CAE Experience

Viola Tomášek

If you're thinking about getting a CAE certificate, I would definitely recommend doing so in a school year before maturita, while it is helpful to have one of the 5 maturita exams done sooner, so you can stress a little bit less in the maturita year.

It sure is a stressful time before the CAE exam, but when I look back at that time, I don't think the stress was worth it. If you don't have some major problems in English, I am sure that you can pass the test without bigger problems!

In my opinion, it is important to get familiar with the format of the test, so it is necessary to try out some of the practice tests from the book. Another thing that helped me was youtube videos about the exam that gave me the idea about the expectations that the examiners have.

Besides all of that, watch movies and TV shows in English, read in English, speak with your friend in English, and then, you will be fine!

Definitely get the certificate in junior year, while it will also teach you how to manage stress before such an important exam. It will be incredibly beneficial for you in senior year before the maturita exam.

Good luck!