Your Cambridge exam pathway
Cambridge English qualifications build on each other, level by level. Here's where each exam sits — and where IELTS fits alongside them.
KET
Key English Test — your first step into real-world English.
PET
Preliminary English Test — everyday communication with confidence.
FCE
First Certificate — the exam most schools and jobs recognise.
CAE
Advanced — for university, career and academic English.
CPE
Proficiency — the top Cambridge qualification, mastery level.
Preparing for university or visa applications abroad?
IELTS runs alongside the Cambridge path and I prepare students for both the Academic and General Training versions, band by band.
Exam details
What to expect from each exam — format, timing, and who it's designed for.
KET — A2 Key
A2Three papers: Reading & Writing (60 min, 7 parts), Listening (about 30 min, 5 parts), and Speaking (8–10 min, done in pairs with an examiner).
About 2 hours in total
Younger teens and adults taking their first Cambridge exam, or anyone building a foundation in everyday English.
Family, home, shopping, free time, travel and daily routines.
PET — B1 Preliminary
B1Four papers: Reading (45 min, 6 parts), Writing (45 min, 2 parts — a postcard/message plus a letter or story), Listening (about 30 min, 4 parts), and Speaking (12–17 min, in pairs).
About 2 hours 20 minutes in total
Learners who can already handle basic English and are moving towards practical, everyday communication.
Work, travel, social life, opinions and everyday situations.
FCE — B2 First
B2Four papers: Reading & Use of English (75 min), Writing (80 min, 2 tasks), Listening (about 40 min), and Speaking (14 min per pair of candidates).
About 3 hours 30 minutes in total
Upper-intermediate learners — this is the level most schools, universities and employers recognise as solid working English.
Work, education, media, technology and social issues.
CAE — C1 Advanced
C1Four papers: Reading & Use of English (90 min), Writing (90 min, 2 tasks), Listening (about 40 min), and Speaking (about 15 min per pair, with two examiners).
About 4 hours in total
Advanced learners preparing for university study, professional environments, or more nuanced, discursive English.
Academic topics, professional life, culture and current affairs, often requiring a clear opinion or argument.
CPE — C2 Proficiency
C2Four papers: Reading & Use of English (90 min), Writing (90 min, 2 tasks), Listening (about 40 min), and Speaking (about 16 min per pair).
About 4 hours in total
Near-native level learners aiming for the highest Cambridge qualification, often for elite university admission or professional use.
Abstract, academic and literary topics, requiring precision, nuance and a wide range of vocabulary.
IELTS Academic
Any level, typically B1–C2Four sections: Listening (30 min, 40 questions), Academic Reading (60 min, 3 longer academic-style texts), Writing (60 min, 2 tasks — describing a chart/graph, then an essay), and Speaking (11–14 min, a face-to-face interview). Scored on a 0–9 band scale rather than pass/fail.
About 2 hours 45 minutes in total
Students applying to university or higher education courses taught in English.
Academic topics, charts and data description, and formal essay writing on general-interest issues.
IELTS General Training
Any level, typically B1–C2Same Listening (30 min) and Speaking (11–14 min) as Academic. Reading (60 min) uses everyday and workplace texts instead of academic ones. Writing (60 min) has 2 tasks — a letter, then an essay. Scored on a 0–9 band scale rather than pass/fail.
About 2 hours 45 minutes in total
People applying for work, migration, or training programmes abroad (e.g. visa applications for Australia, Canada, the UK).
Everyday and workplace situations, letters, and practical, general-interest topics.
Not sure which exam is right for you?
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