C1 Advanced

Teaching Tips
Reading and Use of English
Writing
Listening
Speaking
 Introduction
These teaching tips have been designed to support teachers who are preparing learners for
their exams. There are general teaching tips and ideas, exam strategies and information, with
an extract of each task type from each of the four exam papers.
There are helpful links throughout that take you directly to classroom resources, videos,
sample tests and webinars. All the tasks supplied in this document are taken from and linked
to the C1 Advanced Handbook for Teachers and the C1 Advanced page of the Exam
preparation section of our website.

Reading and Use of English

General teaching tips

• Encourage students to read extensively to help boost their range of grammar,

vocabulary and familiarity with different text genres (helpful for the Writing paper too):
o Provide a range of texts, such as coursebooks, interesting articles
from the internet, newspapers and magazines, short stories,
extracts from novels, non-fiction, etc.
o Create homework assignments around a weekly reading scheme and ask
students to give verbal or written reviews of texts they have read.
• Use pre-reading questions to create interest in the topic of the text and train
students in valuable prediction techniques.

• Encourage students to look at the title and sub-title of each reading text as this gives
them an idea of what to expect.

• Discuss different ways of improving reading skills with learners. Watch our webinar
Developing Reading Skills and check out Developing Reading Skills – A Guide for
Teachers for C1 Advanced, which has practical ideas to help students practise
different reading sub-skills.

• Encourage students to read a text without thinking that they need to understand every
word, to give them practice deducing the meaning of unfamiliar words from context.
• Try these ideas to accustom students to the task format in Parts 1 to 7:
o Use exam practice tasks from coursebooks and sample papers
(available in the Exam preparation section of our website). Ask
students to highlight key points.
o Check understanding by asking questions, e.g., How many words
should you write?
o Many of the C1 Advanced lesson plans on our website can help you
familiarise your students with the exam format.
o Check the Information for Candidates booklet, which gives a simple
summary of each paper with ideas to help your students prepare.
Watch the Information for Candidates webinar for practical ideas on
how to use it in class.

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 • Vocabulary cards like the one below are a good way to help students record new
vocabulary, as shown in the C1 Advanced Self-Access Learning Listening
Part 1.

• Encourage students to plan their time carefully and not spend too long on any one part of
the test.

• Find out more about helping students with timed practice tests in the Mock test toolkit.

Completing the digital test

• All answers are typed directly onto the computer screen.

• In the Reading test, candidates can make notes, highlight text and review answers.

• Correct spelling is important in the Reading and Use of English paper. There is no
spellchecker in the digital test.

Completing the answer sheet in a paper-based test in a paper-based test

• Candidates write answers on a separate answer sheet. They can transfer their
answers after each task or after they finish all the tasks but must do this within the
time limit.

• Give students practice completing an answer sheet within the time limit. You can
find a printable version in the C1 Advanced Handbook for Teachers.

• A ‘Spot the Mistakes’ activity is a fun way to check students understand these
instructions. Prepare a poorly completed answer sheet, e.g., with spelling
mistakes, a mix of capitals/lower case, coloured pencil, scored-out answers, etc.
Ask the students to circle all the mistakes they can find.

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 Reading and Use of English
Part 1: Multiple-choice cloze

Key task information

• The task is a short text with eight gaps plus an example.
• Candidates have to decide which option best fits the gap.
• There is only one answer for each question.
• The focus is grammar and vocabulary, e.g., linking words, phrasal verbs,
collocations or words with similar meaning, as well as understanding of the text
at sentence level and beyond.

• Build a habit of reading the whole text before filling in the answers. Ask students to read
the heading and the text quickly, and to then summarise it in one or two sentences before
discussing in class.
• Allocate time during feedback to allow students to compare and justify their answers.
Be prepared to discuss why one word is correct and the others are not.
• As a follow-up, students could research the definitions of similar words and typical
collocations in the Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary and write sentences that highlight the
difference.

• Matching activities are a fun way to review words that typically go together such as phrasal
verbs or collocations. Write verbs on one set of cards and nouns on another set and students
could play ‘go fish’ or ‘snap’ to match cards to make correct collocations or phrasal verbs.

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 Part 2: Open cloze

Key task information

• The task is a gap fill with eight gaps and an example – this time candidates have to
think of the best word to fill the gap.
• The answer is always one word. Note: contractions (I’ll, didn’t, etc.) count as two words.
• The focus is on grammar and vocabulary.

• Many of the tips and the activity ideas for Part 1, e.g., reading the text and title first,
are useful for this part too.
• Build a checklist of common mistakes, e.g., subject-verb agreement, use of plurals and
common spelling errors. Students can use the checklist to check their own and each
other’s work.
• Use accuracy-focused exercises (gap fills, sentence completion, etc.) and
communicative activities (role plays, mingling activities and discussions) from
coursebooks and other supplementary materials to give students general communicative
language practice with common vocabulary and grammatical structures at this level.

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 Part 3: Word formation

Key task information

• The task consists of a short, gapped text. Candidates have to change the form of
the word in capitals, e.g., COMMON to COMMONLY, to best fit the gap.
• The answer is always one word. Contractions (I’ll, didn’t, etc.) count as two words).
• Incorrect punctuation is ignored, but spelling must be correct.
• Each word in capitals only applies to the gap on the same line.
• The focus is on vocabulary and grammar.

• Activities focused on word families, e.g., similar, similarity, similarly, dissimilar are
useful. For example, teams race to brainstorm the most words from a given root word
or categorise words from the same family by part of speech, e.g., noun, adjective,
adverb.
• Any tasks that familiarise students with the principles of word formation (use of
prefixes, suffixes and internal changes) will be helpful.

• Sometimes the missing word is plural or internal changes are needed (e.g., long to
length), so it is a good idea to provide particular practice of such transformations.
• Sometimes a negative prefix will be required. For example, il, un, dis, mis suggest
negative meaning. There is usually at least one word requiring a prefix in each Part 3
task, so advise students to look out for these.

• The Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary includes information about the related forms of a
word. Encourage students to research and record them in their vocabulary notebooks or
on vocabulary cards.
• Encourage students to consider the form of the word they need, e.g., whether it’s a noun,
verb, etc., and how its meaning fits with the text.

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 Part 4: Key word transformations

Key task information

• The task consists of pairs of sentences. Candidates have to complete the
second sentence using a given word, so that it has a similar meaning to the
first sentence.
• The focus is on vocabulary and grammar.
• The answers must be three to six words and similar in meaning to the first
sentence. Contracted forms (I’ll, didn’t, etc.) count as two words.
• The word given in bold must be used and cannot be changed.
• On the paper-based test, students should only write the words they put in
the gap on their answer sheet, not the complete sentence.

• Give students practice in paraphrasing. This could include rewriting sentences from
texts or matching words and phrases with a similar meaning.
• Make sure students pay careful attention to:
o clues about time as this indicates the tense to be used
o any clues in verbs or nouns that indicate whether to use a singular or
plural form in the answer, but remember that the word in bold shouldn’t
be changed
o what comes before and after the gap.

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 Part 5: Multiple choice

Key task information

• The task consists of one long text, followed by six multiple-choice questions.
• Only one answer is possible for each question.
• The questions are in the same order as the information in the text.
• The focus is on understanding detail, opinion, tone, purpose, main idea,
implication, attitude, and also text organisation features such as
exemplification, comparison and reference.

• Teach students to read the text quickly for general understanding before looking at
the questions. As three out of the four options are incorrect, there is no point in trying
to absorb these options before reading the text.
• Next, students should read each question carefully, highlighting key words to help them
keep in mind the information they need to find when they look at the text again.
• Warn students about the risks of ‘word spotting’ (assuming than an option must be
correct because it contains a word that is also in the text). Students should check that
the meaning of an option is fully stated in the text, not just one word from it.
• When questions are incomplete statements like the question in the example above,
encourage students to read both parts of the sentence carefully and to then check that
the whole sentence matches what is in the text and not just the phrase in the four
options.
• Encourage students to underline the section of text where they find each answer. To
follow up, give them the chance to discuss their choices with each other before sharing as
a class.

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 Part 6: Cross-textual multiple matching

Key task information

• The task consists of four short extracts from academic articles and four
statements related to the opinions expressed in them. Candidates must
match a statement to one of the four texts (A–D).
• Extracts A–D may be chosen more than once, so there could be one extract that is
not mentioned.
• The focus is on understanding the opinions and attitudes between the writers.

• Give students practice with texts that give different views on a related theme and that
are academic in style, such as different reviews of the same book or four experts giving
their opinion on a subject. More formal reviews, such as those found in quality
newspapers or journals, are a useful source for this type of text.

• Reassure students that they won’t need specialist knowledge of the topic. However,
practice in dealing with both complex vocabulary and structures such as noun phrases
is useful.

• Students should read each question carefully and identify whether it asks them to look
for a similar or different opinion.

• Activities which focus on recognising and evaluating attitude and opinion, and which
enhance your students’ abilities to infer meaning are helpful. You could ask students
to underline words that show whether the author’s attitude is positive or negative or
if they are certain or uncertain, for example.
• Analysis of the author’s attitude and opinion can be followed up with class discussion
in response to ideas expressed in the text.

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 Part 7 Gapped text

Key task information

• The task is a text with six missing paragraphs.
• Seven paragraphs are given in jumbled order and candidates have to select the
paragraph that best fits each gap. There will be one extra paragraph that is not used.
• The focus is on text structure, cohesion and coherence, and the candidates’
ability to follow the development of a long text.

• Tell students to read the text with the gaps first so that they gain an idea of the
structure and the development of ideas before starting the task.

• Give students plenty of practice in recognising ways used to develop of texts:

o the development of the theme and overall organisation of the text
o words and phrases indicating time, e.g., over the past decade
o linking words of contrast, addition, etc., e.g., however, furthermore
o repetition and synonyms, e.g., the sea, the water, the waves
o sequence of tenses, e.g. used in clauses before and after the gap.
o pronouns, e.g., this, that, these, those.
• Here are some helpful activities for your students to try:
o write headings for paragraphs to practise identifying the main idea in each
o write an outline plan to help them focus on its main ideas and organisation
o give students some sentences with linking words to complete (e.g., Learning English
can be challenging, however, ...) or use them as a basis for discussions
o circle pronouns in a text and find the noun or noun phrase they refer to.

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 Part 8: Multiple matching

Key task information

• The task consists of one long text or up to six shorter texts, preceded by 10 questions.
• Candidates must locate the section of text where the answer to the question is
expressed.
• Candidates can choose sections more than once and there will be between four and
six options.
• There may be more than one correct answer in some cases and if so, the instructions
will say this.
• The focus is on locating specific information, detail and recognising opinion and
attitude.

• Give students practice in reading the text quickly first to get a general idea of the content
of each section. This overview gives students an idea of where to start looking for the
matching information.
• Students should then underline the key points in the statements and scan the text for
the particular information required. They do not need to read every word in the text.
However, they should be aware that the 10 statements can be expressed in the text
using different words and sentence structure and that they need to find a paraphrase
of the whole question, not just one part.

• Write questions for your students about the text to encourage them to read for detail,
look for clues and find the answers.

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 • The following activity gives them practice looking for key information for Part 8, as well
as paraphrasing practice for Part 4 (key word transformation):

o Ask your students to choose a text and pick three or four statements from it
at random. They can work in pairs to paraphrase their statements while you
monitor and support them.
o Then they can swap their text and paraphrased statements with another
pair who can try to identify the original statements in their text.
o Follow up with a brief discussion on how easy/difficult students found the
task and what strategies they used to paraphrase their statements, e.g.,
changing from active to passive voice, using synonyms, etc.

Writing
General teaching tips

• Read a variety of texts in class, including model answers to Writing Parts 1 and 2.
Highlight features of style and tone to help your students adopt these in their writing.
• Encourage students to use a range of language. If they make mistakes, they still
receive marks for effort as long as the mistakes do not impede communication.
• The flow of ideas in their writing should be logical and easy for the reader to follow. In
the C1 Advanced Writing paper this should not be limited to just using linking words and
phrases. Students will need guidance in using a variety of cohesive devices and
organisational features.

• Help your students improve their writing with the practical ideas in this webinar on
writing for higher level learners.
• Practise different ways of planning to write, e.g., using mind maps, and emphasise how
planning helps candidates meet the criteria for content and organisation. The time for
the Writing paper (90 minutes) is enough for candidates to make brief plans and write
two answers.
• The Writing guide for C1 Advanced will help you assess and develop students’ writing
skills with practical teaching ideas, and it provides detailed information on using the
assessment criteria. The Mock test toolkit includes useful ideas for giving feedback on
writing after a practice test.

• Are your students aware of the online tool called Write & Improve? It’s a great way to get
extra practice and feedback on their writing.

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 • Although spelling and punctuation errors are not specifically penalised, they can impede
communication. Keep a checklist of students’ common spelling errors and encourage
them to refer to this for self- and peer-checking activities. Note that American usage and
spelling are acceptable in the exam.
• Each question on the Writing paper carries equal marks so students should put equal
effort into both Parts 1 and 2. Initially, students might find writing two tasks in 90 minutes
challenging, but encourage them to keep a record of how long they spend each time – it’s
a great way to show them they are making progress.
• Candidates are asked to write 220–260 words for each question in Parts 1 and 2.
However, encourage learners to focus on fully answering the question, checking that
the content is relevant, rather than counting the number of words they have written.

Digital test
• In the digital writing test, students can change the text and screen colour.
• There is a word count as they type their answers.

Completing the answer booklet

• Make sure students know that they need to write their answers in the answer
booklet. Several lined pages are provided for candidates to write their answers.
• Candidates should write neatly but it is not important if they write in upper or lower case, or
if their writing is joined up. Any corrections they make should be clear so that the examiner
can follow and mark their work.

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 Writing
Part 1: Compulsory task

Key task information

• Candidates have to write an essay of between 220 and 260 words on a topic about
as a follow-up activity, such as listening to a discussion or watching a documentary.
• A set of notes on the topic is provided, consisting of three bullet points plus three
short opinions related to the bullet points.
• There is no choice of tasks in this part.
• The main purpose of the task is to write about relevant issues on the stated topic, and
to support an argument with subsidiary points and reasons.

• Encourage students to read the question carefully and underline key instructions.

• Emphasise that they should only select two of the bullet points on which to base their
essay. Discussing more than two points might lead to writing irrelevant infromation.
• Candidates can use the opinions provided to develop their essay. However, no credit
is given for language which is copied directly from the question. Give students practice
in rewriting the opinions in their own words.

• Practise techniques for organising writing: using paragraphs to guide the reader,
including an introduction and conclusion, linking words and phrases (e.g., but, so,
however, on the other hand, etc.) and cohesive devices (e.g., using pronouns for
referencing and synonyms to avoid repetition).

• Use model answers and other texts to show how varying the length of sentences,
using direct and indirect questions and a variety of structures and vocabulary can all
help to communicate ideas more effectively.
• Give students practice in supporting their ideas with concrete examples, e.g., from
their experience or observations.
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 Part 2: Choose a task

Key task information

• The task consists of three questions from which candidates choose one.
• Candidates may have the option of writing a letter/email, a proposal, a report or a
review of between 220 and 260 words.
• Since not all task types appear on every paper, it is important for students to
have experience of writing all the different types that might be included in this
part of the paper.

On the digital test, students select which question they are going to answer:

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 Teaching tips for letters/emails
• Ask students to focus on who the reader is and decide on the appropriate style and tone,
for example,
to an English-speaking friend, colleague, potential employer, college principal or
magazine editor.

• They should be familiar with both formal and informal opening and closing phrases.

• Letters/emails will also require candidates’ answers to carry out other functions, e.g., to
reassure somebody, to correct a misunderstanding, or to justify a course of action, so
they will also need to practise using functional phrases such as hypothesising, giving
advice, justifying and judging
priorities, etc.

Teaching tips for proposals and reports

• A proposal or report is usually written in a neutral or formal style. The reader could be
from a peer group (such as colleagues or club members) or a supervisor (such as a boss
or a college principal).

• Candidates will be expected to make one or more suggestions, supported by factual

information and evaluation, in order to persuade the reader. Students should work on
using functional language for evaluating, making suggestions and persuading.

• Students should use headings such as Background or Introduction, Recommendations,

etc. to organise their proposal or report in a logical way based on the question.

Teaching tips for reviews

• A review may be about a book, magazine, film, play, concert or a product or service.

• Students should be encouraged to read as wide a range of reviews as possible,

such as those for holidays, books, films, television programmes and consumer
goods.

• A review in the Writing paper does not only ask for a general description of the
thing reviewed, but requires an evaluation of its suitability for a particular purpose
or audience.

• The target reader is specified in the task, and candidates should be encouraged to use
this information when choosing appropriate ideas and language to include in their
response.

• Your students may find it motivating to write a genuine review for something they have
tried and to share the final version on a real English language review website.

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 Listening
General teaching tips

• Give students plenty of exposure to a range of voices, accents and styles of delivery.
Select listening materials from C1-level coursebooks as well as authentic materials that
you think might be interesting for your students, e.g.:
o podcasts
o radio and TV programmes
o formal announcements
o informal discussions
o lectures.
• It helps if students feel relaxed and focused during listening activities. Try these ideas
to build up their confidence and listening skills step by step:
o Discussions are a great source of listening practice. Give students plenty of
opportunities to talk together and listen to one another in pairs and groups.
o Make students aware of how much they themselves bring to a listening task. For
example, discuss what they can expect to hear, e.g., names and places in news
reports or numbers and times if they listen to announcements.
o Make sure students have enough time to read the questions before they listen so
they know what to listen for.
o When introducing new vocabulary, make sure students know how to pronounce
it – this will help them recognise words when they hear them.
o If a listening is particularly challenging, make use of the audioscript to listen
again. This time students can read and listen. Allow time for them to note down
any new vocabulary or draw their attention to features of natural spoken English
such as weak forms or connected speech.
• The C1 Advanced teacher guide for Listening will help you assess and develop your
students’ listening skills. It includes more detailed information about what effective
listening involves and practical teaching ideas to help you develop your students’
listening skills for real life and the exam. You can also get an overview of the guide in the
related Developing English listening skills webinar.

• When your students are ready, hold a practice test under exam conditions. Find out more
about how to prepare your students, how to run the Listening paper and give useful
feedback in the Mock test toolkit.

• Make sure your students know the following information about the test:
o they will hear each recording twice
o there is time for them to read the questions before each recording

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 • Candidates won’t lose marks for minor spelling errors in the Listening paper, but the
intended meaning must be clear.

• Students should enter an answer for all the questions, even if they are not sure of the
correct answer – they’ve probably understood more than they think.

Completing the digital test

• All answers are typed directly onto the computer screen.

• Headphones with volume control help candidates listen comfortably and concentrate.

Completing the answer sheet in a paper-based test

• Candidates write answers on a separate answer sheet. They can transfer their answers
after each task or after they finish all the tasks but must do this within the time limit. They
have 5 minutes at the end of the test to transfer their answers to the answer sheet.

• Give students practice completing an answer sheet within the time limit. You can find a
printable version in the C1 Advanced Handbook for Teachers.

• A ‘Spot the Mistakes’ activity is a fun way to check students understand these
instructions. Prepare a poorly completed answer sheet, e.g., with spelling mistakes, a
mix of capitals/lower case, coloured pencil, scored-out answers, etc. Ask the students
to circle all the mistakes they can find.

• Students should write answers in pencil, using capital letters and clear, neat
handwriting, so that the markers can read it easily. Circles should be shaded in
firmly and clearly.

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 Listening
Part 1: Multiple choice

Key task information

• The task consists of three different extracts with two multiple-choice questions for each
extract.
• Candidates should select only one option for each question.
• This part tests candidates’ ability to listen for gist, detail, function, purpose,
attitude, opinion, agreement, etc.

• Train students to read the questions carefully and pay attention to who is speaking,
how well the speakers know each other and what type of information the question
is looking for. For example, a positive or negative opinion, a reason, etc.
• Remind your students that they need to listen to the whole extract carefully once
through before choosing their answers. It’s a good idea to note down the answer
they think is correct on the first listening but they should listen again carefully to
confirm it the second time.
• Here are some ideas to use with different multiple-choice listening tasks to give your
students extra support and help you to vary classroom activities:
o C1-level multiple-choice listening tasks from supplementary materials and
coursebooks can be used for extra practice (conversations are useful for Part 1
and longer talks for Part 3).
o Give students a discussion task and/or an image linked to the topic of the listening
before they listen and ask them to predict key ideas and language they might hear.
o Ease students into the task step by step, e.g., let the students listen without the
questions first to check their predictions or listen with the question but without the
multiple-choice options – this can make it easier for them to spot the distractors
when they listen again with the options.
o After listening, go over the answers, discuss distractors with students and help
them understand the reasons behind both the right and the wrong answers.
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 Part 2: Sentence completion

Key task information

• The task consists of eight sentences with gaps. Candidates have to fill in the gaps with
words from the recording.
• The questions follow the order of the information in the recording.
• The word, number or phrase required for the answers will be heard on the recording
and does not need to be changed in any way. Usually no more than three words are
required.
• This part tests the candidates’ ability to listen for specific information and opinions in a
single long recording. Recordings may be broadcasts, talks or lectures aimed at a non-
specialist audience.

• Train students to use the time allowed to read the question. They should read through
the information given in the instructions to get an idea of the topic and type of talk they
will hear.

• Before listening, get students to predict what type of word might go in the gap. The
teacher can prompt with questions such as Do you think it’s a noun, a verb ...? Is it
singular or plural? This will help build the habit of reading the text in front of the gap and
the text which follows the gap.

• Another way to support students the first time they do this type of task is to give them the
first and/or the last letters of the word/s that go in the gaps.

• After listening, put students in pairs to compare answers and think about what the
answers might be. For example, did they miss important grammatical information like an
indefinite article (a/an) which indicated a singular noun?

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 Part 3: Multiple choice

Key task information

• The task consists of a longer interview or discussion (around 3 to 4 minutes) involving
two or more speakers. Candidates must answer six multiple-choice questions with four
possible options.
• The questions focus on the explicit and implied attitude and opinions of speakers.
The questions may also focus on detailed or gist understanding, feelings, purpose,
function and agreement.
• Questions follow the order of information presented in the text.

• This is the longest part of the Listening test, and your students should be given plenty
of exposure to longer interviews and discussions.

• See the tips for Listening Part 1 for useful ideas for practising multiple-choice tasks.

• Help students to identify linking words, interviewers’ questions and other textual
features that structure an interview or talk.

• The multiple-choice questions often use language that paraphrases and reports the
speaker’s ideas, attitudes and feelings. Your students need to have a good command
of the typical vocabulary used in order to fully understand the questions. For example,
reporting verbs (e.g., regrets, admits, resents, etc.), adjectives and adverbs describing
attitudes and feelings (e.g., disappointed, frustrated, unexpected, etc.), words used to
report opinions (e.g., insists, suggests, denies, etc.), and degrees of certainty (e.g.,
doubtful, convinced, etc.).

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 Part 4: Multiple matching

Key task information

• The task consists of five short, informal monologues and two tasks in which candidates
must match what the speaker says with a statement from a choice of eight options.
• The letters for the options can only be used once, so three options are not used.
• This part tests the skill of listening for gist, detail, attitude, opinion, etc.

• Remind your students that they will hear five different speakers, but that the texts will
have a thematic link. In this part of the test, the whole series of texts is heard once and
then the whole series is repeated.

• Encourage your students to think about the theme of the texts and to think about the
kinds of attitudes and ideas that they expect to hear in connection with the topic in
question.

• Remind your students that they will be listening for gist meaning rather than detail in
these texts, so although they may not understand every word, they should be able to
pick out the speaker’s main point, feeling, attitude or opinion.

• Students should always highlight key words in the questions for both tasks but there
are two strategies for this task that are equally effective. Encourage students to
experiment with both in class so they can decide which strategy works best for them:

o Strategy A: Use the first listening to answer Task one and use the second
listening to answer Task two.

o Strategy B: Use the first listening to answer both Tasks one and two and
use the second listening to check answers.
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 Speaking
General teaching tips

• Show students exactly what to expect on exam day using the video below of past
candidates taking the Speaking test. You can find links to the video, the examiner’s
comments and ideas on how to use them in class in the Mock test toolkit.
• The standard format of the Speaking test is two candidates and two examiners, as
shown in the C1 Advanced Speaking test video. However, tell students that it is
possible that there will be three candidates. When there are three candidates, the
test lasts longer. Examiners are trained to ensure each candidate has the same
opportunity to speak whether they are in pairs or in groups of three.

• Classroom activities which involve students speaking in pairs and groups will give
practice in skills such as managing interactions, giving personal information, exchanging
information and opinions, giving reasons, speculating, agreeing and disagreeing politely,
justifying opinions and negotiating, all of which are essential in the Speaking test.
• Ask students to watch the video, 5 tips for preparing for Cambridge Speaking
exams, and to try out some of the ideas. As a follow-up they can discuss which ones
they liked and share ideas of their own.

• To ensure all candidates are treated fairly, the examiner uses a script (you can see this
in the sample papers). However, remind students that they can ask the examiner to
repeat instructions or a question.
• Give students practice in paraphrasing when they do not know, or cannot remember, a
word. You could do this by teaching functional phrases like It’s the thing you use for ...,
I’m not sure of the exact word but
..., It’s the person who ..., etc.

• Encourage students to look for opportunities to practise their English, e.g., find
study buddies, or, if possible, socialise with English speakers.

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 Speaking
Part 1: Interview

Key task information

• The examiner will ask questions related to the candidates’ own lives, e.g., about
work, leisure time and future plans, etc.
• Candidates have to answer the questions individually and do not need to interact with
each other.
• This part of the test tests the candidates’ ability to take part in general social interaction.

• Give students lots of practice talking about themselves:

o Brainstorm typical Part 1 topics as a class, e.g., everyday lives, sports,
holidays, school, etc.
o Ask students to prepare around five questions on a few topics to ask and
answer each other in pairs.
o Students should be made aware that they should react naturally and give
full answers but not answers that are too long and dominate the
interaction.
• Create a random wheel of topics (search online for picker or random wheel tools) to
provide prompts for asking and answering questions. This activity can be used for 5 to
10 minutes at the start or end of class to help build students’ confidence in speaking on
a range of topics.

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 Part 2: Long turn

Key task information

• Each candidate is given a set of three photographs and should compare two out of the
three. They then answer further questions about both photographs in response to a
question read out by the examiner. The questions are also written above the photos.
• The focus is on the candidates’ ability to speak individually for an extended period (1
minute). The other candidate is also asked to comment (for about 30 seconds) after
their partner’s turn, so they must listen carefully. They should not speak during their
partner’s long turn.

• Give your students plenty of practice in talking for a minute on a set subject. Get them to
time each other to get a feel for the time.

• Tell students not to adopt ‘closure’ techniques such as ‘that’s all!’. They should keep
talking until the examiner says, ‘Thank you’. In this way, they will maximise the time
available for their 1-minute long turn.

• Ask students to collect pictures from newspapers and magazines and to use these in
class to practise comparing them. Ask students to group pictures into sets and invent
their own Part 2 practice questions.

• Your students should be encouraged to react to and relate the visuals to the tasks rather
than simply describe them. Give them useful language for speculating, e.g., It seems
that ..., x appears to be ..., etc.

• Give students practice in organising their talk, comparing the two pictures and linking
ideas together. Practise linking words for sequencing and adding or contrasting ideas,
e.g., firstly, what’s more, on the other hand. Review comparatives and other ways of
expressing similarity and difference, e.g., one similarity is that ...; in this picture there’s
... whereas in the other there’s ...
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 Part 3: Collaborative task

Key task information

• Candidates talk together for this task, which consists of a discussion question and five
written prompts. Candidates are not expected to discuss all five prompts in the time
available but should continue their discussion until asked to stop.
• Candidates are then given another task in which they are given a minute to work together
towards a negotiated decision.
• They are assessed on their ability to hold a conversation, taking turns appropriately,
and using the language of negotiation and collaboration.

• Reassure students that it is okay if they fail to reach a negotiated decision. The task is
opinion based – there is no right or wrong answer. They should also feel free to
disagree with each other politely.

• Give students practice in accurate production of functional language that is useful in

this type of discussion. This should include ways of managing the discussion, e.g.,
Shall we start with this one?, What do you think?, Shall we move on to ...?, ways of
expressing and justifying opinions and agreeing and disagreeing (politely).
• Advise your students not to try to rush through all the prompts in their discussion. It is
better to deal with several of them in depth than to try to deal with all of them
superficially.

• For more practice in managing and developing an interaction, put students in groups,
give them a Part 3 task and assign roles, e.g., a candidate who constantly interrupts, a
candidate who is very quiet, an examiner. Tell them they should deal politely with any
interruptions or encourage quiet students to say something.

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 Part 4: Discussion

Key task information

• The examiner will direct the interaction by asking questions which encourage the
candidates to discuss the topics introduced in Part 3 further.
• This part of the test gives candidates an opportunity to show that they can discuss
more abstract ideas, express and justify their opinions, and agree or disagree with
one another.

• Train your students to give themselves a little time to think aloud by saying things
like, Well that’s something I’ve never really thought about but, on reflection, I’d
say ...

• After doing a Part 3 task, ask your students to try to predict what kind of questions they
think they might be asked in Part 4. They could do this in groups and then compare their
ideas with those of another group.

• Give students practice in paraphrasing when they do not know, or cannot remember, a
word. You could do this by teaching functional phrases like, It’s the thing you use for ...,
I’m not sure of the exact word but
..., It’s the person who ..., etc.
• Encourage your students to listen to each other’s responses to questions in Part 4 and
join in to develop a discussion if it is appropriate. They must take care, however, to not
interrupt their partner before he or she has given a full answer and also not dominate the
discussion.

• Divide your students into pairs or groups of three and give them a controversial statement
to discuss, e.g., ‘Cars should be banned’. This will encourage them to express opinions
about topics they may never have thought about.

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 List of useful links
Exam preparation – links to sample papers, Information for Candidates and more
C1 Advanced Handbook for Teachers
Mock test toolkit – everything you need for running an effective practice test
Developing Reading Skills: A Guide for Teachers – C1 Advanced
Developing Listening Skills: A Guide for Teachers – C1 Advanced
Assessing Writing: A Guide for Teachers – C1 Advanced
Official Cambridge exam preparation materials
Cambridge English YouTube channel – for more videos, webinars and teaching tips
Information for Candidates
Practice activities for all levels
Write & Improve
Test and Train

Find out more about the benefits of digital exams.

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All information correct at the time of publishing.
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024.