Digital exams your learners expect

The launch of Cambridge English Qualifications Digital is a huge milestone in our 110-year history of developing English exams. The first Cambridge English exam in 1913 was over 12 hours long and included translation, dictation and phonetic transcription. I’m sure you’re glad you’re not preparing students for this version!  Fast forward to 2024 and the world continues to change, and so do we.

Cambridge English Qualifications Digital: a closer look  

We launched Cambridge English Qualifications Digital in March 2024, delivering a new, flexible way for candidates to take our exams. You’ll be glad to hear we’re testing the same knowledge and skills, but through an enhanced digital experience. As you will know from your students in the classroom, it’s become second nature for them to learn, complete tasks and write assignments on a screen.  We wanted to provide an enhanced exam experience that reflects everyday lives. However, we also understand that because it’s new, there will be questions from yourselves, your students and from the wider teaching community.  
 
So, if you’re preparing students for Cambridge English Qualifications Digital exams, here are three things you might like to know to help get your students ready!   

1. Get to know the digital format

It’s essential to familiarise your students with the new exam format so there are no surprises on exam day. Here’s what to expect from Cambridge English Qualifications Digital exams:  

1. There’s a handy optional on-screen timer candidates can refer to throughout the exam, which shows how much time they have left to complete the exam. 

2. In the Reading part of the test, candidates can make notes and highlight text on the screen to help keep them on track.   

3. Candidates take the Listening part of the test with headphones on, which means they can adjust the volume to help with concentration.  

4. Candidates working through the Writing test, can type out their answers and easily go back and edit text. 

5. The Speaking test is face-to-face, to help develop real-world communication skills. 

Watch a video about the benefits of Cambridge English Qualifications Digital:

2. Digital practice makes perfect!

It’s really important to immerse your students in digital practice materials. These are a great way for your learners to track their progress, see how much they are improving and build confidence. It also gives you and your learners a clear picture of which areas need extra work as exam day approaches.

You’ll be glad to hear that the new digital versions of our qualifications are complemented by a range of digital practice materials. There are sample tests for every level of the digital exam on the exam preparation pages on our website, as well as Authentic Digital Practice Tests, which are the closest you can get to the Cambridge English Qualifications Digital exam day experience. 

I’d also recommend Test & Train, our easy-to-use tool which provides hundreds of practice questions in a digital format – available across all digital devices. Test & Train is a great way to encourage autonomous learning and exam practice at home, with automatic feedback. These tools can help you simulate exam conditions as part of your students’ preparation and take some of the unknown out of exam day.  

3. Develop appropriate classroom activities 

Although you and your students will be used to learning digitally, it’s important to develop classroom activities that encourage this further. Even tech-savvy learners may need guidance in learning and being assessed in English within a digital context, so we’ve just published Teaching tips for Cambridge English Qualifications Digital, which has loads of free ideas for tasks you can use in class or have students do at home.

Here’s one of my favourites because it uses Write & Improve, our AI-powered tool that gives instant feedback on students’ writing, for learning purposes… 

Writing activity for the classroom

Purpose:  
To provide practice of typing in English with a time limit and in a room with other people. Students may be used to writing in English with pen and paper but not on a keyboard or may be faster at writing than typing.

Activity 1  
Task information and procedure
Preparation and equipment:  

• login details for Write & Improve for you and your students. 
• a task from Write & Improve at a level that’s easier than your students’ actual level or one from ‘Just for fun’.  

Procedure: 

• Tell students which task to find in Write & Improve.  
• In pairs or threes, students brainstorm ideas for how to complete the task.  
• Feedback as a group.  
• Set a time limit. Count 3, 2, 1 and students start their timers together.  
• Tell students to complete the writing task.  
• When the time is up, demonstrate with your own example how you can get feedback, make changes and check again. Click on ‘Changes’ to show students where they can see their edits.  
• Students check and change their own work. Ask them to choose two mistakes to write out, ideally in another document on screen, and share with their partner who has to try and correct the mistake.  
• This can be used as preparation for students to then use the platform at home. 

Responding to the needs of our learners  

Cambridge English Qualifications Digital brings so many benefits to your learners, not just during the exam but before and after it too. For example, your students will have much more choice of when they can take the exam, as centres can run them whenever they want.  

After the exam, your students will be glad to hear they will get their results much faster than the paper-based counterpart. We know getting fast results is something that candidates really value, especially if they need their result to apply for further study, immigration or a job. Or as one Cambridge English candidate put it: “You reduce that time frame of stress after the exam.”    

Ultimately, what we’re trying to deliver is a modern examination format in the way you and your learners expect. And I hope you’ll agree we’ve achieved that!  I wish you every success in the upcoming exam season.  

Cambridge English Qualifications Digital is part of Cambridge’s broader commitment to digital learning and assessment. You can explore Authentic Digital Practice Tests and learn more about this preferred exam experience, available from A2 Key for Schools to C2 Proficiency, on our website.