Intrigued about the Cambridge Exam Preparation courses? In this Academic Blog, one of our amazing teachers, Tom tells you everything you need to know about the Cambridge exam courses. The advantages, the content and what to expect while studying it. Tom is a seasoned exam teacher with an impeccable track record on students’ pass rates. So here is what he has to say.
“Have you ever thought about taking an official English qualification? Many English learners, sooner or later, think about taking an examination, whether for a specific job requirement, to get a certificate, or just to prove their ability to themselves. However, once they start to do some research they are confronted with a bewildering array of options, IELTS, CAE, TOEFL, BULATS, FCE, TOEIC, and more other confusing acronyms, which can make it a very difficult choice for the student!
I would like to talk about two exams from Cambridge, the First Certificate in English (FCE) and the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE), the value of taking those exams, and the advantages of studying for the test on our Cambridge summer course here at TopUp Learning London (Tti School of English).
Both the FCE and the CAE are internationally recognised qualifications, with over 20,000 organisations specifically recognising the certificates, a number that is only growing. This figure includes businesses, academic institutions like schools and research centres, and even governments! They can be useful in college applications, as well as giving your CV the edge over other job candidates with similar work experience. One advantage in this area is that, unlike the IELTS and TOEIC certificates which both expire after just two years, once you have the FCE and CAE you have them for life!
There are also advantages in terms of language-learning itself; the Cambridge exams are the only major English tests that include a ‘Use of English’ section, the practice of which will improve your knowledge of the language as well as giving you more confidence with English grammar. Not only this, but the difficulty of the questions are targeted to students of a specific level (B2 for FCE, C1 for CAE), whereas in the IELTS and TOEIC there will be questions above your level as well as below because with those exams everybody takes the same text regardless of ability.
What are the benefits of taking a Cambridge exam course at TopUp Learning London (Tti School of English) in the summer? Of course, there are the obvious advantages of studying here in Camden, a vibrant counter-cultural hotspot in the heart of London, and learning at such a friendly school with a great community as we have here at Tti! The other thing we can offer is flexibility. Many dedicated courses for Cambridge exam preparation have a fixed length of say eight weeks, and a fixed start and end date. Here at Tti, we recognize that this is not always a realistic proposition for our busy students, who may have to fit any course around existing commitments like jobs or family, so we offer you the ability to choose when you start your course and how many weeks you want to study.”