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How to Pass the CPE and Remain Sane

In this article, I'm going to share my experience with the CPE exam.

Succinct writing is definitely not my strong suit, so this article turned out to be quite lengthy.

Click on the following links to go to the details you're most interested in:

Part 1: How it all started (my problems and how I went about them: vocabulary, reading, speaking, stress, attitude)

Part 2: Preparation (some numbers + computer or paper-based?)

Part 3: The weeks before the exam (I was freaking out)

Part 4: In the exam (a detailed account of the event: exam centre, Reading, Use of English, Writing, Listening, Speaking)

Part 5: After the exam (I felt miserable)

My result

P.S. My advice

RESOURCES (some useful links: books, listening, reading, use of English, vocabulary, grammar, speaking, writing)

PART 1: How it started

About 6 years ago, when I started this community, I wanted to take the CAE exam (hence the name � CAE Advanced English). But being a perfectionist, I did not feel ready even after 9 months of self-preparation, so eventually, I chickened out. Sure, I wanted to be a proud certificate holder one day � but in the distant future, not now. Talks about actually taking the exam were all just pie in the sky. Until a friend of mine took the CPE last year, and I decided to give it a go, too.

It's hard to say what level of English I had at that time. Probably, C1-C2 in reading and listening (courtesy of children's books, YouTube videos, TV series and my passion for languages), C1 in writing and speaking.

I started off by following the old wisdom to KNOW YOUR ENEMY � i.e. my shortcomings and potential obstacles I'd have to overcome.

You might probably think I'm selling myself short. Well, you're not wrong :) I'm just an imperfect perfectionist.

But hey � if I did it, you can do it, too! You (yes, I mean personally YOU) can do it! (provided you put in enough time and effort into this, that is)

1) Vocabulary

I needed to work on my active vocabulary all the time.

Gone are the days when I could memorize a phrase after just a few exposures and then use it confidently and appropriately. The cold-hard reality now is that I need multiple examples and about 3-5 revisions to get the meaning, let alone to be able to use the phrase in context.

This is an actual representation of me reading any book.

Despite all the content in English I've devoured over the last few years, I have some difficulty speaking and writing. While some people naturally and effortlessly (or so it would seem) pick up new phrases, my brain keeps getting it wrong:

� Is it the luck of the draw or the draw of the luck?

� Is it the crop of the cream or the cream of the crop ?

� Is it cold hard or hard cold?

� Is it I grew on it or it grew on me ?

The struggle is real. It's like having a lousy autocorrect all the time that's interfering with everything I want to say.

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(As you would expect, I hate phrasal verbs)

Spaced repetition partially solved the problem (see Part 2), so did learning collocations instead of standalone words

When it comes to the CPE, learning lexical chunks is essential. You can't just learn a list of C2 words by heart, recite them from memory and then get an A � you need to put them into context. The more complex structures you can use (appropriately!), the higher score you'll get.

Learning vocabulary in chunks helped me with:

� GENERIC PHRASES: to lurch from crisis to crisis; find an outlet for � ; (that) in and of itself is �; deceptively easy; an ongoing debate, etc.

� TOPICAL VOCAB: lowbrow/middle/highbrow/wholesome entertainment; morally edifying film; strong work ethic; predatory marketing towards sb; the trappings of fame, etc.

� SIMILAR WORDS:

• His amazing recovery confounded the doctors / sb confounded his critics / The problems were compounded by severe food shortages
• intricate patterns, design / elaborate story, carvings / exquisite craftmanship

I made a point of revising my vocab notes every now and then because it's the case of ' use it or lose it ' with me. It always felt like an uphill battle, like in that quote from Alice in Wonderland:

If I were to pass the exam, I had to make time for revision.

2) Reading

I have the attention of a goldfish, which makes me a bad reader

It's not an overstatement. I'm easily distracted, and my attention starts to wander pretty soon. When I have to switch my focus between, say, two pages, my concentration gets depleted. Suffice it to say, the whole reading part is a nightmare for me:

CPE Reading Part 6 (gapped text) is by far the most daunting task for me. Once I even had a nervous breakdown. Despite being sure of my answers, I scored only 4 out of 7. So I ended up making some kind of a ransom note wondering whether I could get a pair of scissors and a glue stick in the actual exam:

By the way, it helped. The logic is there. It's just that my reading skills are so poor.

Besides, I tend to make lots of silly mistakes:

I had to type in the words given.

(Flo-Joe daily practice)

Emma turned into Eva. Nice job!

On top of that, I like to make a story out of nothing and can't say for the life of me what the author implies.

Practice and exam strategies helped me a lot.

Sometimes there's little you can do. You just have to accept your shortcomings and deal with them.

3) Speaking

Let's face it: I'm no Oprah Winfrey

I posted this picture in 2017, and it's still relevant today.

I am, indeed, very highly educated. I do know words. Good words.

I just fail to use them.

When it comes to speaking, all those fancy words evaporate from my head. I often stick to my 'linguistic teddy bears' � the structures that I tend to overuse, not in general, but at any given time.

Besides, I wish I could talk more fluently and with less hesitation. The best metaphor to describe my struggle would be �buffering�. You know, when your Internet connection is so bad that a video is being loaded by fits and starts and the pesky spinning wheel appears on your screen.

Much as I strive to be eloquent and to sound sophisticated, my momentary lapses of concentration are something to be reckoned with. In order to eliminate my ermm's and I decided to talk more slowly, highlighting the key words and savouring them (as if I were intellectual af)

Another problem I had to tackle was my nerves. When I joined Paul Newson's course, I had some kind of stage fright (especially in Part 3, long turn). But working on my attitude and having something to say on almost anything made this task a piece of cake for me.

But still, I have to focus on what I'm going to say. Otherwise, it'll be like this:

Solution: slow down to avoid hesitation, talk regularly to your speaking buddies, talk to yourself and record yourself, listen back to your recordings and have this killer attitude in the exam. Exude confidence!

4) Poor stress management skills:

According to scientists, when in danger, people often resort to the fight-or-flight response. My instinctive reaction, however, is to freeze. Have you ever heard of those goats who play dead when faced with danger?

That would be me:

And that's what happened to me in the speaking test (see Part 4)

With the benefit of hindsight, I can say that I should not have been so hard on myself. Hankering after an A in the exam is a lofty goal, but it can cause lots of unnecessary stress.

5) Self-deprecating attitude!

(as you might have already figured)

I'm a perfectionist, so whatever I do, it will fall short of my expectations :)

What helped me: my teachers' generous praise, my speaking buddies' feedback, good results in practice tests + noticeable improvement in all parts of the exam (you can see it after a few months of hard work).

There's no quick fix for that. Therapy would be a good start, though, because this sh*t seems to be deeply ingrained in one's psyche :D

PART 2: PREPARATION

In January 2021, a friend of mine published her astonishing CPE result � a solid A. I wasn't sure I could do the same, but the temptation was huge.

Following my friend's advice, I did 2 mock tests that are available on the Cambridge website. Here are my results � lots of mistakes in the Reading / Use of English, but I somehow managed to make the cut (with borderline C's, but still):

Create your own Google spreadsheet � https://vk.com/wall-99035847_4893

The prospect of me actually passing the exam was exciting! So I decided to give it a go.

Here's my preparation in numbers:

• All in all, I'd been slogging away for 10 months (give or take) before taking the exam, sometimes giving it my all, sometimes doing almost nothing. 'Sporadic efforts' is the best way to describe the process. To be fair, I did study a lot, especially when it came to vocabulary.
• I joined Paul Newson's online preparation course in March 2021. It lasted 6 months with 2 speaking sessions a month for practising the format (I participated in 11 lessons).

• In total, I wrote 17 essays during Paul's course (+ around 15 pieces on my own which were not graded).

• These are my 6 notebooks with new vocabulary (6500 items in total). Initially, those notebooks were for the gold list method, but the plan didn't work. So, I used them as an in-box: I would write down everything that I found potentially useful, and then revise it once in a while.

I took these beauties everywhere :)

• Since my notes were a pile of everything about everything, I wanted to organize the vocabulary items according to topics. That's why I started creating my own 'mindmaps' (I use https://coggle.it/) � 90+ mindmaps in total:

• I had more than 10 study buddies to practice the speaking part. Receiving feedback from them really boosted my confidence!

• I also joined 3 speaking clubs hosted by 3 marvellous English teachers (see the links in the RESOURCES)

� Julia Dmitrieva

� Oxana Kostina

� Paul Newson

• � as well as one writing marathon by Anastasia Glebova and Maria Likhomanova, which is � unfortunately � no longer available.
• I finished all 10 units from Expert Proficiency.

• Starting from July-August 2021, I began to do practice tests (not in one sitting). These are my results:

Create your Google spreadsheet � https://vk.com/wall-99035847_4893

Then came the question: when should I take the plunge? My options were November 13th (computer-based), November 27th or December 5th.

The temptation to cop out was real, but I also needed closure, to get at least some kind of result. I decided not to drag it out and opted for the earliest date � November 13th.

Why the computer-based exam?

1) I'm used to typing. My handwritten texts are always messy, what with countless edits and corrections. Besides, I can improve my writing as I go, not wasting any time on rough drafts.

2) The listening part is a bit easier since you have your own headset and you don't have to strain your ears trying to catch every word from a loudspeaker sitting in a big room.

3) Reading Part 6 is just a tad easier (you can read the whole text in one place).

4) You get your results in 2 weeks (as opposed to 2 months with the paper-based exam).

Once I registered for the exam, there was no going back for me.

I finally entered the home stretch.

Don't fool yourself � you're not tired yet.

PART 3: The last two weeks before the exam

Very accurate.

Needless to say, by the time of the exam I was utterly exhausted because the whole preparation process is both physically and mentally taxing.

Apart from my score, I had one more reason to be worried about � my sleep, or rather lack of thereof.

You see, I'm a light sleeper and I'm heavily sleep-deprived most of the time. It's just a fact of life. These are the memes about me:

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So, two weeks before the exam, my body went rogue on me. I started to wake up at 3-5 a.m., unable to go back to sleep. If you're familiar with this condition, you know that after a while your sleeping pattern gets completely out of whack. Before you know it, boom! � you're a biphasic sleeper (or just a heavily sleep-deprived angry early bird).

Since my normal sleeping patterns went out the window, I had to take some mild herbal sedatives.

Did it help?

Well, yes and no.

Yes, because I managed to restore my sleeping patterns and (for the most part) to sleep through the night.

No, because this is my sleep record before the exam:

I woke up at 4:45 in the morning.

Try as I might, I couldn't fall asleep.

My body had only one job, and it botched it up!

Well. Tough luck!

Then, in the morning, I was supposed to have a hearty breakfast, but I just couldn't force myself to eat because I was feeling nauseous.

Double whammy!

Anyway, I couldn't opt out at this point, could I? I had to see it through! (besides, I would have a legitimate excuse for my low score)

PART 4: In the exam

Exam centre

I took my exam at BKC in Moscow on November 13th.

There were around 10 people taking the exam. We were asked to put away our electronic devices in a plastic zip bag and then hand it in. Mechanical watches were allowed if placed on the desk (not on the wrist).

Generally, everything went smoothly as far as the exam centre is concerned. My only quibble was my keyboard that was rather bulky and I kept making typos, which was driving me up the wall. Apart from a minor technical hitch with a couple of headsets in the listening test, there were no delays and the staff were very supportive. All in all, my experience with BKC was good (not everyone, though, was as lucky as me).

Reading

Thanks to my pills, by the beginning of the test the sedative had started to kick in, and my panic had subsided.

My impression about the tasks:

1 � quite easy (examples of what was tested: rest assured, take cover, go about sth)

5 � some kind of review/article (books about space adventure), okay-ish

6 � an article about privacy (rather difficult because there was no linear storyline)

In the computer-based exam, you won't be able to highlight keywords in the gaps (part 6)!

7 � one long text about maps (rather challenging)

Part 7 might be tricky, too (I had to write my answers down on a piece of paper).

Use of English

The tasks were, by all accounts, quite easy. Testbuilder Proficiency, Mark Harrison's Practice Tests were way more challenging in this regard.

Writing

Had I been doing the paper-based exam, I would have failed.

1) Part 1 was about space travel.

My impression was that the texts in this part were hastily put together. I suppose I might have failed to identify the key ideas in the second abstract.

I spent around 45-50 minutes on Part 1 (that was NOT my intention).

2) Part 2 was in line with my expectations: an article about food and its importance for our social lives (or something like that � I don't remember the exact wording). Luckily, I had already written a similar essay when doing practice tests, so I already had a couple of ideas, including the saying �A pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled� which I used as a title.

(Cambridge � Practice Tests 1, Test 3, Part 1) � see also the model answers given in the book.

I had to play it by ear considering I only had 35-40 minutes left for Part 2. The plan was as follows:

� identify the content points (what should I write about? � 1. describe an event, 2. talk about the importance of food, �);

� draw up a plan (remember: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail ), considering the message I wanted to convey with my writing;

� flesh it out (or rather, pad it out).

My course of action is hardly the most efficient.

It took me 1h25m to finish writing. Both works turned out (guess what?) LENGTHY (oh nooo, who would've thought), around 400 words each.

I was not happy with the result but at least there was time to proofread what I'd churned out.

Listening

If you're planning to take the computer-based exam, make sure you are conversant with the program. The layout in parts 1, 3 and 4 is weird. Remember you'll only have 2 minutes after the exam to double-check your answers (not 5!).

Part 1 � usual (difficult for me due to my short attention span)

Part 2 � usual (easy for me)

I rely on guesswork when I'm reading the tasks before hearing the recording. I highlight the keywords in the question and then come up with some kind of an answer to fill in the gap, just some random ideas will do (the crazier the better). It helps me retain the details and remain focused.)

Part 3 � quite easy (an interview about maths/engineering).

Part 4 � the options given were too wordy :( The highlighting tool came in handy here, but I wasn't acquainted with the layout, so it might be even more confusing than on paper

By the way, in the paper-based exam, you can use your both hands to keep the focus on the speaker � I put my pinky and my index finger on the questions connected to the speaker (all the options are easily readable) and then write the answer with my right hand. It may look odd, but that way, your attention doesn't get depleted (I nailed this type of task on paper, especially when the tasks were not too wordy).

Speaking

That's where everything went awry :(

Speaking Part 1: warm-up questions

First, we had usual questions:

Where do you live?

Are you working or studying at the moment?

I was trembling with fear, but I felt I was ready. Until I got this question:

If you were famous, what would you be famous for?

I must have looked like a deer in the headlights.

I was like �whaaaat?!� And then I mumbled something along the lines of�

� I'd like to be famous� well, for fame� probably, to gain some kind of a following.

Ouch.

It wasn't until the next day that I realized I had misinterpreted the question and named the potential reasons why I would like to be famous instead of highlighting my own talents and skills which could potentially bring me fame and fortune.

I started panicking.

Speaking Part 2: CREATIVITY IN DIFFERENT JOBS

We had 5 or 6 pictures depicting people in different jobs: a chef in a restaurant kitchen, a teacher in a classroom, musicians, football players �

1) Look at pictures A and B and talk together about why these pictures might have been taken (1 minute)

2) Talk together about different aspects of creativity in these jobs and decide which job requires less creativity (3 minutes)

My partner was very supportive and responsive (Maria, if you're reading this � you're a star! I was lucky to have you as a speaking partner), but I couldn't seem to stop worrying about my own poor performance. It just didn't match up to my expectations. Especially when compared against what my partner was saying.

I was panicking, and when I panic, I freeze (remember the goat?)

So, instead of proudly showcasing my English, I couldn't help but think: I AM EFFING FAILING MY EXAM!!!

Speaking Part 3: MOTIVATION

The other candidate first got to answer the first question about motivation in the workplace (or something along those lines). Those 2 minutes were a welcome reprieve � and a time for me to pull myself together.

My question was:

How can we be encouraged to protect the environment?
� personal example
� community
� government

Luckily, I managed to steady my nerves. Since I feel rather passionately about the topic (not to mention dozens of videos I'd watched on this, so I simply developed my ideas using some takeaways from Kurzgesagt � Can we fix climate change? (No) ), I finally felt confident and started producing at least some C2 English.

Speaking Part 3: discussion

After Part 3, we only had 1 question about discouraging / encouraging children.

I felt that I'd finally gained momentum and was ready to show them what I've got � but it was the end of the speaking test.

I left the room disheartened and nearly crushed. If it hadn't been for my partner who reassured me that my speaking was not all that bad, I would have been utterly devastated.

My ideas were rather complex, but since my brain labelled the whole experience as traumatic, it immediately erased all the details leaving so much space for speculation.

My overall impression:

I hadn't used any cool textbook C2 grammar (not that I can remember, I might have done it subconsciously).

My vocab was � hmmm � weird. I can recall these highlights:

� spherical chicken (I'm sorry, what?)

� tilt at windmills (again, whaaaat?)

� the onus is on us to do sth (that's a good one)

� make a concerted effort

� behemoth

� the others will follow suit (at least one phrase that was used appropriately)

� it's a multifaceted problem (a building block from my generic vocabulary)

� I wouldn't go as far as to single out just one � (that was a real gem, probably, the best structure I came up with)

All in all, that did not bode well for me � or so I thought.

PART 5: After the exam

The first emotion was relief.

Much as I wanted to cry after the speaking test, I didn't � I could've, but I was too exhausted. Only when I returned home did I realize I was starving.

The next morning I woke up at 5 a.m. again. Now I felt refreshed to resume worrying. I remembered some of my mistakes in the writing part, started second-guessing every single answer and eventually gave in to my concerns.

Chief among them was the speaking part since I knew I could have done it so much better: my 5-minute performance in the test didn't reflect my true potential. So, for a while, I even was in a combative mood (those results don't define me!). That was very bold of me!

Then I compared notes with other candidates who took the exam on the same day. Everyone was emotionally overwrought. Oddly enough, that revelation helped me process my own emotions. Like in a therapy meeting: I felt I wasn't alone.

I spent the next few days unburdening myself to anyone who would care to listen (that did help to assuage the anxiety I was trying to overcome) and taking care of my poor body.

I tried my best not to dwell on my perceived failure (easier said than done). The first few days were the worst. I was wallowing in self-pity full-time until my feeling of despondency finally wore off.

After a week, I decided to let it be and to wait for my results to come through, in the meantime, to write this verbose article. At the end of the day, writing was my saving grace.

The working title for this article was How I failed My CPE. I was resigned to accepting whichever grade I might get. I was hoping for at least a C in the speaking test:

Students when they get a C in their exam

My result

Imagine my astonishment when I saw this:

Now, this is what I call 'mixed feelings'.

� WOW!!! What a result!

� But it can't be right�

� 226 points � I've definitely outdone myself!

� There must have been a mistake!

� Well, I guess that figures: all that hard work has finally paid off!

� THOSE RESULTS ARE A STATISTICAL OUTLIER, THEREFORE, NOT TRUE!!1

I'm still processing them :) I'll edit this article when I have something else to say.

P.S. My advice:

The CPE exam is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It's the cream of the crop of all the English exams. For most people, it means working flat out � and still not measuring up to their expectations.

That said, it doesn't necessarily mean that you can't pass it. The devil is not so black as he is painted.

I know for a fact that many wonderful people with god-level English backpedal on their plans because they fear they might fail (or get a B or a C instead of an A, which is a failure in their book).

I used to think so, too. But you CAN be a good professional even with the C1 or a C in your CPE. This certificate shouldn't define you. Your personality is so much more than this :) But if you're up for a challenge, give it a go!

Here's my take on Do's and Dont's

Soldier! When in a stressful situation, you will NOT reach the level of your expectations but will regress to the level of your training (please if you have better ideas on how to translate this phrase, do tell me in the comments)

1) Make sure you have enough time

For most people, CPE preparation is no easy undertaking. No one can say how much time YOU will need to pass the exam: it could be a couple of months or a couple of years. Either way, the preparation process is an arduous marathon, not a walk in the park. So make sure you have enough resources (time, money, mental energy) to get through with it.

2) Learn different strategies, and find the ones that work for you

Any decent CPE course / coursebook will give you some good ideas about how to tackle each task. That said, there're no universal tricks that would work for everyone. This is something you'll have to figure out by yourself.

3) Turn to an expert for a second opinion about your writing / speaking output

If you opted for self-preparation, reading the official Cambridge guides and handbooks is a good way to get a general idea about what's expected in the writing/speaking exam. However, it's well worth finding a teacher who is familiar with the CPE requirements, especially if you're aiming for an A. It's ridiculously easy to overlook some assessment points that will affect your final grade.

4) Practice religiously, but pace yourself to avoid exhaustion

Do not spread yourself thin. One thoroughly studied coursebook is way better than trying to juggle 3-5 books at once. But only one book is never enough for C1 or C2: you ought to read and listen a lot, as well as do some practice tests.

5) Find yourself a safety net of people who are going to take the exam on the same day as you.

In my experience, such a safety net is paramount. Before the exam, you can cheer each other up by sharing (and thus releasing) your negative emotions or by sending memes and motivational pictures. After the exam, these people will offer you a sympathetic ear because they know what you've been through.

6) Acknowledge your shortcomings and try to figure out how to deal with them

Be kind to yourself :)

7) Take care of your body, otherwise it might fail you

Take pauses, do light exercises after long periods of study � your back will thank you for it.

A week prior to the exam, try not to cram. You've done whatever you could, now it's time to let your hair down. Instead, try to sleep and eat well.

On the day of the exam, grab some snacks to eat in the breaks (I chose Bite nut bars).

(I had to take some mild herbal sedatives to curb my growing anxiety and at least to try to restore my disrupted sleeping patterns, but it's just my experience)

8) Psych yourself up for the exam, but don't put too much pressure on yourself

It's important to find a happy medium between being complacent and being too anxious.

Complacency may lead to overlooking some important aspects of the exam (such as preparation, assessment criteria or time limits).

By the same token, anxiety didn't help anyone to achieve their best results, especially if you pin all your hopes on an A � if anything, it might backfire spectacularly.

If you've spent lots of time preparing, if you've had positive feedback, if your statistics are fine � you should do fine in the exam, too.

When in doubt, seek a second opinion just to be on the safe side.

On the day of the exam:

� DON'T FORGET your passport / ID

� details of the exam centre

� water and snacks

� REPEAT THE MANTRA: I have already done everything I could, given the circumstances

� you've been trained for this!

� expect the unexpected

� Keep it together! Keep it together! Keep it together!

9) Before the exam, turn to your teachers, friends, study buddies for their support!

When left alone, it's all too easy to get caught up in your thoughts, rehashing the same threadbare arguments that are not necessarily true. So, talk to people! (see #5 above)

10) After the exam, resort to your safety net to vent your frustration.

The support coming from my teachers, study buddy, family and friends was part of my success. (again, see #5)

It's vital to feel someone else's shoulder. You can compare notes, share your emotions, and � what's even more important � feel you're not alone. You've gone through this ordeal and survived. This experience may have been traumatic for you. You might be suffering from PTSD right now. But it'll definitely be reassuring to know that you're not alone, that many with great English are also having a hard time processing the whole experience and dealing with the aftermath of the exam.

Just don't be alone :)

Whatever you're experiencing is fine and valid.

11) It's not the end of the world. Rome was not built in a day.

People don't get the results they've been counting on for a whole host of reasons. We all strive for the best score, but we're only human. Granted, nobody wants to spend $200 only to realize that his or her English is �not good enough�. But you can always try again. Or decide that you don't need it at all. Or come to terms with your result. Or set yourself a more ambitious goal, who knows? :)

These are my 2 cents on Cambridge exams

But hey � you do you. Do whatever works best for you personally!

Hopefully, everything will pan out nicely. Good luck and �

RESOURCES

What is the C2 Proficiency Exam? Find out here.

Mock tests

What's the difference between C1 and C2? (a webinar by Cambridge)

Interview with an exam expert � Part 1, Part 2

How long to prepare? (spoiler: it depends)

Computer or paper-based?

To track your progress, I highly recommend the Google spreadsheet created by Ekaterina Sokolova � https://vk.com/wall-99035847_4893

Preparation books:

Here're the books that proved to be useful for me:

Expert Proficiency

On Screen C2

Practice tests:

Cambridge Proficiency 1, 2

Testbuilder Proficiency

CPE Practice Tests (by Mark Harrison)

Listening:

Actually, listening and reading will not only hone your skills, but also give you plenty of ideas that will come in handy in your exam � namely, in the writing and speaking part. In my CPE, Writing Part 1 and Speaking Part 3 seemed easy largely due to my keen interest in space and environmental problems and due to a whole raft of videos I've watched on these topics. When you hear different opinions and develop a deeper understanding of a problem, you avoid the common pitfall of using the same cliched arguments everyone else is using. For instance, instead of stating the obvious, you can say: many people tend to think X, but that's not always the case. The problem is not as straighforward as it might seem because in fact, it's the � that � Voilà, your answer is already interesting and complex enough :)

YouTube videos � click on this link to find out more

Audiobooks on Storytel � https://www.storytel.com/ (I highly recommend Bill Bryson's books)

Blinkist � https://www.blinkist.com/en/nc/daily

TV series and films � https://ororo.tv/ (great for honing your listening skills)

Podcasts (they're not my cup of tea, but here are some recommendations from my awesome study buddy Nastya � part 1, part 2)

Reading:

The Guardian

Blinkist � https://www.blinkist.com/en/nc/daily

Paul Newson's post: 2-week watch&read program

Use of English:

Revise! Especially transformations in Part 4.

Flo-Joe CAE, CPE (daily practice from Monday to Friday)

Virginia Evans � CPE Use of English

Grivas � CPE Reading and Use of English

Vocabulary:

There's no single book that would grant you the C2 level. You'll have to cast your net wide, first read voraciously and take notes and then revise the vocab. As simple as that :)

In my opinion, it's worth focusing on collocations, especially the ones with adverbs: readily apparent / glaringly clear / blissfully unaware / deceptively easy / woefully inadequate / blatantly unfair / grossly overpaid. That way, you kill two birds with one stone: you sound more fluent and precise + you add emphasis to the point you're trying to make. (That is not to say you should use them all the time: moderation is the key word)

• Collocations dictionary (free)
• Apps for your phone (try searching 'collocation dictionary')

• Oxford Collocations Dictionary (8 pounds/year)
• Longman Dictionary online (provides some common collocations)
• Book Key Words for Fluency Upper-Intermediate (basic collocations for advanced/abstract topics)

My favourite VK communities (to learn on the go)

Blinkist � https://www.blinkist.com/en/nc/daily (join Ekaterina Sokolova's project to get the most out of the experience)

Videos on YouTube (I write down interesting phrases and collocations, for example: the downside of Instagram, jobs and working conditions)

Revision: create your own mindmaps � https://coggle.it/ (my mindmaps � People, Environment)

Grammar:

Usually, there aren't so many new grammar topics to study at the C2 level. Mostly, it's all about revision and practising some specific structures that might pose a difficulty for you.

My Grammar Lab C1-C2 (I highly recommend this course by Anna Breslavskaya if you need to work on your grammar)

Speaking:

Useful tips for the speaking part (Mike Brennan and Irina Lutsenko)

Paul Newson's speaking club: if you have a solid C1-C2 level, join this club. It'll help you either revise or improve your vocabulary big time!

Julia Dmitrieva's speaking club: especially if you're an aspiring C1 student, this club is just what the doctor ordered. With Julia's vast experience and meticulous attention to detail, you're bound to make progress! This club is perfect for unwinding since it's not so much a speaking club as a safe friendly place where everyone can share and be heard.

Oxana Kostina's C1-C2 speaking club: what sets this speaking club apart is Oxana's bubbly personality and the constant recycling of vocabulary in the telegram group.

Speaking classes by Hugh Dellar & his colleagues (lexical approach): though I haven't taken part in these classes yet, a friend of mine highly recommended them.

Writing:

If you're an avid reader with an eclectic taste, chances are you'll be enjoying the writing tasks because you'll have a feel for the language and won't be struggling with styles and registers so much.

Teacher's Handbook + Writing Guide

Cambridge Writing � How to go about Part 1 (an official video by Cambridge)

Synonyms � https://www.wordhippo.com/

How to Get Care Com to Stop Texting You

Source: https://vk.com/@cae_exam-how-i-failed-my-cpe-exam

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