In our last blog post, we talked about the CXC CSEC examination and the exam pattern, and syllabus for CSEC Spanish. We also discussed some tips and reviewed some resources for preparing for the CSEC Spanish examination. Today we discuss the syllabus, exam pattern, and learning tips and resources for the CXC CAPE Spanish examination.

The Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) is designed to provide certification of academic, vocational and technical achievement to students who, having completed a minimum of five years of secondary education, wish to further their studies.

The Spanish syllabus for CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination), emphasizes on the development of the four language skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) and the knowledge of Hispanic culture.

Exam pattern: CXC Spanish (CAPE)

1. Paper 01 (1 hour): Listening Comprehension (30% weightage)
   Candidates are to answer six compulsory short-response questions.
2. Paper 02 (2 hours and 10 minutes) Reading and Writing (30%)
   Candidates are to answer three questions.
3. Paper 03 (2 hours) Literary Analysis and Themes (20%)
   Candidates are to answer two questions.
4. Paper 04 – Oral Examination (20%)

Syllabus: CXC Spanish (CAPE)

1. UNIT 1: LA FAMILIA, LA SOCIEDAD Y EL MEDIO AMBIENTE (THE FAMILY, SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT)
   1. Module 1: El individuo, la familia y la vida diaria (The individual, family and daily life)
   2. Module 2: La sociedad y los asuntos sociales (Society and social issues)
   3. Module 3: El medio ambiente (The environment)
   4. Themes and Related Texts
      1. La juventud

         García Ramis, Magali     Felices días tío Sergio, San Juan: Antillana, 1986.
         Cisneros, Sandra   La casa en Mango Street, United States: Vintage, 1994.

      2. El individuo y la sociedad
         Esquivel, Laura   Como agua para chocolate, New York: Anchor Books, 1989.
         García Lorca, Federico   Bodas de sangre, Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 2006.

2. UNIT 2: LAS ACTUALIDADES, LA TECNOLOGÍA Y LA ECONOMÍA (THE NEWS, TECHNOLOGY AND THE ECONOMY)
   1. Module 1: Las actualidades (The news)
   2. Module 2: La ciencia y la tecnología (Science and technology)
   3. Module 3: La industria y los asuntos económicos (Industry and Economic Affairs)
   4. Themes and Related Texts
      1. El mundo moderno
         1. Allende, Isabel        Cuentos de Eva Luna, Mexico: Debolsillo, 2008.

            (a)  ”Dos palabras” pp 15-24
            (b)  ”la mujer del juez” pp 156-166
            (c)  ”Un camino hacia el norte” pp 167-180
            (d)  ”El palacio imaginado” pp 249-265
            (e)  ”De barro estamos hechos” pp 266-277.

         2. Ortiz, Lourdes         Fátima de los naufragios. Madrid: Planeta, 1998:
            (a) “Fatima de los naufragios” pp 7-22
            (b) “La piel de Marcelinda” pp 25-42
            (c) “El vuelo de la mariposa” pp 43-96
            (d) “Desayuno de trabajo” pp 99-108
            (e) “El Farero” pp 111-117

         3. El compromiso político y social
            Carpentier, Alejo    El reino de este mundo, New Jersey: Lectorum Publications, 2010.
            García Márquez, Gabriel   El coronel no tiene quien le escriba, United Kingdom: Manchester University Press, 1981.

A detailed list of topics can be found here: http://www.cxc.org/SiteAssets/syllabusses/CAPE/CAPE%20Spanish.pdf

Preparing yourself for the CXC Spanish examination (CAPE)

1. Start well in time: The exams begin in April (21st to 28th – Orals) and May (Spanish unit 1 – May 15th, unit 2 – May 20th). Start at least 6-8 months in advance and take one topic at a time. After finishing each topic, solve a lot of past question papers on that topic. Then move on to the next topic. Leave the last 1 month completely for practice

2. Get expert help: If you truly want to ace the examination, then study Spanish with the help of an expert native tutor. The CAPE Spanish needs you to develop listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. To truly master the listening and speaking skills, you need interaction with someone who speaks Spanish – and can help you speak it too! An expert will also be able to guide you with an organized study plan, grammar help, regular practice, and more. If you can’t find a tutor in your city, you can take 1on1 lessons with an expert tutor over Skype – from the comfort of your home – at hours convenient for you!
   If you haven’t started preparing yet, we recommend taking at-least 3-4 sessions a week along with self-study and practice.

3. Self study: Along with the tutoring sessions, you should spend at-least an hour studying yourself. You can find some great self-study lessons and practice exercises online on the topics prescribed in the syllabus for the CAPE Spanish exam. We have listed some resources at the end of this post.

1on1 Live Skype lessons with native Spanish tutors – To help you ace the CXC Spanish Exam

Live lessons with expert native tutors is the most effective and personalized way to learn Spanish.

CultureAlley offers 1on1 video conferencing based lessons with expert Spanish tutors who can help the students with all aspects of the CXC examination. The lessons are completely interactive, and fun, and include all 4 aspects – reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

The tutors personalize the course completely to focus on topics related to the CXC examination, and focus on topics which the student finds difficult. They give regular practice exercises to help with the problem areas.

The lessons include:

1. Grammar practice,
2. Conversational practice,
3. Vocabulary,
4. Fun exercises like role playing, reading, music based listening practice, watching videos and understanding their meaning, and more!

You can take these lessons at hours convenient for you. All you need is a Skype account, and you can get connected with one of our tutors for 1on1 lessons from the comfort of your home!

Find out more
To book a Skype session just fill up this form

More resources:

70 free audio-visual lessons with interactive practice: Cover topics like: talking about family, introductions, beginning and ending letters, expressing opinions, commands, business Spanish, Spanish grammar and more!

Audio dictionary (English to Spanish): with curated words and audio support so that students can hear the pronunciation

So start preparing for your CXC exam today!