1. How many parts are there to the exam?
R / The exam has five separate papers. Reading, Writing, Use of English (this paper has questions about grammar and vocabulary), Listening and Speaking.

2. How long does the exam take?

R /The times for each paper are:

• Reading: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Writing: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Use of English: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Listening: 40 minutes (approximately)
• Speaking: 14 minutes (approximately)

The total exam time is just under 6 hours

3. Are all the papers taken on the same day?

R/ No. The exam is taken over two or three days. Papers 1,2 and 3 are taken on the same day with papers 4 and 5 being taken on separate days or together on a different day. The arrangements for papers 4 and 5 being taken on seperate days or together on a different day. The arrangements for papers 4 and 5 vary from centre to centre.

4. What mark do students need to get to pass the exam?
R / Each of the papers is worth 40 marks so the total number of marks for the five papers is 200. To get a grade C in the exam you will need to get about 120 marks, 60%. Individual papers are given a percentage and are not marked as pass or fail. To pass the exam students need to pass all of the five papers. However, it is possible that if you do not do very well in one paper and do well in all the others you could still pass the exam.

5. What is the best way to prepare for the exam?

R/ There are a number of different ways to prepare for the exam. A lot of students decide to take an exam course in a language school, some decide to study by themselves with a course book or specialist software. Increasingly, students are using the Internet as a way of preparing for the exam. The way that you prepare for the exam depends on your situation and how much money you want to spend?

6. What level does a student need to be at to take the exam?
R/ To have a good chance of passing the exam students need to be at an Upper Intermediate level. The level of the exam in the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) is B2

For a complete and comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions please consult the Cambridge ESOL FCE FAQs list