Eligibility

The Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) examination is for candidates who can use everyday written and spoken English confidently at an upper-intermediate level.

FCE is the right exam for you if the following describes your linguistic skills now or the level of skills you are working towards:

• Your first language is not English.
• You can understand texts from a wide variety of sources.
• You can use English to make notes while someone is speaking in English.
• You can talk to people about a variety of topics.
• You can understand people talking in English on radio and television programmes.

Exam Components

FCE has five papers – Reading, Writing, Use of English, Listening and Speaking.  Each paper contributes 20% towards the final result.

Reading (Paper 1): 1 hour

The paper has three parts, with a range of texts and accompanying comprehension tasks.  The style and content of the texts is based on the types of material that candidates can expect to encounter in everyday situations and may include newspaper and magazine articles, reports, fiction, advertisements, correspondence, messages and informative material.

Candidates are expected to be able to understand the main points in a text, deduce meaning, identify text structure and extract specific details. 

Writing (Paper 2): 1 hour 20 minutes

Candidates are required to write two texts: 120-150 words for Part 1 and 120-180 words for Part 2.  The task in Part 1 is compulsory and takes the form of writing a transactional letter; Part 2 provides a choice of tasks.  Each task gives candidates a clear context and an intended audience, and candidates are expected to take these into account in the content and form of their response. Two set texts will also be included, with one text-specific question on each. 

Use of English (Paper 3): 45 minutes

Candidates complete a variety of tasks which test their ability to recognise and use grammatical structures and vocabulary.  The tasks include multiple-choice cloze, open cloze, word formation and key word transformations. 

Listening (Paper 4): approximately 40 minutes

Candidates listen to a number of recorded texts such as commentaries, radio documentaries and features, instructions, lectures, news, public announcements, reports, speeches, stories, conversations, discussions, interviews and radio plays.  They are not expected to be able to understand the recordings word for word; they are tested on their ability to understand the main points and extract details from the recordings. 

Speaking (Paper 5): approximately 14 minutes

Candidates are normally tested in pairs by two locally-based examiners on their ability to speak and interact with the interlocutor and with the other candidate.  Tasks include an interview section where candidates give basic personal information about themselves; an individual ‘long turn’, which lasts one minute; a collaborative task involving the two candidates; and a discussion of topics related to the previous task. 

Test Schedule and Fees

Session:    Mid-year 2011
Exam Date:   14 June 2011
Speaking Test Window:    27 May to 19 June 2011 
Session:    Year-end 2011
Exam Date:   06 Dec 2011
Speaking Test Window:    18 Nov to 11 Dec 2011 

The Speaking paper is held within the specified periods, and the special arrangements are made at the discretion of CEFL Headquarters, taking into account the needs and conditions of CEFL Member Institutions.  

Click here to contact the Cambridge ESOL Centre Exams Manager for the actual exam dates, especially for Paper 5, and the latest fees if you are a walk-in/external candidate or feeder school representative.

Registration

Candidates can register with CEFL Headquarters via CEFL Member Institutions because the FCE exam can only be taken at an Authorised Centre for the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, and entries, which must be accompanied by fees, cannot be sent directly to Cambridge ESOL.  

There must be a minimum of 10 candidates for the FCE exam at each sitting. Candidates are not allowed to enter for the same exam more than once in the same session or window period.  

The closing date for registration is at least 10 weeks before the actual exam date to ensure that exam entry arrangements and Special Arrangements for candidates with a disability or specific learning difficulty can be made in strict accordance with the requirements of the Cambridge ESOL examination board. It should be noted that your nearest authorised Cambridge ESOL exam centre may set registration deadlines that are earlier than those published. 

Click here to contact the Cambridge ESOL Centre Exams Manager for the actual closing dates for entries, exam registration and other arrangements if you are a walk-in/external candidate or feeder school representative.

Results

With the exception of Paper 5, all exam scripts are returned to Cambridge ESOL for marking and grading.  

Five or six weeks after the exam, all candidates receive an enhanced Statement of Results, showing the relative strengths and weaknesses of the candidates’ performance in each of the papers by means of a graphical profile. In addition, the statement will show a standardised score out of 100 to give candidates a clearer understanding of their exam performance so that they can determine how much additional preparation will be needed for CAE. 

The overall grade is based on the candidate's total score in all the papers. There are three Pass grades: A, B and C. The minimum successful performance which a candidate typically requires in order to achieve a Grade C corresponds to about 60% of the total marks. Successful candidates are awarded the Cambridge ESOL FCE certificate, which is valid for life, approximately 10 weeks after the exam. Candidates judged not to have reached the required standard for FCE receive the D or E Fail grades.  

If you have any questions about your results, you should contact the CEFL Member Institution where you registered for the exam. 

Click here for general information on Cambridge ESOL Examinations.

Click here for further information on the CEFL FCE course. 

Click here to find your nearest CEFL Centre if you want to take a preparatory course for the FCE exam.