Every Tuesday afternoon we came together to practice for the Cambridge exam. 

We started out with only a small group studying for the B2 exam, and then gradually grew to be a group of about 14, practicing for the C1 exam.

Part of that was to practice speaking with Roan and Rosie, the native speakers from England and Scotland, doing writing and listening exercises as well as doing grammar exercises. 

Under Mr. Heil's critical eye, every little mistake was pointed out and every aspect possible was thematised to prepare us for the exam.

The exam itself took place in Baden-Baden, at the Richard-Wagner Gymnasium. Getting there at eight a.m. on of December 9 2023, we were welcomed by Ms. Wender who was offering us fortune cookies.

We waited for everyone to arrive and then were led into a room to take the first part of the test. The first four parts, which we all did individually in one room, were “Reading” and “Use of English”, followed by “Writing” and lastly “Listening”. That took about four hours. 

Between this part and the ensuing “Speaking Exam”, we had a break to eat or have a walk outside. The oral exam was taken in pairs of two in a separate room, where two women were already waiting for us. 

After successfully completing the last part of the exam, we were allowed to go home, nervous about when the results were going to be published and if we had passed. 

Then finally, on January 15 2024 - 38 days after the test - the notification that we were able to view our results on the Cambridge website had finally arrived. Filled with excitement and nervousness we checked the results and are now proudly able to say that we have all passed the Cambridge C1 exam.