(14 minutes per pair of candidates; 20 minutes per group of three)
The B2 First Reading and Use of English paper is in seven parts and has a mix of text types and questions.
For Parts 1 to 4 , you read a range of texts and do grammar and vocabulary tasks.
For Parts 5 to 7 , you read a series of texts and answer questions that test your reading ability and show that you can deal with a variety of different types of texts.
Time allowed: | 1 hour 15 minutes |
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Number of parts: | 7 |
Number of questions: | 52 |
Marks: | 40% of total |
Length of texts: | About 2,200 words to read in total. |
Texts may be from: | Newspapers and magazines, journals, books (fiction and non-fiction), promotional and informational material. |
Part 1 (Multiple-choice cloze)
What's in Part 1? | A text with some multiple-choice questions. Each question has four options (A, B, C or D) – you have to decide which is the correct answer. |
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What do I have to practise? | Vocabulary – idioms, collocations, shades of meaning, phrasal verbs, fixed phrases etc. |
How many questions are there? | 8 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 2 (Open cloze)
What's in Part 2? | A text in which there are some gaps, each of which represents one missing word. You have to think of the correct word for each gap. |
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What do I have to practise? | Grammar and vocabulary. |
How many questions are there? | 8 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 3 (Word formation)
What's in Part 3? | A text containing eight gaps. Each gap represents a word. At the end of the line is a ‘prompt’ word which you have to change in some way to complete the sentence correctly. |
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What do I have to practise? | Vocabulary. |
How many questions are there? | 8 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 4 (Key word transformations)
What's in Part 4? | Each question consists of a sentence followed by a ‘key’ word and a second sentence with a gap in the middle. You have to use this key word to complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. |
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What do I have to practise? | Grammar and vocabulary. |
How many questions are there? | 6 |
How many marks are there? | Up to 2 marks for each correct answer. |
Part 5 (Multiple choice)
What's in Part 5? | A text with some multiple-choice questions. For each question, there are four options and you have to choose A, B, C or D. |
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What do I have to practise? | Reading for detail, opinion, tone, purpose, main idea, implication, attitude. |
How many questions are there? | 6 |
How many marks are there? | 2 marks for each correct answer. |
Part 6 (Gapped text)
What's in Part 6? | A single page of text with some numbered gaps which represent missing sentences. After the text there are some sentences which are not in the right order. You have to read the text and the sentences and decide which sentence best fits each gap. |
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What do I have to practise? | How to understand the structure and development of a text. |
How many questions are there? | 6 |
How many marks are there? | 2 marks for each correct answer. |
Part 7 (Multiple matching)
What's in Part 7? | A series of statements followed by a text divided into sections or several short texts. You have to match each statement to the section or text in which you can find the information. |
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What do I have to practise? | Reading for specific information, detail, opinion and attitude. |
How many questions are there? | 10 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
In the two parts of the B2 First Writing paper, you have to show that you can write different types of text in English.
Time allowed: | 1 hour 20 minutes |
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Number of parts: | 2 |
Number of questions: | Part 1: one compulsory question, Part 2: one question from a choice of three |
Types of task: | Articles, email, essay, letter, report, review. |
Part 1 (Compulsory question)
What's in Part 1? | You’re given an essay title and two ideas clearly linked to the title. You write an essay giving your opinions about the title, using the ideas given. You must also add a third, different idea of your own linked to the title. The title will be a subject of general interest – you won’t need any specialised knowledge. |
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What do I have to practise? | Using language functions, such as evaluating, expressing opinions, hypothesising, justifying, persuading. |
How many questions are there? | One compulsory question. |
How much do I have to write? | 140–190 words |
Part 2 (Situationally based writing task)
What's in Part 2? | You write a text from a choice of text types – article, email/letter, report or review. To guide your writing, you’ll be given information about context, topic purpose and target reader. |
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What do I have to practise? | Writing different types of text that could be included in the exam. |
How many questions are there? | One task to be selected from a choice of three. |
How much do I have to write? | 140–190 words |
The B2 First Listening paper has four parts. For each part you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice.
Time allowed: | About 40 minutes |
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Number of parts: | 4 |
Number of questions: | 30 |
Marks: | 20% total |
Recordings may be from: | Monologues: answer phone messages, radio broadcasts and features, news, public announcements, stories and anecdotes, lectures and talks; or interacting speakers: conversations, interviews, discussions, radio plays. |
Part 1 (Multiple choice)
What's in Part 1? | Eight short extracts from monologues or conversations between interacting speakers. There is one multiple-choice question for each extract, and you have to choose A, B or C. |
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What do I have to practise? | Listening for feeling, attitude, opinion, purpose, function, agreement, gist and detail. |
How many questions are there? | 8 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 2 (Sentence completion)
What's in Part 2? | A monologue (which may be introduced by a presenter) lasting approximately 3 minutes. You have to complete the sentences on the question paper with the missing information which you hear on the recording. |
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What do I have to practise? | Listening for specific information, stated opinion. |
How many questions are there? | 10 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 3 (Multiple matching)
What's in Part 3? | A series of five themed monologues of approximately 30 seconds each. On the question paper, you have to select five correct options from a list of eight possible answers. |
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What do I have to practise? | Listening for gist, attitude, opinion, purpose, feeling, main points and detail. |
How many questions are there? | 5 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 4 (Multiple choice)
What's in Part 4? | A conversation between two or more speakers of approximately 3–4 minutes. You have to answer some multiple-choice questions by choosing the correct answer from three options (A, B or C). |
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What do I have to practise? | Listening for attitude, opinion, detail, gist, main idea and specific information. |
How many questions are there? | 7 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
The B2 First Speaking test has four parts and you take it together with another candidate.
There are two examiners. One of the examiners asks you questions and gives you the booklet with things to talk about. The other examiner listens to what you say.
Time allowed: | 14 minutes per pair of candidates |
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Number of parts: | 4 |
Marks: | 20% total |
You have to talk: | with the examiner with the other candidate on your own |
Part 1 (Interview)
What's in Part 1? | Conversation with the examiner. The examiner asks questions and you may have to give information about your interests, studies, career, etc. |
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What do I have to practise? | Giving information about yourself and expressing your opinion about various topics. |
How long do I have to speak? | 2 minutes |
Part 2 (Long turn)
What's in Part 2? | The examiner gives you two photographs and asks you to talk about them. You have to speak for 1 minute without interruption and the interlocutor then asks the other candidate to comment on your photographs for about 30 seconds. The other candidate receives a different set of photographs and you have to listen and comment when they have finished speaking. The question you have to answer about your photographs is written at the top of the page to remind you what you should talk about. |
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What do I have to practise? | Talking on your own about something: comparing, describing, expressing opinions, speculating. |
How long do I have to speak? | 1 minute per candidate |
Part 3 (Collaborative task)
What's in Part 3? | Conversation with the other candidate. The examiner gives you some material and a task to do. You have to talk with the other candidate and make a decision. |
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What do I have to practise? | Exchanging ideas, expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing and/or disagreeing, suggesting, speculating, evaluating, reaching a decision through negotiation, etc. |
How long do we have to speak? | 3 minutes (a 2-minute discussion followed by a 1-minute decision-making task) |
Part 4 (Discussion)
What's in Part 4? | Further discussion with the other candidate, guided by questions from the examiner, about the topics or issues raised in the task in Part 3. |
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What do I have to practise? | Expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing and/or disagreeing. |
How long do we have to speak? | 4 minutes |
Writing in your only language can be a challenge, but writing in another language can be a complete nightmare ! Where do you even begin?
If you are taking your Cambridge B2 First exam you’ll have to write two texts in an 80-minute period. In part 1 you must write an essay but in part 2 you will be able to choose between a number of options. This could be could be an email, a letter, a report, a review or an article.
Read more about the format of the Cambridge B2 First exam .
In this writing guide, we’ll focus on how to write an article for the Cambridge B2 First Writing paper – part 2. We’ll also share with you some tricks and tips for passing this part of the exam. You’ll learn how to plan your article, structure it, use rhetorical questions , exclamation marks – and lots more. By the end, you’ll have the confidence to write an amazing article in English!
You’ll find lots of examples of articles in magazines, newspapers and internet blogs. In these texts, writers share information, guides and opinions on specific topics. The idea is to write in a way that grabs the reader’s attention and keeps them interested until the very end.
In the Cambridge B2 First Writing Paper – part 2, you could be asked to write about a variety of topics. However, it’s often something you’ve recently learned to do or know a lot about. For example, the question might be about a concert you’ve been to recently, you favourite hobby or your hometown.
Here’s an example of a B2 First article question.
Now let’s look at how to get started!
You’ve got the question in front of you, so now it’s time to start writing your article, right?
Wrong! If you do that, you’ve missed an essential stage: planning.
You can compare writing an article to preparing your favourite meal. No good tortilla de patatas was ever made without carefully preparing the ingredients first. It’s exactly the same with your writing – only, you’ll need fewer onions. Time management is also important. You only have about 40 minutes total so you need to plan your time carefully.
Here’s how to do it:
Think about the question.
Really focus on the question. Decide who your role model is. Is he or she a sporting hero you really admire? Or someone closer to home? It could be a family member that you look up to or a person in the community who’s done something amazing. Think about why they inspire you and make some notes on your ideas.
Consider the best blogs you read on the internet. Are they relaxed and friendly? Or do they sound like boring school essays? The truth is most articles are quite conversational. They are somewhere between semi-formal and informal. They are often informative, whilst entertaining and engaging the reader. You can also try to add some humour in too!
Structuring your article is key and there’s normally more than one way to do it. Decide which structure makes sense for the question. Try to keep it logical and include different ideas in different paragraphs.
Here’s an example structure:
Note: For many articles four paragraphs will be more appropriate – it depends on the question you are given.
Linkers are a fantastic way to organise your ideas. Experiment with some of these in your next article:
For a start…
Not to mention…
On top of that…
*Remember, you don’t need headings or titles in the article it should read as one continuous piece of work.
Brainstorming vocabulary is a great way to get your ideas flowing . What are some great words related to the topic? List some adjectives for being a good role model. Pick out some verbs related to motivation or any good nouns or collocations you think would work. Throw some phrasal verbs and idioms in there too!
Here’s an example for the question above:
Articles tend to have a personal touch. You can be a lot more familiar with the reader addressing them personally with pronouns like ‘you’ and ‘I’. Give your own opinion and also use contractions. Here are some more ways to sound personal:
Have you ever wondered…?
I’m sure you can imagine…
Can you believe…?
I will never forget…
There’s nothing more amazing than…
If you ask me…
An interesting introduction is the key to a first-rate article. You want to capture your audience’s attention whilst making it clear what it’s going to be about. Start with an opening line that sets the tone of the topic. Try to catch the attention from the first word. Here’s an example:
Firefighters and superheroes are obvious role models. But sometimes the person that inspires us the most is so much closer to home. I have never had a favourite singer or sports star but my father has always been an important inspiration for me.
Next, think about the original question. What makes your role model special? Remember to keep it interesting and include some personal feelings. Use exclamation marks like this:
One of the things that makes my father so special is that he always does everything for his family, and he’s an excellent listener too. Whenever we have a problem he’s always there for us. Not to mention the fact that he’s also really fun-loving! If there’s a party, my dad is the first person on the dancefloor.
But only include one or two exclamation marks in the article or they’ll lose their impact.
Finally you want to tackle the last question. Why did you choose him as your role model? A great technique here would be to address your reader personally and even include a rhetorical question at the end. This gives them something to think about. A little bit like this:
I think my father is the best role model because he is the most hardworking person I know. He has a really difficult job as a doctor and is always saving lives. That’s so inspiring for me!
I really look up to him and he really pushes me to be the best I can be. Wouldn’t you want a role model like my dad?
Everything has come together and you’ve got your final article. Now you can sit back, relax and put your feet up until the examiner says stop. Wait, not quite!
You’re missing the last important step. Always check your writing. You’d hate for all your hard work to be wasted at the last moment. Here are some things to check for.
To get the very best results, you need to know what the examiners are looking out for when they are marking your writing.
These are the four most important things to consider:
Ask yourself these questions when checking your work and make any necessary changes before the time is up!
Read, read, read. Go online and search for blogs in English that interest you. If you love sports, look at the sports news. If you prefer fashion, find fashion articles. Whatever it is read real examples for real inspiration!
If you’re still not confident about writing in English, or you want some help preparing for the B2 First exam, take a look at our exam courses .
You can also check out our articles on how to write an Essay or a Review in the Cambridge B2 First.
Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.
Nightmare (n): : a bad dream.
Rhetorical question (n): a question that doesn’t need to be answered, for dramatic effect.
Time management (n): the way to use your time effectively.
Look up to somebody (pv) : to admire someone.
Humour (n): something amusing or funny.
To hook (v): to attract and captivate your attention.
To flow (v): to move steadily and constantly.
First-rate (adj): excellent, top quality, well made or done.
An exclamation mark (n): this punctuation symbol: !.
To tackle (v): dealing with a challenge or something difficult.
To put your feet up (exp): to rest and relax.
pv = phrasal verb
adj = adjective
exp = expression
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First certificate in english (fce).
On this page, you will find example writing tests to help you prepare for the Writing part of the First Certificate exam.
The speaking section is divided into two parts and involves many types of writing: essay, email, review, report and article.
Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Writing - Example Test One Essay / Report / Review / Email Exercise Number: FCE115
Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Writing - Example Test Two Essay / Email / Report / Article Exercise Number: FCE116
Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Writing - Example Test Three Essay / Review / Article / Email Exercise Number: FCE117
Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Writing - Example Test Four Essay / Review / Article / Report Exercise Number: FCE118
Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Writing - Example Test Five Essay / Report / Email / Article Exercise Number: FCE119
Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Writing - Example Test Six Essay / Review / Article / Report Exercise Number: FCE120
to help you improve your English! Grammar explanations. and . - First, Advanced, Proficiency, IELTS, TOEFL materials. , imaginative quizzes and games. . Track your progress as your English ! ! | ||
Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Writing - Example Test Seven Essay / Email / Article / Review Exercise Number: FCE121
Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Writing - Example Test Eight Essay / Email / Report / Review Exercise Number: FCE122
Use of English: Ten practice tests for the Cambridge B2 First | See in UK
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Listening exercises.
The writing paper for the B2 First exam has two parts, and candidates will be expected to produce pieces of writing for both parts in one hour and twenty minutes.
The parts of the writing paper are as follows:
Part one of the writing paper will be an essay question where the candidate will be asked to write about a specific topic using two points given to them and also a third point which they need to think of themselves. In part two candidates will be given a choice of three written tasks to complete. Candidates will with be required to do either an article, letter (formal or informal), review, email (formal or informal) or report.
Knowing the format and structure of the different type of tasks in the writing paper is extremely important. Candidates should prepare for both parts by repeating different sample papers and practice questions so they are used to and comfortable with the format of all the different tasks.
Planning is also a key element of this part of the exam. It is worth spending a few minutes planning the structure and content of the writing piece before starting. This will not only help ensure that your writing is structured correctly, but will also help ensure that you have included everything that you are expected to have in your writing piece.
In order to help you plan the writing tasks properly candidates should also spend some time carefully reading the question and highlighting the key elements that they must include in their plan.
Although the writing task can be on a variety of different topics , there are some common vocabulary and grammatical structures that can be used regardless of the topic such as linking words and expressions. Candidates should also be aware that they can get extra marks simply by attempting complex language even if it is not used correctly and as long as it doesn’t take away from the communication fo the writing.
Practice for part 2 of the writing paper in the B2 First exam with this sample exam question about your… read more
Practice for part 1 of the writing paper in the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) exam with this sample question about… read more
Prepare for part 1 of the writing paper by doing this sample exam question about children being taught from home… read more
Practice your writing skills for the B2 First exam with this practice question for part 1 of the writing paper… read more
Prepare for part 2 of the writing exam with this sample exam question where you have to write an email… read more
Practice for part 1 of the writing paper in the B2 First exam with this sample question about going to… read more
Practice your writing skills for part 1 of the writing paper in the B2 First exam with this sample question… read more
Practice for part 2 of the writing paper by doing this sample exam question where you need to write an… read more
Practice for part 1 of the writing paper with this sample exam question all about improving our diet. Why not… read more
Practice for part 1 of the writing paper in the B2 First exam with this sample essay question about the… read more
Prepare for the B2 First exam by doing this sample exam question for part 1 of the writing paper about… read more
Practice your writing skills with the sample exam question for part 2 of the writing paper where you need to… read more
Practice your writing skills for part 1 of the writing paper with this exam style essay question about getting children… read more
Practice for part 2 of the writing paper with this practice exam question where you need to write an article… read more
What is the most fascinating place you’ve been to? Practice for part 2 of the writing paper by writing an… read more
Practice this exam style question for part 1 of the writing paper in the B2 First exam. In this practice… read more
Practice writing an informal email with this sample exam question for part 2 of the writing paper.
Practice for part 2 of the writing paper with this exam question that involves writing a review about a biography… read more
Practice your writing skills with this exam style question for part 1 of the writing paper about the problem of… read more
Practice this exam style question for part one of the writing paper. This question is all about social media, which… read more
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COMMENTS
FCE Essays - Sample/model answers and examiner comments. An essay is always written for the teacher. It should answer the question given by addressing both content points and providinga new content point of the writer's own. The essay should be well organised, with an introduction and an appropriate conclusion,and should be written in an appropriate register and tone
The essay is always formal because it is written "for your teacher" Step One: Look at the Task (1 minute) To begin, all B2 First essays have a similar format. This is great because you know exactly how to write the essay before seeing the question. Read the essay question carefully and HIGHLIGHT any keywords you need to write about.
B2 First (FCE) Essay: Tips. Plan your essay before you write. Make sure you know how to comment on all the points that are asked. Invent information if you don't have any ideas. Divide the essay into paragraphs - put one answer in one paragraph. Use advanced vocabulary when you can and formal language.
Here's a useful structure for an opinion essay:Paragraph 1Intro. uce the topic using a general statement and give your. hether you agree or disagree with the statemen. .Paragraph 2Give the first reason to support your opinion. Provide specifi. s for your opinion, using examples if necessary.
Each paragraph has a clear purpose: Introduction: it introduces the topic in a general way and it leads to the second paragraph (first idea). Paragraph 2: it deals with idea 1. Paragraph 3: it deals with idea 2. Paragraph 4: it deals with idea 3. Conclusion: we express our opinion to conclude and summarise the essay.
1. to give students an overview of the format of the B2 First Writing paper (Paper 2) 2. to raise students' awareness of the different text types found in Paper 2 . Time needed . ... An essay is usually written for a teacher and may be written as a follow up to a class activity. It should be well-organised, with an introduction, clear ...
The first part is the essay; the second part is an article, email, letter, report, or review. You will be given the essay title and two ideas or prompts. It's essential that you include both of these ideas in your essay, as well as another relevant idea that you have to come up with yourself. You have to write 140-190 words in each part and ...
B2 essay structure. A Cambridge B2 First essay has a reasonably set structure. This is because the tasks are always similar. Take a look at the task below: When we analyse the task, the most obvious structure is to write 5 paragraphs. This allows us to keep a clear separation between our three points. It also gives us plenty of opportunities ...
1. How to Analyse Your FCE Writing Essay Task. First, you need to read the FCE writing essay task and identify exactly what needs to be included. Let's look at a sample question: You've recently had a discussion in English class about society. Now your teacher has asked you to write an essay.
Test 1 / 25. Answer the question below. Write 140 - 190 words in an appropriate style. Your teacher has asked you to write an essay on the dangers of social media, and how people can protect themselves. Do you think social media can be dangerous? Write your essay using all the notes.
Of course, it's important to write your own material, but the format and many expressions are transferable for essays regardless of the topic. With this material, we aim to demonstrate areas where B2 First candidates often go wrong with writing an essay. With a few tweaks, you should be able to reproduce a high quality essay every time.
The B2 First Writing test has a duration of 1 hour 20 minutesand consists of two parts, and it accounts for 20% of the total score. The first parthas one compulsory question. In the second part, there are three questions, and you must choose one. Candidates are required to write an essay of about 140-190 wordsin each part.
Article navigation: B2 First (FCE) Essay: Example Topics / Questions B2 First (FCE) Essay: Download (PDF) An essay is a piece of writing in which you are asked to discuss a topic that might be controversial or relevant somehow. It usually follows a class discussion. The language of an English essay should be formal.Also, make sure that you justify all your ideas and that you use appropriate ...
The essay task at Cambridge B2 First (FCE) level might be one of the first times learners encounter a truly formal writing task. At the previous level, B1 Preliminary (PET), all the writing tasks are relatively casual and informal. This is where the First Certificate writing forces candidates to prove they really know how to organise and ...
In the two parts of the B2 First Writing paper, you have to show that you can write different types of text in English. Time allowed: 1 hour 20 minutes. Number of parts: 2. Number of questions: Part 1: one compulsory question, Part 2: one question from a choice of three. Types of task:
If you are taking your Cambridge B2 First exam you'll have to write two texts in an 80-minute period. In part 1 you must write an essay but in part 2 you will be able to choose between a number of options. This could be could be an email, a letter, a report, a review or an article. Read more about the format of the Cambridge B2 First exam.
Start your article in an interesting way. You could ask the reader a question or make a strong statement. 1st body paragraph. The first paragraph should involve the reader in some way. 2nd body paragraph. Build on the interest you have raised in the first paragraph by telling the next part of the story. Conclusion.
The speaking section is divided into two parts and involves many types of writing: essay, email, review, report and article. Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Writing - Example Test One. Essay / Report / Review / Email. Exercise Number: FCE115. Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Writing - Example Test Two. Essay / Email / Report / Article. Exercise Number: FCE116.
The writing paper for the B2 First exam has two parts, and candidates will be expected to produce pieces of writing for both parts in one hour and twenty minutes. The parts of the writing paper are as follows: Part 1 - Essay; Part 2 - Article, Letter, Email, Report or Review
Subscale Grade: Commentary: Content: 5: All content is relevant and the target reader is fully informed. The article describes the most useful thing which the writer has learned: speaking English, and explains why it is useful.The second aspect of the task is discussed in detail and various methods of learning are described.
FCE Email Example: Touring holiday. FCE Email Example: Swimming team. FCE Letter Example: School uniforms. FCE Letter Example: Letter of application. FCE Email Example: Money! An email/a letter is written in response to the situation outlined in the question. Letters and emails in the B2 First Writing paper will require a response which is ...