Every year, around October, the same question arrives right on time:
“Carla, the school has just launched a Cambridge course. They say students can take the exam and get the certificate in just a few months. How long would it take with you?”
It’s a perfectly fair question. And that’s exactly why it deserves an honest answer.
A real opportunity (but not always the answer)
In Italy, many state schools offer afternoon Cambridge preparation courses, often free or at a low cost. Conditions vary from school to school, but families usually pay mainly for the exam itself. It’s a valuable initiative, and I completely understand why parents find it so tempting: a few months of preparation, and the certificate is almost in the bag.
I know these courses well, because I’ve taught them myself. That’s why I can say this sincerely: for students who already have a solid foundation and only want the certificate, it’s an opportunity not to be missed.
But we need to be honest about what these courses really offer. They prepare you for the exam, not to actually know English. With limited hours and large groups, all the time goes into the exam format: there’s no room left to build foundations, to speak, to make mistakes and try again. Students who start with weaker foundations often reach exam day without having practised every part of the test, or without ever doing a full mock exam under real Cambridge conditions: timed sections, the answer sheet, the pressure of the big day. Above all, they arrive without feeling at ease.
Nobody is to blame. It’s simply the limit of a format designed for many people in a short time.
The real question to ask
When parents ask me “how long will it take?”, I answer with another question:
Do you want your child to get a certificate, or to come away with a real tool?
The two aren’t mutually exclusive: you can have both. But you need to know what matters most. A piece of paper says you passed an exam on a specific day. Real English is what you use with confidence when you need it: when travelling, at university, at work, or making a new friend.
How long it really takes
Learning a language, or moving up a level, doesn’t happen automatically. Cambridge says so too: according to their guidelines, it takes on average around 200 guided learning hours to move from one level to the next, and around 500–600 hours in total to reach B2 First, starting from zero. These are approximate figures that vary from person to person, but they give a realistic picture.
With one-to-one or small-group lessons, progress is often faster, because every minute is dedicated to you. But a serious path takes time, and no one, not even me, can promise a level in “x months” without first getting to know the learner.
What happens when you really speak
In my lessons, speaking takes centre stage. And I’ve seen it many times: teenagers who barely said a word at first, held back by shyness and insecurity, open up within a few months. Not because they learnt more rules, but because they finally had a safe place to make mistakes, try again and feel capable.
Learners who reach the exam this way haven’t just studied the parts of the test: they’ve lived them. They’ve done full mock exams, they know the timing, they know what to expect. And, most importantly, they feel like the protagonists of their own journey.
So, what should you choose?
There’s no single right answer for everyone. But here’s what I’d tell any family:
- If the only goal is the certificate, and there’s already a good foundation, the school course may be enough.
- If the goal is solid English, to use with confidence even after the exam, then a more personalised path is worth it. The result on paper will be the same, the certificate, but with real, first-hand experience of the language and all the skills properly developed.
The certificate is not the finish line
A certificate is a wonderful milestone, and I’m always delighted when one of my learners earns it. But the real goal is something else: feeling at home in English, without the fear of making mistakes.
If you’d like to work out together the right path for your child (or for yourself!), the first meeting is free. Let’s talk: I’ll listen, we’ll get to know each other, and I’ll tell you honestly what I see. You can message me on WhatsApp through the website.
Let’s build your English together! ✨