FCE: Use of English FAQs

How many marks is the Use of English paper worth?

The Use of English paper makes up 40 marks or 20% of the total marks of the First Certificate examination. The other four papers also carry 40 marks each.

Are marks deducted for incorrect answers?

Candidates do not have marks deducted if they give an incorrect answer. A candidate is either awarded the mark for the correct answer or gets no mark if the answer is incorrect. Candidates should be encouraged not to leave any question unanswered.

How do candidates record their answers?

Candidates write their answers on the answer sheets provided by shading a lozenge or by writing words (between 2 and 5 words allowed for answers in Part 4). The answer sheet is marked according to a mark scheme and then scanned by computer. They must transfer their answers within the time given for the paper (45 minutes)

How important is spelling in the Use of English paper?

All spelling must be correct in this paper. Candidates will not get a mark for answers which are not spelt correctly.

What happens if a candidate gives two or more answers to a question?

If a candidate offers two or more answers and one of these is incorrect, no mark is awarded. If all answers given are correct, candidates are awarded the mark for that question. Candidates should be encouraged to write only one answer for each question.

In the cloze test (Part 2) are words like 'doesn't', 'isn't' counted as one or two words?

To count the number of words, the full form should be taken into account, e.g. 'didn't' = 'did not' = two words.