Exam day, mapped
What happens on Cambridge exam day, in what order, and under what rules — one page per level, so nothing surprises you.
Three written papers in about three and a half hours, then a 14-minute paired speaking test — usually on another day.
The whole day, mappedTwo ninety-minute papers and Listening in about four hours, then a 15-minute paired speaking test — usually on another day.
The whole day, mappedThe shape of the day is the same at both levels: the written papers in one sitting, in a fixed order, with the paired Speaking test usually on another date. What changes is how long you are in the room and how much you have to produce while you are there.
| Paper | B2 First (FCE) | C1 Advanced (CAE) |
|---|---|---|
| Reading & Use of English | 1 h 15 min · 7 parts | 1 h 30 min · 8 parts |
| Writing | 1 h 20 min · 140–190 words per task | 1 h 30 min · 220–260 words per task |
| Listening | about 40 min · plays twice | about 40 min · plays twice |
| Speaking | 14 min per pair | 15 min per pair |
| Written papers total | about 3 h 30 min | about 4 h |
The practical consequence is stamina rather than difficulty. C1 Advanced adds roughly half an hour in the room and asks for about 120 more written words across the two tasks — and the Listening paper, where concentration matters most, is the last thing you sit at both levels.
Usually not, at either level. It is commonly scheduled within a week either side of the written papers, and occasionally on the same day at a set time. Your confirmation email is the only document that tells you which — check it as soon as it arrives rather than assuming.
Photo identification whose name matches your entry exactly. A mismatch — a married name on one and not the other, a middle name included on one — is the commonest reason candidates are turned away, and it cannot be resolved at the door.
No. Phones, smartwatches and other electronics are collected or left outside at both levels. A phone that makes a sound during the exam can invalidate your result rather than earn a warning, so switch it off entirely rather than silencing it.
Only short pauses while papers are collected and handed out. The written papers run as one sitting at both levels — around three and a half hours at B2 First and about four at C1 Advanced — so plan what you eat beforehand around that, not around a break that is not coming.
