2-4 choice of one task from
the following: article, letter,
report, proposal, review,
competition entry, contribution
to a longer piece, essay,
information sheet
Q.5 task based on set texts –
task types from: essay, review,
article, report; two set books to
be used, with a question on
each text (220-260 words)
Part 1 – focus on evaluating, expressing opinions,
hypothesising, persuading
Part 2 – varying focuses according to task; including
giving opinions, persuading, justifying, giving
advice, comparing
Use of
English
• 1 hour
• 50 questions
Part 1 - multiple-choice cloze
Part 2 - open cloze
Part 3 - word formation
Part 4 - gapped sentences
Part 5 - key word transformations
Part 1 - lexical/lexico-grammatical
Part 2 - grammatical/lexico-grammatical
Part 3 - lexical/lexico-grammatical
Part 4 - lexical
Part 5 - lexical and grammatical
Listening • 40 minutes
• 30 questions
Part 1 - multiple choice – three short
unrelated extracts; exchanges
between interacting speakers;
two questions per text
Part 2 - sentence completion – a
monologue (could be
introduced by a presenter)
Part 3 - multiple choice – a conversation
between interacting speakers
Part 4 - multiple matching – five short
themed monologues. Two linked
tasks, requiring selection from
list of eight options.
All texts will be heard twice.
Part 1 - feeling, attitude, opinion, purpose, function,
agreement, course of action, general gist,
detail, etc.
Part 2 - specific information, stated opinion
Part 3 - attitude and opinion
Part 4 - gist, attitude, main points, interpreting context
Speaking • 15 minutes
• 4 parts
Part 1 - conversation between the
interlocutor and each candidate
(spoken questions)
Part 2 - individual one-minute ‘long
turn’ for each candidate with
brief response from second
candidate; each candidate is
given three visual stimuli,
with questions
Part 3 - two-way conversation between
the candidates (visual and
written stimuli, with spoken
instructions)
Part 4 - discussion on topics related to
Part 3 (spoken questions)
Part 1 - general interactional and social language
Part 2 - organising a larger unit of discourse; comparing,
describing, expressing opinions and speculating
Part 3 - sustaining an interaction; exchanging ideas,
expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing
and/or disagreeing, suggesting, speculating,
evaluating, reaching a decision through
negotiation, etc.
Part 4 - expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing
and/or disagreeing
Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
CAE: Summary of changes and rationale
Paper Change Rationale
Paper 1 Reading • removal of one matching task
• introduction of themed texts
(similar to those in CPE Paper 1)
• use of wider range of text types
From 1 hour 15 minutes, approx. 45 questions
To 1 hour 15 minutes, 34 questions
• the range of text types, sources and task focuses in the paper is
widened by the addition of themed texts in Part 1
• currently there are two matching tasks with some similarities,
so Part 1’s matching task is replaced by the themed texts
Paper 2 Writing • reductions in Part 1 input and output
• addition of set text questions in Part 2
From 2 hours
To 1 hour 30 minutes
• writing more briefly is a relevant real life skill, so the output
required in Part 1 is reduced
• Part 1 input is reduced to a number of words that falls between
FCE and CPE requirements to reduce processing required
• the nature of task output remains the same
• trialling and research into shorter input and output for Part 1
shows that candidates can be successfully assessed with this
length of words
• reduction in input and output were found to be a positive
development in research with examiners on the new tasks
Paper 3
Use of English
• reduction to one hour by removing the
register transfer, gapped text and error
correction, and adding gapped sentences
and key word transformations
From 1 hour 30 minutes, 80 questions
To 1 hour, 50 questions
• these changes will result in a more streamlined paper, which will
be more similar to other Cambridge ESOL general English exams
• key word transformations and gapped sentences are introduced:
key word transformations appear in other levels and are efficient
at testing grammar and vocabulary
• gapped sentences proved successful in CPE, testing vocabulary
productively
• as register transfer and error correction can be tested through the
Writing paper, both of these tasks are removed
• research into the CAE construct shows that the gapped text task
has a similar test focus to the gapped text in Reading; its removal
does not reduce the range of what is being tested
Paper 4 Listening • introduction of a fixed format
• inclusion of short extracts
(as in FCE and CPE)
• inclusion of only one productive task
• all texts to be heard twice
From 45 minutes, 30–40 questions
To 40 minutes, 30 questions
• a fixed format enhances standardisation between versions
• a standard format will appeal more to candidates
• short extracts will be introduced in Part 1; these work well in FCE
and CPE as they test a wide range of focuses and introduce a
range of texts, interaction patterns and topics
• the section which is once heard will be heard twice, following
consultation and academic advice
• the matching task will be retained as it discriminates well and
tests gist listening effectively
Paper 5 Speaking • Part 1 has two sections (instead of three) in
which candidates are asked questions about
themselves
• section 2 of the current Part 1, which invites
candidates to ‘ask each other something
about…’, is removed
• questions will be included on the visuals
page to support the candidate (as in FCE)
• no change to the overall timing
• for Part 1, the new approach is more natural and will fit better with
the other Speaking tests in the Cambridge ESOL general English
exams
• as in FCE, Parts 2 and 3 will have questions provided on the
visuals page to assist candidates in recalling the task
• Part 4 is enhanced with prompts for the interlocutor
We would welcome any comments about the exam specifications to: ESOLconsultation@CambridgeESOL.org
University of Cambridge
ESOL Examinations
1 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB1 2EU
United Kingdom
Tel. +44 1223 553355
Fax. +44 1223 460278
email ESOL@CambridgeESOL.org
© UCLES 2006
EMC/4158/6Y10
www.CambridgeESOL.org