C2 Proficiency | Cambridge Assessment (2024)

FAQs

Is C2 Proficiency exam hard? ›

Proficiency Is A Tough Exam But Far From Impossible For Diligent Students. To sum up, if you can study the book on your own and do lots of practice exams you are in a good position to pass the exam. It goes without saying that it will be easier if you have already passed the First Certificate and Advanced exams.

C2 Proficiency, formerly known as Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE), is one of our Cambridge English Qualifications. It is our highest-level qualification – proof that you are a highly competent speaker of English. A C2 Proficiency qualification shows the world that you have mastered English to an exceptional level.

Valid scores on the C2 Proficiency Exam range from 180 to 230. A score of 200 or above is considered a “pass” and students with that score will receive the Cambridge C2 proficiency certificate, which corresponds to a level C2 in English on the CEFR.

What level is fluent English? Basic fluency is typically considered to begin at the B2 level, with complete mastery of the language achieved at the C2 level.

Finally, to reach the highest level of proficiency, C2, you should expect to dedicate around 600-650 hours of study. This stage focuses on mastering the language to near-native levels, with advanced comprehension and communication skills in various contexts.

In summary, C2 level is considered the highest level of proficiency in the CEFR framework, and it's considered as a near-native speaker level of proficiency, but not equivalent to the proficiency of a native speaker.

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.

Level C2 corresponds to proficient users of English, who can understand and express virtually everything with ease and differentiate finer shades of meaning.

practise your English in all four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking • improve your grammar and vocabulary for communication at C2 level • understand how the exam is organised and assessed • understand what will happen on exam day.

How do you know if you're C2? ›

C2 – Proficiency

You can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. You can express yourself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations.

Format of the exam

You can take your Cambridge C2 Proficiency English Exam in two ways: on a computer or on paper. Exam length is about 4 hours. Shows you can deal confidently with different types of text, such as fiction and non-fiction books, journals, newspapers and manuals.

For C2 Proficiency, this means you should: practise your English in all four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking • improve your grammar and vocabulary for communication at C2 level • understand how the exam is organised and assessed • understand what will happen on exam day.

Compared to DALF C1, C2 is more complex, integrating reading and writing into one test, while C1 evaluates these skills separately. Both C1 and C2 levels must use the language fluently in social, academic, and professional contexts.