Mock Exam 2 · Full CPE simulation
CPE Mock Exam 2 — Pre-exam Confidence Mock
A second full Cambridge C2 Proficiency simulation, deliberately pitched at exam-day difficulty. Sit it in the final fortnight: same paper order, same authentic timing, fuller mark scheme. Use the per-paper band readout to decide whether you are ready to enter for the real exam.
Best sat 7–14 days before the real exam, in one or two contiguous sittings.
Paper 1 · Reading & Use of English
Paper 2 · Writing
Your class has attended a public lecture on how trust in institutions can be rebuilt. The lecturer highlighted the three areas below. You have made the notes opposite. Write an essay discussing TWO of the three areas in your notes. You should explain which of the two areas you have chosen would do most to rebuild public trust, and give reasons for your view. You may use the opinions expressed during the lecture, but you should use your own words as far as possible. Areas where trust can be rebuilt: • the way governments communicate with the public • the transparency of large companies' business practices • the reliability of mainstream news media Some opinions expressed during the lecture: 'Plain language matters more than any policy promise.' 'Companies are judged less on what they say than on what they do under pressure.' 'News organisations need to show their working, not just their conclusions.'
Write your essay in 240–280 words.
The director of the international language school where you study has invited proposals from students for a small pilot project to improve the learning experience. Write a proposal describing the project you would propose, explaining how it would work and outlining the benefits for both students and teachers.
Write your proposal in 280–320 words.
You read the following short item in an international newspaper: 'Spending on public libraries has fallen across most of Europe for the seventh consecutive year. Some commentators argue that libraries are now an unaffordable luxury.' Write a letter to the editor expressing your view on the article. Explain whether you agree with the commentators' position, and support your view with examples.
Write your essay in 280–320 words.
An international magazine has asked readers to review a documentary that genuinely changed the way they think about an issue. Write a review of the documentary. Describe it briefly, explain how and why it changed your thinking, and say who else you would recommend it to.
Write your review in 280–320 words.
Paper 3 · Listening
Paper 4 · Speaking
Part 1 — Interview (~2 min · no visuals)
- How would you describe your home town to someone who has never been there?
- What's something you've changed your mind about recently? Why?
- How do you usually spend a free Sunday?
Part 2 — Collaborative task (~4 min)
Both candidates work together on ONE visual stimulus (one or several visuals). Stage 1: discuss the visuals together (~1 min). Stage 2: reach a joint decision (~1 min). The assessment focuses on collaborative discussion, not the decision itself.
Stage 1 · Discussion (~1 min)
Here are some changes a city could make to improve quality of life for residents. Talk together for about two minutes about how effective each change might be: • more pedestrian-only streets • free public transport for under-25s • stricter rules on short-term tourist lets • better-funded public libraries • new green spaces in every neighbourhood
Now you have about a minute to decide which TWO changes would make the biggest difference to most residents.
Stage 2 · Joint decision (~1 min)
Encourage candidates to weigh trade-offs (cost, fairness, who benefits) rather than personal preferences.
There is no correct answer. The examiner assesses how well you discuss together — inviting, hedging, agreeing, disagreeing, negotiating — not the decision itself.
Part 3 — Individual long turn (~1 min per candidate)
Each candidate is given three photographs, chooses any two to compare, and speaks for about one minute answering the examiner's question. The third photograph is not discussed.
Examiner's question
Two of these photographs show technology playing very different roles in people's lives. Compare two of the photographs and say why technology might be more important in one situation than the other, and what challenges the people involved might face.
Pick any two of the three photographs to compare. The third is not discussed.
Tap two photographs to choose which pair you'll compare.
Examiner follow-up (~30 sec)
Candidate B: Which of these situations is closer to how technology fits into your own life?
Useful language
Weighing importance
- • Technology is arguably indispensable when…
- • It plays a far less central role when…
- • One could argue that…
Naming challenges
- • The obvious challenge here is…
- • A more subtle difficulty might be…
- • There's a real risk of…
Softening claims
- • To some extent…
- • That said…
- • Broadly speaking…
Examiner tips
- Compare priorities, not just objects: 'necessary vs optional', 'shared vs private'.
- Name concrete challenges — 'digital fatigue', 'over-reliance', 'exclusion'.
- Don't let yourself drift into the third photo — the examiner only wants two.
Self-assessment checklist
- I clearly chose which two photos to compare.
- I compared, not described.
- I said why tech mattered more in one than the other.
- I named at least two challenges.
- I finished around one minute.
Examiner's question
Two of these photographs show people who have travelled for very different reasons. Compare two of the photographs and say what the people might be hoping to gain from each journey, and what they might be giving up.
Pick any two of the three photographs to compare. The third is not discussed.
Tap two photographs to choose which pair you'll compare.
Examiner follow-up (~30 sec)
Candidate A: Which of these journeys would you find more rewarding, and why?
Useful language
Purpose of travel
- • They're presumably travelling in order to…
- • The whole point of the trip seems to be…
- • One is undertaken out of necessity, the other out of choice.
Gains & sacrifices
- • What they stand to gain is…
- • The trade-off is that…
- • It comes at the cost of…
Comparison
- • Whereas the first…, the second involves…
- • In stark contrast…
- • The common thread is…
Examiner tips
- Frame each journey by purpose first, then rewards, then sacrifices.
- Use trade-off language ('at the cost of', 'in exchange for').
- Avoid listing — connect the two photos with contrast markers.
Self-assessment checklist
- I named the two photos I chose to compare.
- I identified the purpose of each journey.
- I said what the people stood to gain and give up.
- I contrasted rather than described.
- I finished on time.
Part 4 — Discussion (~4–5 min · no visuals)
The examiner asks further questions connected to the theme introduced in Part 3. Candidates discuss the ideas together — no photographs or prompt cards are shown.
Topic
Making cities better places to live
- Should city councils prioritise short-term improvements that residents notice immediately, or long-term plans that future generations will benefit from?
- How responsible is each citizen for the quality of life in their own neighbourhood?
- Some people argue that big cities are essentially impossible to make pleasant. Do you agree?
- How important is it to keep the historical character of a city when modernising it?
- What do you think your home city will be most criticised for in fifty years' time?
Mock Exam 2 complete
Go through your answers with your teacher. Move to the next mock or the Exit Test when you're ready.