Understanding your CAE speaking scores

Any spoken assignment will be graded using this rubric. This is the Cambridge C1 rubric for advanced spoken English production. To help you understand what each of the criteria means, click on the slides.

Level C1

CAE

Spoken Production

Understanding your assessment

Grammatical and Lexical Resource are now separated, unlike the PET rubric. Grammatical resource refers to mainting a wide range of grammar tenses throughout your spoken interaction. You should demonstrate accuracy and confidence when using them.Lexical Resource refers to using appropriate vocabulary for the topic, and finding the right words in both familiar and unfamiliar topics. You should avoid overusing words and phrases, and demonstrate a wide use of vocabulary.

What does this mean?

Grammatical and Lexical Resource

Your rubric has a scale of 1-5. To help you understand what your score means, click on the icon to the right.

Discourse Management refers to your ability to have a conversation with someone. To score highly, you need to be able to speak for an extended amount of time. You should make relevant contributions, not just repeat what your partner just said, or repeat a previous personal idea in different words. Similar to organisation in writing, you are expected to use cohesive devices. Link your ideas and use appropriate pronouns to refer back to ideas.It is helpful to keep a bank of words and expressions that will help you express ideas, give reasons and examples, and engage with your partner.

What does this mean?

Discourse Management

Your rubric has a scale of 1-5. To help you understand what your score means, click on the icon to the right.

This is more than just pronouncing words the correct way, though that is a part of this criteria. Practice difficult sounds. Your spoken production should be clear and understandable.For higher marks, work on appropriate word and sentence stress. Pay attention to how your voice should change when asking questions or expressing emotions.You should also demonstrate appropriate intonation with words, expressions and sentences. Your voice should be natural and full of emotion, not robotic and practiced.

What does this mean?

Pronunciation

Your rubric has a scale of 1-5. To help you understand what your score means, click on the icon to the right.

What does this mean?

Interactive communication refers to how well you speak with someone else. Part of the CAE exam is having a short conversation with a partner. Engaging with your partner, responding to their ideas, asking them questions, and acknowledging their ideas are ways to increase your score in this area.It is important NOT TO DOMINATE the conversation. You should make attempts and keeping your ideas brief and giving your partner an opportunity to speak. You want to also work on negotiating outcomes, as a big part of the exam is debating and arriving at a decision together. Practice responding, agreeing, disagreeing politely, and asking questions for higher marks.

Interactive Communication

Your rubric has a scale of 1-5. To help you understand what your score means, click on the icon to the right.

Discourse Management

What does my score mean?

Pronunciation

What does my score mean?

What does my score mean?

Interactive Communication

What does my score mean?

Grammar and Vocabulary