CAE · 10% of test plan
Reading & Use of English Parts 1–3 for the CAE Exam
Parts 1–3 of CAE Reading and Use of English test vocabulary, grammar, and word formation at C1 level. The vocabulary in Part 1 is more nuanced than FCE — testing idiomatic phrases, formal register words, and near-synonyms with subtle connotation differences.
Locale-specific study guides
Pass-rate data, regulatory context, and study tips for Reading & Use of English Parts 1–3 all change by candidate locale. Pick your context:
- Reading & Use of English Parts 1–3 · United StatesCalibrated for American candidates
- Reading & Use of English Parts 1–3 · United KingdomCalibrated for British candidates
- Reading & Use of English Parts 1–3 · IndiaCalibrated for Indian candidates
- Reading & Use of English Parts 1–3 · PhilippinesCalibrated for Filipino candidates
- Reading & Use of English Parts 1–3 · NigeriaCalibrated for Nigerian candidates
Common failure modes
These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.
- !Choosing a word that works in isolation but has the wrong register for the text context
- !Word formation errors — not recognising when a negative prefix changes connotation significantly
- !Open cloze: writing content words when function words (that, which, whether, nor) are required
Study tips
- 1Read The Economist, The Guardian, or The Atlantic — exposure to C1 prose vocabulary in context.
- 2For word formation, learn the prefix/suffix effects on meaning and register: -ness, -tion, -ity, mis-, over-, under-.
- 3For open cloze, focus on: conjunctions (however/nevertheless), determiners (little/few/no), and pronouns (those, which).
Sample CAE Reading & Use of English Parts 1–3 questions
These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real CAE questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.
- 1
The politician's speech had an _____ effect on public opinion, boosting support for the policy.
- AinfluentialCorrect
- Bimpactful
- Cconsiderable
- Doverwhelming
Why this answer?
"Influential" is the precise collocate for "having an effect on opinion" — it specifically connotes the quality of influencing. "Impactful" is informal/business jargon avoided in formal English; "considerable" modifies size not type of effect; "overwhelming" contradicts the positive framing.
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Advanced-level reading, writing, listening, and speaking.