Cambridge English Certificates for Postgraduate Study

Cambridge Assessment English administers two English tests aimed at international students applying for English-taught Masters. The C1 Advanced (formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced - CAE) and the C2 Proficiency (formerly known as Cambridge English: Proficiency - CPE). The tests are designed to help non-native speakers prove their English skill, and are accepted by many universities for postgraduate programmes. These tests usually cost between £140-£180.

If you're an international student applying for a Masters in the UK, you might have to prove your English ability. One set of tests you may encounter are the Cambridge English Qualifications.

If you're aiming to impress with dazzling eloquence (or applying to a programme that sounds suspiciously like it involves reading Shakespeare in the original Early Modern English), C2 might be your level. Otherwise, C1 will do the job nicely. It’s like choosing between espresso and triple espresso. Both will wake you up; one might leave your brain twitching.

Today, I'll be looking at this set of tests in detail. I'll explain some more of the differences between the C1 and C2 tests, as well as grade scales, fees and how the tests work for prospective Masters students.

The main difference between the two tests is the level of English that they allow you to achieve. C1 Advanced is targeted at the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), while C2 is targeted at the C2 CEFR level. C2 Proficiency is therefore the more difficult of the two exams.

The certificates were previously known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) and Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE), and many institutions still use these names when describing their English language requirements. Even though the names have changed, the exams themselves use the same Cambridge English Scale as before.

Unlike other English tests such as IELTS and the TOEFL, Cambridge English certificates don’t have an expiry date. However, most universities will require English tests to have been taken in the past two years.

Both Cambridge English qualifications cover the same skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. These skills are covered in four separate papers over the course of four hours, a format shared by C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency:

• Reading – This section involves answering a range of different kinds of question about English texts and should take 90 minutes to complete.
• Writing – You’ll write two short essays in 90 minutes. The precise nature of these essays depending on the level of exam you take, but will usually involve summarising and evaluating an existing text and expressing some opinions of your own.
• Listening – You’ll listen to four different audio recordings from a range of sources and answer questions based on what you’ve heard. This section will be around 40 minutes long.
• Speaking – Together with another candidate, you complete four tasks in which you talk with an examiner and with each other. This part of the test takes around 15 minutes.

The main difference between the two exams lies in the difficulty of their content. You can expect to encounter more complex, nuanced texts and questions in C2 Proficiency compared to C1 Advanced. However, both tests are at a high level and success in either qualification will be accepted as proof of English proficiency by most universities.

Please note that the date of the speaking portion will be organised by your test centre, and will usually be a few days before or after the rest of the exam.

Cambridge English certificates can be taken either as a computer-based or paper-based exam. If you take the computer-based exam, you’ll receive your results two to three weeks after taking the test, or four to six weeks after taking the paper-based exam.

The Cambridge English Scale is used to measure the results of C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency, but each test has a different range. If you’re taking C1 Advanced, your score will be somewhere between 160 and 210, while for C2 Proficiency it’ll be between 180 and 230.

These scores correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, a standardised method of recognising language proficiency across Europe. C1 at CEFR level is between 180 and 199, while C2 is between 200 and 230.

You’ll usually need to have achieved at least 176 in the Cambridge English Scale to meet the entry requirements for a postgraduate programme. This is roughly equivalent to 6.5 in IELTS or 90 in the TOEFL.

The entry requirements for Masters degrees demanding a high level of literacy – English Literature, for example – may be higher. For these kinds of programme you’ll usually need 191 (the equivalent of 7.5 in IELTS or 110 in TOEFL).

Cambridge English is one of the companies behind IELTS, the most popular English language test for higher education and migration purposes. It’s no surprise, then, that the C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency exams enjoy similar levels of recognition worldwide.

Thousands of institutions across the world accept both certificates as proof of English skills. In fact, 100% of UK universities recognise C1 Advanced.

You can take the certificates at over 2,800 test centres in more than 130 countries. View a full list of the exam dates for C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency.

There aren’t any restrictions on how many times you can take the exams.

There isn’t a set fee for the Cambridge English certificates, so costs will vary depending on the test centre you attend. You can expect to pay somewhere between £140 and £185, with the C2 Proficiency usually slightly more expensive than the C1 Advanced.

• 1. Know your enemy (or at least the test format):
  The Cambridge exams are like a polite but relentless dinner guest—they will test you thoroughly, but with decorum. Familiarise yourself with the structure of each section. Four hours is a long time unless you're watching a Lord of the Rings marathon, so practice helps.
• 2. Don’t panic about expiry dates:
  Cambridge certificates don’t expire! Which is great... unless the university you’re applying to insists on one from the last two years. Bureaucracy is eternal, apparently.
• 3. Plan around the speaking test:
  Remember, the speaking component might not be on the same day as the rest of the exam. Nothing says "thrill of language learning" like nervously chatting with a stranger in front of a stranger, days before or after your actual test.
• 4. Paper vs computer – a modern dilemma:
  Both are valid. If your handwriting is basically a cryptographic puzzle, the computer-based test may spare you (and your examiner) some decoding.
• 5. Don’t be put off by the cost:
  Yes, it's around £170, which may seem steep. But think of it as an investment—in your education, your career, and your ability to finally understand British sarcasm.
• 6. Practice speaking with real humans:
  Your cat is adorable but unlikely to correct your conditional tenses. Find a conversation partner or sign up for speaking practice—preferably someone who won't respond to your carefully structured answer with “mrow.”
• 7. Celebrate small wins:
  Even understanding what “CEFR” stands for is a victory. Go you.