If you want to pass the Cambridge Proficiency (CPE) exam, having a good knowledge, understanding and use of advanced grammatical concepts in English is important. However, far more important is vocabulary. To do well in the exam, not only will you have to know and use more advanced words and phrases, but you will also need to have a good knowledge of a lot of different topics (and the vocabulary used in them).
If you have done the Cambridge Advanced (CAE) exam, you will already have seen some of the topics that you will likely encounter in the different parts of CPE exam. You will find exercises and text used in the CPE exam as in the Advanced exam on a wide range of topics (from fashion to science or philosophy) which you probably have little knowledge or interest in. However, what makes the CPE exam more difficult in this regard than the CAE exam, is that the nature of the subjects discussed in the topics are of a much more advanced and complicated level and some topics are used more.
So, it is essential to do well in the exam that you improve your knowledge of the topics which you are likely to find used. The reason for this is that the more you know on a topic you find used in the exam, the easier you will find it to do.
To help you know what you need to focus on improving your knowledge of (because firstly you'll already know a lot on some of the topics used and secondly because some topics are used more frequently in the exam than others), simply complete the below quiz on your knowledge of certain topics. At the end of the quiz, Click on the "Check Answers" button at the bottom of the quiz to find out which topics you need to focus on improving.
Topic Quiz
Choose the correct knowledge level you have for the topic area you are asked about from the selection box for each of the 32 questions.