Cambridge exam results explained: your scores, Statement of Results and certificate
When your B1 Preliminary, B2 First or C1 Advanced results come out, you see a page full of numbers. Here is how to read them, how your overall score is calculated, and what happens next with your certificate.
- You get a score for each paper on the Cambridge English Scale, and an overall score, which is the average.
- The overall score gives your grade (A, B or C) and your CEFR level.
- Results come out online; for computer-based exams, Cambridge says about 5 to 10 working days after the exam. Paper-based exams take longer.
- The certificate goes to your exam centre a few weeks later, and it doesn’t expire.
What your Statement of Results shows
- A score for each paper: Reading, Use of English (B2 First and C1 Advanced), Writing, Listening and Speaking.
- Your overall score: the average of the papers. Each paper counts the same: 20% in B2 First and C1 Advanced, 25% in B1 Preliminary.
- Your grade and CEFR level: for example, “Grade B, B2”. See what Grade A, B and C mean.
- A chart with your scores, so you can see your strongest and weakest papers at a glance.
Every candidate gets a Statement of Results, even without a certificate.
How the overall score is calculated
Add your paper scores and divide by the number of papers. For example, in C1 Advanced: Reading 185, Use of English 176, Writing 178, Listening 190 and Speaking 186 make 915; divided by 5, that is 183, a pass at Grade C.
So you don’t need to pass every paper: a strong paper makes up for a weaker one. To try your own marks, use the C1 Advanced, B2 First or B1 Preliminary score calculator.
When results and certificates arrive
- Results online: for computer-based exams, Cambridge says about 5 to 10 working days; paper-based exams take longer. Your exam centre gives you the login details and the date.
- Certificate: Cambridge sends it to your exam centre a few weeks after the results (its regulations say 2–4 weeks). The centre gives it to you.
- It doesn’t expire. Some universities or employers only accept recent results, but that is their rule, not Cambridge’s.
If you think your result is wrong
You can ask for an enquiry on results through your exam centre: first a clerical check, then a re-mark of your Writing. It has a fee, refunded only if your result changes, and your score can also go down. With more than a point or two to go, it rarely changes anything: see what to do if you failed.
Frequent questions
How is the Cambridge overall score calculated?
It is the average of your scores in each paper. In B2 First and C1 Advanced there are five papers, each worth 20%; in B1 Preliminary there are four, each worth 25%.
How long do Cambridge results take?
For computer-based exams, Cambridge says about 5 to 10 working days. Paper-based exams take longer. Your exam centre tells you the date.
When will I get my Cambridge certificate?
Cambridge sends it to your exam centre a few weeks after the results come out, and the centre gives it to you.
Do Cambridge certificates expire?
No. Cambridge certificates don’t expire, but some institutions only accept results from the last two or three years.
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