Cambridge Proficiency Exam: Preparation Dreaming about getting a job overseas, I decided to take an advanced English exam. I never learned English in a formal setting, so exam certificate is the only chance for me to formally prove my language abilities. I have chosen Cambridge exam (as an opposite to IELTS/TOEFL) because their certificates don't have an expiration date. I was not sure if I'm good enough for Proficiency (you can also do Advance exam, which is easier), but I decided to go for a more ambitious goal, as I usually tend to do. I must admit that I didn't do much preparation. Turns out, anything you need to do in preparation for CPE, I've been already doing for the last 10 years of my life: reading lots of novels and articles, listening to podcasts, watching tv shows etc. There were 3 things that I started to do specifically for exam: 1. Practice Tests. You really can't underestimate their effect on your abilities and confidence. I've been passing all Reading and Listening exercises with a grade of 80% or more (you just need 60% to pass), and I felt better with each new test. You can buy test books or borrow them in your local library (as I did). Obviously, anything from Cambridge University Press will be good enough. 2. Turn Off Subtitles. Yes, I've been in the business for a long time, but I never turned subtitles off. They were like crutches I no longer needed but couldn't give up. But I did it. I pressed the button, and it wasn't that bad. OK, some jokes from New Girl were not that easy to grasp now (Whinston's manner of speaking!). I am not going back ever, anyway. 3. Writing: What's The Hell With This Articles? Writing was obviously my weakest point. For proficiency, you can be asked to write a piece in one of the following forms: a letter, an article, an essay, a review, a report... I found it hard to grasp how do they even differ from one another. Doing writing exercises from the practice test books and discussing them with my tutor helped to understand and correct my typical grammar mistakes (believe me, you have those, too) and work on my composition skills. But turned out I forgot the main thing... Stay tuned for the report on the actual exam :) And here's the link to the best exam advice you'll ever need: http://www.lingua.org.uk/pint.html