CONTENTS

A Detailed Guide to the Revised CPE

Paper 1 Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
General Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Sample Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
PA P E R 1 R E A D I N G

General Description Sources

Books (fiction and non-fiction), non-specialist articles from
Paper Format journals, magazines and newspapers, promotional and
The paper contains four parts. informational materials (e.g. advertisements, guide books,
manuals).
Length of Texts
Approximately 3000 words in total, excluding items and Answering
rubrics.
Candidates indicate answers by shading lozenges on a
machine markable answer sheet.
Number of Questions
40. Timing
1 hour 30 minutes.
Task Types
Lexical cloze, gapped text, multiple choice. Marks
One mark is given for each correct answer in Part 1; two
marks are given for each correct answer in Parts 2–4.

Part Task Type and Focus Number of Task Format

questions

1 Four-option multiple choice lexical cloze 18 Three modified cloze texts (375–500
words in total), from a range of sources.
Idioms, collocations, fixed phrases, Each text contains six gaps and is followed
complementation, phrasal verbs, semantic precision by six four-option multiple choice questions.

2 Four-option multiple choice 8 Four themed texts, (600–900 words in total),

from a range of sources.
Content/detail, opinion, attitude, tone, purpose, Two four-option multiple choice questions
main idea, implication, text organisation features per text.
(exemplification, comparison, reference)

3 Gapped text 7 One text (800–1100 words) from a range of

Cohesion, coherence, text structure, global meaning
sources.
A text from which paragraphs have been
removed and placed in jumbled order after
the text.
Candidates must decide from where in the
text the paragraphs have been removed.

4 Four-option multiple choice 7 One text (700–850 words) from a range of

sources.
As Part 2 Seven four-option multiple choice questions.
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Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

1. C 19. A 34. B
2. B 20. C 35. A
3. D 21. D 36. A
4. D 22. B 37. D
5. C 23. A 38. C
6. A 24. B 39. D
7. A 25. D 40. C
8. C 26. D
9. A
10. B Part 3
11. D 27. G
12. D 28. C
13. C 29. D
14. A 30. H
15. B 31. B
16. A 32. E
17. B 33. F
18. C