My thoughts on Trinity vs Cambridge — Is ISE Trinity easier than Cambridge?
By Scott Donald.
*The content of this article is independent of Trinity College London and Cambridge. The author does not represent either institution and is working independently
Firstly, I want to acknowledge the hard work done by Richard McCulloch in his article. The ALMAR blog is about supporting grassroots research in all its forms, and while this can be done by simply reflecting on classroom experiences, it is also extremely valuable to be able to read comprehensive, in-depth research which gets down to the nitty-gritty of formulas, tables and charts.
It also requires skill to make this type of research accessible and engaging, and as I read, there were many times where I found myself nodding in agreement, raising eyebrows in surprise, or stroking my beard in contemplation. Mostly, I was relieved to discover that much of the research had matched my own feelings regarding the two examinations, but there are a few points I would like to throw into the mix, based on my own experience, some of which could be considered areas for further research.
Reading: regarding the format of the exam, it’s worth considering that Cambridge’s reading paper is actually classed as reading and use of English and it’s the use of English part which I find students often struggle with. And while there is a good comparison of the language required for the exams in Richard’s article, I think it’s worth noting that Cambridge also explicitly tests language in their paper. Trinity doesn’t.
I also think the format of the Cambridge reading tasks makes for some interesting comparisons. It doesn’t feel too controversial to float the idea that several of the Cambridge tasks are more difficult. I wouldn’t want to hazard too many opinions without doing some comparative research, but one concrete example is in questions 6–10 and 21–25 of the Trinity exams (Foundation, I, II, & 3), students writing random letters from A-H will receive a guaranteed 4 points. Cambridge exams offer no such guarantees.
Last but by no means least, if we directly compare the role of distractors, (i.e. answers that at first look ok, but with more intensive reading, prove to be the wrong), Cambridge exams are full of them, whereas the Trinity exams are not. Id say that this is no minor point, as the distractors can fool even the best of students.
Listening: the points above about formatting and distractors apply to the listening paper too. In fact, I can say that as a proficient speaker of English, I feel confident in my ability to get full marks in the ISE III (or IV) independent listening tasks. However, I have no problem admitting that this is not the case when it comes to the Cambridge CAE (or CPE). On a few occasions, I have found part 4 of the listening exam particularly difficult, and have had to employ a specific exam strategy in order to ensure I get all the answers correct. So students: you have my full sympathies.
Speaking: I think the comparison of the grammar and topics in the article is very interesting. There are definitely some caveats here, e.g. Richard’s point about the Trinity list not being exhaustive and the fact that the Cambridge list contains language like pronouns and question words, which, while not stated on the Trinity list, are undoubtedly expected of Trinity candidates. Overall though, it seems that, to a large extent, the language required in PET is equal to both ISE I & II added together. I think this is a significant point.
I also found Richard’s experience with Trinity speaking exam candidates being more nervous than Cambridge ones very insightful. I too have had experience working with both groups, and I’d probably add that Cambridge students often have concerns over who their partner is going to be, and whether they are stronger or weaker than them. Nervousness is definitely a hard area to objectively measure, but it’s worth nothing that the Trinity examiner has the ability to put the candidates at ease through their interactions with them, and will actively try to encourage them to use language which will help them pass the exam. Cambridge examiners, on the other hand, have significantly less ability to do this.
Richard also makes a good point about having a private (one-to-one) teacher to practise Trinity exams with, and how helpful it can be. While it’s possible to give Trinity students speaking practice in group classes, it does take considerably more tweaking.
I’d completely agree with his point in the article about students finding the Trinity collaborative task difficult, but would contrast that with the topic task, which I think can be easier and reassuring for many students when it comes to doing the topic task, because of the way in which they are allowed to prepare for it.
Writing: I’m trying to be as objective as possible here, but it’s hard to ignore that much of what I’ve said so far suggests that Trinity is easier than Cambridge. As such, I’d say that there is also a significant advantage in the Trinity writing (and reading) papers regarding topics, as these are the same topics as the ones used in the speaking exam. However, another of Richard’s points that I’m going to underline argues for Trinity being more difficult. And that is to do with the number of genres required for PET, which is considerably less. Indeed, I’ve found that ISE I candidates sometimes feel intimidated by the number of genres they have to learn.
Final verdict: Richard’s final point about any good job interviewer valuing a conversation over a qualification is a very good one. I like that his research focused on which is easier, rather than the more subjective and thornier issue of which one is better. I have several respected colleagues who prefer Cambridge, and those who prefer Trinity, and I personally think there are good points to be made on both sides. Perhaps it may come down to the individual student and their requirements. What I think might happen soon is a change in how these exams are perceived in terms of their equivalency, and the contexts in which one qualification is required/preferred over the other. I‘ve already heard some interesting thoughts from people since posting Richard’s article, and I’d love to hear some more; so post a comment below or on the ALMAR Facebook group.
Finally, if you are a student who is looking for help for the Cambridge Advanced exam, then I’ve co-written a course with Breakout English which focuses on the writing paper — click here for more information. You can also find plenty of other great resources for both Trinity and Cambridge exams on the Breakout English site.
