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The Cambridge First Certificate Examination in English
has four papers:
1. Reading and Use of English
2. Speaking
3. Writing
4. Listening
The Reading and Use of English paper is worth 40% of the marks, and each of the other
papers is worth 20%. This means that if you get a bad mark in one paper, it is still
possible to pass the exam by getting an above average mark in another paper.
The pass grades are A, B and C. The fail grades are D, E and U. U stands for
unclassified, and it either means that your English is very bad, or you overslept, stayed
in bed and forgot to take the exam.
Seccin

Duracin y % de nota

Descripcin
Habilidades que se evalan
Consiste en 7 partes.
El Reading y Use of English
Reading y Use of 1 hora y 15 minutos
evalan tu habilidad lectora y

Hay
3
textos
cortos
con
English
Representa 40% de la nota
tus conocimientos y uso del
diferentes actividades.
vocabulario y la gramtica.
Debes completar los
espacios en blanco con
En concreto, se te evaluar en:
diferentes tipos de palabras.
En la cuarta parte no se Hasta qu punto sabes utilizar
utiliza un texto. Tienes que una variedad de vocabulario y
reescribir las oraciones de de gramtica.
Una variedad de habilidades
diferente manera.
Las partes 5-7 todas tienen lectoras, incluyendo leer el
detalle, entender opiniones y
textos y actividades de
sentimientos; entender cmo un
comprensin. En primer
lugar , hay un texto largo texto est organizado y
con 8 preguntas de multiple entender la idea principal.
choice. Despus hay un
Tambin tendrs que ser capaz
texto con espacios en
de leer un texto rpidamente
blanco que debes completar para entender la idea general.
utilizando la frase correcta
y finalmente hay una
actividad en la que debers
emparejar respuestas.

Seccin
Writing

Duracin y % de nota Descripcin

Habilidades que se evalan
El Writing tiene dos partes. Se te evaluar utilizando el
1 hora y 20 minutos
Representa un 20% de la1. La primera es obligatoria. criterio de evaluacin:
Contenido, Comunicacin,
nota
Debes escribir un ensayo en
Logro, Organizacin y
el que digas tu opinin
Lenguaje.
acerca de un tema
utilizando unas ideas que se
te darn y una idea propia.
Tendrs que escoger de
entre 3 preguntas, 1.
Debers escibir un artculo,
un email/carta, un informe
o crtica.

Listening

Hay cuatro partes. Hay una Se evalan una serie de

40 minutos
habilidades de comprensin
Representa 20% de la nota mezcla de monlogos y
dilogos. Las tareas
auditiva reales, tales como
incluyen contestar
escuchar informaicin,
preguntas multiple-choice opiniones, o detalles, o la
acerca de textos cortos y
comprensin auditiva del
largos; completar notas al significado general de todo un
tiempo que escuchas un
texto.
texto ms largo y emparejar
las diferentes opciones con
los monlogos cortos.
Se realiza con dos
Se evalan diferentes aspectos
14 minutos
candidatos
(a
veces
tres)
al
de la expresin oral, tales como
Representa el 20% de la
mismo
tiempo.
pronunciacin, hasta qu
nota total
puntos sabes utilizar la
gramtica y el vocabulario,
cmo organizas tus ideas, y
hasta qu punto sabes participar
en debates con otra gente.

Speaking

Reading y Use of English (1 hora 15 minutos)

There are seven parts in this paper. For parts 1 to 4 you read texts which have grammar
and vocabulary questions. There are also separate exercises on grammar and vocabulary.
For parts 5 to 7, you read different texts and answer comprehension questions.
There are 52 questions in total and you have 1 hour and 15 minutes to do this part of the
exam.
Here are the different parts:-

Use of English
Part 1)_______ Multiple-choice cloze.
A text with 8 gaps. You have to choose which is the best word for the gap from a
selection of four words. The focus here is mainly on vocabulary (words with meaning

like nouns, verbs and phrasal verbs, idioms, adjectives, adverbs, fixed phrases
etc)_______.
Part 2)_______ Open cloze.
Similar to multiple-choice cloze, but without the choice. 8 gaps in a text, and you have
to think of a word to fill the gap. This mainly tests grammar but there could be some
missing vocabulary too (think about auxiliary verbs, articles the, a, an,
prepositions, phrasal verb particles, conjunctions etc)_______.
Part 3)_______ Word formation.
Here you have a text with 8 gaps. You are given a root word and you have to change it
to a verb, adjective, adverb etc. in order to complete the text. This tests vocabulary,
particularly prefixes, suffixes and word changes.
Part 4)_______ 'Key' word transformations.
There are 6 of these and you have to make a sentence which means the same as the one
before, using the key word which is given in the question. You must complete the
sentence using two to five words, including the given key word. This part tests
grammar, vocabulary and collocation.
Reading
Part 5)_______ Multiple Choice
You read a text and answer 6 multiple-choice questions. Each question has 4 options.
Part 6)_______ Gapped Text
Deciding where sentences or paragraphs belong in a text. The sentences, or paragraphs,
have been removed, and you have to put them back again in the correct place. There are
6 questions in this part.
Part 7)_______ Multiple Matching
There is text or several short texts, preceded by multiple-matching questions. You must
match a prompt to elements in the text. There are 10 questions in this part.

3. Writing
You must answer two questions in this paper. You have one hour and twenty minutes,
and you are asked to write between 140 and 190 words for each question.
The paper is divided into two parts, and you must answer the question in part one.
In part one you write an essay giving your opinion on the essay title and using the ideas
given in the question. You must give reasons for your opinion.
3

In part two you have a choice of three and you choose one. The choices are from:
A letter/email
An article
A report
A review
An essay

4. Listening
There are four parts to the listening exam, and thirty questions in all. You hear the
listening texts twice and the exam lasts for about forty minutes.
Expect to hear some different accents (Irish, Australian, American, London, Scottish,
Welsh etc)_______, and different texts (phone calls, lectures, radio programmes,
quizzes, interviews, plays etc)_______.
Its a good idea to expose your ears to as much English as possible, and as much variety
as possible, before the exam. Listen to songs, interviews, podcasts, English news, film
soundtracks and TV series in English.
Part One 8 questions
There are eight short extracts in the first part, and they are not connected. You have to
answer a multiple choice question about each one. You may be asked about how the
speakers are related, how the speaker is feeling (angry, upset, exited etc.)_______, the
general subject of the text or the purpose of the conversation.
Part Two 10 questions
Here you have to complete sentences and fill in missing information while you are
listening to a monologue or conversation which lasts for about three minutes.
Remember, you hear every text twice.
Part Three 5 questions
You hear five different people speaking about a related topic, and you have to match the
speakers to written information on your question sheet. The different people speak for
about thirty seconds each.
Part Four 7 questions
This is a fairly long monologue or conversation which lasts about three minutes. You
have to select answers to questions related to the text. The questions may be true or
false, yes or no, multiple choice etc.

2. Speaking

The speaking test has four parts and lasts for about 14 minutes. There are usually two
exam candidates and two examiners. One examiner asks the questions and explains the
tasks. The other examiner only listens to your English.
Part One Conversation
This lasts for two minutes, and the examiner will ask questions about where you are
from, if you work or study, your family, hobbies and interests, future plans, likes and
dislikes etc. This part of the test is supposed to help you to relax and stop being nervous.
Part Two Talking about photographs
This lasts a total of four minutes. You speak for a minute about two photographs. You
compare and contrast the photographs, give your opinion and try to relate the
photographs to your own experience. Your partner then comments on your photographs,
and /or what you have said, for about 30 seconds. Then your partner speaks for one
minute about two different photographs, and you comment after for about 30 seconds.
Part Three
This part lasts for four minutes and you should only speak to your partner. The examiner
will tell you what to do and give you a paper with written information. You should
discuss the information with your partner. The focus is on some, but not all of the
following: exchanging ideas, agreeing or disagreeing, sustaining an interaction,
justifying your opinion, suggesting, speculating, evaluating and reaching a decision
through negotiation.
There will be a 2-minute discussion followed by a 1-minute decision-making task. The
total time for Part 3 is 4 minutes.
Part Four
This section continues the theme or topic from part three. The examiner will ask you
some questions related to part three to develop and widen the conversation. This part
lasts for four minutes.

Opposites
Choose one word which best represents the opposite of these adjectives. Follow the
example.
Ex: Quiet
a)_______ quietless
b)_______ noisy
c)_______ nonquiet
d)_______ unquiet

7. witty
a)_______ witless
b)_______ unwitty
c)_______ dull
d)_______ ugly

14. stubborn
a)_______ unstubborn
b)_______ stubbornless
c)_______ open-minded
d)_______ unborn

1. nervous
a)_______ calm
b)_______ disnervious
c)_______ tranquilize
d)_______ quiet

8. cruel
a)_______ handsome
b)_______ weak
c)_______ sexy
d)_______ kind

15. brave
a)_______ heartless
b)_______ braveless
c)_______ cowardly
d)_______ sympathetic

2. outgoing
a)_______ ingoing
b)_______ extrovert
c)_______ sociable
d)_______ shy

9. naughty
a)_______ good
b)_______ naughtiless
c)_______ unnaughty
d)_______ misbehaved

16. sensitive
a)_______ insensitive
b)_______ silly
c)_______ insense
d)_______ sensible

3. thoughtful
a)_______ inthoughtful
b)_______ thoughtless
c)_______ loyal
d)_______ sadistic

10. loyal
a)_______ ugly
b)_______ nasty
c)_______ tidy
d)_______ disloyal

17. insecure
a)_______ secure
b)_______ secureful
c)_______ safe
d)_______ self-confident

4. nice
a)_______ sweet
b)_______ horrible
c)_______ niceless
d)_______ spoiledv

11. sensible
a)_______ insensible
b)_______ unfeeling
c)_______ reckless
d)_______ senseless

18. tidy
a)_______ tidiless
b)_______ untidy
c)_______ neat
d)_______ lazy

5. affectionate
a)_______ nasty
b)_______ sweet
c)_______ unaffectionate
d)_______ ugly

12. patient
a)_______ doctor
b)_______ unpatient
c)_______ dispatient
d)_______ impatient

19. strict
a)_______ punctual
b)_______ strictless
c)_______ unstrict
d)_______ lenient

6. moody
a)_______ unmoody
b)_______ cheerful
c)_______ cheerless
d)_______ moodful

13. selfish
a)_______ buyfish
b)_______ egofull
c)_______ untidy
d)_______ selfless

20. tactful
a)_______ tactless
b)_______ squeamish
c)_______ unimaginative
d)_______ distactful

True or False?
Read the following sentences which all contain phrasal verbs. Decide if the sentences
are TRUE or FALSE. Follow the example.
Example: If you bring up your children in New Zealand, theyll probably speak English.
TRUE
FALSE
1. If you split up with your girlfriend, youll probably get married soon.
TRUE
FALSE
2. If your shirt goes with your trousers they look nice together.
TRUE
FALSE
3. If you put your friend up for the night he/she wont like you very much the following
day.
TRUE
FALSE
4. A Mercedes is a car that breaks down often.
TRUE
FALSE
5. If you look after your neighbours dog, you try to find it.
TRUE
FALSE
6. People who put on weight get fatter.
TRUE
FALSE
7. Its not a good idea to eat fish which has gone off.
TRUE
FALSE
8. One of the first things you should do when you arrive at an airport or at a hotel is to
check out.
TRUE
FALSE
9. People usually throw away things that they dont want.
TRUE
FALSE
10. You should feel very happy if somebody tells you off.

TRUE
FALSE
11. I did up my flat and now it looks much better.
TRUE
FALSE
12. The policeman caught me speeding and he let me off so I had to pay a fine.
TRUE
FALSE
13. We werent allowed into the night club. They turned us off.
TRUE
FALSE
14. Another way of saying wait a minute is hang on a minute .
TRUE
FALSE
15. My brothers got a new motor bike. Yesterday he let me try it on.
TRUE
FALSE
16. I cant put up with my husband. Hes so easy to live with.
TRUE
FALSE
17. You really take after your grandfather. Youre so much like him.
TRUE
FALSE
18. If a company takes on staff, they probably have more workers.
TRUE
FALSE
19. If a car pulls out, it has a problem with the engine.
TRUE
FALSE
20. A person who makes up a story has invented it. It isnt true.
TRUE
FALSE
READING and USE of ENGLISH PART TWO - OPEN CLOZE
What To Expect
You will read a short text which has 8 gaps. For each gap you have to write the
missing word.

 This part mostly tests your knowledge of grammar, although there may be some
vocabulary words missing also. Most of the missing words are prepositions, pronouns,
articles, auxiliary verbs, modal verbs, conjunctions etc.
There are eight questions in this section.
- FIRST READ ALL THE TEXT QUICKLY to get an idea of the topic.
- Look at the words before and after the gap. Don't leave the answer sheet blank for any
question. If you don't know the correct answer you should always make a guess.
- Make sure your handwriting is clear. If your answers are difficult to read, they will be
marked wrong!
-

When you have finished, transfer your answers to the separate answer sheet.

Put the following grammar words into the correct group. Follow the examples.
to / despite / can / that / a / had / and / what / am / might / from/ who
at / whose / although / it / must / an / in / are / may / has / is / on
Prepositions

Modal
Verbs

Pronouns

Auxiliary
Verbs

Articles

Conjunctions

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Part two of the Use of English paper (Open Cloze)_______ mainly tests grammar
words, like the ones in the previous exercise. Many students think that this is one of the
most difficult parts in the exam. Dont worry if your score is not very high. This part
represents about 3% of the total mark. However, its important to get as many marks as
possible from this section.
Read the following text without thinking about the missing words.
The Start Of A Teaching Career
It was while living on a kibbutz in Israel that Craig first became interested
(0)_____________ teaching English. His Israeli neighbour, (1)_______ worked with
foreign volunteers, wanted to learn English in order (2)_______ speak to the attractive
girls from abroad. In spite of the fact (3)_______ he only had an old grammar book
from (4)_______ 1960s, Craig succeeded (5)_______ teaching his friend a little
English.

The pleasure and satisfaction he got from this experience took him completely
(6)_______ surprise. So much so that he decided to go to London and do a course in
Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
After (7)_______ than 13 years of teaching English professionally, Craig hasnt lost
(8)_______ enthusiasm and he still thinks of teaching (9)_______a hobby.
(10)_______ days he lives in Valencia, and a few years (11)_______ he started a
website called La Mansion del Ingls with (12)_______ friend Luis. During the last four
years they (13)_______ helped thousands of students to improve (14)_______ English,
and La Mansion del Ingls is now one of the most popular sites on (15)_______
internet.
Now read the text again more slowly and write one word in each space.
Look before and after each gap.
Think about grammar words; pronouns, auxiliary verbs, prepositions etc.
If the gap is difficult, and you cant think of a suitable word, leave it until the end and
continue to the next gap.
When you finish, go back to the difficult gaps and think again.
Dont leave any space blank. An empty gap is always wrong.
The Start Of A Teaching Career
It was while living on a kibbutz in Israel that Craig first became interested (0)_______
In teaching English. His Israeli neighbour, (1)_______ worked with foreign volunteers,
wanted to learn English in order (2)_______ speak to the attractive girls from abroad. In
spite of the fact (3)_______ he only had an old grammar book from (4)_______ 1960s,
Craig succeeded (5)_______ teaching his friend a little English.
The pleasure and satisfaction he got from this experience took him completely
(6)_______ surprise. So much so that he decided to go to London and do a course in
Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
After (7)_______ than 13 years of teaching English professionally, Craig hasnt lost
(8)_______ enthusiasm and he still thinks of teaching (9)_______ a hobby.
(10)_______ days he lives in Valencia, and a few years (11)_______ he started a
website called La Mansion del Ingls with (12)_______ friend Luis. During the last four
years they (13)_______helped thousands of students to improve (14)_______ English,
and La Mansion del Ingls is now one of the most popular sites on (15)_______
internet.

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