Best books for C1 Advanced (CAE)
For most C1 Advanced candidates the best pair is C1 Advanced 5, four real past papers from Cambridge, and C1 Advanced Trainer 2, six practice tests where the first two teach you each part step by step. Add Complete Advanced if you are not at C1 yet and want a full course, or Advanced Grammar in Use for the grammar that Use of English tests.
The 4 picks compared
| Book | What it covers | Who it suits | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Advanced 5 (Student's Book with Answers) ↗ | 4 complete C1 Advanced papers from Cambridge, with answers, Listening transcripts, sample Writing answers and Speaking test scripts. Audio and a Speaking test video to download. | The last weeks before the exam, when you know the parts and want real papers to time yourself on. | 1st edition, Cambridge, March 2025, 176 pages |
| C1 Advanced Trainer 2 (2nd Edition, with Answers) ↗ | 6 full practice tests. Tests 1 and 2 add tips, training activities and exam orientation for each paper; tests 3 to 6 are straight practice. | First-time candidates who want to learn each part before timing themselves. | 2nd edition, Cambridge, July 2022, 278 pages |
| Complete Advanced (3rd Edition, Student's Book with Answers) ↗ | A full C1 course: topic units with grammar, vocabulary and skills, and exam training throughout. Audio and eBook in the Digital Pack. | Learners around B2 who have a few months and want to reach C1 first, alone or in a class. | 3rd edition, Cambridge, January 2023, 256 pages |
| Advanced Grammar in Use (4th Edition, with Answers) ↗ | 105 grammar units at C1 to C2 with answers, five of them on academic grammar. eBook with audio and over 200 online tests for 36 months. | Anyone losing marks on grammar in Use of English Parts 2 and 4, or who wants more accurate Writing. | 4th edition, Cambridge, March 2023, 320 pages |
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links go to amazon.com. All four books are from Cambridge, and every edition here is for the exam in its current format.
If you only buy one
- If you have not seen the exam before: C1 Advanced Trainer 2
- If you know the format and your exam is close: C1 Advanced 5
- If you are not at C1 yet: Complete Advanced
C1 Advanced 5 or C1 Advanced Trainer 2?
C1 Advanced 5 is four real papers from Cambridge, with transcripts and sample answers but no lessons. Trainer 2 has six tests in the same format, and the first two teach each part with tips and training activities before you try it. Use Trainer 2 to learn the parts, then save the real papers for timed runs near the exam.
How to use them with our free C1 Advanced practice
We have 60 C1 Advanced practice tests, one exam part at a time, and 2 full mock tests. You can finish 3 tests free, no account needed.
- Take one free test on each Reading and Use of English part here first. The two or three parts where you drop the most marks are where to start in the books.
- Learn those parts from Trainer 2's two guided tests, or the matching units of Complete Advanced, then drill them here one part at a time.
- Look up any grammar point that keeps costing you marks in Parts 2 and 4 in Advanced Grammar in Use.
- Keep the real papers in C1 Advanced 5 for timed runs in the last weeks: 90 minutes for Reading and Use of English, 90 for Writing.
- Between book papers, take a full mock here: Reading and Use of English and Writing, timed, with one score at the end.
Reading and Use of English parts to start with:
- Reading and Use of English Part 1: Multiple-choice cloze (9 tests)
- Reading and Use of English Part 2: Open cloze (5 tests)
- Reading and Use of English Part 3: Word formation (5 tests)
- Reading and Use of English Part 4: Key word transformations (5 tests)
- Reading and Use of English Part 5: Reading multiple choice (5 tests)
- Reading and Use of English Part 6: Cross-text multiple matching (5 tests)
- Reading and Use of English Part 7: Gapped text (5 tests)
- Reading and Use of English Part 8: Multiple matching (5 tests)
When the free tests run out
- Pro unlocks every practice test and the full C1 Advanced mocks, with AI feedback on your writing. Cancel any time.
- Credits are a one-time payment. One credit unlocks one practice test or one AI writing grade, and credits do not expire.
- EPE Cambridge Use of English C1 Pack is a one-time download for C1 Advanced Use of English: a handbook PDF, printable drills, a study planner and an Anki deck. See what is inside
What these books leave out
None of these books can mark your own writing or hear you speak. The keys show sample answers, so you see what a good essay looks like, but not what yours would score. Our AI writing feedback marks a C1 Advanced essay, letter, proposal, report or review on the four Cambridge criteria (Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation, Language). It is a practice score, not an official one. For Speaking you still need a partner or a teacher.