“WHAT WE LEARN WITH PLEASURE WE NEVER FORGET” Alfred Mercer
At My Cup of Tea Language School, we not only teach you the language whether it is Catalan, English, French, Italian or Spanish for your personal and professional reasons but we also teach and prepare for the Cambridge First Certificate FCE (B2) and the Advanced (C1) Cambridge Exam.
FAQs/ Practical Tips for the Cambridge Exams
We always get asked questions about when / where and how students can take the official Cambridge exams – usually the First Certificate of English (B2) and the Advanced Certificate (C1) – so we thought we’d put all the most important information together for you here in one place!
How long does it take to prepare for the exam?
Once you’ve reached the desired level, we recommend doing an intensive exam preparation course so that you get used to the layout and structure of the exam and know exactly what the questions require you to do. At My Cup of Tea Language School, once someone has reached the level of their exam, B2 for example, and feels comfortable with the grammar and vocabulary, we would recommend at least 3 months of exam preparation (based on once a week lessons). People often underestimate the power of good preparation – if you go to the exam feeling comfortable wit the level and knowing exactly what to expect it, you’re in the best position possible for a good mark.
Where can I take the exam?
There are many exam centres all over the country. Usually, academies like My Cup of Tea Language School are not exam centres, so although we can prepare you for the exam, you’ll need to book an exam in an official centre. It’s very easy, wherever you are in the world, just visit the website https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/find-a-centre/find-an-exam-centre/ and you’ll find an exam centre near you. There are Cambridge official exam centres in over 130 countries!
How much does it cost?
The Cambridge exams don’t come cheap – that’s why we always want to make sure you’re ready! The test costs around 200 euros each, depending on your exam centre. Here in Barcelona, for example, taking the B2 First in a British Council Centre costs 209€.
What’s the grading like?
First of all, the B2 First and the C1 Advanced exams are graded according to five different papers worth 20% each (Reading, Use of English, Writing, Speaking, Listening). It’s not necessary to pass all the papers at a certain level – your grade will be calculated by taking your overall percentage. For example, in the B2 exam you need roughly 60% overall to achieve B2 level. The marks are calculated according to the Cambridge scale. If you get between 160-179 points you’ll achieve B2 level, and 180-190 is C1.
What about the results?
The results can take a little while to come depending on the type of exam you take. If you take a computer-based exam, the results will be released about two weeks after the exam is taken. However, if you take a paper-based exam it can take between six to nine weeks to receive your results. So it’s a good idea to keep this in mind if you have a certain date when you needs your results for!
Hope this has been helpful! If there’s anything we’ve missed please let us know and we’ll update our blog with more information.
We have First Certificate of English (B2) and the Advanced Certificate (C1) exam preparation courses on the following days:
- Monday – 09:30-11h, 16-17:30h & 19-20:30h
- Tuesday – 09:30-11h & 16-17:30h & 19-20:30h
- Wednesday – 09:30-11h & 16-17:30h & 19-20:30h
- Thursday – 09:30-11h & 16-17:30h
- Friday – 8-9:30h
And can also offer private classes on a day and at a time to suit you!
Some students come to:
all 4 morning classes as they need the FCE/C1 in 3-4 months
2 classes a week to make faster progress
1 a week to supplement their school lessons, studies or professional use of English
The choice is yours! So come and give it a try!
