C1 Advanced · Choose your activity
C1 Advanced (CAE) Reading & Use of English
Understand the C1 Advanced (CAE) paper, try a worked example, and choose a task to strengthen your reading, grammar or vocabulary.
Free practice samples and guidance · No account needed
Choose an exam task
Choose a task, try its free exercise and check the answers and explanations. Create an account for more practice.
Multiple-choice cloze
Choose words using vocabulary and context.
Open cloze
Complete gaps using grammar and meaning.
Word formation
Create the correct form of each word.
Key word transformations
Rewrite sentences with the same meaning.
Multiple choice
Read for detail and implied meaning.
Cross-text multiple matching
Compare viewpoints across four texts.
Gapped text
Place missing paragraphs in a text.
Multiple matching
Match statements to the right section.
90 minutes · 8 parts · 56 questions
How does the C1 Advanced Reading & Use of English paper work?
C1 Advanced Reading and Use of English combines precise language choices with careful reading. Part 6 asks you to compare writers’ views across four texts; Part 8 asks you to locate the information that matches each prompt. Practise identifying the reason for an answer, even when several options look plausible.
- Total time
- 90 minutes
- Parts
- 8
- Questions
- 56
The time limit covers the whole paper. All parts are required in the exam; here you can choose an individual task to practise a particular skill.
| Part and task | Qs | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Multiple-choice clozeChoose vocabulary that fits the meaning and the words around each gap. | 8 | 1 |
| Part 2: Open clozeSupply one word per gap, using grammar and the surrounding text. | 8 | 1 |
| Part 3: Word formationChange each base word to fit the sentence’s grammar and meaning. | 8 | 1 |
| Part 4: Key word transformationsKeep the meaning in 3–6 words, including the unchanged key word. | 6 | Up to 2 |
| Part 5: Multiple-choice readingRead closely for detail, implied meaning, attitude and the writer’s purpose. | 6 | 2 |
| Part 6: Cross-text multiple matchingCompare four writers’ opinions: who agrees or differs on a particular point? | 4 | 2 |
| Part 7: Gapped textRestore missing paragraphs by following references, connections and the developing argument. | 6 | 2 |
| Part 8: Multiple matchingFind the passage or section containing the detail that answers each prompt. | 10 | 1 |
Marks are for each correct answer, not each part. Part 4 allows partial credit. Use the question counts to understand the paper, then review the type of mistake behind each answer rather than treating every gap as the same task.
Format reference: official C1 Advanced exam format.
Try a C1 key word transformation
Complete the second sentence with the same meaning as the first. Use 3–6 words, including UNTIL. Do not change the key word.
Original teaching example · No account needed
I only realised how serious the problem was after I had read the report.
It ______ the report that I realised how serious the problem was.
Key word: UNTIL
Show answer and explanation
Answer: was not until I had read
The complete sentence is: It was not until I had read the report that I realised how serious the problem was.
The structure ‘It was not until … that …’ emphasises when something happened. Here, both sentences say that reading the report came before the realisation, and that the realisation did not happen earlier.
This answer retains ‘had read’ from the original sentence, making the earlier action explicit. Count the gap only: was (1), not (2), until (3), I (4), had (5), read (6). The key word until keeps its original form.
This is one short demonstration, not a complete exam part or an official Cambridge question.
Explore the C1 key word transformations guide
The overview and worked example are public. Account-based exercises are available through the practice links.
How should I plan my practice?
Choose one skill to diagnose
Start with the part that causes a specific difficulty: choosing between similar words, controlling a grammatical pattern or interpreting a viewpoint. Work through a short set before attempting the whole paper under time pressure.
Explain why your answer fits
For a reading question, identify the passage that supports your choice and explain why a tempting alternative fails. For a transformation, compare meaning and tense in both sentences before checking the word limit.
Return to the underlying pattern
Record the reason for a mistake, then write a fresh example that uses the same pattern. Revisit it in a later session. Once accuracy improves, practise completing mixed tasks within a planned time budget.