Cambridge English Exam Courses
Would you like a qualification that is recognised worldwide? At International House Bristol we can help you achieve this. We offer English courses for Cambridge First, Advanced and Proficiency. You can choose a 10-week preparation course, or alternatively, have a look at the 4-week intensive preparation course we offer in the summer for the B2 First and C1 Advanced exams. Both our 4-week and 10-week courses include the exam fee in the price, and if you'd like to study with us longer than 4 or 10 weeks, just enter the dates you want on the application form. Courses are open to students aged 16+.
Enrol on a full Cambridge Exam preparation course at IH Bristol and take the Cambridge Exam with us, if you don't achieve a grade from A-C we will refund 25% of your tuition fees!*
*Applies where you have completed our online placement test and IH Bristol has confirmed your suitability for the preparation course and exam
- Cambridge English Exam 10 week course
- Intensive Cambridge Exam Course B2 First and C1 Advanced (Summer 4 weeks)
- Course aims
- Syllabus content and focus
- Class timetable
- Free extras
- Dates & prices of all our English courses and options
- Students aged 16/17 on adult courses
Cambridge English Exam Preparation -10-week Course (including exam fee) 2024: £3205
The ten-week Cambridge English Exam course runs several times a year to coincide with the Cambridge English exam dates:
| Level | Course Dates | Exam Date |
|---|---|---|
| B2 First (FCE) |
23rd September- 29th November 2024 6th January - 14th March 2025 (10 week) 31st March - 6th June 2025 (10 week) 6th October - 12th December 2025 (10 week)
|
25th & 26th November 2024 14th March 2025 9th & 10th June 2025 13th December 2025 |
| C1 Advanced (CAE) |
23rd September- 29th November 2024 6th January - 7th March 2025 (9 week) 31st March - 6th June 2025 (10 week)
29th September - 5th December 2025 (10 week)
|
25th & 27th November 2024 8th March 2025 4th June 2025 6th December 2025 |
| C2 Proficiency (CPE) |
30th September- 6th December 2024 6th January - 28th February 2025 (8 week) 7th April - 13th June 2025 (10 week) 29th September- 5th December 2025 (10 week) |
4th & 5th December 2024 28th February & 1st March 2025 9th & 13th June 2025 4th December 2025 |
Please note:
- The minimum age to join is 16
All courses above subject to sufficient numbers and students can enrol for more or less than 10 weeks if more or less preparation is required. There are materials fees for students who do not book the full preparation course (see price list for details).
Exam dates above are for the Written papers; Speaking paper dates will be confirmed nearer the time, but will be set around the same week. For CPE, we offer the Literature (set text) option for the writing paper. Students can study a set text with us and at home and answer questions about this in the written exam.
Intensive Cambridge Exam Course (Summer) £1617
The Intensive Cambridge Exam Course (FCE and CAE only) runs once a year for 4 weeks in July and August:
- 28th July- 22nd August 2025
Please see our updated Terms & Conditions for new courses booked in 2023/2024, along with our Safety Measures & FAQs for Face-to-Face courses in Bristol
Course aims
Both the 10-week and 4-week courses help students improve all their skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening), review and strengthen their grammatical knowledge and improve their vocabulary with lexis and structures relevant to their exam. We aim to maximise your chance of passing the exam and achieve as high a grade as possible. There is an emphasis on the exam strategies we believe students should employ in order to do this, focusing on exam practice tasks to help you become very familiar with the format of the exam. The price of the exam is also included in the course fees.
- 20 morning classes (45 minutes each)
- 8 afternoon classes (45 minutes each)
- 12 students maximum
- Minimum of two teachers on each course
- Practice tests with feedback
- Cambridge English Exam fee included
For more information about the dates and prices, please click here.
If you wish to enrol on a Cambridge Exam English course, please call us today on +44 (0)117 909 0911 or apply now
We prepare our English students for Cambridge Preliminary, First, Advanced and Proficiency exams*.
In addition to General English classes in the morning, you have 8 Cambridge Exam classes in the afternoon.
These classes will help you to:
‒ Practise the different tasks you have to do for each part of the exam
‒ Learn personal strategies to do the task more effectively
‒ Organise your learning
"It was a big pleasure being here and getting prepared for my CPE exams."
Nadine Graf, Switzerland
Syllabus content and focus
There is a separate syllabus for the Cambridge Exam English courses. These focus on:
- Key topics that are often in the exams
- The different writing tasks in the various Cambridge Exams
- Regular practice of reading, speaking and listening
- The most useful grammar, vocabulary and functional language for tasks you are required to do in the exam
Cambridge Exam English course timetable
The content and focus of our Cambridge classes are as follows (note that for the 4 week summer course, all lessons are exam focused):
| Class | Time | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Morning class 1 | 9.15am ‒ 10am |
In classes 1 and 2, we use a general English coursebook, which has a balance of skills, vocabulary and grammar. Every morning we also teach you a Phrase of the Day, to help you sound natural. Teachers include additional English focuses which are useful for the students in the class. |
| Morning class 2 | 10am ‒10.45am | |
| Morning class 3 | 11.15am ‒12pm | In classes 3 and 4, we use a general English coursebook, which has a balance of skills, vocabulary and grammar. You'll start the class with a Cultural Question, to help you understand the cultures of the UK and other students. Teachers include additional English focuses which are useful for the students in the class. |
| Morning class 4 | 12pm ‒12.45pm | |
| Lunch | ||
| Afternoon class 5 | 13:45 - 14:30 | We use one main exam coursebook and a number of other materials to help you practise the tasks and prepare effectively. |
| Afternoon class 6 | 14:30 - 15:15 | We use one main exam coursebook and a number of other materials to help you practise the tasks and prepare effectively. |
"The classes of FCE were perfect" Tatiana Andreeva, Russia
Free extras
As part of a Cambridge Exam English course, we'll also give you:
- Free coursebooks for both morning and afternoon classes (where you book and pay for the full 10 week course in low season, or the 4 week summer intensive course)
- An extra complete practice speaking test with you when your exam date approaches
- Regular help with pronunciation
- Suggestions about how to learn more effectively
- Study room time 3.30pm - 5pm, with a tutor available also for one hour every afternoon after classes, from Monday to Thursday; you can use our huge range of resources or our tutor can help you do your homework, explain English grammar and vocabulary you find difficult or give you advice about improving your English. You can also ask the tutor there for help with anything connected with Cambridge Exams and we have other practice exams and other Cambridge Exam resources you can have access to
- Practice Cambridge test each Friday afternoon, together with your group, under exam conditions; or choose instead to go to our weekly Conversation Club to practise your English with other students and teachers
*Minimum numbers apply
Prices
- 10 week Cambridge exam preparation courses in 2025 - £3228
- 9 week C1 Advanced preparation course in January 2025 - £2959
- 8 week C2 Proficiency preparation course in January 2025 - £2690
- 4 week intensive preparation course, summer 2025 - £1634
- + £51 administration fee ( £62 administration fee after the 30th of November 2024)
Prices include materials and exam fee.
If you are not booking a full course package, the cost of the exam is £165-205, depending on the exam taken and the date you book. See our Cambridge exam dates here.
See our Dates & Prices page for accommodation and other optional services
Students aged 16/17 on adult courses
Please note: The minimum age to join this course is 16. The safety and welfare of all our students is very important to us, but especially for students under the age of 18 and any vulnerable adults. You can see more information on our U18s policies, supervision, parental agreements, U18 permission forms here