C1 Advanced
The level most universities mean when they ask for proof of academic English. Four papers, five scored components, and no weighting printed beside any of them.
Where these figures come from
Papers, durations, parts and questions were read from Cambridge English's own C1 Advanced exam format page. The grade table was read from Cambridge's results page.
A note on the weightings. Cambridge's C1 Advanced format page prints no percentage against any paper. The five-component model below is Cambridge's own published scoring method, and it is stated here as that rather than as a figure taken from the format page.
Cambridge materials are linked, never copied. No question, task or mark-scheme wording is reproduced; the methods on this page are RCF English's own. RCF English is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by Cambridge English.
The four papers
| Paper | Time | Parts and questions |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Use of English | 1 hour 30 minutes | 8 parts / 56 questions |
| Writing | 1 hour 30 minutes | 2 parts |
| Listening | about 40 minutes | 4 parts / 30 questions |
| Speaking | 15 minutes per pair of candidates; 23 minutes per group of three | 4 parts |
Five scored components, equally weighted
As at B2 First, the overall result is the average of five component scores: Reading, Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking, each weighted equally at one fifth.
Reading and Use of English is one paper carrying two of those five. At this level it runs to eight parts and fifty-six questions in ninety minutes - one more part and four more questions than at B2 First, in fifteen more minutes.
Listening and Speaking are each worth as much as Writing, despite Writing taking ninety minutes and Speaking fifteen. Time spent in the examination hall is not a guide to what a component is worth.
Grades and what they certify
| Cambridge English Scale score | Grade | CEFR level certified |
|---|---|---|
| 200-210 | Grade A | C2 |
| 193-199 | Grade B | C1 |
| 180-192 | Grade C | C1 |
| 160-179 | Level B2 | B2 |
| 142-159 | No certificate | Reported on the Statement of Results only |
The bottom row is the one to read carefully
C1 Advanced is the first level on this ladder where a score can leave you without a certificate at all. Cambridge reports scores between 142 and 159 on the Statement of Results, but no certificate is issued for them.
At B1 Preliminary and B2 First every band in the published table produces a certificate of some level. At C1 Advanced that stops being true, which is a reason to be honest with yourself about readiness before entering.
Paper by paper
Reading and Use of English: 1 hour 30 minutes, 8 parts, 56 questions
- Ninety minutes, fifty-six questions, two of your five component scores. Budget the time part by part before the day, not during it.
- The Use of English parts at this level test precision under pressure - word formation, collocation, and the exact structure a sentence needs. Reading widely helps; reading widely is not sufficient.
- The long reading parts reward locating rather than absorbing. You are matching claims against text, not studying it. Read the questions first.
- Leave nothing blank. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.
- This is the paper where candidates most often run out of time, and the last part is worth as much as the first.
Writing: 1 hour 30 minutes, 2 parts
- Forty-five minutes each. At this level a plan is not optional - the difference between a C and a B is usually structure rather than vocabulary.
- Part 1 is compulsory and typically asks you to weigh points from given input. Evaluate, do not summarise. Repeating the input in your own words answers half the task.
- Part 2 offers a choice. Choose on which form you can hold - a proposal, a report, a review and a letter each have a register, and the register is assessed.
- A C1 essay has a position. Balanced does not mean uncommitted. Say what you think and defend it.
- Leave five minutes per piece to check. Accuracy is assessed at this level with less tolerance than below it.
Listening: about 40 minutes, 4 parts, 30 questions
- A fifth of your grade in forty minutes, and at C1 the recordings are longer and the distractors are better.
- The wrong answer is usually mentioned aloud. At this level the speaker often says the thing that is not the answer, and the correct option is paraphrased rather than quoted. Listen for meaning, not for matching words.
- Everything is heard twice. Use the first pass for the straightforward questions and the second for the two or three that are doing the discriminating.
- Practise with unscripted speech - interviews, discussions, lectures - rather than only with course recordings.
Speaking: 15 minutes per pair, 4 parts
- A fifth of the qualification in fifteen minutes, and the part most candidates prepare least.
- The collaborative task is where C1 is shown. You are expected to negotiate, build on what your partner says, disagree politely and reach or fail to reach a decision. Agreeing pleasantly with everything scores low.
- Develop, do not list. At C1 an answer is expected to have a reason, a qualification or an example attached to it.
- Hesitation is not fatal; silence is. Fillers, self-correction and rephrasing all read as competence at this level.
- Rehearsed answers are audible. Prepare topics and structures, not sentences.
Related pages
B2 First
The level below - and a Grade A there also certifies C1.
Cambridge English overview
The whole ladder, with every grade table.
IELTS
The other route, if your university asks for a band score rather than a level.
Practical English: the four skills
Reading, writing, listening and speaking practice.