CPE Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CPE facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. All their children are allowed ________ exactly what the like. → to do
2. What does 'juxtaposition' mean in CPE reading and writing contexts? → Placing two contrasting things side by side to highlight their differences
3. In the sentence 'The new manager really rubbed her colleagues up the wrong way,' what does the underlined phrase mean? → She irritated or annoyed her colleagues.
4. In CPE writing, what is the function of a 'counterargument' in a discursive essay? → To acknowledge an opposing view before refuting or conceding it
5. We were at a disadvantage _______ that we did not have a very good knowledge of the language the others were using. → in
6. In CPE grammar, what is a 'cleft sentence' used to achieve? → To emphasize a particular element of a sentence
7. What does 'commensurate' mean in formal CPE English? → Corresponding in size, degree, or extent; proportionate
8. What is a 'rhetorical question' in the context of CPE reading and writing? → A question asked for effect that doesn't expect an answer
9. Which of the following is an example of a 'reporting verb' used in CPE writing and grammar? → Allege
10. Which language function is important to demonstrate in CPE Speaking Part 3 (collaborative task)? → Expressing agreement, disagreement, suggestions, and reaching consensus collaboratively
11. What does CPE Use of English Part 4 (key word transformation) require candidates to do? → Rewrite a sentence using a given key word without changing the meaning
12. What is the 'subjunctive mood' in English, sometimes tested at CPE level? → A mood used to express hypothetical or wished-for situations
13. It is such a _____ weather. It rains outside! → Raw
14. What does 'gist reading' mean in the context of CPE reading tasks? → Skimming a text to get the overall meaning
15. In CPE reading tasks, what does it mean when a question asks for the 'main idea' of a paragraph? → The central point the paragraph is making
16. Which sentence correctly uses 'put off' to mean 'to postpone or delay'? → They put off the meeting until next week.
17. What is assessed under 'interactive communication' in CPE Speaking? → The ability to initiate, maintain, and develop interaction with the other candidate
18. In CPE Use of English Part 2 (open cloze), how many words can be written in each gap? → Exactly one word only
19. What distinguishes a CPE-level 'proposal' from a 'report' in Writing Part 2? → A proposal recommends future action while a report describes current or past situations
20. Which feature of academic texts makes CPE reading particularly challenging? → Dense vocabulary and complex syntactic structures
21. Which sentence correctly demonstrates the use of 'get over' to mean 'to recover from something difficult'? → It took him several months to get over the loss of his job.
22. What task type is used in CPE Listening Part 1? → Multiple choice with three short extracts
23. What does 'coherence' in a reading text refer to at CPE level? → The logical flow and connection of ideas throughout the text
24. What challenge do speakers in CPE Listening recordings typically present? → They use natural speech features like hesitation, correction, and overlapping
25. What does the idiom 'to bite the bullet' mean? → To endure a painful or difficult situation with courage
26. What conversational skill is primarily tested in CPE Speaking Part 3? → Collaborating, negotiating, and reaching decisions with another candidate
27. What does 'prosody' mean in the context of spoken English at CPE level? → The patterns of stress, rhythm, and intonation in speech
28. In CPE writing, what is a 'thesis statement' in an essay? → A clear statement of the essay's main argument or position
29. What is an 'axiom' in the context of CPE academic vocabulary? → A statement accepted as self-evidently true without proof
30. In academic CPE texts, what does 'paradigm' most commonly mean? → A typical example, model, or framework that represents a concept or approach