FCE, CAE and CPE overview FAQs
FAQs about FCE, CAE and CPE
- Are there syllabuses for the FCE, CAE and CPE exams?
- What are the pass marks for FCE, CAE and CPE?
- What marks are given to different papers?
- If papers have more than 40 available marks, how is a candidate's total out of 40 calculated?
- Why does the C grade have a wider percentage of marks than the A or B grades?
- Do the exams overlap, e.g. is FCE grade A equivalent to CAE grade C?
- If candidates use only capital letters, will this affect their score?
Are there syllabuses for the FCE, CAE and CPE exams?
No. Unlike KET and PET, FCE, CAE and CPE do not have a syllabus, nor a specified topic list. Texts included in these examinations are aimed at the general reader without specialised knowledge in any particular area, so any material of a general nature is suitable for preparing students for these examinations.
The Information for Candidates documents provide information on each exam and examples of the different task types in each examination.
Download the Information for Candidates, sample papers and more.
What are the pass marks for FCE, CAE and CPE?
The percentage of marks needed to achieve each grade may vary from session to session depending on the precise difficulty of the individual papers which make up the particular examination. The approximate range of percentages for each grade at FCE, CAE and CPE level are:
Grade A 80% and above
Grade B 75% to 79%
Grade C 60% to 74%
Grade D 55% to 59%
Grade E 54% and below.
This information appears on the Statement of Results.
What marks are given to different papers?
Each paper is equally weighted at 40 marks. The candidate's aggregate score for all of the papers is then used in awarding a grade.
This information is included in the FCE, CAE and CPE Information for Candidates documents, in the Learner Resources section.
If papers have more than 40 available marks, how is a candidate's total out of 40 calculated?
For each of the papers, the mark awarded to the candidate is weighted to a mark out of 40 in this way:
Candidate's score × 40 ÷ maximum number of possible marks.
This gives each paper in the examination equal importance. The weighted marks for each paper are then added together to give an aggregate score, and it is this score on which the grade is based.
Why does the C grade have a wider percentage of marks than the A or B grades?
The Main Suite examinations are focused at a particular level of language proficiency, unlike examinations such as IELTS, which covers the spectrum of ability from Waystage to Advanced.
Therefore, the primary function of these examinations is to identify passing (and failing) candidates. The higher grades are far enough from the Pass cutoff to suggest a distinctly higher level of achievement, and this is recognised by the award of B and A grades.
Do the exams overlap, e.g. is FCE grade A equivalent to CAE grade C?
An FCE grade A represents a high level of performance on tasks of intermediate difficulty and a CAE grade C an adequate level of performance on tasks of higher difficulty. These do not represent exactly the same thing, and Cambridge ESOL does not endorse statements about 'equivalence'.
However, Cambridge ESOL exams are linked to a single proficiency scale, the Common European Framework. An A at FCE or a C at CAE might both indicate that the candidate is at Level C1 on the CEF. To this extent there is overlap between exams.
If candidates use only capital letters, will this affect their score?
The use of capital letters is acceptable throughout the FCE, CAE and CPE examinations. However, in the CAE English in Use Error Correction spelling and punctuation tasks, a letter that has been corrected to be a capital should be clearly indicated.
The answer sheet for CPE Use of English Parts 1, 2 and 3 must be completed in capitals.
