Striking Gold

A guide to the changes in Cambridge First Certificate

From January 2015

Clare Walsh

Before December 2014 After January 2015

Use of English40 minutes 42 questions12 x Multiple choice cloze12 x Open cloze10 x Word formation8 x Key word transformation

Reading 1 hour 30 questions8 x Multiple choice7 x Gapped text15 x Multiple Matching

Reading and Use of English1 hour 15 minutes 52 questions

1 8 x Multiple choice cloze2 8 x Open cloze3 8 x Word formation4 6 x Key word transformation5 6 x Reading Multiple choice6 6 x Gapped text7 10 x Multiple Matching

Reading and Use of English

Part 1Multiple choice cloze

Part 2Open cloze

Part 3

Word formation

Part 4 Key wordtransformation

Before December 2014 After January 2015

Approximately 40 minutes30 questions8x1 Multiple choice10 Sentence completion 5 Multiple matching 1x7 Multiple choice

Approximately 40 minutes30 questions8x1 Multiple choice10 Sentence completion5 Multiple matching1x7 Multiple choice

Listening

Before December 2014 After January 2015

14 minutes

Part 1Introduction questionsPart 2 Individual long turn (1 minutes) + Response (20 seconds)Part 3Two-way decision-making conversation (3 minutes) Part 4 Discussion on the topic (4 minutes): Expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing/disagreeing

14 minutes

Part 1Introduction questions Part 2Individual long turn (1 minute) +Response (30 seconds)Part 3 Two-way conversation (2 minutes) + decision making task (1 minute)Part 4Discussion on the topic (4 minutes): Expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing / disagreeing, speculating

Speaking

The government shouldn’t waste money

on street cleaners. People should learn not

to drop litter.

Everyone should have training in how to deal

with a fire, and then we wouldn’t need so

many fire fighters.

If there are lots of security cameras

around, you don’t need so many police officers on the street

to catch criminals.

They should make unemployed people do

things like street cleaning.

Giving reasonsYou have been asked what you think of public services. Do you agree with these ideas?

A: So which two skills do you think would be the most useful?

B: Top of the list for me would be finding water and making a shelter because without these things you can’t survive.

A: I’d put making a fire above making a shelter. I think learning to make a fire would be the highest priority for me because a fire can keep you warm and you can also use it to boil water so that it’s safe to drink and for cooking.

B: That’s true. So out of these five skills, making a fire and finding water would be the most useful

Disappearing dialogue

A: So which two ____ do you think would be ________?

B: Top of the list for me would be ________and _______because without these things you .

A: I’d put ______ above _______ . I think learning to ___would be the highest priority for me because _____ can_____ and you can also use it to ______so that it’s safeto ___ and for ______.

B: That’s true. So out of these five skills, _______ and ____would be the most useful.

Disappearing dialogue

A: So _____ two _____do you ________________?

B: Top ________________________ and ____________because _________________.

A: I’d ______________. I think _____________________because ______________ and _____________ so that______________________.

B: That’s _______. So ____________________ and _________________.

Disappearing dialogue

Speculating

The camel could be a bit hungry!

It might be done with Photoshop.

It might be eating her – you never

know!

The woman must be

behind the camel’s head!

She can’t actually be in the camel’s mouth.

Real or fake?

Real or fake?

http://urbanlegends.about.com

Before December 2014 After January 2015

1 hour 20 minutes

Part 1Read information and notes, then write a transactional letter or email based on the input.120-150 words

Part 2Choose 1 of 5 options from: Article, Essay, Letter, Report, Review, Story, or a choice of questions based on the set text120 – 180 words

1 hour 20 minutes

Part 1An essay, with a title and three points to include. 140 – 190 words

Part 2Choose 1 of 3 options from: Article, Email/letter, Report, or Review

140-190 words

Writing

Is a hobby a waste of time or are there other benefits?

Essay structure

Introduction … (Nowadays, many people are concerned about … )

On the one hand … (lots of advantages of hobbies)

On the other hand …. (lots of disadvantages of a hobby)

In conclusion … (my personal opinion on hobbies.

Writing Question 1

In your English class you have been talking about what people do in their free time. Now your teacher has asked you to write an essay.

Write an essay using all the notes and give reasons for your point of view. Is a hobby a waste of time or are there other benefits?

NotesWrite about:

1 relaxation

2 social activity

3 (your own idea)

Writing Question 1

What problems are caused by the damage to the environment, and do you think these problems can be solved?

NotesWrite about:

1 transport

2 water

3 (your own idea)

Writing Question 1

In addition to this our rivers and seas are no less danger situation. It is a fact of common knowledge that numerous factories and plants pour off their waste to ponds. Obviously that cleaning manufacturing water helps to avoid extinction of ocean residents.

FCE Handbook, 2015 p36

Paragraph planning

… many writers, for example, don’t achieve success until they are quite old. This is because it takes a lot of time to learn how to write well. Making mistakes and learning from them is very important, whatever you do.

… Young actors and singers often find it difficult to deal with instant success and the money and fame that comes with it. We all know many examples of people who have suffered because of this. It can have very tragic consequences.

Read the supporting points for the middle paragraphs of an essay. What question do you think the student was asked?

You have been discussing in class how to be a successful person. Now your teacher has asked you to write an essay, giving your opinion on the following statement.

Without failure there can be no success. Do you agree?

NotesWrite about:

1 motivation

2 experience

3 problems of instant success (your own idea)

A … Many writers, for example, don’t achieve success until they are quite old. This is because it takes a lot of time to learn how to write well. Making mistakes and learning from them is very important, whatever you do.

B … Young actors and singers often find it difficult to deal with instant success and the money and fame that comes with it. We all know many examples of people who have suffered because of this. It can have very tragic consequences.

Now match the topic sentences 1-4 to the paragraphs.

1 Success often requires a lot of experience. 2 You need to work hard and get a lot of experience. 3 People who are successful are often unhappy. 4 Being successful immediately can lead to failure in other ways.

‘Without failure, there can be no success.’

Thesis: It’s often said that it’s impossible to succeed the first time you do something.

Point 1: Sometimes failure can make people more determined.

Point 2: Success often requires a lot of experience.

Point 3: Being successful immediately can lead to failure in other ways.

Conclusion: To sum up, it is possible to have success without failure.

Write 5 sentences

Thank you very much!

Any questions?

And finally … scoring …

180 = Old 80173 = Old 75160 = Old 60140 = Old 45