Online preparation courses for Cambridge English, from B1 Preliminary to C2 Proficiency

Cambridge English Qualifications are English exams from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, part of the University of Cambridge. Each exam targets one level of the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference with six levels from A1 to C2. Results are reported on the Cambridge English Scale, a points scale from 80 to 230.

A2 Key, B1 Preliminary and B2 First also exist as for Schools versions. These have the same level and format, but the topics suit school students. For work, Cambridge offers the business exams B1 Business Preliminary, B2 Business Vantage and C1 Business Higher. For children there are Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers.

Thousands of universities, employers and educational institutions worldwide accept Cambridge certificates. According to Cambridge, B2 First suits foundation, pathway and pre-sessional courses in English-speaking countries and English-taught undergraduate programmes in non-English-speaking countries. Many universities use C1 Advanced as proof of English for regular degree study. C2 Proficiency certifies the highest level of the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference.

For universities and employers the format has two advantages. Speaking takes place face to face in front of two examiners, and every result can be verified online with Cambridge. Exam fees go to the local exam centre and to Cambridge, which is why each centre sets its own price.

B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency each have four papers. Reading and Use of English combines reading comprehension with grammar and vocabulary tasks. Use of English is the part with gap fills, word formation and sentence transformations.

In B2 First, Reading and Use of English counts for 40 per cent of the total and Writing for 20 per cent. In Writing the first text is compulsory, and you choose the second from several tasks. You usually take Speaking with another candidate. One examiner leads the conversation and a second examiner assesses. With three candidates the test takes longer.

B1 Preliminary is shorter. Reading and Writing take 45 minutes each, Listening 30 minutes and Speaking 10 to 12 minutes per pair.

You receive a score on the Cambridge English Scale, the points scale from 80 to 230, for each skill and for Use of English, the grammar and vocabulary part. The overall score is the average of these scores. The overall score determines your grade and CEFR level. The grade is the mark A, B or C within the target level.

A very strong result therefore brings a certificate for the next level up. If you narrowly miss the target level, you receive a certificate for the level below. If your score falls below the certificate range, you receive no certificate, and the score only appears on the Statement of Results, the results report.

You take Cambridge English Qualifications at an authorised exam centre, either digitally on computer or on paper. Both formats lead to the same certificate. Speaking is face to face in both cases. There is no at-home version of these exams.

Centres set their own dates, registration deadlines and prices. Registration often closes several weeks before the exam.

The German price applies from April 2026 according to the adult education centre's registration form, and the Spanish prices come from the University of Valencia language centre for 2026. In the UK, a language school lists 2026 digital exam fees of GBP 225 for B2 First and GBP 228 for C1 Advanced.

Digital exams have a practical advantage: results arrive within 5 to 10 working days. For paper-based exams it usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. If you need the result for an application deadline, the digital exam is the safer choice.

Because Cambridge exams are level exams, choosing the level decides your success. A level exam tests exactly one CEFR level. A placement test and a full practice test show where you stand. Cambridge English estimates about 200 guided learning hours per CEFR level, meaning lessons and supervised study.

The hours count from zero and are guidelines. According to this estimate, someone who has passed B2 First needs about 200 more hours for C1 Advanced. Age, prior knowledge, intensity and practice outside lessons change the figure considerably.

The for Schools versions are designed for school students. For adults who mainly need English at work, the business exams match their daily tasks more closely.

This plan suits learners who already reach the target level in class and now need to train the exam format. The target level is the CEFR level of the exam, so B2 for B2 First or C1 for C1 Advanced.

1 Weeks 1 and 2 with a practice test

Sit a full practice test and note your score on the Cambridge English Scale, the Cambridge points scale, for each skill.

2 Weeks 3 to 6 for Use of English

Practise word formation, sentence transformations and gap fills for 20 to 30 minutes a day. These tasks follow fixed patterns and respond well to training.

3 Weeks 3 to 8 for Writing

Write two texts a week in the exam's text types, such as essay, report, article or letter, and have them marked.

4 Weeks 7 to 10 for Speaking

Practise all four parts of Speaking with a partner, ideally on a video call with a recording.

5 Weeks 11 and 12 with two practice tests

Sit two practice tests under exam conditions in the same format as your exam, digital or paper.

An online course for Cambridge English should train the format of one specific exam. These seven points show whether a course is fit for that purpose.

1. The course names the exam precisely, such as C1 Advanced, and separates for Schools and business versions.
2. A practice test at the start gives you a score on the Cambridge English Scale.
3. Teachers mark your writing against the four Cambridge criteria: content, communicative achievement, organisation and language.
4. You practise Speaking with a partner, because the exam usually takes place in pairs.
5. The course contains many Use of English tasks with an explanation for every answer.
6. Practice tests come in the format of your exam, digital or paper.
7. The provider states the full price, the number of hours and the number of marked texts before you book.

Many mistakes in Cambridge exams come from the format of the tasks. These six are especially common.

• Many candidates use more words than allowed in sentence transformations and lose points.
• Some confuse text types in Writing and write an article in the style of a letter, for example.
• Many speak only to the examiner in Speaking instead of to their partner.
• Some register for C1 Advanced although their practice tests are still in the B2 range.
• Some practise only on paper and then take the exam digitally.
• Some miss the centre's registration deadline, which is often weeks before the exam.

After the exam you first receive the Statement of Results. This results report shows your score on the Cambridge English Scale, the points scale from 80 to 230, for each skill, plus your overall score, grade and CEFR level. Since 6 April 2026 the Statement of Results for B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency also shows the photo taken on exam day.

Cambridge sends the paper certificate to your exam centre. For digital exams it is usually dispatched within 3 to 4 weeks. The certificate never expires, but universities and employers can decide how old a result they accept.

Universities and employers verify results online with Cambridge. To do so, you give them your Candidate ID and the Secret Number from your Statement of Results.