How to study for the Cambridge Proficiency Exam (CPE) & What to expect? - Becoming a Polyglot

In this video I will explain how to study for the CPE and what you can expect from the exam! Below you can find the time stamps to skip through the video. I hope you will enjoy! (The quality of the video is lower than I wanted... pay attention to setting your quality to 'advanced 1080p', so sorry about that...)
01:15 what is the cpe?
01:30 which skills will you be tested upon?
01:39 when did you pass the exam?
02:25 why did I take it?
04:16 the 5 skills + my first tip
04:50 use of English
05:07 reading
05:39 writing + my biggest mistake
07:44 listening + why I found it difficult
09:36 speaking + how to prepare
12:53 how did I study?
14:49 podcasts to prepare for the cpe
16:22 what does the C2 certificate look like?
Website for C2 mock exams with answer keys: www.cambridgeenglish.org/exam...
Socials ❤️
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Instagram: @_becoming_a_polyglot_
Duolingo: VeraLanguage1010
About 😊
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Hi, welcome to my channel! My name is Vera, I am 21 years old and live in Holland. I study to become an English teacher at the University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam. Learning languages is, besides teaching, a big hobby of mine. Follow me along as I discover how to become a polyglot and learn 3 additional languages!
Languages 🇬🇧
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Currently learning: French, Spanish, Korean, and Mandarin
Wish list: Italian, Japanese
Disclaimer ❗️
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Everything is filmed on my Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-WX500 and I do not own any rights to the music which may be used.
#cambridgeenglish #cpe #c2 #english #languagelearning #languageexchange

[@Aluapxyz]

I'm so excited about your feedback about the CPE, I'm studying to improve my writing and I'm glad to know that important to practice essays, reviews and letters formal and informal, because it's actually what I'm doing. I going to keep in mind about listening to podcasts like BCC for the different topics that they have. By the way, I love the funny way you explained your experience, is the first time I've seen your video and I'd love it, you won a new subscriber. Greetings from Paraguay. 🇵🇾♥️.

[@carol4ddams]

Thank you so much for dedicating your time into making this amazing video regarding the C2 proficiency test. Now I feel much more confident knowing where to start studying for it. 🇧🇷❤️

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

That means a lot to me! Thank you! Good luck with your exam and let me know if you have any questions ☺️✨

[@craftingweirdo6498]

I did do the CAE exam and passed it with 202 points!

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

That’s amazing!! Congratulations

[@craftingweirdo6498]

@@BecomingaPolyglot Same goes to you, I know how difficult these C2 exams are

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Yea… they are no joke, especially because I did not know how and what to learn for the exam 😂 what to learn when you have to know everything?! hahaha just practice and familiarize yourself with c2 jargon is what helped

[@craftingweirdo6498]

@@BecomingaPolyglot I luckily had a class in school preparing me for it and it honestly helped me so much

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Oh that’s amazing! As a school should indeed :)

[@samuelilko8501]

That's a great video and your knowledge of English is just awesome! Thank you 😊

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

WoW thank you! I appreciate it

[@rfmilie]

You seem to be a very enthusiastic person and easy-going. This renders your video really nice to watch ! Thanks for this feedback.

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it

[@BrunoSilva-ej7ff]

What a cheerful girl!!! I really enjoyed this video.

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Thank you, I truly appreciate it! :)

[@maues14]

I'm sitting for my CPE by the end of this year. I'm starting to prepare for it and your invaluable tips will certainly come in handy. Thank you. 😊

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

That is great to hear! Good luck on your exam :)

[@elenavlachou2434]

honestly seeing this REALLY helped me i took the cpe exam when i was in 9th grade i almost passed i had 198 points . 2 point away from passing it and it was from stupid mistakes i was so annoyed and embarrassed and mad at myself i felt like a failure and hearing that i am not alone (well obviously but still 😅) is so comforting i mean it’s REALLY HARD

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

I completely onderstand how you're feeling. Hence why I cried of happiness when I finally passed the exam. It is extremely difficult!!!

[@pilymontano]

Hi!! I’m currently a high school student in a Boarding School here in England, and as a requirement for dropping the subject of EAL (English as an Additional Language), we had to take the CPE and pass it. As you can imagine, it was almost impossible to drop the subject, but yesterday I just received my results and I passed!!!! With a not so high grade, but at least I passed!!!

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

No way!!! Ahhh! Congratulations 🎉 this is GREAT! Thank you for sharing with me!! I am really happy for you

[@dr.heikefranz6663]

Thank you so much for this helpful video. I plan to take the C2 proficiency test sometimes in the future, so there is no rush. Since I would never go into an exam or test without thorough preparation, I found your experiences very helpful. Especially the hand-writing part, which scares me a bit. I am so used to autocorrect, when I mistype a word, that it became second nature. One question that you might be able to answer: how does C2 test compare against TOEFL test? I had to take the TOEFL test 20 years ago for my MBA and scored 233 out of 260 points, which was reasonably well. But I assume, C2 is just one notch up....

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

First of all, thank you so much for your comment. I truly appreciate it! I onderstaand your question, sadly I do not have and experiences myself with the TOEFL test. However, I do know what it entails. The CPE is really aimed at achieving a C2 level of English. For each CEFR level there is a different exam. The C1 exam is for instance the CAE (Cambridge Advanced Exam). So it really scores you on one level basically. TOEFL on the otherhand is for instance compatible to the Topik Korean exams (if you are familiar). The test either aims at a beginner stage of English, or at an intermediate to advanced stage. So the amount of points on this exam can be linked to a certain CEFR level. There is sadly, for instance, a TOEFL C2 exam (as far as I know). So It really depends on your score linking to a certain level. I think this is also wat the CPE is way more difficult, as every question on the exam aims for you to achieve a C2 level of English. I would recommend the Cambridge exams if you're required to have a certain level. They also have great mock exams to preparare for this level. But as I do not really have any personal experiences with TOEFL, I cannot really decide for you. Hope this somewhat helps! Let me know if you have other questions and good luck studying.

[@user-wn6fg1ds4q]

hiya! prob u r not reading the comment section tho i can’t help but hats off to ur accent. this is just marvellous, impeccable clear RP

[@silvioluizrodriguesdasilva4606]

Hi! I would like to say congratulations for your great achievement!!! May I ask you a question, please? Have you taken any other Cambridge Exams, before taking CPE?

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Hi there! You can always ask me questions, love to help. No I haven’t taken any other Cambridge exams before nor practice tests ☺️

[@silvioluizrodriguesdasilva4606]

@@BecomingaPolyglot thank you for being so kind! That’s so incredible, taking CPE is one of my biggest dream of life, I wish I could take it… How long have you been in contact to the English language?

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Since I was 10 years old! But I am an English teacher for 3,5 years now so I master the language. I only had to prove it on the exam… horrible really!

[@silvioluizrodriguesdasilva4606]

@@BecomingaPolyglot I see! I’m an English teacher as well and I really would like to achieve this level of proficiency. However, it is not an easy thing.

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Absolutely not! You are right, it is very difficult. I recommend you try the cpe mock tests online!

[@Sweetwalls]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the test has changed, the writing is now 1h30 and regarding the listening there is no more mix and match. I'm preparing that test and I can guarantee that a lot of things have changed.

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Really?! And I took the test just last year, crazy. On the Cambridge proficiency website it still has the mix and match exercises, it’s the very last exercise of the listening exam. I found that one by far the hardest to complete. As far as I can see, it’s still very much the same. But I could be wrong. Maybe this website will help you! Then you know for sure what to expect. It has practice exams for each part along with an answer key :) www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/proficiency/exam-format/

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

*I noticed that I indeed often said that each part took about 2 hours. You are right that it’s 1h30! So thank you for the comment ☺️

[@africanking787]

Hello and thank you for your video and all the tips you’ve shared with us 😊 I currently have a C1 level, and planning on taking the CPE in about 6-7 months from now. Do you think it’s doable to attain C2 and pass the exam with 2 hours of English study PER DAY ?

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

That is great! I will be honest, 2 hours of English per day for the upcomming 6-7 months sounds a lot to me. Do not overdo it I would say. I always like a mix of passive and active learning. Active learning is really sitting down with a notebook or workbook etc, really studying. Passive learning is for instance listening to a BBC podcast on the train to work. Making sure that you are exposed to a C2 level of English on a daily basis, is what I would recommend. And when you're listening, or watching, and you think 'hey, this might be useful', then write it down so during your active study session you can memorize it. In the video I discussed the podcasts that I listened to, I really recommend those! Does that help? :)

[@africanking787]

@@BecomingaPolyglot oh wow thanks a lot for your prompt response! I appreciate it definitely helps ❤️! In terms of grammar-vocabulary workbook, do you have any recommendation?

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

I would search for “Cambridge advanced workbook”. There are multiple online regarding the different skills of the exam. Personally I have not used a workbook, but I would have a third time round.

[@SomedayKorean]

Wow, 1.5 days??? That's a long test! Sounds much more in-depth (and a much more accurate depiction of your overall proficiency) than the TOPIK haha. Congrats!

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Girl this exam was horrible hahaha anyhow you are right, this exam does indeed test your proficiency the best. Thinking back of the HSK exams haha that was nowhere near this. I still haven’t got any topik experiences, but I hope to participate in the exam this year!!

[@user-nx8fn7jg1r]

1.5 days does not mean 36 hours

[@SomedayKorean]

@@user-nx8fn7jg1r Yeah, I realize that. The longest language test I've taken was about 4 hours, so a test spanning multiple days was surprising to me.

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Yea me too!! That why I said it explicitly like that. Insane really! Also very tiresome. I heard they’re changing it to one day. Still, that would be a crazy long exam!

[@ryanwondertroll]

Hello, I couldn't understand properly what you said about the "advantage" of having an A-grade rather than C-grade in the video. Do you mind rephrasing it? Thank you

[@ryanwondertroll]

I mean, it's a better score sure but does it open extra doors in a way or another? (teaching, etc)

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Hi @ryanwondertroll ! Ah good question. Yea right now I have my bachelors degree as an English teacher. If I were to do a masters (with which I can teach at higher education and University) then an A grade is needed. At least, that's what I have learned from my friends who did the masters already. Hope this helps!

[@teacheralemelo]

Will you try to improve this grade ?

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

I don’t think so no, at least not right now. But I probably need to for my research masters anyways…

[@PaddingtonSoul]

Congratulations 🎉👍 I suspect your next target will be Korean. Not sure, though 😅

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Yea… probably 😂

[@user-wu5rf3fs6w]

You really come as a native speaker, it really doesn’t make any sense to me how you only managed to get a score of 204 points

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Ah I take that as a huge compliment thank you! I am a person who doesn’t do well on exams honestly, I am far better at essay writing. Something with nerves probably ☺️ plus add the time pressure for this intense exam, yea… 204. Glad I passed 😁☺️

[@ionavasconcelos4838]

Linda

[@user-nx8fn7jg1r]

It's no longer called CPE, is it?

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

It still is! Cambridge Proficiency Exam, but this is only the name for the C2 exams. The other levels have different exam names like FCE for instance (first Cambridge exam)

[@Diego-lt4wm]

5:04 Cambridge when they hear you say "stuff": "Your C2 score has been reevaluated and rescaled to A1". Like seriously, when I had to prepare for C1 all my teachers strongly suggested me to avoid using that word more than once, as the repetition of it could be interpreted as a lack of vocabulary and thus of English fluency. Most of the times I use it simply because it is easy and simple to use and 99.99% of the times people will perfectly understand you and even accept it for academic purposes. Still, I am C1 but my reading and writing skills are well within the range of C2. I have trouble with listening skills (mostly because I have poor memory) and speaking skills (Mostly because I am shy and have trouble speaking with strangers, actually I didn't get to speak a word of my mother tongue until I was 3 years old). With both skills falling in the B2 range. Listening is B2 A grade and speaking is B2 B grade

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

I understand what you’re saying. Little side note, I did not keep the C2 level in mind when filming this video. It’s not c2 representative 😁 I don’t know whether they are that strict, but it’s indeed true to be a clear as possible with your choice of words. I always tell me students ‘no vague words, be hyper specific’. Listening is difficult as you need to read and listen at the same time, which both go very fast. I highly recommend the podcasts I listened to, familiarize yourself with the vocab. And do the practice rounds which you can all find online as well! Get familiar with the type of questions :)

[@Diego-lt4wm]

@@BecomingaPolyglot Thank you for the advice! Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the certification exams, I think they can be quite arbitrary on the way they measure the abilities of the test taker, especially as it has been demonstrated that even native speakers struggle with the exam. Although I am mexican, I attended to a High School in which all subjects (except Spanish) were in English. I am used to the academic use of the language, but still that has proven it isn't enough to get a high level certification

[@Diego-lt4wm]

@@BecomingaPolyglot Also I apologize if it appeared that I was criticizicing your work or english skills, my comment was pointed towards the sometimes "over the top" standards. But as you said, we need to be specific, even if our idea isn't. That means that even if we have zero idea of what we want to say (even if they asked us in our mlther tongue). Sometimes I have trouble with it as my mind is always dispersed, and if you ask me about A, somehow I manage to talk from A to Z in minutes if not less, and I know that is not desirable for any language test

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Honestly, I hated that I needed to take this exam. Horrible really! Although the 10 year old in me was really proud that I finally received a Cambridge English certificate.

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

This is so normal! I understand. I also think it’s exactly what you need for a speaking exam such a this one. Like I said, it’s all about fluency and being able to speak naturally

[@phoenixjoe5520]

You seem to ‘know’ the language superficially, making mistakes the proficient learner shouldn’t be making..Quite arrogant and patronising, though..

[@BecomingaPolyglot]

Can’t please everyone. I am quite proud of my English though and receiving a C2 Cambridge certificate. Everyone will make mistakes, I even make mistakes in my native language. It does not really botter me, if it would, it would only demotivate me.

[@Fernandez31gqrci]

Ay mi amor