Overview of changes to the exam

Present exam 5 papers: unequal weighting

Revised exam 5 papers: equal weighting

Paper 1 Reading

Present exam

Section A: 25 sentences + MCQs, vocabulary focus

Section B: 3 texts (different genres) + 15 MCQs

Each text 350 - 550 words

Revised exam

Part 1: 3 texts + 18 MCQs, vocabulary focus 375 - 500 words total

Part 2: 4 short texts (themed, different genres) + 2 MCQs on each, 600 - 900 words total

Part 3: gapped text (+ 7 paragraphs) 800 - 1100 words)

Part 4: text + 7 MCQs (700 - 850 words) (800 - 1100 words)

Paper 2: Writing

Present exam

Two tasks from choice of five, including:

• Description
• Discursive composition
• Narrative
• Task-directed composition eg formal letter; and report, article
• Question on set book

Revised exam

Part 1: Compulsory task:

• Article
• Letter
• Essay*
• Proposal (discursive focus)

Part 2: 1 task from choice of 4, including:

• Article*
• Letter*
• Review*
• Report*
• Proposal

(Part 2 also includes 3 questions on the set books, which may use any of the formats marked*)

Paper 3 use of English

Present exam

Section A: Part 1: open cloze

Part 2: sentence transformations

Part 3: gapped sentences

Part 4: key word transformations

Section B: Part 5: text with open-ended comprehension questions + summary

Revised exam

Part 1: open cloze

Part 2: word formation

Part 3: gapped sentences

Part 4: key word transformation

Part 5: two texts with open-ended comprehension

questions + summary

Paper 4 listening

Present exam

• 3 - 4 monologues or conversations
• MCQs
• Note taking
• Gap filling
• Matching

Revised exam

Part 1: short extracts + MCQs

Part 2: sentence completion

Part 3: MCQs

Part 4: matching

Paper 5 Speaking

Present exam

(individual or pairs/threes

• Theme-based
• Unscripted

Part 1: introduction + picture-based discussion

Part 2: comment on short text

Part 3: communicative activity

Revised exam

(in pairs)

• Not theme-based
• Scripted

Part 1: interview

Part 2: collaborative task (picture-based)

Part 3: individual long turns and follow-up discussion