- How to calculate the score for Cambridge CAE or C1 Advanced
- C1 Advanced (CAE): Marks per Paper
- Cambridge Score Converter for C1 Advanced (CAE)
- Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
- What's the minimum score to pass Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE)?
- How come Part 1 in Reading & Use of English scores as part of the Reading and not the Use of English?
- What grades can I obtain in my C1 Advanced (CAE) exam by Cambridge Assessment English?
- Do I need to pass every part to pass the whole C1 test?
- Do I get a B2 First (FCE) certificate if I fail C1 Advanced (CAE)?
- What is the validity of the B2 certificate of achievement when I fail C1 Advanced (CAE)?
- If I obtain a Grade A, do I receive a C2 Proficiency (CPE) certificate?
- What percentage do I need to pass the C1 Advanced (CAE) exam?
- Bibliography and resources
How to calculate the score for Cambridge CAE or C1 Advanced
The process to calculate the score for the C1 Advanced (CAE) exam is relatively easy.
Here’s how to do it:
- Work out the total marks for each part.
- Convert those marks into the Cambridge Scale Score.
- Calculate the average mark like this: (R + UOE + W + L + S) / 5
Now, you may be asking yourself the following questions, to which I’m providing you the answers:
- How do I work out the total marks for each part? Easy peasy. In the next section you have a few tables with the values of every part and question in the test.
- How do I convert marks into the Cambridge Scale Score? Easy. You can use the score converter I’ve created.
C1 Advanced (CAE): Marks per Paper
What follows is a break down of every paper’s parts and the number of questions and marks assigned to each item in the C1 Advanced. In the case of Speaking, parts are not assessed individually, so you will see the different criteria for which candidates are awarded marks.
| READING | ITEMS | MARKS PER ITEM |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Part 5 | 6 | 2 |
| Part 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Part 7 | 6 | 2 |
| Part 8 | 10 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 34 | 50 |
| USE OF ENGLISH | ITEMS | MARKS PER ITEM |
|---|---|---|
| Part 2 | 8 | 1 |
| Part 3 | 8 | 1 |
| Part 4 | 6 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 22 | 28 |
| WRITING | ITEMS | MARKS PER ITEM |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 1 | 20 |
| Part 2 | 1 | 20 |
| TOTAL | 2 | 40 |
| LISTENING | ITEMS | MARKS PER ITEM |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Part 2 | 8 | 1 |
| Part 3 | 6 | 1 |
| Part 4 | 10 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 30 | 30 |
| SPEAKING | MAX. POINTS | MARKS PER ITEM |
|---|---|---|
| Grammatical Resource | 5 | 10 |
| Lexical Resorce | 5 | 10 |
| Discourse Management | 5 | 10 |
| Pronunciation | 5 | 10 |
| Interactive Communication | 5 | 10 |
| Global Performance | 5 | 25 |
| TOTAL | 30 | 75 |
Cambridge Score Converter for C1 Advanced (CAE)
The following is a Score Converter for Cambridge CAE (now known as C1 Advanced). This converter turns your correct items (or points) into the Cambridge Scale Score. You can choose to make the conversion per part or for the global mark.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What’s the minimum score to pass Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE)?
The minimum score to pass C1 Advanced is 180 in the Cambridge English Scale. The minimum number of correct items/marks to pass each part is:
- Reading: 32 correct items
- Use of English: 16 correct items
- Writing: 24 marks
- Listening: 18 correct items
- Speaking: 45 marks
How come Part 1 in Reading & Use of English scores as part of the Reading and not the Use of English?
This is a change that Cambridge introduced in 2013 and 2015 when they updated some of their main suite exams (FCE, CAE and CPE). In those updates, Reading and Use of English were merged into one single part (done within the same timing, but counted separately), and the score in Use of English Part 1 (multiple choice) started counting towards Reading instead of Use of English. The specific reason behind this is unclear to me.
What grades can I obtain in my C1 Advanced (CAE) exam by Cambridge Assessment English?
There are 6 different grades you can obtain after your exam. Here is a table with the grades and other outcomes of your C1 Advanced exam:
| GRADE | SCORES | LEVEL |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | 200 – 210 | C2 |
| Grade B | 193 – 199 | C1 |
| Grade C | 180 – 192 | C1 |
| Level B2 | 160 – 169 | B2 |
| Below level B2 | 142 – 149 | – |
| Not reported | 0 – 141 | – |
And in case you’re wondering what is a pass or a fail and which grade qualifies for a certificate or certificate of achievement, here’s a table to clarify:
| GRADE | PASS OR FAIL? | CERTIFICATE? |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | Pass | Yes |
| Grade B | Pass | Yes |
| Grade C | Pass | Yes |
| Level B2 | Fail | Yes |
| Below level B2 | Fail | No |
| Not reported | Fail | No |
Do I need to pass every part to pass the whole C1 test?
No, you don’t. Even if you fail some parts in the C1 Advanced, you can still pass your test because the average score may be above 180 in the Cambridge English Scale. However, there is a minimum number of correct items/marks that you need to obtain in each part in order to be able to pass:
- Reading: 23 correct items
- Use of English: 11 correct items
- Writing: 16 marks
- Listening: 13 correct items
- Speaking: 30 marks
This means that, if you get less that that in one of the parts, you will not be able to pass your FCE exam.
Do I get a B2 First (FCE) certificate if I fail C1 Advanced (CAE)?
If you fail your C1 Advanced test with marks above the minimum mentioned in the previous frequently asked question, you will get a certificate of achievement proving that you performed at a B2 level. However, this certificate is not a B2 First (FCE) certificate and does not say so anywhere. This is so because you did not actually take the B2 First exam, so you cannot get that certificate.
What is the validity of the B2 certificate of achievement when I fail C1 Advanced (CAE)?
It is a valid B2-level certificate of achievement issued by Cambridge Assessment English. However, as mentioned before, it is not a B2 First certificate. Therefore, if you are required a B2 First certificate specifically, this certificate of achievement will probably not be valid for that purpose.
If I obtain a Grade A, do I receive a C2 Proficiency (CPE) certificate?
No, you don’t. If you manage to obtain a Grade A in your C1 Advanced exam, you will get a C1 Advanced certificate stating that you performed at a C2 level. Therefore, if you are required a C2 Proficiency certificate by a given organisation, this certificate will most likely not be accepted.
What percentage do I need to pass the C1 Advanced (CAE) exam?
You need around 60% of correct items/marks to pass the Cambridge CAE. However, this percentage may be different for some papers (Reading, Writing, etc.). That’s the reason I do not recommend working with percentages any more, as Cambridge Assessment English does not take percentages into account for C1 Advanced since they updated the exam and introduced the Cambridge English Scale in 2015.
Bibliography and resources
- C1 Advanced Sample Test
- C1 Advanced: Sample Statement of Results
- C1 Advanced: Understanding your Statement of Results
- C1 Advanced: Converting Practice Test Scores to Cambridge English Scale Scores
- Cambridge English Scale page on Cambridge Assessment English Website
- C1 Advanced page on Cambridge Assessment English website
- C1 Advanced Results page on Cambridge Assessment English website