When it comes to preparing for the CAEL Test, the best advice we can offer to you is to take your time. Preparing for the test the day or even just the night before you take it will not allow you adequate time to prepare and feel comfortable taking your test. In order to feel prepared for your test, we recommend creating a study routine that you can follow every day.

Creating a Routine:

• Creating a daily study routine allows you to get into the habit of preparing for your test. Even if you are only able to spend 5 minutes a day preparing for your test, you will be that much more prepared.
  • We suggest committing 30 minutes each day preparing for your test, but ensuring that whatever time you spend each day is focused on CAEL, you will feel that much more comfortable when test day comes.
• Daily preparation does not mean having to take a practice test every day! While practice tests will help you get familiar with the test format and question types, there are additional ways to integrate practicing your English skills before the test:
  • Reading: try to read as much English as possible on a regular basis. Focus especially on more formal or academic texts—magazines, journals, and news articles are a great place to start. Seek out reading material on a topic you wish to study in school; this will make your reading experience more enjoyable, and you’ll probably grasp new vocabulary and expressions more easily.
  • Writing: the best way to strengthen your writing skills for CAEL is to write every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Some common formats you might choose to write in include blogs; daily journals; or emails to friends, family, or co-workers. When reading, pay attention to how the authors use various expressions and grammar structures, and note down new words and phrases for future reference during your test preparation.
  • Speaking: in order to be able to use a wide range of vocabulary effectively, you need to expand your vocabulary. Find a way to keep track of new vocabulary that works for you. You could collect new words using index cards, a notebook, or a chart on your computer. Make time to review the words that you have added to your list until you are sure of their meaning.
  • Listening: for practice with English in academic contexts, try listening to news broadcasts, podcasts, the radio, or audiobooks on more academic subject material. Listening to a topic you’re interested in will make things more enjoyable, and you’re likely to pick up on new terms and expressions more easily.

Preparation Resources:

• Practice tests: from our free online practice test, to our additional paid practice tests, these will give you a good idea of your current score level, and will allow you to focus on areas that you need to improve upon.
• Free online courses: for each test component, we have hours of free online courses and webinars, hosted by a CAEL expert. These online courses are available as live webinars each month, and as recorded sessions on our YouTube channel.
• Study materials in the online store: we have created a wide range of study materials to help you prepare for your CAEL test, from additional practice tests, to Accelerate, our self-directed online study program, to CAEL Practice Test Plus, a complete practice test that includes sample responses and analyses.
• Preparation programs: for additional guided preparation, contact your local test centre to see what preparation programs are available in your area and online.

Conclusions

• Building a daily study routine will allow you to quickly improve your English skills, especially if you dedicate time each day to working on a skill where you feel less confident in your abilities.
• Building your vocabulary and familiarizing yourself with a variety of English contexts, such as podcasts and audiobooks, are great ways to improve your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
• The online study programs in our online store, such as CAEL Practice Test Plus and CAEL Accelerate, each provide comprehensive study materials that you can use each day, from vocabulary building exercises to speaking strategies to improve your test responses. These are a great option for supplementing your daily study routine.