exam-tips
Taking a Cambridge Exam With ADHD, Dyslexia or Autism
A practical guide to requesting access arrangements for Cambridge English exams - what you can ask for, what proof you need, and the real deadlines you should watch.
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Expert tips, vocabulary guides and proven strategies to pass Cambridge B2 First (FCE), C1 Advanced (CAE), C2 Proficiency (CPE) and Linguaskill.
Exam Tips
10 Tips I Would Have Given Myself Before Sitting the Cambridge Exam
Logistical and psychological details no manual mentions: from the classroom clock to asking them to repeat a Speaking question.
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How My Handwriting Almost Cost Me Marks on a Paper-Based Exam
A C1 candidate explains why legibility matters more than you think, from messy corrections to running out of line space.
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I Thought Use of English Was About Memorizing Rules — I Was Wrong
Six months of grammar drills didn't move my Use of English score. Then I stopped memorising and started recognising patterns.
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Sitting an Exam in Your Second Language: What It Actually Feels Like From the Inside
A C1-level candidate breaks down what happens in your head during a Cambridge exam, from the moment the clock starts to the last paragraph you rush to finish.
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The One Mistake I Kept Repeating in Every Mock Speaking Test Until Someone Pointed It Out
I thought I was being collaborative. The examiner saw it as dominating. Here's what changed when I finally heard myself on playback.
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Things Nobody Tells You About Exam Day Nerves Until You've Sat a Cambridge Exam
People usually think that with being prepared for the exam they are going to pass, but they don't take into account the exam day nerves.
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The One Question That Almost Made Me Fail Use of English
A single Key Word Transformation question, two wasted minutes, and the lesson about time pressure that only clicked once the exam was already over.
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What I Wish I'd Known Before Walking Into My CAE Speaking Exam
I passed C1 Advanced with a decent grade, but the Speaking test still went nothing like I'd planned. Here's what actually happened in that room, part by part.
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Group Classes or One-to-One: Which Actually Gets You a Higher Cambridge Score?
The honest answer isn't one-to-one, even though that's what most people assume before they ask. It depends on which paper is holding a candidate back, and that's a question worth answering before choosing a format.
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From Exam Day to Results Day: The Actual Cambridge Timeline Explained
Results and certificate are not the same document, and they don't arrive at the same time. It's one of the most common points of confusion among candidates waiting after an exam session.
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Native English Speakers Don't Automatically Pass CPE, Here's Why
A candidate who grew up speaking English at home once questioned why CPE preparation was necessary. Two mock exams later he understood exactly why.
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The Week Before Your Cambridge Exam: A Day-by-Day Plan
Athletes taper before a race instead of training harder the week of. Most exam candidates do the opposite, and it usually works against them.
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Coming Back to English After Ten Years: A Practical Roadmap for Adult Candidates
Almost every adult returning to English says some version of the same sentence: I used to be good at this. Here's what they actually discover once they sit a level test.
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We Marked a Real CAE Writing Script Line by Line, Here's Where the Marks Were Lost
A composite script built from three real mock exams, marked the way an actual CAE examiner marks: against Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation, and Language, one at a time.
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Cambridge Exam Fees for 2026: What Changed and What Didn't
There's a real price increase coming on 1 August 2026, not a rumour from a forum thread. Here's what moves, what stays the same, and roughly what to budget for.
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Strong Candidates Still Lose Marks on FCE Listening Part 3, Here's the Mechanism
It isn't a hearing problem. It's a timing problem: the moment a strong candidate decides they've found the answer is usually a few seconds too early.
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The Open Cloze Words Cambridge Reuses Every Session, and Why
Many candidates treat Open Cloze as the part of CAE Use of English nobody can really prepare for. Working through enough official past papers, that assumption stops looking true.
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Cinco errores gramaticales que siguen apareciendo incluso en nivel C1
Durante mi preparación del C1 Advanced y en análisis con consultores del C2, identifiqué cinco errores gramaticales recurrentes en textos de candidatos avanzados, y por qué suelen pasarse por alto antes del examen.
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Qué pasa realmente el día del examen Cambridge: guía paso a paso
Nadie te explica esto antes del examen: qué documento exacto tienes que llevar, qué pasa si el autobús se retrasa, y con quién de verdad haces el Speaking. Va todo aquí.
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¿Cuánto tiempo se tarda realmente en pasar de B1 a B2 para el FCE?
La respuesta corta es entre seis y catorce meses, y la diferencia depende casi por completo de un dato clave: el nivel real del que parte cada candidato el primer día.
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How to Structure a CPE Essay That Doesn't Sound Like a Translation
A candidate shared a practice essay recently with an introduction longer than its conclusion. Not unusual: it's how Spanish argumentative writing works. C2 English expects a different structure.
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CAE Speaking Part 2: What Examiners Actually Listen For in the Long Turn
A minute sounds like plenty of time until you're the one holding two photos and a question you haven't answered yet. Here's what the person scoring you is actually tracking, second by second.
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Linguaskill for UK Visas: Why It Can Be the Less Painful Option
A practical look at why some UK visa routes accept Linguaskill and why it can feel easier than the old IELTS routine.
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Why Linguaskill Never Feels the Same Twice
The test changes length and difficulty as you go, and that's not a bug. Here's the actual reasoning behind building it that way.
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Linguaskill vs. IELTS: Same Company, Two Very Different Tests
Cambridge has a hand in both exams, but only in one of them is it actually in charge. Here's what separates them, and which one you actually need for university or a visa.
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The Fluency Trap: Why High-Level Speakers Fail the C2 Proficiency
We look at why speaking great English isn't enough to pass the CPE and what specific, microscopic skills Cambridge actually demands at this level.
Read articleLinguaskill Tips
Linguaskill General: Why the Adaptive Format Feels Odd
A practical explanation of how Linguaskill General works, why the Reading section can feel unpredictable, and what to practice before the exam.
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Linguaskill vs. Cambridge English Exams: Why Cambridge Built a Second System
Linguaskill and the FCE or CAE come from the same place, but they solve completely different problems. Here's the actual difference, and why Cambridge bothered.
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El laberinto del BOE: ¿Sirve el nivel CEFR de tu examen Cambridge para una oposición?
Muchos opositores se la juegan con los certificados de idiomas sin saber si el tribunal aceptará el nivel real obtenido o solo el nombre del examen.
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How Cambridge Actually Grades Your Exam
Two very different processes happen behind the scenes: a machine checks some of your answers instantly, a trained examiner reads others days later. Here's how each one works and why the timing differs.
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Linguaskill Business: The Corporate Vocabulary Trap That Trips Up Real Professionals
Why corporate managers with years of international experience still fail to reach their target score in the business version of Linguaskill.
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What Happens If You Need to Cancel or Reschedule Your Cambridge Exam
There isn't one policy, there are three, and which one applies to you depends entirely on a date most candidates never actually check: the final entry deadline for their session.
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Where to Practice FCE for Free Without Wasting Time
A straight look at the free FCE resources that are actually useful, and the ones that look generous until you hit the paywall.
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Free FCE Practice Without the Usual Friction
A practical look at how to prepare for B2 First online without signing up, paying, or getting trapped behind a paywall.
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The Practical CAE FAQ: What Matters and What Does Not
Straight answers to the CAE questions people keep asking, from pass marks to the part of Use of English that causes the most trouble.
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How Cambridge Scores Work, Without the Nonsense
A plain explanation of how FCE and CAE raw marks turn into a final grade, and why the number on the page does not always match what you felt you did.
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A Calculator for Cambridge Scores, Because the Math Is a Mess
A practical guide to converting FCE and CAE raw marks into a proper score, without pretending that a simple total means much.
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The Practical FCE FAQ: Scores, Timing, and the Digital Version
Plain answers to the questions people keep asking about FCE, from score bands to the difference between computer and paper.
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Free Cambridge FCE Mock Exam: Practice B2 First Online
Free FCE mock exam online, with instant feedback so you can check where you actually stand before booking the real thing.
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CAE Use of English Part 4: Why It Feels So Unfair
A practical look at the grammar patterns behind CAE Part 4 and why the same structures keep showing up again and again.
Read articlefce & cae
Spelling Trap: How to Master -CIAL vs -TIAL in FCE & CAE Word Formation
A simple root-word trick to stop losing points on -cial vs -tial in Cambridge Use of English Part 3, with examples you can actually use.
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