CAE CAE Exam Strategies 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A CAE candidate is confused by a long, complex sentence in Reading Part 5. What is the best approach?
- Skip the question and move to the next one permanently
- Break the sentence into shorter clauses and identify the main subject and verb (Correct answer)
- Choose the longest answer option as it is likely to match the complex text
- Re-read the sentence repeatedly until the meaning becomes clear
Correct answer: Break the sentence into shorter clauses and identify the main subject and verb
Identifying the main clause (subject + verb) within a complex sentence cuts through surrounding modifiers and subordinate clauses to reveal core meaning.
Question 2: How many marks is each question worth in most parts of the CAE Reading and Use of English paper?
- Half a mark
- One mark (Correct answer)
- Two marks
- Variable — easier questions are worth less
Correct answer: One mark
Most questions in the Reading and Use of English paper are worth one mark each, making consistent accuracy across all parts the most effective strategy.
Question 3: What is the purpose of leaving time to check your answers at the end of a CAE exam paper?
- To rewrite answers in neater handwriting
- To catch careless errors such as misread questions or transfer mistakes (Correct answer)
- To change any answer that seems too simple, as it is likely wrong
- To fill in any questions you deliberately skipped earlier
Correct answer: To catch careless errors such as misread questions or transfer mistakes
Final checking primarily catches transfer errors (writing the answer in the wrong box), misread questions, or careless language mistakes rather than changing correct answers.
Question 4: Which of the following is true about the CAE exam scoring?
- Incorrect answers in multiple-choice sections incur a penalty
- All parts of the exam are weighted equally in the final score
- There is no negative marking — wrong answers score zero, not negative (Correct answer)
- Candidates must pass every paper individually to receive the C1 certificate
Correct answer: There is no negative marking — wrong answers score zero, not negative
CAE does not use negative marking; incorrect answers simply score zero, so candidates should always attempt every question rather than leaving blanks.
Question 5: What should a CAE candidate prioritise when proofreading their Writing paper?
- Counting the exact word count to ensure it matches 220–260 precisely
- Checking register consistency, grammar errors, and task completion (Correct answer)
- Re-reading the whole essay aloud to check pronunciation
- Replacing all common words with more advanced vocabulary
Correct answer: Checking register consistency, grammar errors, and task completion
Proofreading should focus on checking register consistency, correcting obvious grammar slips, and ensuring all parts of the task have been addressed.
Question 6: A candidate writes 195 words for a CAE Writing task (minimum 220). What is the likely consequence?
- The answer is automatically disqualified
- The candidate will lose marks because the task is likely underdeveloped (Correct answer)
- The candidate loses exactly 5 marks for each missing 10 words
- No consequence — word count is not assessed in CAE Writing
Correct answer: The candidate will lose marks because the task is likely underdeveloped
A significantly short answer is unlikely to have fully addressed all aspects of the task, resulting in lower task achievement marks rather than a direct word-count penalty.
CAE CAE Exam Strategies 3
A CAE candidate is confused by a long, complex sentence in Reading Part 5.
What is the best approach?