Cambridge English Exams: Vocabulary by Level

Most English exams leave you guessing about the level they test. Cambridge English exams are more direct about it: they are built around the CEFR, and several are named after the level they target, such as B2 First and C1 Advanced. That is a useful advantage when you plan vocabulary study, because you can aim at a stated level instead of preparing vaguely for "advanced English". This guide summarizes what Cambridge publishes about its main exams, and then explains how to turn it into practice. Check the Cambridge site for current details, since exams and formats are updated from time to time.

The main exams at a glance

The figures below come from each exam's page on the Cambridge English site.

Each exam can be taken on paper or on a computer, and Cambridge says the two formats are the same qualification, so preparation does not change. The scale score is Cambridge's own scale, which it links to CEFR levels. What the CEFR is explains the levels themselves.

What the formats look like

The exam format pages give more detail. For B2 First, the Reading and Use of English paper takes 1 hour 15 minutes with 7 parts and 52 questions, Writing takes 1 hour 20 minutes with 2 parts, Listening takes about 40 minutes with 4 parts and 30 questions, and Speaking takes 14 minutes per pair of candidates, in 4 parts. For C1 Advanced, Reading and Use of English takes 1 hour 30 minutes with 8 parts and 56 questions, Writing takes 1 hour 30 minutes with 2 parts, Listening takes about 40 minutes with 4 parts and 30 questions, and Speaking takes 15 minutes per pair, in 4 parts. For B1 Preliminary, Reading takes 45 minutes with 6 parts and 32 questions, Writing takes 45 minutes with 2 parts, Listening takes 30 minutes including 6 minutes of transfer time with 25 questions, and Speaking takes 10 to 12 minutes per pair.

In the speaking papers, you take the test with another candidate and two examiners, one of whom talks to you while the other listens. The parts typically move from short questions about yourself, to a longer individual turn, to a discussion with the other candidate, to a wider conversation.

Notice the paper called Reading and Use of English in B2 First and C1 Advanced. The Use of English parts test how well you control words and structures in context, which is where vocabulary preparation pays off directly.

What the vocabulary work looks like at each level

Cambridge does not publish a fixed word list for each exam on the pages used here, and the CEFR itself does not name words, so be wary of any source that claims to give the exact words you need. What you can do is target the level and the skills the exam describes.

A2 Key. The focus is on everyday vocabulary for routine situations: shopping, travel, daily life, family and work. At this level, high-frequency words and common phrases matter most. The A2 guide describes the level.

B1 Preliminary. Vocabulary expands to describe experiences, opinions and plans, with more verbs, adjectives and linking words. Speaking asks you to describe a photograph and discuss and negotiate with the other candidate, so you need words for suggesting and agreeing. The B1 guide has more.

B2 First. Precision becomes more important. You need a wide range of everyday and moderately abstract vocabulary, and control of word formation and collocation for the Use of English parts. The B2 guide covers this level.

C1 Advanced. The demand is for precise, flexible and less common vocabulary, with attention to register and collocation. The C1 guide looks at it in detail.

C2 Proficiency. The emphasis is on subtle distinctions and appropriateness across many contexts, as described in the C2 guide.

Word formation and collocation

Two skills come up repeatedly in the upper exams and are worth practicing directly.

Word formation means changing a word's form to fit a sentence. If a sentence needs an adjective and you are given the word decide, you need decisive or undecided, depending on the meaning. To practice, learn words in families (decide, decision, decisive, indecision) and test yourself on the form you need in a sentence.

Collocation means choosing the word that naturally pairs with another. You make a decision, do homework, take a risk and pay attention. Learn phrases whole, and keep a list of the partners of your target words. A learner's dictionary lists them, and Cambridge Dictionary's entry for collocation defines the idea.

Avoiding the common traps

At B2 and C1, candidates often chase rare, impressive words while mid-frequency words, which appear all the time, go underpracticed. A candidate who knows twenty obscure words but hesitates on common linking words such as consequently, nevertheless and although is usually less well placed than one who is secure on the words that appear in nearly every text. Spend the first part of your preparation making sure the common words and phrases at your level are reliable, and add rarer ones afterward.

A study approach that fits

Choose your target exam and read its format page. Take a practice paper and note where you lose marks. Spend about fifteen minutes a day on vocabulary: review earlier words by recalling them, learn five new words in phrases, and use two in sentences of your own. Work through the Use of English parts regularly, because they train word choice in context. Read and listen to material at your target level, and keep a note of useful phrases, not only single words. How spaced repetition works explains how to space your reviews.

Exams are one way to show a level, and they are not required to learn at one. If you are not sure which exam suits you, check which one the institution or employer asks for.

How Wordabulary fits in

Wordabulary can help with the vocabulary part of your preparation. Words are tagged from A1 to C2, so you can practice at your target level, practice shows definitions and example sentences, quizzes include a typing format that asks you to produce words, and every word can be heard. It is not a Cambridge English course, it does not predict your exam result, and it has no connection with Cambridge.