Certificate of Proficiency in English

Cambridge English: Proficiency, also known as the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE), is an English language examination provided by Cambridge English Language Assessment (previously known as University of Cambridge ESOL). It is the most advanced qualification offered by Cambridge English Language Assessment and has been developed to show achievement of an extremely high level of English.

The Certificate of Proficiency in English was originally introduced in 1913 and was the first English as a Foreign Language qualification to be offered by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES). Today Cambridge English: Proficiency continues to test English ability at the highest possible level and demonstrates that a candidate can communicate with fluency approaching that of a native English speaker. Cambridge English: Proficiency assesses at Level C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and is accepted worldwide by many businesses and educational institutions as proof that a candidate has mastered English to an exceptional level.

The Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) was first introduced in 1913 ‘for Foreign Students who desire a satisfactory proof of their knowledge of the language with a view to teaching it in foreign schools.’

The exam took 12 hours and cost £3 (approximately £293 in 2012 prices) and was open only for candidates aged 20 or over. The exam was divided into two sections: written and oral.

Written

Oral

In 1913, the English Essay topics were very Anglocentric:

The first exam in 1913 was taken by just three candidates, who all failed. For the next 15 years the Certificate of Proficiency in English ‘teetered along with 14 or 15 candidates a year.’ By 1929 it was in danger of being discontinued and UCLES decided to introduce some changes to the exam.

By 1926 the length of the exam had been reduced to 11 hours and the translation paper included Italian and Spanish options. In 1930 a special literature paper for foreign students was provided for the first time. The 1930 essay topics were more general and suitable for a variety of candidates:

In 1932 the phonetics element of the exam was dropped and the target candidature was widened beyond that of prospective teachers to all ‘foreign students who desired to obtain evidence of their practical knowledge of the language both written and spoken, and of their ability to read with comprehension standard works of English literature.’

Candidature began to rise, from 66 candidates in 1933 to 752 candidates in 1939. Furthermore, the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford began accepting the Certificate of Proficiency in English as the standard of English required of all students.

...
Wikipedia