Tips for the Use of English Section of the CAE Exam
The Use of English section of the Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) exam is designed to test your
grammar, vocabulary, and reading skills. It consists of four different tasks that challenge your ability
to manipulate language in context. Here are some detailed strategies and tips for each part to help
you maximize your score:
Part 1: Multiple Choice Cloze
In this section, you’ll be given a short text with eight gaps. For each gap, there are four multiple-
choice options (A, B, C, or D). Your task is to choose the most appropriate word or phrase to
complete the text.
### Tips:
1. **Read the Entire Text First**: Get a general understanding of the text. This will give you a sense
of the context and help you predict the kind of word that might fit.
2. **Pay Attention to Collocations**: Many of the gaps test your knowledge of common word
pairings (e.g., “take advantage,” “strong possibility”). If you're unsure, choose the option that
“sounds right.”
3. **Look for Phrasal Verbs**: Watch out for phrasal verbs, as these are common in this part. Pay
attention to which prepositions go with which verbs (e.g., “put up with,” “run out of”).
4. **Check for Grammatical Structure**: Some gaps might require you to use conjunctions,
prepositions, or articles. Make sure your choice fits grammatically.
5. **Eliminate Options**: If you're unsure, eliminate any words that clearly don’t fit the meaning or
grammar of the sentence.
Part 2: Open Cloze
In this task, you’ll see a short text with eight gaps. Unlike Part 1, there are no multiple-choice
options. You must think of the single word that best completes each gap.
### Tips:
1. **Read the Entire Text**: Before filling in any gaps, read the whole text to get an idea of its
overall meaning.
2. **Focus on Grammar Words**: Most of the time, the missing words are grammatical items (e.g.,
prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs, or pronouns) rather than content words.
3. **Check for Missing Verbs**: Sometimes a gap needs an auxiliary verb (e.g., “is,” “have,”
“would”). Read aloud and listen for what sounds right.
The Use of English section of the Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) exam is designed to test your
grammar, vocabulary, and reading skills. It consists of four different tasks that challenge your ability
to manipulate language in context. Here are some detailed strategies and tips for each part to help
you maximize your score:
Part 1: Multiple Choice Cloze
In this section, you’ll be given a short text with eight gaps. For each gap, there are four multiple-
choice options (A, B, C, or D). Your task is to choose the most appropriate word or phrase to
complete the text.
### Tips:
1. **Read the Entire Text First**: Get a general understanding of the text. This will give you a sense
of the context and help you predict the kind of word that might fit.
2. **Pay Attention to Collocations**: Many of the gaps test your knowledge of common word
pairings (e.g., “take advantage,” “strong possibility”). If you're unsure, choose the option that
“sounds right.”
3. **Look for Phrasal Verbs**: Watch out for phrasal verbs, as these are common in this part. Pay
attention to which prepositions go with which verbs (e.g., “put up with,” “run out of”).
4. **Check for Grammatical Structure**: Some gaps might require you to use conjunctions,
prepositions, or articles. Make sure your choice fits grammatically.
5. **Eliminate Options**: If you're unsure, eliminate any words that clearly don’t fit the meaning or
grammar of the sentence.
Part 2: Open Cloze
In this task, you’ll see a short text with eight gaps. Unlike Part 1, there are no multiple-choice
options. You must think of the single word that best completes each gap.
### Tips:
1. **Read the Entire Text**: Before filling in any gaps, read the whole text to get an idea of its
overall meaning.
2. **Focus on Grammar Words**: Most of the time, the missing words are grammatical items (e.g.,
prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs, or pronouns) rather than content words.
3. **Check for Missing Verbs**: Sometimes a gap needs an auxiliary verb (e.g., “is,” “have,”
“would”). Read aloud and listen for what sounds right.
