The CAE consists of five parts (called “papers”) and is held over two non-consecutive days. The written part of the exam takes about four and a half hours (this will be broken up by administrative and lunch breaks) and the speaking test takes around 15 minutes, and is held on a different day.
Download a practice test
Look at the practice test I have linked and also check my tips for each paper for specific advice about each section.
The 5 parts of the exam
Here is a brief overview of the exam:
Paper 1: Reading 1 hour 15 minutes
Paper 2: Writing 1 hour 30 minutes
Paper 3: Use of English 1 hour
Paper 4: Listening 40 minutes
Paper 5: Speaking 15 minutes
NB: it is more accurate to say that the reading test is 4 hours and 30 minutes because you are responsible for understanding every word that is written in any part of the test. Following instructions is crucial in the writing paper, and part 3 of the listening paper (in particular) has a lot of text to read in a short period of time.