"CPE exam December 2009"

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Timshel (2 posts) Jul-14-09, 12:47 PM (GMT) "CPE exam December 2009" LAST EDITED ON Jul-14-09 AT 12:50 PM (GMT) Hello to all! I am thinking of sitting the CPE exam this December, but I am not sure whether I will be able to prepare for it since it's the hardest one. I don't want to overestimate my skills, nor underestimate CPE's difficulty, still I want to sit it this December. I don't have money for courses so I will be preparing on my own. I've taken other english exams, including an exam at the university last year, but still they have been quite different from the cpe exam. My question is, has anyone of you succeeded in taking the exam without taking lessons? And if so, how long did it take you to prepare? What scares me most is the writing and speaking parts - there is no one to correct my mistakes and no one to speak with except myself in front of a mirror. I'd really be grateful if you suggested some good books for the writing part. And another question - are the exercises on the real exam more difficult than those given in the cpe books for preparation(cpe 1,2,3,4,5 series, for instance)? Thank you in advance!   Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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Subject     Author     Message Date     ID    RE: CPE exam December 2009 Raptor Jul-15-09 1    RE: CPE exam December 2009 Timshel Jul-16-09 2        RE: CPE exam December 2009 Raptor Jul-19-09 3

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Raptor (399 posts) Jul-15-09, 03:18 PM (GMT) 1. "RE: CPE exam December 2009" Hello How long is a piece of string? It is difficult to tell how long it takes for a student to prepare themselves so that it is not panic stations right before the exam. We are all different and it logically follows that we need different amounts of time. CPE requires that you be fully aware of the format of the exam. It means, you are able to tackle this special format and finish the tasks within the assigned time frame, and the special ability for it you may only acquire by prior training. Therefore, I strongly recommend going through CPE past papers; they of course correspond in terms of difficulty with the real exam papers. Given the proximity of December, do not go into any deep study of grammar. If you have need for someone who holds your hands and helps you through the ordeals of preparation, it is your choice. However, I know from personal experience that hard work alone will yield fruits. Considering the quality of your writing, I do not think you will be in for any bumpy ride. It will be a plain sail for you. Should you have any questions, feel free to ask them here. Good luck with your studies. Best wishes, Raptor   Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Timshel (2 posts) Jul-16-09, 09:37 AM (GMT) 2. "RE: CPE exam December 2009" Hello Raptor, and thank you for the nice and encouraging words! I've been thinking of sitting the exam for some time now and I've done some exercises as well. Right now I am studying by The Advanced Grammar in Use for cae and cpe (I'm not sure whether this was the exact title, however. It's with an orange cover). In the meantime, I am doing exercises from past cpe exams. Still, I feel the need of studying the grammar mainly for some specific idioms, sentence structures, phrasal verbs and new words, because what made me impression about the cpe is that the emphasis is put on tricky words and the vocabulary is quite wide. I am also reading "A Girl with a Pearl Earring", since it is among the books given for this year's exam. Yet, I don't think that it will be a good idea to write an essay on the book. I've heard it is better to write on any other of the given tasks. I have another question - is it true that soon cambridge certificates will be made like IELTS and TOEFL - valid for only 2 years?   Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Raptor (399 posts) Jul-19-09, 10:09 AM (GMT) 3. "RE: CPE exam December 2009" "I have another question - is it true that soon cambridge certificates will be made like IELTS and TOEFL - valid for only 2 years?" Read this: http://www.britishcouncil.org/syria-english-exams-cambridge-exams.htm The book with an orange cover? I think I know to which you are referring. That is a really good one.   Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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