The Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) is the most advanced Cambridge exam, and is for learners who have achieved an extremely high standard in the English language. (Level C2 in the Common European Framework of Reference). Taking this exam demonstrates that you are highly fluent in English and will open doors to work at upper-managerial level in international business settings or post-graduate study opportunities.
Comparison of table of official exams and CEFR levels
The CPE represents the highest of all the Cambridge ESOL exams. It’s for those students whose knowledge of English is sufficient for any English speaking context, and whose level reaches that of a native. The CPE shows that the candidate has advanced beyond a good level of vocabulary and grammar, and is able to use the language in real contexts. Getting the CPE is a significant personal achievement.
Useful links
University of Cambridge – CPE exam page
CPE exam registration
Exam date
We offer a variety of Cambridge Proficiency (CPE) exam dates during the year.
Exam fee €234,50
Visit us in our central location to register for your CPE exam and check all the dates available for this exam..
CPE exam prep courses
Oxford House has more than 16 years of experience as a preparation centre for Cambridge ESOL English exams such as the Certificate in Profiency of English (CPE), offering both long-term and intensive preparation courses with expert teachers. Nuestros cursos y clases a medida de preparación son dinámicos y prácticos con técnicas enfocadas al conocimiento y habilidades necesarias para aprobar el examen elegido. We provide pre-exam support and a professional, personal service to make your exam day as successful as possible.
In our CPE exam preparation courses you will be taught how best to approach the different parts of the exam. This will include:
* Techniques for doing the reading tasks quickly, efficiently and within the time limit.
* How best to organize and compose the different writing options such as narratives, reports, articles and proposals.
* Developing your knowledge of the types of grammar and vocabulary exercises which will appear in the Use of English and how best to approach them through practice and error correction sessions.
* Hints and techniques for listening tasks, including identifying clues and tricks in the questions, becoming accustomed to varieties of English and gap-filling.
* How to produce the best English possible on the day of your speaking exam through drilling of pronunciation, improvisation and development of fluency.
* Free mock exam included so you can check your progress before registering to the official exam.
Can you use English to advise on, or talk about complex or sensitive issues? Do you understand the finer points of documents, correspondence and reports?
If you are working towards acquiring those skills and your level of English currently permits you to do approximately those things, then CPE is probably the right exam for you.
There are four parts to the CPE exam:
Reading and Use of English (1 hour 30 minutes): You have to read and understand the meaning of written English in sentences, paragraphs and the whole texts to a very high level. In the Use of English you are tested on your knowledge of English grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure and meaning, as how well you can summarize information.
Writing (1 hour 30 minutes): You have to write clearly and demonstrating your ideas and strengths of language in a number of different styles and formats, such as: a short story, an article, a report, a review, a letter, or an essay, each of about 300-350 words.
Listening (40 minutes): You need to show that you understand the meaning of a range of spoken material from different accents, including lectures, dialogues, news programmes and public announcements.
Speaking (16 minutes): The test is with one or two other candidates, and you’ll have to speak alone and in conversation with the examiner and other candidates with fluency and cohesion.
This world-class exam is recognised by thousands of employers globally - companies such Hewlett-Packard, Sony, Siemens and Bosch. If you’re planning to study abroad the CPE is accepted by a wide range of educational institutions as evidence of your English ability.
For study in the UK, a good grade in the Certificate of Proficiency in English will give you ‘UCAS Tariff Points’, which will help you in your application to a UK university.
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