Preparing for a Cambridge English exam

Deciding which exam to take and preparing for an exam can be difficult. Within this article we will show you resources that are readily available to assist all levels of learners with preparing for a Cambridge English exam.

Free preparation materials 

To help you prepare for your exam, we have produced free materials such as sample papers, worksheets, vocabulary lists and exam guides for you to download from our website. Try a sample test for your computer or paper based exam, or read through our information for candidates' documents. We have one for each exam so you know what to expect in the test.

Young Learners preparation activities

We have a number of free activities available on our public website that will assist young learners when preparing for all levels of our Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers exams. 

Monkey Puzzles - Play 8 mini games to test your English. Available for Android and Apple devices.

Sing and Learn - This is a series of videos for young learners, designed to help them learn, remember and use new language.

Help your child prepare

If you’re a parent, we have lots of information and advice to help your child get ready for their exam. For some important things to remember, read our article for tips to help prepare your child for Cambridge English exams.  

A2 and B1 levels - preparation materials

We are always keeping our exams up to date using the latest research in language learning and teaching. We recently updated our A2 Key and B1 Preliminary exams. You can find out more about these changes on our dedicated website here. You will find a range of preparation materials, official published materials and free resources.

 Exam Lift - For students that are aiming for B1 level, Exam Lift is filled with a range of skills-based activities and exam practice. Exam Lift is a flexible way to improve your English on the go.

Other preparation resources & materials

We advise students to use a range of preparation materials when studying, so you can feel prepared on exam day:

Official Cambridge English preparation materials which we have been created with Cambridge University Press can be purchased online.

Official Cambridge IELTS preparation material. If you're studying for IELTS, find tailored material for purchase including online practice tests.

Quiz your English - Aimed at students wishing to sit B2 First and IELTS, covering a range of topics, Quiz your English is a fun way to practise and improve your English. It is a language quiz where you can challenge your friends and players from around the world. 

Cambridge English on Facebook. It’s a great place to get tips for your exam. Join our online community and practise your English with over 3 million English language learners.

Cambridge English TV Subscribe to our channel to get helpful tips on exam practice and lots of English language learning advice.

Make sure you’re ready

Many schools and language centres run courses to help candidates improve their English and prepare for Cambridge English exams. Although we cannot recommend specific courses or course providers and we do not offer any face-to-face English courses directly, you can carry out your own research to find local providers, or you can contact:

• Cambridge English Authorised exam centres: Use our online database to find a centre near you. Exam centres can tell you about courses in their area.

• English UK: If you’re planning on studying in the UK, you can contact English UK. Their online search lists schools and colleges that offer preparation courses in the UK.