essays examples cae

Breakout English

Advanced (CAE) Essay Questions and Sample Answers

The Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) essay is a formal, academic writing. You’ll find it in Part 1 of the CAE writing exam and, just like at other levels, Part 1 is mandatory. That means whether you like it or not, you’ll be writing an essay for your C1 Cambridge exam. Considering that, it’s probably a good idea to practise. The good news is, the CAE essay can be quite formulaic. Once you’ve done it a few times, you’ll notice the structure and style are always pretty similar. Before you know it, you’ll be writing them in your sleep! In this post, you’ll find some useful CAE writing tips and three essay questions with sample answers.

If you’re looking for a complete overview of the CAE writing exam, with CAE writing tips and much more, check out Advanced Writing Plus , our complete self-study course.

Topics for Advanced (CAE) essay questions

At C1 level, you are expected to be able to write about pretty much any topic you can imagine. However, CAE essay topics are generally going to be quite formal. You’re not going to be asked about your plans for the weekend!

These are some of the topics which are most likely to come up in an Advanced essay question:

• Environmental issues
• Public projects
• Science and nature
• Global issues

Make sure you’ve looked into these topics and studied relevant vocabulary. You can also read different articles and listen to radio broadcasts (or podcasts) related to the topics. Don’t forget to note down important vocabulary so you can remember it for your writings!

C1 Advanced (CAE) Essay Tips

You’ve probably got plenty of experience writing in English if you’ve reached a C1 level. Students who prepare for this exam often need their skills focused in the right way rather than being taught brand new ideas.

Here are my top tips for preparing the CAE essay task.

• Don’t do anything too strange – The essay question is likely to be on quite an interesting topic. It could even be on something you feel strongly about or specialise in. But be careful! When essays start to ramble too much or go too far, they lose their strength. This essay isn’t going to change the world, so don’t go overboard!
• Use advanced language – Remember that to get top points, you must use advanced structures in your writing. Take some time to practise inversion, cleft sentences and participle clauses, then use them in your essay.
• Don’t be stingy with linking words – Linking words (and expressions) are the glue of a writing. Without them, everything falls apart. This doesn’t mean you have to use ridiculous uncommon linking words, but you should use them frequently, probably more than you expect. Take a look at our post about linking words for some ideas.
• Be stylish! – An essay needs to read like an essay, just like a report needs to read like a report. This means it is a formal, academic text. Formal means no contractions, few phrasal verbs, complex sentences and an impersonal style. The essay needs to include your opinion, so you need to express that opinion through style and substance, supported by facts.
• Focus on argument and coherence – To score high in the CAE essay, it’s important to have a clear argument and structure. Plan your essay and stick to the plan, making sure each paragraph has a clear purpose. Ensure that your points are logically connected and that your writing is coherent.
• Use a variety of sentence types – Varying sentence types and lengths keep the reader engaged and demonstrate your writing skills. Mix simple and complex sentences to add interest to your writing.
• Check your writing! – Proofreading is critical for writing a top-scoring CAE essay. Check for grammatical and spelling errors and make sure the writing flows well. Also, don’t forget to check your writing style and tone to make sure you sound professional and academic.
• Practice, practice, practice – Finally, practise writing essays under timed conditions. This will help you to improve your time management and build confidence for the actual exam.

The materials

Here are three Advanced (CAE) essay questions. They each use different CAE essay topics. Use them to practise and improve in preparation for the Cambridge C1 Advanced exam. After completing your own essay, check the example answer and compare.

20 Essay Writing Topics/Questions | C1 Advanced (CAE)

How to write an C1 Advanced (CAE) essay?

FCE, CAE, CPE

More than practice tests, c1 advanced (cae) essay: example topics / questions.

Below is a sample list of academic essay writing topics/tasks for C1-level (advanced) students. You can use them to practice writing English essays or to simplyy prepare for the Cambridge exam

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 1 | Advanced (CAE)

Your class has attended a panel discussion on the subject of TV shows that feature members of the public, such as reality TV shows and talent competitions. You have made the notes below.

Aspects of reality and talent TV shows

• entertainment for viewers
• influence on young people
• effect on participants

Some opinions expressed in the discussion:

‘These programmes are just harmless entertainment and there is nothing wrong with them.’ ‘The influence these programmes can have on young people can be very bad indeed.’ ‘People who take part in these programmes can be damaged by the experience.’

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the aspects in your notes. You should explain which aspect you think is the most important regarding these TV shows and provide reason s to support your opinion.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 2 | Advanced (CAE)

You have watched a documentary about what causes young people to start committing crimes. You have made the notes below.

Reasons why young people commit crimes

• lack of control by parents
• absence of opportunities in life
• influence of friends

Some opinions expressed in the documentary:

‘Without firm discipline from parents, some children are likely to get into trouble.” ‘It’s not surprising that young people who feel they have no chance of a good life turn to crime.” ‘The bad influence of people they mix with can cause some young people to take up crime.’

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the reasons in your notes. You should explain which cause you think is the most important for young people committing crimes and provide reasons to support your opinion.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 3 | Advanced (CAE)

Your class has attended a panel discussion on what are the greatest advantages of digital and computer technology for people in their everyday lives. You have made the notes below.

Advantages of digital and computer technology in everyday life

• communication
• access to information
• shopping and services

‘Being able to contact anyone at any time in any place is obviously the greatest advantage.’

‘The fact that people can instantly look up something and find out about it, or learn something new, is the greatest advantage.’

‘You don’t need to go out or spend a long time buying or paying for things and that’s the greatest advantage.’

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the advantages in your notes. You should explain which advantage you think is the greatest for people in their everyday lives and provide reasons to support your opinion.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 4 | Advanced (CAE)

Your class has been discussing whether school/college leavers should be forced to do unpaid work if no paid jobs are available. You have made the notes below:

Arguments for and against forcing young people into jobs that are not paid:

• it gives young people the chance to gain valuable work experience.
• it would benefit society if more young people worked for the local community.
• companies would be exploiting young people as a cheap source of labour.

Some opinions expressed during the discussion:

“If the job needs doing the company should be prepared to pay for someone’s labour.” “Such a scheme would build confidence in young people who would otherwise be idle” “It would force young people into dead-end jobs”

Write an  essay  discussing two of the arguments made for and/or against making young people do unpaid work. You should explain which argument is more important , giving reasons in support of your answer.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 5 | Advanced (CAE)

You class has watched a documentary about the need for nations to fund space exploration. You have made the notes below:

Advantages of spending public money on space exploration:

• countries work together to further our understanding of the universe
• we may discover raw materials.
• possible new living space for the world’s growing population.

“It’s human nature to want to understand where we come from.” “We should stop exploiting natural resources.” “The world’s growing population needs further space to live.”

Write an  essay  discussing two of the advantages given for space exploration in your notes You should  explain which reason is most important , giving reasons in support of your answer.

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C1 - essay topic / question 6 | advanced (cae).

Your class has had a discussion about the importance of the Internet in our lives. You have made the notes below:

Reasons why the Internet has become so important:

• the opportunity it offers to buy and sell online.
• the ease with which we can keep in contact with friends or relations.
• its use as a study tool.

“Social media allows me to stay in contact with family members all over the country.” “You can shop around, read reviews and get good bargains on the web.” “The Internet offers me an enormous library to help with my studies.”

Write an essay discussing two of the reasons given for the importance of the Internet. You should explain which reason is most important , giving reasons in support of your answer.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 7 | Advanced (CAE)

Your class has had a discussion about the negative effects of globalisation on local culture. You have made the notes below:

Effects of globalisation:

• the dominance of the western music/film industry.
• the loss of national identity.
• the undermining of values of local culture.

“We don’t want to see the same culture wherever we travel.” “People are free to enjoy whichever music, films or fashion they wish.” “Young people are losing the sense of values their parents had.”

Write an essay discussing two of the effects listed in your notes. You should explain which effect is more important , giving reasons in support of your answer.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 8 | Advanced (CAE)

Your class has watched a documentary about the decline in the number of local buildings with historic interest. You have made the notes below: Factors behind the decline include:

• a lack of space within inner cities for commercial and residential developments.
• the fact that these buildings are not seen as worthy of preservation by town planners.
• insufficient public funds to support the preservation of these buildings.

“We need to preserve old buildings for future generations.” “Buildings with a local historical interest can be good for tourism.” “Some of these buildings no longer serve a purpose and should be replaced with modern alternatives.”

Write an essay discussing two of the reasons given for the decline in such buildings in your notes. You should explain which factor is more important , giving reasons in support of your answer.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 9 | Advanced (CAE)

You attended a debate at a local community centre at which a proposal to launch a new local TV station was discussed. You have made the notes below:

What would be the benefits of a new local TV station?

• community events
• local businesses

Some opinions expressed during the debate:

“TV is dying. Everyone uses the internet.” “Will younger people engage with local television?” “TV service can’t just become a vehicle for wall-to-wall advertising!”

Write an essay , discussing two of the benefits in your notes. You should explain which benefit you think would be most important , giving reasons in support of your answer.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 10 | Advanced (CAE)

You attended a college debate that discussed ways of encouraging more people to be more environmentally friendly in their energy use and production. You have made the notes below:

How can individuals protect the environment through their home energy policy?

• Subsidised solar panels
• Free insulation
• Replacement heating system

“Governments should be doing this, not individuals!” “Heating old, cold buildings helps nobody.” “Solar panels take decades to pay for themselves!”

Write an essay , discussing two of the ideas in your notes. You should explain which idea would help protect the environment most, giving reasons in support of your answer.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 11 | Advanced (CAE)

You attended a lecture at a local business centre where the advantages of working from home were discussed. You have made the notes below:

How can working from home be beneficial?

• Effects on traffic
• Less office space required
• Happier employees

Some opinions expressed during the lecture:

“People working alone at home go crazy!” “Face-to-face meetings are crucial.” “Will everybody have this privilege?”

Write an essay , discussing two of the benefits in your notes. You should explain which benefit would be most important , giving reasons in support of your answer.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 12 | Advanced (CAE)

You attended a debate at the town hall which discussed how new government money for the town should be spent. You have made the notes below:

How should the new government money be spent locally?

• Reduce local taxes by 1%
• More sports facilities
• New books and teachers for schools

“We pay too much tax, a tax cut helps everyone!” “Having a healthier local population is more important than money.” “I don’t play sports, what’s in this for me?”

Write an essay , discussing two of the proposals in your notes. You should explain which proposal would help the town most , giving reasons in support of your answer.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 13 | Advanced (CAE)

You attended a meeting at a local school where possible new additions to the curriculum were discussed. You have made the notes below:

What subjects can we add to our school curriculum?

• computer programming
• home decoration and repair

Some opinions expressed during the meeting:

“We need to consider those who won’t go to university.” “Learn Latin and you’re halfway to learning any other language.” “We need to prepare our children for the modern world they live in!”

Write an essay , discussing two of the subjects in your notes. You should explain which subject would help students most , giving reasons in support of your answer.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 14 | Advanced (CAE)

You have listened to a radio discussion programme about what can be done to increase participation in sports by people of all ages. You have made the notes below.

Ways of increasing participation in sports

• advertising
•  famous sportspeople

“Campaigns involving famous sportspeople are very effective because they are role models for young people.” “If people know what is available to them, more of them might take facilities” “What people need to get started in sports is enough free or cheap up sports.”

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the ways in your notes. You should explain which way you think is likely to be the most effective for increasing participation in sports and provide reasons to support your opinion.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 15 | Advanced (CAE)

Your class has attended a lecture on what governments could do to minimise the use of fossil fuels, You have made the notes below.

Methods of minimising the use of fossil fuels

• increasing taxes on petrol
• increasing use of nuclear energy

“Is the technology for recycling adequately developed?” “Increased taxation will not be a sufficient deterrent.’ “Nuclear energy is too risky.”

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the methods in your notes. You should explain which method you think is more important for governments to consider, and provide reasons to support your opinion.

Entonces, comprar priligy generico online ¿funciona el priligy genérico? Si está leyendo este artículo, probablemente esté buscando respuestas sobre la eficacia de las farmacias online y los medicamentos genéricos.

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C1 - essay topic / question 16 | advanced (cae).

You recently heard a discussion about the benefits of school uniforms. These are the notes you took.

Pros and Cons:

• Shared identity.
• Expensive for parents.
• Discrimination

Notes on Opinions expressed:

• Could give students a positive identity boost.
• Some parents may not be able to afford them.
• Students with cheaper uniforms could face discrimination

Write an  essay  discussing  two  of the ideas in an appropriate style. You should  explain   which  idea you think is  more   important , giving reasons to support your opinion.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 17 | Advanced (CAE)

You recently heard a discussion about the behavioural problems of some children. These are the notes you took.

• Stricter teachers.
• Parental responsibility.
• Government action.
• Teaching is difficult if too strict.
• Parents should exercise control.
• Government should introduce Laws to make parents liable for their children.

Write an  essay  discussing  two  of the ideas in an appropriate style, using 220 – 260 words. You should  explain   which  idea you think is  more   important , giving reasons to support your opinion.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 18 | Advanced (CAE)

You recently heard a discussion about the low level of reading skills in schools. These are the notes you took.

• Extra reading work at school.
• Reading time with parents.
• Special teachers.
• No extra time available at school.
• Parents have very busy lives.
• Difficult to organise.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 19 | Advanced (CAE)

Your class has attended a panel discussion about the ‘race to space’ and who should be funding it. You have made the notes below:

Who should be funding the race to space?

• private companies
• the government
• we should not spend money on this
• In the future, we will need a new planet to live on
• The race to space is important for scientific development
• It’s a waste of money to explore space.

C1 - Essay Topic / Question 20 | Advanced (CAE)

You recently heard a discussion about bullying at school. These are the notes you took.

Responsibility:

Notes on opinions expressed:

• Teachers should control their environment.
• Students should be taught about the dangers
• The police should offer protection.

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Home » C1 Advanced » CAE Writing Examples » CAE Essay Topics » CAE Essay Examples | 1 Great Way To Learn

CAE Essay Examples | 1 Great Way To Learn

Table of Contents

CAE Essay Examples Introduction

Before looking at some CAE essay examples, we should quickly answer this question: "What is a CAE essay?"

A CAE essay  is an obligatory task in the C1 Advanced (CAE) Cambridge English exam. There are 4 CAE exam papers: Speaking, Listening, Reading & Use of English and Writing. The CAE essay forms part 1 of the 2 part writing paper. Students need to answer a question and write between 220-260 words.

On the rest of this page I have put some CAE essay examples which my students have sent to me. If you keep reading, you will find tasks to complete and either a video or written feedback which I provided to the student. The feedback is based on the Cambridge English Assessment Scale from the C1 Advanced handbook for teachers. It is very important to understand this marking criteria if you want to pass this part of the exam.

If you don't know how to write a good essay, or if you want to know how examiners mark your essay, check out my C1 Advanced Essay page.

CAE Essay Example 1 - Question, Critique etc.

Cae essay question.

WAYS OF LOOKING AFTER YOUNG CHILDREN:

At home with parents or other family members In nurseries or pre-school With a professional nanny

Write an essay for your tutor in 220-260 words. You should discuss two of the ways of looking after young children in your notes. You should explain which way is more beneficial and provide reasons to support your opinion.

CAE Examiners Assessment Template

Download this assessment template here or complete the online version here with your thoughts on the writing below.

CAE Essay Example 1 - Answer

C1 Essay Example Answer & My Comments

I have highlighted the mistakes and written comments showing you how to correct them in ( bold and italics).

HOW TO LOOK AFTER YOUNG CHILDREN

There is no doubt that one of the problems of (the word ‘problem’ collocates with ‘with’ before a person/people) modern families is how to take care of young children. Some years ago, the most common solution was to leave the new-borns with a family member. Usually, it was the mother, who had to leave her job and sacrifice her career for the new arrival. Today, the situation is slightly different, because, often, both parents have to work and no relatives are available to come into (‘into’ is not the right word to use here - you could say - ‘come and support’) support of (don’t write ‘of’ here. We say ‘support somebody’ in English, not ‘support of somebody’) the family. In this essay, I will discuss two possible solutions (‘solution’ is not the right word here. ‘Solution’ implies that leaving the children with a family member is not an option, and that you will therefore discuss two alternative methods. The problem is the next paragraph then talks about leaving the children with a family member)  and their advantages and disadvantages.

One of the advantages of leaving your children with a family member is that you trust this person (I would say ‘this person will usually have your trust’ - because it is better to try and use the passive voice in an essay. We also tend to use more nouns and fewer verbs in formal writing) and you know (do you know that?) that they will certainly take care of them in the best way. Furthermore, when the children are sick, you can leave them in bed and check their temperature frequently, preventing complications. (I think you could develop this last sentence more and state that you cannot do this if the children go to nursery) . On the other hand, though, your children could (you should use ‘may’ or ‘might’ rather than ‘could’ here. ‘Could not’ in this sentence means they were not able to. It is a definitive statement and it does not imply possibility) not develop some important social skills such as team playing (‘teamwork’ might be a better word to use here) and sharing (‘connecting’ might be a better word to use. We tend to say ‘sharing’ + something) with peers, but they could be left (for) some time in front of a screen (you could explain why this wouldn’t be beneficial) .

Another solution could be to make them attend a nursery. There are numerous advantages in (‘advantages’ collocates with ‘to’) this approach as well, but, above all, I would enlighten (‘enlighten’ is usually followed by an object) that children are taught to stay together, to help each other and to have fun. Unfortunately, on the other hand, they run the risk of getting ill more frequently and this could be a problem for parents who have to take maternity leave to cure (‘look after’ or ‘take care of’ are better phrases to use here. ‘Cure’ is stronger and implies the parents will heal them from a serious illness or disease) them.

To sum up (this expression is a little too informal for an essay) , I think that I would choose a mixed solution for my children: a family member during the first years but then a nursery as soon as they start speaking and relating (‘building relationships’) with others, so that to (remove the word 'to' and replace it with 'they') improve their abilities (‘ability’ should be countable singular here) to be part of a group.

CAE Essay Sample Marks

Cae essay sample - pass or fail.

Adding the marks together, the student has scored:

Content: 3/5

Communicative Achievement: 3/5

Organisation: 4/5

Language: 2/5

Total: 12/20.

If you can't remember what these scores mean, watch my CAE writing marking criteria video .

If this student got 12/20 for their part 2 writing in the exam, they would have 24/40 for the C1 Advanced writing paper.

The student would therefore pass this exam paper.

To understand how these marks are calculated, check out this page . I suggest using a table like this to mark your scores when you are practising for all the different exam papers.

CAE Essay Examples - Question 2 Critique etc.

This question has come from ' Cambridge English Advanced Practice Tests - Plus 2 ' by Nick Kenny and Jacky Newbrook.

While you read this example answer, you should write down any mistakes you find on this document , then complete the examiner assessment template below:

Online template

Hard copy Assessment Scale Template

Example Answer Download

C1 Writing Exam Assessment Template

If you haven't done it yet, download this assessment template here , or complete it online here with your thoughts on the writing above.

C1 Essay Sample Answer 2 & My Comments

Here is the student's answer with my corrections and comments written in ( bold and italics).

Nowadays , many young people tend to ask themselves how valuable is the benefit of taking part in sport competitions in which they participate ( I don’t think these words add any extra to the sentence) . It is said that ‘ it’ ( after using the phrase ‘it is said/thought that’ you should repeat the subject) is worth y (you should use ‘worth’ here) for healthy people to hav ing a positive attitude and th is (the attitude) are also usually able to contribute s more to a the healthy mind. 

But which point s can be highlighted as valuable from ‘ having’ healthy lifestyles? (Personally, I wouldn’t ask questions in an essay). Not only ‘ does’ physical condition ha ve a very important role to play, but also mental condition might be affected ‘ as a result’ .  This (what starts at the beginning?) starts at the beginning (the beginning of what?) when the young child can learn about the value of exercise. Despite having a fit ness body, this (what is ‘this’?) should not only be aimed at sport s competition s . They need to have continuous ‘win nings and los ses ings ’ in order to understand the importance of being trained mentally ( I think the argument of the essay disappears a bit here). For instance, Usain Bolt is an excellent athlete thanks to ‘ his’ capability to accept to los s e s and train hard for the next sport competition.

Attitude alone, however, is not enough. Young athletes need to have easy access to resources which will enable them to learn in a better way. There is no point in having a great attitude to learn if they cannot find materials that other athletes can share as tips in order to make the difference. In this case, these materials refer s to personal experiences and train ing methods ed abilities which youngsters need to pay more attention ‘to’ . If cooperation is not performed (we don’t normally ‘perform cooperation’, it would be more common to say ‘if cooperation does not exist’ , young people are all too likely to slip into bad habits (this  paragraph is well written) .

To sum up, of the two values outlined above, healthy lifestyles is the more effective one. lt is more far reaching in that it relates to all aspects of living healthily. In addition to this, after all, through (‘developing the right’) attitude , that a person will learn why it is better to go to a sport competition than to lie on a couch in front of the television. (I don’t think I understand this final sentence. Do you mean attitude will teach a person? I probably wouldn’t introduce a new idea into the final sentence of an essay).

CAE Essay Sample 2 Marks

Below, you can read my critique on the examiner assessment scale...

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CAE Essay Sample 2 - Pass or Fail

This student has scored:

Communicative Achievement: 2/5

Organisation: 3/5

Language: 3/5

Total: 11/20.

If this student got 11/20 for their part 2 writing in the exam, they would score 22 out of 40 and they would not pass the CAE writing exam at a C1 level.

The student might still pass the exam if he/she gets higher marks in the other exam papers, Reading , Use of English , Speaking and Listening .

CAE Essay Examples - Question 3

Let's have a look at another example essay that a student sent to me. Similar to the first two, we'll have a look at the question, answer and my feedback.

Fantastic work if you've made it this far...you're really going to be helping yourself prepare for this tricky part of the exam. High five!

The following question can be found on this website .

While reading the next answer, you should complete the assessment scale. You can download the assessment template here or complete this online version .

CAE Essay Examples - Answer 3

CAE Essay Examples - Answer 3 pdf

Okay, so hopefully you've completed the hard copy or the online examiner assessment template with your marks and comments. Before reading my corrections below, you should now write down any mistakes you find on this document.

CAE Essay Examples - Answer 3 + My Comments

We live in a wor ’l’ d where there are so many options for travelling (Spelling mistakes are not a huge issue, but they are important if they disrupt the flow/meaning of your writing. This spelling mistake is in the first sentence and therefore might put negative thinking in the examiner’s mind) . According to a recent article, there has been an increase in international travelling. Since the article did not find the major causes of what is causing this new trend (can you think of a way to avoid saying ‘causes’ and ‘causing’ in the same sentence?) , I decided to raise two crucially important factors which could presumably contribute to this. 

It cannot be denied that we take most means of transport for granted and flying on a plane is becoming more prevalent (Good sentence) . In comparison to the previous century, the cost of airline tickets has noticeably decreased. In other words, most airlines are now aiming at a wide ’r’ range of ‘people’ public . (We don’t often say ‘a range of public.’) Not only do they want to attract the affluent, but they also want to ensure that even the poorest citizens can afford to buy a ticket. Moreover, the convenience of aircraft also plays a vital role as flying is not so time-consuming. (Good paragraph).

Another potential factor is global business and trade. The majority of successful companies, such as Foxconn and Apple, are spread out into ‘across’ the whole world. If they did not do this, they would not be able to satisfy their customers. Therefore, they often have no other option, but to dispatch (‘dispatch’ is not often a word used for people but more for inanimate objects) their representatives , (remember the comma as this is a non-definite relative clause because the next part of the sentence is extra information) who always travel by plane. Secondly, the world economy has reached its peak, that is to say, our population is buying more cars. (I think this point would be made stronger by adding another sentence.)

To sum up, as far as I am concerned, global business plays a bigger role when it comes to the increase in travelling. Despite the fact that means of transport have changed, companies have a major impact. To make it clear, companies have the power to shape our society. We are under the influence of them. They set down the rules in terms of new trends in our society (I think you could combine the final two sentences and avoid repeating the words ‘our society’) .

CAE Essay Examples - Question 3 Marks

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CAE Essay Examples - Question 3 - Pass or Fail

I have awarded the essay the following marks:

Content - 3 Communicative Achievement - 4 Organisation - 4 Language - 4

Total: 15/20

In my opinion, this is a good essay. Remember you only have 90 minutes to complete 2 writing tasks in the exam, but if you could write this and a similar part 2 answer in 35 minutes each, leaving time for planning and checking, I think you will stand a good chance of passing at a C1 level. The examiners tend to mark the writing paper quite strictly in my experience and so it’s possible that some of the marking criteria could be awarded a 3, but it’s also possible some could be awarded a 5. It depends a little bit on the individual examiner. Well done!

CAE Essay Examples - Question 4

This came from the book ' Cambridge English Advanced 2 ' which you can buy here >>

CAE Essay Answer

You should print off a copy of the answer below here and write down any mistakes you find.

Alternatively, you can write the mistakes on a separate sheet of paper or on this online template .

You should also complete the examiner assessment scale template in hardcopy or online .

CAE Essay Answer With My Corrections

Here is a video of me critiquing this answer:

If you would like to receive a similar video critiquing one of your answers, check out my CAE writing assessment service >>

Below, you can read the answer with my corrections and what I wrote on the examiner assessment scale...

Social trends are part of today’s society and they could be described as peculiar behaviours that become ‘a’ fundamental characteristic of a society. In the last few years there have been many changes such as the development of ‘the’ internet, mobile phones and cheaper flights that have had an important influence in ‘on’ social trends.

As far as I’m concerned, the factor which influence ‘s’ the most social trends ‘the most’ is the communication and especially the new communication via social network ‘s’ . As a matter of fact s , the way we communicate has been influenced a lot by the development of ‘the’ internet and technology. Therefore, internationally widespread social networks such as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok have created ways of communicating that make it very easy to spread a peculiar ‘specific’ social trend by imitat ‘ing’ e the trends of other countries.

Other people may say that advertising is shaping social trends because of its u ‘i’ nescapable influence on consumers. Although it surely plays an important role and everywhere we go we are surrounded by advertising, in my humble opinion , we are totally used to them and we know how to ignore them, so they don’t ‘ do not’ have such a big influence on social trends.

In conclusion , it ’s ‘i s evident that what influence ‘s’ ‘social trends’ the most social trends are the ways of communicating used by the people of today. They have the ‘ability’ peculiarity to make the world smaller and spread a new trend amazingly rapidly with the feature that it will affect a big amount ‘number’ of people in a small amount of time.

CAE Essay Marks

C1 advanced writing - pass or fail.

Content - 3

Communicative Achievement - 3

Organisation - 4

Language - 2

Total: 12/20

You need a minimum of 24 out of 40 possible marks to pass the CAE writing paper. Remember, there are 2 different writings to complete, so you need to average 12 out of 20 for each writing task.

Remember, you do not need to pass every exam paper in order to pass the C1 Advanced (CAE) exam and get a certificate.

If you want to find out more about what marks you need in order to pass the exam, have a look at this page >>

More CAE Essay Examples + Feedback

I recently published a book with 6 CAE essay examples and 15 other CAE sample writings. They all have my mistakes and suggestions highlighted, as well as critique based on official writing marking criteria.

Some of you can read it for free with Kindle Unlimited:

Take a look inside >>

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2 thoughts on “ CAE Essay Examples | 1 Great Way To Learn ”

I learnt a lot from your essays samples and corrections. Please send more of your lesson I need it for studies. Thanks

Thank you Evelyn, I’m glad they helped you. When you become a member of my website you get access to more of my materials: https://studentlanguages.com/membership-checkout/?level=4

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