All you need to know about Paper 3: Use of English

• Use of English
  Available as a paper-based test
  Available as a computer-based test
  Download a free pack of sample papers (zip file)
  

  What’s in the Use of English paper?

  The Cambridge English: First Use of English paper has four parts with different types of tasks which test grammar and vocabulary.  
  

  Summary

  Time allowed:	45 minutes
  Number of parts:	4
  Number of questions:	42
  Marks:	20% of total

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  Parts 1–4

  Part 1 (Multiple-choice cloze)

  What's in Part 1?	A text in which there are some missing words or phrases (gaps). After the text there are four possible answers for each gap and you have to choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
  What do I have to practise?	Vocabulary – words with similar meanings, collocations, linking phrases, phrasal verbs, etc.
  How many questions are there?	12
  How many marks are there?	One mark for each correct answer.

  Practise Part 1
  Now try Part 1 from the sample Cambridge English: First Use of English paper.
  

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  Part 2 (Open cloze)

  What's in Part 2?	A text in which there are some missing words (gaps). You have to find the correct word for each gap.
  What do I have to practise?	Grammar and vocabulary.
  How many questions are there?	12
  How many marks are there?	One mark for each correct answer.

  Practise Part 2
  Now try Part 2 from the sample Cambridge English: First Use of English paper.
  

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  Part 3 (Word formation)

  What's in Part 3?	A text containing ten gaps. Each gap represents a word. At the end of the line is a ‘prompt’ word which you have to change in some way to make the correct missing word and complete the sentence correctly.
  What do I have to practise?	Vocabulary – word building: the different words which you can make from a ‘base’ word, e.g. ‘compete’ becomes ‘competition’, ‘competitor’, ‘competitive’, competitively’ or ‘uncompetitive’.
  How many questions are there?	10
  How many marks are there?	One mark for each correct answer.

  Practise Part 3
  Now try Part 3 from the sample Cambridge English: First Use of English paper.
  

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  Part 4 (Key word transformations)

  What's in Part 4?	A sentence followed by a key word and a second sentence which has a gap in it. You have to use the key word to complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first sentence.
  What do I have to practise?	Grammar and vocabulary – rewriting sentences with different words so that they mean the same thing.
  How many questions are there?	8
  How many marks are there?	Up to two marks for each correct answer.

  Practise Part 4
  Now try Part 4 from the sample Cambridge English: First Use of English paper.
  

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  DOs and DON’Ts

  DOs

  1. Read the words following the gaps in Parts 1 and 2 as they may have an effect on the answer.
  2. Make sure that any verb you write in a gap in Part 2 agrees with its subject.
  3. Write the prompt word in your answer in Part 4 without changing it in any way.
  4. Write between two and five words as your answer in Part 4.
  5. Remember that the words you need to write in Part 3 might have to change into a negative or a plural.
  6. Check your spelling in all parts of the test
  7. Make sure that you transfer your answers to the answer sheet accurately.

  DON'Ts

  1. Don't write the answers to any of the examples on your answer sheets.
  2. Don't choose your answer in Part 1 before you have read all the options.
  3. Don't write out the full sentence when answering the questions in Part 4.
  4. Don't leave the base word in Part 3 unchanged.
  5. Don’t decide on your answer before reading the whole of a sentence in all parts.
  6. Don't give alternative answers for any questions.

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  FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

  How many marks is the Use of English paper worth?

  The Use of English test is worth 40 marks: Reading, Writing, Listening, Use of English and Speaking are each worth 20% of the total score for the Cambridge English: First exam.
  

  Will I lose marks for incorrect answers?

  No, you will not have marks deducted if you give an incorrect answer. If you give a wrong answer, it is the same as giving no answer – you get no marks for that question. If you’re not sure about an answer, it is better to guess than to leave the question blank
  

  How do I record my answers?

  Write your answers on the answer sheets provided by filling in a box or by writing words (between two and five words allowed for answers in Part 4). Your answer sheet will be scanned onto a computer – make sure you fill in the answers clearly. You must transfer your 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. You will not get a mark for answers which are not spelled correctly.
  

  If I think there are two possible answers to one question, can I write them both?

  If you write two or more answers and one of these is incorrect, you get no mark. You should write only one answer for each question.
  

  In the Use of English test, are words like 'doesn't' and '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.
  

  What happens if I miss a negative in the transformations, thereby giving the opposite meaning to the original?

  The instructions state that the second sentence must have a similar meaning to the first. However, in the mark scheme the answer is divided into two parts (see below). The two parts of the sentence (either side of the dividing line) are always treated separately, so you will receive one mark for correctly completing one part of the sentence, even if a negative has been omitted from the other part.
  e.g. The last time Enrico saw Gloria was the day they left school.
  SEEN
  Enrico has ............. the day they left school.
  n't / not seen Gloria ][ since
  

  How is the word formation task evaluated when the form of the word is right, but it should be plural instead of singular, or the other way round?

  A singular in an answer where a plural is required is marked as incorrect. You are expected to look at indicators in the text to decide whether a singular or plural form is appropriate. The same applies for positively/negatively prefixed adjectives.