C1 Advanced (CAE) Practice Tests

Part 1 — Reading & Use of English Part 1 — Multiple-choice cloze

Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

1. (1) (A) incurred (B) withstood (C) conceded (D) undergone
2. (2) (A) aim (B) gesture (C) point (D) direct
3. (3) (A) grows (B) enlarges (C) amplifies (D) heightens
4. (4) (A) inactivity (B) disuse (C) idleness (D) misuse
5. (5) (A) counts (B) totals (C) sums (D) amounts
6. (6) (A) rate (B) toll (C) tariff (D) fare
7. (7) (A) vastly (B) acutely (C) supremely (D) utterly
8. (8) (A) reserve (B) resort (C) respite (D) retreat

Part 2 — Reading & Use of English Part 2 — Open cloze

Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only ONE word in each gap.

The Case for Doing Nothing

There was a time (0) ___ an afternoon spent doing nothing in particular was considered perfectly respectable. (1) ___ might be expected of a culture that prizes productivity above almost everything else, idleness has since acquired a thoroughly bad name. Yet neuroscientists have identified a mechanism (2) ___ the apparently resting brain consolidates memory and quietly incubates ideas, (3) ___ only when attention is permitted to drift. (4) ___ is striking is how reluctant we remain to allow this: in one notorious study, many participants would sooner administer themselves mild electric shocks (5) ___ sit alone with their thoughts for fifteen minutes. (6) ___ the benefits of mental drift more widely publicised, employers might think twice before scheduling every minute of the working day. This is not to say that daydreaming should replace effort, (7) ___ that the relentless pursuit of focus may prove self-defeating: creativity, it turns out, depends on precisely the wandering we take (8) ___ pains to eliminate.

1. (1) ___
2. (2) ___
3. (3) ___
4. (4) ___
5. (5) ___
6. (6) ___
7. (7) ___
8. (8) ___

Part 3 — Reading & Use of English Part 3 — Word formation

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the gap.

Part 4 — Reading & Use of English Part 4 — Key word transformations

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first, using the word given. Do not change the word given. Use between three and six words.

Part 5 — Reading & Use of English Part 5 — Reading multiple choice

Read the text and answer the questions. Choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best.

1. In the first paragraph, the writer suggests that the current enthusiasm for solitude (A) is confined to a small group of columnists. (B) has had little real effect on people's habits. (C) has been manufactured cynically by publishers. (D) overlooks the circumstances that make it pleasurable.
2. The writer uses the phrase “groan under” to emphasise (A) the weight readers attach to expert advice. (B) the poor quality of most writing about solitude. (C) how reluctantly bookshops stock such titles. (D) the sheer quantity of books on the subject.
3. The writer cites the widower in the second paragraph to show that (A) chosen solitude eventually becomes harmful if prolonged. (B) technology could do more to relieve unwanted isolation. (C) older people suffer more from isolation than researchers assumed. (D) identical circumstances can be experienced in radically different ways.
4. What does the writer describe as “almost perverse”? (A) Publishing celebrations of aloneness for profit. (B) Conducting physiological studies on lonely people. (C) Applying one term to two profoundly different states. (D) Charging money for experiences of silence.
5. What does the writer predict will happen to the current interest in solitude? (A) It will be replaced by an equally shallow fashion. (B) It will grow as more people abandon social media. (C) It will lead to greater public concern about loneliness. (D) It will fade, leaving one lasting lesson behind.
6. Which best describes the writer's overall attitude to the solitude boom? (A) Indifferent, since fashions of this kind change nothing. (B) Enthusiastic about extending it to a wider audience. (C) Wholly dismissive of both its claims and its evidence. (D) Sympathetic to its core insight but critical of its blind spots.

Part 6 — Reading & Use of English Part 6 — Cross-text multiple matching

Read four extracts from articles in which academics discuss hybrid working. For each question, choose from the experts A-D. The experts may be chosen more than once.

1. Which expert takes a different view from the others on the trustworthiness of the research into hybrid working?
2. Which expert shares Expert A's opinion about the long-term importance of the office?
3. Which expert takes a different view from the others on whether employers are justified in compelling attendance?
4. Which expert shares Expert B's view of the future of the physical workplace?

Part 7 — Reading & Use of English Part 7 — Gapped text

You are going to read a magazine article. Six paragraphs have been removed. Choose from paragraphs A-G the one which fits each gap. There is one extra paragraph you do not need.

Part 8 — Reading & Use of English Part 8 — Multiple matching

You are going to read about five people who changed career in mid-life. For each question, choose from the people A-E. The people may be chosen more than once.

1. Who says an ability to stay calm in a crisis is what their clients most value?
2. Who is better paid now than in their previous career?
3. Who compares dealing with a difficult new audience to their former work?
4. Who advises observing the new profession at first hand before committing?
5. Who was made more determined by other people's reservations?
6. Who regrets that their work no longer brings public recognition?
7. Who found the bureaucratic demands of the new job the greatest shock?
8. Who found it humbling to be corrected by people much younger than themselves?
9. Who found returning to formal study more daunting than the job itself?
10. Who misses the social bonds of their old profession rather than the work?

Writing Part 1 — Essay (compulsory)

You must answer this question. Write your essay in 220-260 words. This part is not marked automatically; compare your answer with the model.

Writing Part 2 — Choose ONE task

Choose ONE of the following tasks. Write 220-260 words in an appropriate style. This part is not marked automatically; compare your answer with a model.

Listening Part 1 — Multiple choice

You will hear three short extracts. For each question choose the best answer (A, B or C). You hear each extract twice.

1. How did the man feel once the exhibition had opened? (A) unexpectedly at ease (B) offended by a visitor's remark (C) let down by the number of visitors
2. What does the man most want from his next exhibition? (A) to sell more of his work (B) to attract people who are new to art (C) to gain recognition from critics
3. What is the man's main criticism of the training scheme? (A) It went on for too long. (B) It covered material the staff already knew. (C) It was too demanding.
4. What do the two speakers agree about? (A) The scheme should be optional for experienced staff. (B) The case studies were the most useful part. (C) The assessment should be made more challenging.
5. What surprised the man about the festival's first year? (A) It attracted more people than predicted. (B) It did not lose money. (C) The weather stayed fine.
6. What does the man suggest was the main reason for the festival's success? (A) the advertising campaign (B) the support of local people (C) the reliable equipment

Listening Part 2 — Sentence completion

You will hear a marine biologist talking about her work. Complete the sentences with a word or short phrase. You hear the recording twice.

1. Listen and write: The speaker's interest in marine life was sparked by a ___ she saw at her grandmother's house.
2. Listen and write: She now spends most of her working time ___ .
3. Listen and write: The team's most important piece of equipment is the underwater ___ .
4. Listen and write: Her main concern for the reefs is the rise in water ___ .
5. Listen and write: To film at night, the team now uses ___ light.
6. Listen and write: The part of her job she values most is taking ___ out on the boat.
7. Listen and write: The advice she gives students is to remain ___ .
8. Listen and write: Next year she hopes to publish her first ___ , aimed at non-specialists.

Listening Part 3 — Multiple choice (conversation)

You will hear two friends, Mark and Sophie, discussing volunteering abroad. Choose the best answer (A, B, C or D). You hear the recording twice.

1. What had made Sophie hesitate about joining the project? (A) worries about the cost (B) doubts about how useful she would be (C) concern about her level of Spanish (D) her mother's objections
2. What finally persuaded Sophie to sign up? (A) her cousin's positive experience (B) the frankness of the project coordinator (C) a reduced price for a longer stay (D) the chance to work with turtles
3. What does Sophie expect to find most difficult? (A) the climate (B) the physical work (C) the lack of contact with home (D) the food
4. What does Sophie most hope to gain from the experience? (A) a qualification to improve her job prospects (B) greater ease with people she doesn't know (C) a better knowledge of wildlife (D) the ability to speak Spanish fluently
5. What is Mark's attitude to volunteering abroad? (A) He doubts how much it benefits local communities. (B) He regrets never having done it himself. (C) He thinks it is too expensive for most people. (D) He believes volunteers are poorly prepared.
6. How does Sophie feel about going now? (A) relieved that the decision has been made for her (B) anxious that she has chosen the wrong project (C) determined, although aware it will be hard (D) less enthusiastic than she was at first

Listening Part 4 — Multiple matching

You will hear five people talking about a job they once had. You hear the recording twice. While you listen, complete BOTH tasks.

Speaking Part 1 — Interview

The examiner asks you general questions about yourself. Answer fully and give reasons.

1. Tell us something about the place where you grew up. Has it changed much since you were a child? Example: I grew up in a fairly quiet suburb where everyone knew their neighbours, and in many ways it was an ideal place to be a child. It has changed enormously since then, though — whole streets of new flats have gone up, and the little family-run shops have largely given way to chains, which I can't help feeling is a loss.
2. How do you usually spend your free time, and has that changed in recent years? Example: These days I tend to spend most of my free time outdoors, hiking or cycling at weekends, whereas a few years ago I'd happily have stayed in playing video games for hours on end. The main reason for the change is that I started a fairly desk-bound job, so I now crave fresh air and movement once the working day is over.
3. Do you prefer planning things in advance or being spontaneous? Why? Example: On the whole I'd describe myself as a planner. I feel far more relaxed when I know roughly what's coming, and I hate the stress of leaving things to the last minute. That said, some of my best memories come from spur-of-the-moment decisions, so I do try to leave a little room for spontaneity rather than scheduling every last detail.
4. What kind of work or study would you like to do in the future? Example: In the long term I'm hoping to move into environmental research, mainly because I've always been fascinated by the natural world and I'd like to feel my work was making some sort of difference. It would also allow me to combine fieldwork with data analysis, which suits me far better than sitting at a desk all day.

Speaking Part 2 — Long turn (three pictures, compare two)

Look at the three photographs. They show people spending their free time in different ways. Compare TWO of the photographs and answer the questions: Why might the people have chosen to spend their free time in these ways? How might they be feeling? Speak on your own for about a minute. Then answer a short question about your partner's photographs (about 30 seconds).

1. In this part of the test, I'm going to give each of you three pictures. I'd like you to talk about two of them on your own for about a minute, and also to answer a question briefly about your partner's pictures. Here are your pictures. They show people spending their free time in different ways. I'd like you to compare two of the pictures, and say why the people might have chosen to spend their free time in these ways, and how they might be feeling. All right? Example: I'll talk about the woman reading in the park and the young people playing volleyball on the beach. Both photos show people making the most of a sunny day, but they've chosen almost opposite ways of doing it. The woman has probably come to the park on her own precisely because she wants some peace — perhaps she has a demanding job or a noisy household, and an hour with a book under a tree is her way of switching off. She looks completely absorbed, so I'd imagine she's feeling calm and rather content. The volleyball players, on the other hand, seem to be looking for the exact opposite: company, noise and a bit of competition. They might spend all week sitting at desks, so throwing themselves around in the sand is a way of burning off energy. Judging by their faces, they're feeling exhilarated, and probably quite competitive too. So although they're all relaxing, for one person that means stillness, while for the others it means activity.
2. Which of these ways of spending free time would you find the most relaxing? Why? Example: Personally, I'd go for the reading. I spend most of my day surrounded by people, so an hour in the shade with a good novel sounds like bliss. Volleyball would be fun, but I'd probably spend the whole game worrying about letting my team down!

Speaking Part 3 — Collaborative task

Here are some ideas a town could use to attract more visitors, and a question for you to discuss. Talk to each other for about two minutes about how effective these ideas would be in attracting more visitors to the town. Then you have about a minute to decide which TWO ideas would attract the most visitors.

1. Now I'd like you to talk about something together for about two minutes. Here are some ideas a town could use to attract more visitors and a question for you to discuss. Talk to each other about how effective these ideas — opening a new museum, holding an annual festival, improving transport links, building a sports stadium and restoring the old town centre — would be in attracting more visitors to the town. Example: There are several options to weigh up here. An annual festival could bring in huge crowds, but only for one weekend a year, whereas better transport links would help all year round — though on their own they don't give anyone a reason to come. A new museum might appeal to visitors interested in culture, but it would be expensive to run and there's no guarantee it would be any good. A sports stadium would certainly attract fans on match days, although it costs a fortune and could sit empty for most of the week. Restoring the old town centre, on the other hand, would make the whole place more attractive and benefit residents as well as tourists.
2. Thank you. Now you have about a minute to decide which TWO ideas would attract the most visitors. Example: On balance, I'd suggest restoring the old town centre and improving transport links, because together they make the town both worth visiting and easy to reach, and their benefits last all year rather than for a single weekend or a handful of matches.

Speaking Part 4 — Discussion

The examiner asks broader questions related to the Part 3 topic. Give your opinions and reasons.

1. Some people say tourism does more harm than good to small towns. What do you think? Example: There's certainly a case on both sides. Tourism brings welcome money and jobs to small towns that might otherwise struggle, and it can help preserve local crafts and traditions. On the other hand, it tends to push up house prices and can turn a genuine community into something of a theme park. On balance I think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, provided the town manages visitor numbers sensibly rather than chasing growth at any cost.
2. Is it better for a town to attract a few wealthy visitors or many ordinary ones? Why? Example: I'd argue that attracting many ordinary visitors is generally healthier for a town. A larger number of modest spenders tends to support a wider range of everyday businesses, from cafes to bus services, whereas a handful of wealthy tourists might only sustain a few luxury outlets that ordinary residents can't afford. A broad base of visitors also feels less likely to price local people out of their own town.
3. How might tourism change in the next twenty years? Example: I suspect tourism will look quite different in twenty years. Concerns about the environment will probably mean far less casual long-haul flying, with more people holidaying closer to home or travelling by train. Technology is likely to play a bigger role too, from virtual previews of destinations to apps that spread visitors out and ease the overcrowding that blights so many popular spots today.