Exámenes

Introduction to Exams

There are several exams that test your level of English in the world. Essentially, there are two kinds: the ones that are operated by the British (most famously, the University of Cambridge) and the ones operated by the Americans (i.e. the TOEFL) test. The Cambridge tests are the ones that are by far the most used in the Basque Country but anyone who wishes to study at an American University has to take the TOEFL test.

The University of Cambridge people offer various kinds of various at several levels:

KET (Key English Test)
PET (Preliminary English Test)
FCE (First Certificate of English)
CAE Cambridge Advanced English
Proficiency

The truth of the matter is that businesses, and often schools, only take the FEC, CAE and Proficiency tests seriously. While studying for KET and PET might prove an incentive for a student to study English, it should be pointed out that only the FCE, CAE, and Proficiency are taken seriously. At Morris Academy in Zarautz, the demand seems to be for the First Certificate Exam with a few that go for the CAE. We have prepared a few for the PET exam and even the Proficiency exam, but the great overwhelming majority in this town are at the First Certificate of English Level.

Generally speaking, the strategy at Morris Academy is very, very straightforward: you should buy the Cambridge First Certificate in English 7 (or 8, 9, 10, etc.) test preparation book (one with answers). Buy the latest one and start on the exercises in the book. In that way, you will know exactly what to expect on the test.
Please bear in mind that one thing is knowing English and quite another is knowing how to do the Cambridge First Certificate Test. The First Certificate Test is, more or less, on par with the EGA test for Basque. There are many, many people who speak fluent Basque in Zarautz, who have studied through the medium of Basque but have not passed the EGA exam. If people in Zarautz had to take the Instituto Cervantes tests (e.g. Diploma de Español, Nivel Intermedio), I am quite sure that there would be similar results. One thing is spoken English and quite another is written English. Some people who have been in English-speaking countries and have gain a certain degree of fluency think that taking the First Certificate in English exam will be shoo-in but they are wrong. The main reason is because they usually have a good command of spoken English but a poor grasp of written English.
All in all, what students really need from an English teacher (or English School) to pass the First Certificate examination is:

1. Speaking
2. Correction of their compositions
3. Guidance in learning vocabulary and learning test taking strategies
4. Asking questions about grammar and vocabulary.

The rest can be done by the student at his or her leisure since the Cambridge test booklets contain the answers. Reading and listening exercises can be done at home. The Academy can be most useful in the four points mentioned above.

First Certificate Examination

Cambridge University's First Certificate Examination (FCE) is probably the most widely respected English learning certificate outside of the United States. Examination centres around the world offer the First Certificate Exam twice a year; once in December and once in June. In fact, the First Certificate is only one of a number of Cambridge examinations aimed at levels from young learners to business English. However, the FCE is certainly the most popular. The tests are given in Cambridge University approved exam centres using Cambridge University approved examiners.
Studying for the First Certificate Exam usually involves a long course. At this school, the First Certificate preparation course lasts 100 - 120 hours. It is a difficult (and long) exam which contains five "papers" including:

• Reading
• Writing
• Use of English
• Listening
• Speaking

Each of the written papers is returned to Cambridge for marking and assessment. The Speaking Test is conducted by two locally based examiners who examine you face to face. All examiners are accredited by Cambridge ESOL.

Reading (Paper 1), 1 hour 15 minutes
This paper test your ability to read and understand texts taken from fiction and non-fiction books, journals, newspapers and magazines. You are expected to be able to show understanding of gist, detail and text structure, and deduce meaning from them.

Writing (Paper 2), 1 hour 30 minutes
This paper evaluates your ability to write non-specialized text types such as letters, articles, reports, compositions and reviews of 120-180 words covering a range of topics and target readers and also set texts.

Use of English (Paper 3), 1 hour 15 minutes
This paper requires you to demonstrate your knowledge and control of the language system by completing various tasks at text and sentence level. These include filling gaps, transforming words and phrases, and identifying errors in texts. This seems to be a hard part for many students of English.

Listening (Paper 4), 40 minutes (approx.)
This paper evaluates your ability to understand the meaning of spoken (mostly British) English, and to extract gist and meaning from spoken texts. The texts are taken from a variety of text types including interviews, discussions, lectures and conversations. The best way to prepare for this is to listen to the Cambridge recordings and to listen to English in DVDs, etc.

Speaking (Paper 5), 14 minutes (approx.)
The Speaking Test assesses your ability to interact in conversational English in a range of contexts. It contains four parts, including an interview section, individual long turns of about one minute, a collaborative task and a discussion. You are provided with stimulus material such as photographs and drawings. You will normally take the Speaking Test in pairs. Essentially, if your accent is all right and if you don't fumble and mix Basque or Spanish with your English, you should pass.

Results

Each component carries 20% of the total marks. There are three pass grades (A, B and C) and certificates are awarded to candidates who manage to attain these grades. Candidates who achieve a grade D or E are judged not to have reached the required standard for FCE.
Exam scripts are sent to Cambridge ESOL for marking and grading and the results are sent back to the centres. For reasons of confidentiality, Cambridge ESOL does not give results to individual students or publish them on the internet. If you have any questions about your results, you should contact the centre where you took the exam.
Once awarded, Cambridge ESOL FCE certificates are valid for life.

Cambridge Advanced English

CAE is ideal if you want to work or study abroad or to develop a career which requires language skills (e.g. business, medicine, engineering). It is also useful preparation if you are working towards the CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English).
On passing the exam, you'll receive a certificate awarded by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. Your CAE certificate is recognized by universities and employers around the world.
You will also receive a statement of results, showing how you performed in each of the five papers.
Studying for CAE helps you to improve your language skills and use them in a wide range of contexts. The exams are based on realistic tasks, and indicate the ability to use the language in practical situations. If you are successful, you'll be able to participate in meetings and discussions, expressing opinions clearly, and be able to understand and produce texts of various types, including business letters and reports. You'll also be more than capable of following university courses taught in English.

Exactly what is on the CAE test?

CAE has five papers:

• Reading
• Writing
• English in use
• Listening
• Speaking

The written papers are returned to Cambridge for marking and assessment. The Speaking Test is conducted by two locally based examiners who examine candidates face to face. All examiners are accredited by Cambridge ESOL.

Reading (Paper 1), 1 hour 15 minutes
This paper assesses your ability to read and understand a number of texts taken from books, newspapers and magazines. You are expected to be able to show understanding of gist, main points, detail, text structure or specific information, deduce meaning or recognise opinion and attitude.

Writing (Paper 2), 2 hours
This paper assesses your ability to write non-specialised text types such as letters, articles, reports and reviews for a given purpose and target reader, covering a range of topics. Responses are of about 250 words in length.

English in Use (Paper 3), 1 hour 30 minutes
In this paper, you are expected to demonstrate knowledge and control of the language system by completing various tasks at text and sentence level, based on authentic texts. This will include gap-filling, error correction, word formation, register transfer and text completion exercises.

Listening (Paper 4), 45 minutes (approx.)
This paper assesses your ability to understand the meaning of spoken English and to extract detailed and specific information from the spoken text and to understand speakers' attitudes and opinions. The texts are taken from a variety of text types including interviews, discussions, lectures and conversations.

Speaking (Paper 5), 15 minutes (approx.)
The Speaking Test assesses your ability to interact in conversational English in a range of contexts. It contains four parts, including an interview section, individual long turns, a collaborative task and a discussion. You are provided with stimulus materials such as photographs and drawings You will normally take the Speaking Test in pairs.

Certificate of Proficiency in English

CPE is ideal if you want to work or study abroad, or to develop a career which requires language skills (e.g. business, medicine, engineering). On passing the exam, you'll receive a certificate awarded by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. Your CPE certificate is recognized by universities and employers around the world. You will also receive a statement of results, showing how you performed in each paper.
While studying for CPE you will be improving your language skills and learning to use them in a wide range of contexts. Because many aspects of the exams are based on realistic tasks, a CPE certificate shows that you have progressed beyond a good knowledge of vocabulary and grammar and can actually use the language in real contexts.

Exactly what is on the CPE test?

CPE has five papers:

• Reading
• Writing
• Use of English
• Listening
• Speaking

The written papers are returned to Cambridge for marking and assessment. The Speaking Test is conducted by two locally based examiners who examine candidates face-to-face. All examiners are accredited by Cambridge ESOL.

Reading (Paper 1), 1 hour 30 minutes
The Reading paper assesses your ability to read and understand texts taken from a wide range of sources, including fiction and non-fiction books, journals, newspapers and magazines. You are expected to understand the meaning of written English at word, phrase, sentence, paragraph and whole text level. It includes understanding of text content, organisation and structure, and the development of ideas, opinions and attitudes.

Writing (Paper 2), 2 hours
The Writing paper assesses your ability to write non-specialised texts types such as letters, articles, reports and reviews for a given purpose and target reader, covering a wide range of topics. The paper also includes questions on set texts. Responses are of 300-350 words in length.

Use of English (Paper 3), 1 hour 30 minutes
In the Use of English paper, you are expected to demonstrate your knowledge and control of the language system by completing various tasks at word, sentence and text level. These include gap-filling and word formation exercises, comprehension questions and a summary writing task.

Listening (Paper 4), 40 minutes (approx.)
The Listening paper assesses the ability to listen to and understand texts taken from a variety of text types including interviews, discussions, lectures and conversations. It tests the ability to understand the meaning of spoken English, to extract information from a spoken text and to understand speakers' attitudes and opinions.

Speaking (Paper 5), 19 minutes (approx.)
The Speaking Test assesses your ability to interact in conversational English in a range of contexts. The paper contains three parts, which take the form of an interview section, a collaborative task and individual long turns with follow-up discussion. You are provided with picture and written stimulus and you normally take the Speaking Test in pairs.