CAMBRIDGE
MEC can help students prepare for the Cambridge test.
Please ask MEC staff to help book a test for you. Below is some information about this English examination.
Summary of Exam
There are five components: Reading, Writing, English in Use, Listening and Speaking.
First Certificate in English
Evidence of competence in English at an intermediate level and that the learner can operate effectively in English in a variety of work and social situations. It is recognised in commerce, industry and educational institutions. The most widely taken exam with over 300,000 candidates worldwide each year.
Certificate in Advanced English
Proof of a high level of English language competence for those wishing to use English at work or for study. This test has an emphasis on real-world tasks and is recognised by many British and Australian universities for English language entrance requirements.
Cost: FCE: $330
CAE: $335
Where: locations in Sydney city
Frequency of test:
- FCE: March, June, December
- CAE: June, December
The MEC External Exam Preparation Program, for the 2 Cambridge exams (FCE and CAE) has been designed in such a way that a student does not have to only enrol for a short 12 week period before the nominated test. MEC has CRICOS registration for up to 54 weeks study in this program. However, a student can enroll for a 12 week period before the exams.
For example for the FCE and CAE exams in
2007 - The cycle runs :
Dec 04 to Dec 15 – 2006 (2 wk optional)
+ Jan 02 to Mar 10 (10 weeks) for FCE (Mar 11) and CAE (Mar 10) 2007 exams
Mar 19 to June 08 (12 weeks) for FCE (June 12) and CAE (June 13) 2007 exams
June 18 to Sept 07 (12 weeks) - no exams at the conclusion of this cycle
–
But, students are able to study for FCE and CAE exams during this period.
Sept 17 to Dec 07 (12 weeks) for FCE (Dec 11) and CAE (Dec 12) 2007 exams
Students are also able to study for longer than a 12 week period. Why?
The usual way of preparing for a Cambridge exam is to already be at the necessary English level : Intermediate for FCE and Upper Intermediate for CAE and only prepare for the exam itself for a 12 week period.
MEC believe this is too limiting for the student. A student at an intermediate level may want to prepare for a CAE exam over a longer period of time. This student is able to enroll for a longer preparation program and still cover an intensive 12 week cycle before the exam. But they will be able to improve from the Intermediate level to an upper intermediate level during the course of more than 12 weeks.
ENGLISH FOR EXAM PREPARATION material covered at specific levels each 12 week cycle:
Listening Skills
Numbers Letters Sounds
Understanding the Context
Prediction & Preparation
Listening for Meaning
Listening for Specific Detail
Multiple-Choice Tasks
Short-Answer Tasks
Gapfill Diagram / Table Completion Labelling / Classifying Matching Tasks Maps / Pictures True / False / Not Given
Tasks
Lectures & Talks Summary
Idioms
Identifying Language Functions
Study Skills
Speaking Skills
Giving Personal Information
Question Forms
Clarification
Expressing Opinion
Note-Taking
Explaining Facts
Imagining
Comparing & Contrasting
Describing Events in the Past
Cause / Effect / Solutions
Practice Talk
Speculating
Advantages & Disadvantages
Topic Questions
Talking about Functions
Pronunciation
Speaking Fluently / AnsweringCoherently
Using a Range of Vocabulary
Grammatical Accuracy Practice Talk
Themes
Education / Accommodation Friends / Family Spare-time Activities / Hobbies Sport / Food Entertainment / Cinema, Books, Magazines Festivals/Public Holidays Pollution / Energy Cities / Architecture Transport / Work Migration / Unemployment Clothing / Housing Internet / Computers Advertising / TV Medicine / Genetic Engineering Institutions / Exams Jobs / Children Tourism & Travel / Holidays Men & Women / the Elderly Environment / Climate English / Studying Abroad
Reading Skills
Pre-Reading Strategies: Skimming/Scanning
Determining the Main Idea
Understanding Relationships
Improving Vocabulary
Guessing Vocabulary in Context
Referents
Linking Words
Study Skills
Classification
Reading Diagrams & Completing Tables Understanding Opinions
True / False / Not Given Questions
Making Inferences
Matching Headings
Matching Information
Multiple-Choice Questions
Short-Answer Questions
Summarizing Questions
Test Skills
Writing Skills
Reports:
- Understanding the Question
- Planning & Structure
- Classifying
- Describing Objects
- Describing Trends
- Comparing & Contrasting
- Describing a Process
- Describing a Table
- Checking & Assessment
Essays:
- Overview
- Understanding the Question
- Brainstorming
- Planning
- The Introduction/The Body/The Conclusion
- Comparing & Contrasting
- Agreeing & Disagreeing
- Cause / Effect / Solution
- Checking & Assessment
- Topic Sentences
- Paragraphs
- Cohesion
Study Skills
Grammar
Nouns/Pronouns & Possessive Adjectives/Articles & Demonstratives Subjects/Verbs/Inversions/Suffixes/Prefixes/Confusing Words/Sentence Structure/Noun Clauses/Adjective Clauses/Adverb Clauses/Comparatives/Superlatives/Parallel Structure/Prepositional Phrases/Repetition/Redundancy/Verb + ing / Conditionals
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