Exam preparation: Cambridge English
Cambridge English exams: which one to take, scores, fees and preparation
Cambridge English Qualifications run from Pre A1 Starters for children to C2 Proficiency, and each exam targets one CEFR level. From A2 Key up, results come as a Cambridge English Scale score with a grade, and the certificate does not expire.
The short answer
Choose the Cambridge exam at the CEFR level you need: B2 First for B2, C1 Advanced for C1 and C2 Proficiency for C2, with A2 Key and B1 Preliminary below them, and Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers for children. You sit it at an authorised centre or venue, on computer or paper, and receive a Cambridge English Scale score with a grade (children's exams award shields instead). The certificate does not expire, but each university or employer decides how recent a result it accepts.
Cambridge English Qualifications at a glance
- Made by
- Cambridge University Press & Assessment
- Cambridge English
- Levels
- Pre A1 to C2
- One exam per level
- Where
- An authorised centre or venue
- No at-home option
- Formats
- Digital or paper
- Same qualification
- Results
- Digital: 5 to 10 working days
- Paper: 4 to 6 weeks (A2 Key to C2)
- Certificate
- Does not expire
- Organisations decide how recent
- Fees
- Set by each centre
- GBP 245 for B2 First at IH London
- Speaking
- Face to face
- A2 Key to C2: pairs or threes, two examiners
The exams by level
The "for Schools" versions use the same score ranges; Cambridge says they are "tailored to the interests and experience of school-age learners".
| Exam | Target level | For | Exam length | Score on certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre A1 Starters | Pre A1 | Children | About 45 min (paper) | Shields, up to 5 per skill |
| A1 Movers | A1 | Children | About 1 h (paper) | Shields, up to 5 per skill |
| A2 Flyers | A2 | Children | About 1 h 15 min (paper) | Shields, up to 5 per skill |
| A2 Key and A2 Key for Schools | A2 | Adults; school-age learners | About 2 h | 100 to 150 |
| B1 Preliminary and for Schools | B1 | Adults; school-age learners | About 2 h 20 min | 120 to 170 |
| B2 First and B2 First for Schools | B2 | Adults; school-age learners | About 3.5 h | 140 to 190 |
| C1 Advanced | C1 | Adults (no for Schools version) | About 4 h | 160 to 210 |
| C2 Proficiency | C2 | Adults (no for Schools version) | About 4 h | 180 to 230 |
Cambridge English Scale scores and grades
You get a score for each skill and an overall score on the Cambridge English Scale, which sets your grade and the CEFR level on the certificate. A strong result can show the level above your exam; a result just below its level still earns a certificate one level down; lower scores are reported without a certificate.
| Exam | Grade A | Grade B | Grade C | Certificate one level down | Reported, no certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 Key | 140 to 150 (B1) | 133 to 139 (A2) | 120 to 132 (A2) | 100 to 119 (A1) | 80 to 99 |
| B1 Preliminary | 160 to 170 (B2) | 153 to 159 (B1) | 140 to 152 (B1) | 120 to 139 (A2) | 102 to 119 |
| B2 First | 180 to 190 (C1) | 173 to 179 (B2) | 160 to 172 (B2) | 140 to 159 (B1) | 122 to 139 |
| C1 Advanced | 200 to 210 (C2) | 193 to 199 (C1) | 180 to 192 (C1) | 160 to 179 (B2) | 142 to 159 |
| C2 Proficiency | 220 to 230 (C2) | 213 to 219 (C2) | 200 to 212 (C2) | 180 to 199 (C1) | 162 to 179 |
Source: Cambridge English, results, checked 25 October 2026.
B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency?
All three have four papers. They differ in level, length and who accepts them.
| Paper | B2 First | C1 Advanced | C2 Proficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and Use of English | 1 h 15 min; 7 parts, 52 questions | 1 h 30 min; 8 parts, 56 questions | 1 h 30 min; 7 parts, 53 questions |
| Writing | 1 h 20 min; 2 parts | 1 h 30 min; 2 parts | 1 h 30 min; 2 parts |
| Listening | About 40 min; 4 parts, 30 questions | About 40 min; 4 parts, 30 questions | About 40 min; 4 parts, 30 questions |
| Speaking | 14 min per pair; 4 parts | 15 min per pair; 4 parts | 16 min per pair; 3 parts |
| Total | About 3.5 h | About 4 h | About 4 h |
| Accepted by (Cambridge) | "Thousands of businesses and educational institutions" | "More than 11,000 educational institutions, businesses and government departments" | For "a very senior professional or academic environment" |
Speaking takes longer for a group of three (20, 23 or 24 minutes). All three exams need a photo on exam day (optional for B2 First for Schools). Deeper guides: B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency.
Young Learners: Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers, A2 Flyers
Children's first English exams. There is no pass or fail: every child gets a certificate showing up to five shields for each part, plus a Statement of Results with strengths and areas to work on. Cambridge says four or five shields in each skill means a child is ready to start preparing for the next qualification.
| Exam | Paper: total | Listening / Reading and Writing / Speaking | Digital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre A1 Starters | About 45 min | About 20 / 20 / 3 to 5 min | Yes, up to 70 min |
| A1 Movers | About 1 h | About 25 / 30 / 5 to 7 min | Yes, up to 97 min |
| A2 Flyers | About 1 h 15 min | About 25 / 40 / 7 to 9 min | Not listed |
Digital versions put Listening and Reading and Writing on screen with avatars; Speaking is always face to face. Paper exams run throughout the year through local centres. For parents: our kids' exam preparation guide and English for kids.
Which exam for which goal and age
- A child starting English: Starters, then Movers and Flyers, moving up when the shields say so.
- A teenager at school: the "for Schools" versions of A2 Key, B1 Preliminary and B2 First. Key and Preliminary for Schools on paper run up to 365 days a year at some centres.
- An adult proving everyday English: A2 Key (simple situations) or B1 Preliminary (practical everyday English). The adult A2 Key paper exam ends after December 2026; the digital one continues.
- Study or work in English: B2 First, which Cambridge says is accepted for foundation, pathway and pre-sessional courses in English-speaking countries and for English-taught undergraduate programmes elsewhere.
- University or professional level: C1 Advanced.
- The highest level: C2 Proficiency, for very senior academic or professional settings such as postgraduate study. See what C2 English looks like.
Fees: set by each centre
Cambridge does not publish one price: "The cost of entering for a Cambridge English exam depends on which exam you take and where you take it." Two centres' fees, as examples:
| Exam | IH London (GBP) | UPV Valencia (EUR, digital) |
|---|---|---|
| Starters / Movers / Flyers | 95 / 100 / 110 | not checked |
| A2 Key / B1 Preliminary | 160 / 175 | not checked |
| B2 First | 245 | 225 |
| C1 Advanced | 250 | 237 |
| C2 Proficiency | 255 | not checked |
Sources, checked 25 October 2026: International House London (valid 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027) and Universitat Politècnica de València (external candidates, 6 February 2026 session).
Taking the exam and getting results
- Digital or paper: digital exams run up to 365 days a year at some centres, with registration up to 2 working days before; paper exams have set dates and registration about 4 weeks before.
- Speaking: from A2 Key to C2, face to face with two examiners (one may examine online), in pairs or threes.
- Results: from A2 Key to C2, 5 to 10 working days after a digital session, normally 4 to 6 weeks after a paper one, on the free Online Results Service. Certificates reach your centre in about 3 to 4 weeks (digital) or 7 to 10 weeks (paper).
- Study time: Cambridge estimates 500 to 600 guided learning hours from beginner to B2 First, 700 to 800 to C1 Advanced and 1,000 to 1,200 to C2 Proficiency, as a guideline only.
How to prepare
- Official free material. From A2 Key to C2, each exam's preparation page on cambridgeenglish.org has free sample tests with answer keys and a handbook for teachers, and Write & Improve gives free writing feedback. Young learners get an interactive walkthrough of the digital exams.
- Practise speaking with a partner, since the test is paired: discuss a task and take turns.
- Time every paper. At B2 First, Writing (1 hour 20 minutes) is longer than Reading and Use of English (1 hour 15 minutes); at C1 and C2 both take 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Get feedback on writing and speaking. See Guru (shares our owner) lists FCE and CAE preparation; its cheapest English teacher charged USD 4.63 for 25 minutes on 25 October 2026, with three free trials, though exam specialists may charge more and quality varies. On Preply tutors set prices from USD 3 to 100 per 50 minutes; italki states USD 4 to 60 an hour.
- For children: Novakid says that by the end of its Level 2 (ages 8 to 9) children are "ready to take Pre-A1 exam (Starters) (Listening and Speaking)". Its US page lists 25-minute lessons from USD 9 with a non-native teacher and from USD 17 with a native one (25 October 2026).
Worked example: key word transformations
This task type appears in Cambridge Reading and Use of English papers: complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first, using the word given without changing it. Our practice set is at about B2 level; use two to five words, including the word given. The official sample tests show each exam's exact instructions.
- Maria started learning the piano three years ago. BEEN
Maria ________ the piano for three years. - "Don't touch the paintings," the guide said to us. TOLD
The guide ________ the paintings. - I'd prefer to stay at home tonight. RATHER
I ________ at home tonight. - They cancelled the concert because of the storm. CALLED
The concert ________ because of the storm. - Tom is too young to drive a car. ENOUGH
Tom is ________ to drive a car. - I regret not studying harder for the test. WISH
I ________ harder for the test.
Show the answers and explanations
- has been learning: present perfect continuous for an action that started in the past and continues, with "for" and a period of time.
- told us not to touch: a reported command, "tell someone (not) to do something"; "not" goes before "to".
- would rather stay: "would rather" takes the infinitive without "to".
- was called off: the passive of the phrasal verb "call off" (cancel).
- not old enough: "too young" becomes "not old enough"; "enough" follows the adjective.
- wish I had studied: "wish" plus the past perfect for a regret about the past.
Common errors: changing the key word (for example "rather" to "prefer"), writing more than five words, or changing the meaning, as in "Tom is old enough".
Mistakes to avoid
- Aiming above your level. At B2, a C1 Advanced score of 160 to 179 gives a B2 certificate, but below 160 you get none; a B2 First grade A gives a C1 certificate.
- Reading "does not expire" as "accepted for ever". Each organisation sets its own limit.
- Registering late for paper. Allow about 4 weeks.
- Practising speaking alone, or forgetting the photo for B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency.
Frequently asked questions
Do Cambridge English certificates expire?
What happens if I do not reach the level of my exam?
How much does a Cambridge English exam cost?
Can I take a Cambridge English exam online at home?
Should I take B2 First or C1 Advanced?
Related guides
- B2 First Writing, B2 First Speaking Part 2, C1 Advanced Writing and what C1 English looks like.
- Other exams: IELTS, TOEFL iBT, the Duolingo English Test, or our guide to choosing an English exam.
Each Cambridge exam targets one CEFR level. Our free level test gives a quick estimate of your grammar, vocabulary and reading, so you can pick the right one.