How to PASS the C2 Proficiency (CPE) Cambridge English exam - student's preparation tips

Tarek recently passed the C2 Proficiency Cambridge English exam (one of the most difficult English exams) with a grade A. In this interview, he shares his invaluable tips on preparation and mindset to help you pass your exam, too.
➡️ Details of my online preparation courses for the B2 First (FCE), C1 Advanced (CAE) and C2 Proficiency (CPE) Cambridge English exams here: ttp-exam-academy-ben.thinkifi...
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(Watch the free introduction video for the course here: • Essential Grammar cour... )
👩‍🎓 FREE Advanced Vocabulary Flash Cards! (revise words and phrases from my videos): subscribepage.io/advancedflas...
Ben Gill
English Teacher
🌐 ttpenglish.com
Book recommendations for Cambridge English exam preparation: B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency - (These are Amazon affiliate links)
B2 FIRST (FCE):
Spain;
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Italy;
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France;
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Germany;
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UK;
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C1 ADVANCED (CAE):
Spain;
Advanced Trainer: amzn.to/3kivO1Y
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Advanced 2 (exam papers): amzn.to/3spreBP
Italy;
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France;
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Grammar and Vocabulary for Advanced: amzn.to/2P44Gbf
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Germany;
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UK
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C2 PROFICIENCY (CPE):
Spain;
Proficiency 2 (exam papers): amzn.to/3pQm1RS
Objective Proficiency: amzn.to/3aSojvw
Grammar and Vocabulary for Advanced and Proficiency: amzn.to/3sp2vxi
Italy;
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Objective Proficiency: amzn.to/2ZVYHr6
Grammar and Vocabulary for Advanced and Proficiency: amzn.to/3pWX1bx
France;
Proficiency 2 (exam papers): amzn.to/3sHE7aH
Objective Proficiency: amzn.to/2O0X5K7
Grammar and Vocabulary for Advanced and Proficiency: amzn.to/2NFWFcl
Germany;
Proficiency 2 (exam papers): amzn.to/3sv1xjj
Objective Proficiency: amzn.to/3y9xCQa
Grammar and Vocabulary for Advanced and Proficiency: amzn.to/3svM8PO
UK;
Proficiency 2 (exam papers): amzn.to/3kuTgZN
Objective Proficiency: amzn.to/3bEtvlT
Grammar and Vocabulary for Advanced and Proficiency: amzn.to/2ZUPNui
0:00 Welcome Tarek
1:45 How did you reach a C2 English level?
5:51 Why did you decide to take the CPE exam?
8:22 Tarek's scores
9:50 How did you prepare?
16:05 Did you focus on your weaknesses?
21:14 Online preparation course
25:10 Seeing the exam as a privilege
27:50 Speaking test disappointment
31:13 Confidence vs overconfidence
35:10 One last tip
#learnenglish #advancedenglish #c1advanced #c2proficiency #b2first #cambridgeenglish #tothepointenglish

[@christophthurnherr3557]

I recently took my C2 exam and just got my result: Passed with 221 points (Grade A). I honestly would have taken a C, amazing result for me. Funny enough I was quite "bad" at writing (210), where i expected to be very good. But in use of English, which I feared the most, I got 230! Ben, I just wanted to say thank you, your videos have helped me big time. This was my first English exam, I studied only by myself and in my opinion much of it comes down to exactly understand what is expected of you. This is something you point out often. Thank you for your work!

[@davidandrade3832]

Hey! How long did you prepare? Give me some tips on how to pass, I'll sit the exam next month. How did you prepare for the listening?

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Congratulations, Christoph! I'm so glad my videos helped.

[@christophthurnherr3557]

@@davidandrade3832 Sorry, somehow my answer didn't go through. I started preparing in February and used the book "Objective Proficiency". It contains every kind of task. You can find the audio files for its listening exercises on youtube. I strongly recommend listening to podcasts such as "the rest is politics" where a sophisticated level of English is used. Also make sure that you know exactly what is expected of you, the tasks are always the same.

[@dieguini22]

Congrats to Tarek and thank you, both, for sharing such an inspirational experience with C2! It helps me get closer to taking the exam with that final courageous push I needed.

[@amayagz1933]

Congratulations Tarek! It seems to me that your bilingual education since childhood has helped you a great deal as well.

[@Kej.9]

I´m taking the exam in July...I try to approach it like - there is no possibility of "failing" - I try to say myself that even if I get the C1 level, that´s still amazing. On the other hand, I´d be disappointed due to the innumerable hours I´ve put in preparation. I am a bit afraid of the Use of English part - part 4 is my nightmare - and I am terrified of writing and speaking. You never know the topics you´ll get. I am a bit hesitant to admit that I´ve been preparing for 2 years now....But the journey is the destination and I am sooo grateful that I can tell my skill are definitely at higher level and that´s what counts... I wish luck to all of the "students" here with their exams!

[@cristianpascu1106]

Good luck ! Hard work pays dividends in the end ! It has to !

[@Kej.9]

@@cristianpascu1106 thanks a lot

[@Tarekest1988]

Wow, look at me. Now I have watched the whole thing. "got distracted not once but two times..." how about saying "not once but twice" Tarek? Was a pleasure doing this interview Ben.

[@carolinarosinelli]

I took my B2 in 2022. I felt very confidence and got the highest score in the Speaking paper. Now, I'm looking forward to taking C2. I'm just a little afraid, nonetheless your videos are quite useful, Ben. Tarek's results were brilliant. Thanks for sharing. Hugs from a fan from Brazil! =)

[@cristianpascu1106]

Thank you Ben, thank you Tarek ! Congratulations ! I have my exam on June 7..., I hope I ll bring good news too.

[@Alex-cs6en]

I’m so glad thb that you make videos revolving around C2 level, Ben 💜 I spend a lot of time here on your channel just because of that, as I would love to pass it someday. I’m not the type of person who prepares for it a week in advance, I am here like a year or two before taking the exam 😅😅 so just letting you know that there are different audiences 😉 and yeah anything about how to prepare yourself in the long run, book recommendations or just how to achieve this level, what to focus on would be really appreciated by me 😊 all the best 💪🏻

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Take your time and enjoy the journey 🙂

[@vanessadimarco158]

Congratulations! Thanks to both of you for your tips.

[@bingchavez29]

Congratulations, Tarek! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@alejobola]

Tarek: I'm a huge Arsenal fan. Ben: Nobody is perfect. 😂😂😂 I died! damn I love that wry British humor.

[@emankcin1701]

At 35 minutes: "I don't want to take too much of your time..." Student: "Well, it's a bit late for that don't you think"

[@maxthirtyseven]

Congrats Tarek, and thanks Ben 😊

[@Phulanitos]

Thanks, Ben !!

[@fleurblanche7642]

Wow Exceedingly interesting international and varied life which is propitious for a good command of languages no matter what kind of carrier you launch yourself it is your attitude to language and open-mindedness The chap is excellent I mean his English is also super.What a superb level

[@BulatKid]

Thank you Ben for this great video. Hats off to Tarek!

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

You're welcome, Bulat

[@HoudaAbou-Assi]

Proud of you ❤

[@abfr48]

Thanks Ben

[@SabineHamer-mr7pm]

Hi Ben, I'll watch this video tomorrow because I 'm currently translate another chapter for you, I don't want to keep you waiting five weeks, have a good start into the new week 👍👋

[@ezgibb]

I can't thank you enough Ben, I recently passed my CPE exam with grade B! Your videos helped me so much, you are an excellent teacher! I look up to you as a student English teacher. Greetings from the Netherlands

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Congratulations! That's a great result! I'm glad you found my videos useful

[@carolinarosinelli]

There are some advantages to being a Brazilian person hahahaa. ;) When I took my B2 everyone had talked to each other on the waiting room. We had entered to the speaking room to take the exam with a little previous knowledge about each other hahahaha. We're very talkative in general and this may be positive, sometimes!

[@ivangonzalez2673]

Hi Ben, thank you for all the hard work you put into making these videos! I've got a question, maybe you could help me. This is taken from the C2 Proficiency 2, it's a sentence in part 4: Once he'd handed in his entry, the only thing Tom could do was wait for the judge's decision. nothing (key word) Once he'd handed in his entry, there .... wait for the judge's decision. Now, the answer given is 'was nothing (that) Tom could do except'. But here's my question, why can't you say 'was nothing (that) Tom could do but wait'? The Cambridge Dictionary says this: But meaning ‘except’: But means ‘except’ when it is used after words such as all, everything/nothing, everyone/no one, everybody/nobody: The cleaning is done now, all but the floors. They still have to be washed. I arrived at the airport and realised that I’d brought everything but my passport! Everyone but Anna has checked in. Nobody but the receptionist was left in the lobby of the hotel. What I get from the above is that, at least grammatically speaking, 'but' meaning 'except' should only be used before noun (phrases), even though some people use it before verbs, is that right? Thanks a lot! :)

[@user-ph1xo2hw5e]

Hi Ben,I am a huge fan of yours and your videos are beyond helpful for every student .I have to admit that your work is praiseworthy. My C2 exam is fast approaching and I want to ask a question about the reading task ,does part 8 still exists in exams ? I have recently done some practice tests that did not contain part 8 .I would be delighted if you answered me !keep up the good work

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

The Reading and Use of English paper of the C1 Advanced exam has 8 parts, but the C2 Proficiency has 7 parts.

[@user-ph1xo2hw5e]

Thank you so much ,I appreciate it ❤️

[@ErtixPoke]

Good video. But could you make a video about different versions of English such as the American English, please? 😊 It's sad that I can't find anything about it on your channel.

[@donkeyhota.dontflamingo9294]

Ben, de qué son los libros esos que aparecen detrás de ti?

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Various libros antiguos (todos en español y no he leído ninguno 🤫 )

[@ramongil7196]

Hi there, I assume that these courses are a sort of guides to face and cope with the required preparation to pass Cambridge exams, therefore, they're not English courses per se in which grammar, vocabulary and so on, are tackled, are they?

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Hi. Yes, the Cambridge exam preparation courses focus on tips on strategy and approach for the exams. However, I also have a grammar course which you might find useful, even if you're not planning on taking an exam: ttp-exam-academy-ben.thinkific.com/courses/grammar-for-b2-c1-and-c2

[@Cabdinasirmuxmed555]

I want to register

[@ismaelrosa8091]

Where could I get the mock exams he did?

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Cambridge have 2 books which contain 4 sample tests each. They are simply called "Proficiency 1" and "Proficiency 2"

[@GhassanAbouassi]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@Cabdinasirmuxmed555]

I want to register under you

[@user-cc2ux9ew1r]

29 with grade A. Did you mean passed with flying colours, big cheese? 😄 Happy days, that's what you want, innit? I am chuffed for him. He must meet us at the local boozer for a few rounds on him of course. Hope he's not a tight fisted geezer .🍻🥂🍺 down the hatch Ben & Tarik 😂

[@Staruha91]

I’ve done thousands if not hundreds of videos”. Not sure if that’s a clever wordplay or just a slip.

[@Tarekest1988]

He said dozens. Not thousands.

[@Staruha91]

@@Tarekest1988oh, true. Sorry for the confusion)

[@viktoriyamochalova5047]

Hello Ben, could you tell me please how I can find your telegram, thank you in advance