C2 Proficiency is one of the examinations in Cambridge English Qualifications – a path for improving language skills.
Each Cambridge English Qualification targets a particular level of the CEFR and they work together to create an effective learning journey.
People who were awarded the C2 Proficiency certificate were legally allowed to teach in exchange for money.
Written Oral In 1913, the English Essay topics were very Anglocentric: The first exam in 1913 was taken by just three candidates, who all failed.
For the next 15 years the Certificate of Proficiency in English ‘teetered along with 14 or 15 candidates a year.’[5] By 1929 it was in danger of being discontinued and UCLES decided to introduce some changes to the exam.
By 1926 the length of the exam had been reduced to 11 hours and the translation paper included Italian and Spanish options.
Further changes took place in 1953, when the length of the exam was further reduced to 9 hours and candidates could choose to take a ‘Use of English’ paper as an alternative to ‘Translation’.
[4] In 2013, C2 Proficiency celebrated its 100th anniversary and another set of revisions were introduced, which aimed at ensuring its continued suitability for higher education study and career enhancement purposes.
[7] C2 Proficiency is made up of four exam papers, which cover all the key language skills (Reading and Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking).
Candidates are expected to be able to read and understand a range of different texts, e.g. fiction and non-fiction books, journals, newspapers and manuals.
Part 1 requires candidates to complete eight gaps in a text by selecting the correct word or phrase from choice of four options.
Parts 5 to 7 focus on Reading and test understanding of texts through tasks such as multiple-choice, gapped paragraph and multiple matching exercises.
Part 1 has three short, unrelated recordings each lasting approximately 1 minute and six multiple-choice questions to complete.
Recordings come from a range of spoken materials, such as lectures, speeches and interviews, and feature language that a candidate might encounter in work situations, at university or in everyday life.
One examiner acts as both interlocutor and assessor and manages the test by asking questions and setting-up tasks for the candidates.
Candidates are expected to demonstrate a range of oral skills such as organization of thoughts, negotiation, extended discourse and maintaining a discussion with appropriate pronunciation, intonation and speed of delivery.
Pre-2015, the Statement of Results had the following information, reflecting the total combined score from all the papers: Pre-2015, the Statement of Results had a Candidate Profile, which showed the candidate's performance on each of the individual papers against the following scale: exceptional, good, borderline and weak.
Universities, employers and other organizations may require either or both of these documents as proof of English language skills.
Learners use this qualification to study post-graduate courses, lead high-level research projects and academic seminars and communicate effectively at upper managerial and board level in international business.
[12] Employers, universities and government departments around the world accept C2 Proficiency as proof that a successful candidate can study or work at the very highest level of professional and academic life and as an indication of English language ability.