The "IELTS or C2 Proficiency" dilemma resolved
Lyudmila Snezhanova is on the horns of a dilemma which test of English to take IELTS or C2 Proficiency. Having taken both, I’ve decided to summarize some practical information about the exams, hopefully making her choice easier (and your choice if you are facing the same dilemma).
First, some words about my exam history. I've taken paper-based IELTS Academic (three times, getting 8.5 in 2011 and 2013, before finally getting 9 in 2016) and paper-based C2 Proficiency (just once, getting an A in 2018). Now off to describing the two exams.
You see the questions beforehand, so you can circle or underline keywords to prepare yourself for what's coming. You only listen to the recording once.
CPE
CPE listening is very similar to that of IELTS. You also see the questions beforehand, so you can circle and underline. The difference is that you listen to the recording two times. However, the questions are more convoluted than in IELTS, so you will have to focus as you listen both times.
The reading section consists of three huge academic texts, with most questions types being true/false/not given, matching, multiple choice and other types which are similar across most English exams.
In this post, I will outline the exam structures briefly and comment on what seemed easy or difficult to me personally. I will be talking about IELTS Academic only. I will be using the old abbreviation CPE for C2 Proficiency because it's shorter and more familiar to most people in the EFL world. The post is a long read, but I've organized it into sections so it should be easy to navigate.
First, some words about my exam history. I've taken paper-based IELTS Academic (three times, getting 8.5 in 2011 and 2013, before finally getting 9 in 2016) and paper-based C2 Proficiency (just once, getting an A in 2018). Now off to describing the two exams.
1 Listening
IELTSYou see the questions beforehand, so you can circle or underline keywords to prepare yourself for what's coming. You only listen to the recording once.
CPE
CPE listening is very similar to that of IELTS. You also see the questions beforehand, so you can circle and underline. The difference is that you listen to the recording two times. However, the questions are more convoluted than in IELTS, so you will have to focus as you listen both times.
2 Reading
IELTSThe reading section consists of three huge academic texts, with most questions types being true/false/not given, matching, multiple choice and other types which are similar across most English exams.
CPE
The reading section is combined with the Use of English section. The whole section consists of seven parts, three of which are texts. The text genres are general interest, something you might find in a newspaper, a magazine, or even a book, but the question types are similar to those of IELTS.
Overall, my impression is that the reading part is very demanding in both of the exams.
The Use of English section checks knowledge of vocabulary and language patterns. The section is a piece of cake if your vocabulary is large, which mine is, so I didn't have to prepare much.
The speaking test is a nice 15-minute face-to-face, one-on-one talk to the examiner. Part 1 is questions familiar topics like yourself, your country, or your hobbies. Part 2 is a two-minute monolog on a suggested topic. Part 3 is a more abstract discussion about problems, solutions, changes, trends, advantages, disadvantages and such. Overall, the test feels very comfortable.
CPE
Speaking in CPE is slightly similar to IELTS, with one crucial difference: there are four people in the room.
The person who talks to you, the interlocutor, does not give you the grade. The assessor does. The assessor is another person who just sits there and assesses your speaking quietly without participating in conducting the test.
The fourth person in the room is another person taking the speaking test with you. In CPE, there are two people taking the test at the same time, which, understandably, can make you worried. You might get a partner who is much more or less talkative than you, who has a much higher or lower level than you, who is prepared better or worse than you. However, unfortunate scenarios are unlikely, I think, because people tend to prepare for exams.
In terms of content, most parts are similar to the IELTS speaking test. There are parts in which you have to answer questions about yourself, give a short monolog on a suggested topic and discuss more abstract issues.
One task drove me crazy though. It's the task where you are supposed to discuss some questions based on picture prompts. The task was insurmountable to me in most cases because I could never come up with any ideas based on the pictures. I was perfectly capable of producing something anyway, purely because of my experience, but I always had a nagging feeling that what I was saying was total BS.
IELTS Writing Task 1
In this task, you have to describe data presented as line graphs, pie charts, bar charts, tables, maps, or processes. This task requires analytical skills. Many people struggle with it because it is hardly ever done in any classes apart from IELTS prep classes. Another difficulty is the variety: some tasks have a time change, while others don’t; some have numbers, while others have percentages; some involve interpreting figures, while others involve describing visual information. There is no unified cookie-cutter standard. Every task has to be analyzed on its own merit.
IELTS Writing Task 2
This task is a classical 4- or 5-paragraph essay asking you to give an opinion or discuss different points of view, reasons, solutions, problems, or advantages and disadvantages.
CPE Writing Task 1
This task asks you to summarize and evaluate two texts, adding your own ideas. The task is fairly simple and straightforward if the texts are not too weird. The texts in my exam were very clear, but I've seen some weird ones in past examination papers.
CPE Writing Task 2
This task is very different from IELTS because it is not academic in nature at all. The variety and the genres are the tricky part - there is a report, a letter, a review, or an article - so you have to be aware of the linguistic features of each one. Another key difference is that you are presented with three tasks and you can choose which one to write.
If you are a teacher, it might be a good idea to take the test you think your students might want to take or that tests the skills they need.
If you are a student who is going to enroll in programs taught in English, check the admissions requirements. IELTS is accepted everywhere. Most American institutions don't recognize Cambridge exams.
The reading section is combined with the Use of English section. The whole section consists of seven parts, three of which are texts. The text genres are general interest, something you might find in a newspaper, a magazine, or even a book, but the question types are similar to those of IELTS.
Overall, my impression is that the reading part is very demanding in both of the exams.
The Use of English section checks knowledge of vocabulary and language patterns. The section is a piece of cake if your vocabulary is large, which mine is, so I didn't have to prepare much.
3 Speaking
IELTSThe speaking test is a nice 15-minute face-to-face, one-on-one talk to the examiner. Part 1 is questions familiar topics like yourself, your country, or your hobbies. Part 2 is a two-minute monolog on a suggested topic. Part 3 is a more abstract discussion about problems, solutions, changes, trends, advantages, disadvantages and such. Overall, the test feels very comfortable.
CPE
Speaking in CPE is slightly similar to IELTS, with one crucial difference: there are four people in the room.
The person who talks to you, the interlocutor, does not give you the grade. The assessor does. The assessor is another person who just sits there and assesses your speaking quietly without participating in conducting the test.
The fourth person in the room is another person taking the speaking test with you. In CPE, there are two people taking the test at the same time, which, understandably, can make you worried. You might get a partner who is much more or less talkative than you, who has a much higher or lower level than you, who is prepared better or worse than you. However, unfortunate scenarios are unlikely, I think, because people tend to prepare for exams.
In terms of content, most parts are similar to the IELTS speaking test. There are parts in which you have to answer questions about yourself, give a short monolog on a suggested topic and discuss more abstract issues.
One task drove me crazy though. It's the task where you are supposed to discuss some questions based on picture prompts. The task was insurmountable to me in most cases because I could never come up with any ideas based on the pictures. I was perfectly capable of producing something anyway, purely because of my experience, but I always had a nagging feeling that what I was saying was total BS.
4 Writing
The writing tasks in the two exams are not even remotely similar. This is probably the section where the biggest difference lies.IELTS Writing Task 1
In this task, you have to describe data presented as line graphs, pie charts, bar charts, tables, maps, or processes. This task requires analytical skills. Many people struggle with it because it is hardly ever done in any classes apart from IELTS prep classes. Another difficulty is the variety: some tasks have a time change, while others don’t; some have numbers, while others have percentages; some involve interpreting figures, while others involve describing visual information. There is no unified cookie-cutter standard. Every task has to be analyzed on its own merit.
IELTS Writing Task 2
This task is a classical 4- or 5-paragraph essay asking you to give an opinion or discuss different points of view, reasons, solutions, problems, or advantages and disadvantages.
CPE Writing Task 1
This task asks you to summarize and evaluate two texts, adding your own ideas. The task is fairly simple and straightforward if the texts are not too weird. The texts in my exam were very clear, but I've seen some weird ones in past examination papers.
CPE Writing Task 2
This task is very different from IELTS because it is not academic in nature at all. The variety and the genres are the tricky part - there is a report, a letter, a review, or an article - so you have to be aware of the linguistic features of each one. Another key difference is that you are presented with three tasks and you can choose which one to write.
Procedure
In terms of the procedure, I’d say IELTS is a tad more intense. In CPE, there is a 10-minute break after each section, which means you can use the bathroom, have a snack, or stretch your legs. In IELTS, there are no breaks. You can use the bathroom during reading and writing, but your bathroom time will come out of your exam time, which means you will be robbing yourself of precious writing or reading minutes.Takeaway
I don’t have a clear-cut recommendation for which exam to take. Neither is better/easier/fairer than the other. It is my firm belief that if your English is good and you really prepare, you will be able to get a good score in either of them.If you are a teacher, it might be a good idea to take the test you think your students might want to take or that tests the skills they need.
If you are a student who is going to enroll in programs taught in English, check the admissions requirements. IELTS is accepted everywhere. Most American institutions don't recognize Cambridge exams.
I want to conclude by giving two tips on how to approach the dilemma of choosing the right exam for you.
- Think about your goals and your reasons. Why do you want or need to take this or that exam?
- If you don’t need a specific exam for a specific purpose, think about the tasks. Opt for the exam whose tasks you will enjoy doing otherwise you will end up torturing yourself.
I hope this post helps.
A very good description. Yesterday I was at a small presentation where the speaker gave her reasons why students should take Cambridge exams. And there was a funny loophole for Russian students: Cambridge certificates grant extra points to EGE results during the admission to certain Saint Petersburg and Moscow universities. I wonder if IELTS does the same.
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