Cambridge B2 First: prepare with a plan

Cambridge B2 First at a glance

B2 First tests English at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). According to Cambridge English, the exam has four papers, takes about 3.5 hours in total and can be taken on computer or on paper. The format is identical in both versions.

Source: official B2 First format description. In our experience, candidates who are comfortably at B2 but don’t know the format lose a lot of marks. That is why structured exam preparation pays off: it combines language level with exam technique.

B2 First results: Cambridge English Scale and grades

Your result is reported on the Cambridge English Scale. You receive five separate scores, for Reading, Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The overall score is the average of these five, and they all carry equal weight. So a weak area can be offset by strengths elsewhere. The official bands, according to the Cambridge results page, are:

This is a real advantage: if you narrowly miss B2, you still go home with a B1 certificate, and if you do very well, your certificate shows C1. According to Cambridge support, the certificate has no expiry date; however, each institution decides for itself how old a result it will accept.

What this means for your strategy

Because all five areas count equally, Use of English is often the quickest win: grammar and vocabulary tasks improve noticeably with systematic practice, whereas reading comprehension grows more slowly. After your first practice test, work out where you can gain the most scale points for the least effort.

For a closer look at the CEFR levels, read our article on CEFR levels A1 to C2.

B2 First Reading and Use of English: all 7 parts

Reading and Use of English lasts 1 hour 15 minutes and has 7 parts with 52 questions. Parts 1 to 4 test grammar and vocabulary: multiple-choice cloze, open cloze, word formation and key word transformation. Parts 5 to 7 test reading with multiple choice, gapped text and multiple matching. Allow around 50 minutes for the three reading texts.

This paper combines grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension. In total you read between 2,200 and 2,500 words.

Quick practice: key word transformation

Original sentence: I haven’t been to London for five years. Key word: LAST. Answer: The last time I went to London was five years ago. You may use two to five words, including the key word, and you must not change the key word. A good command of phrasal verbs helps with transformations; our article on phrasal verbs (in German) gives an introduction.

Parts 5 to 7: reading strategies

In Part 5 the questions follow the order of the text. Read the question first without the options, find the relevant passage, form your own answer and only then compare it with the options. That way you are less likely to fall for distractors, which repeat words from the text but say something different. Part 7 works the other way round: rather than reading every section carefully, scan quickly for synonyms of the statements.

Timing

Plan about 25 minutes for Parts 1 to 4 and 50 minutes for the three reading texts. In Part 6, it is worth rereading the whole paragraph after inserting a sentence: do this, they or however fit with the sentence before?

B2 First Writing: essay, article, review and more

You write two texts of 140 to 190 words each. Part 1 is a compulsory essay: you get a question and two points to discuss, add a third idea of your own and give reasons for your opinion. In Part 2 you choose one task from an article, an email or letter, a review or a report.

Assessment criteria

According to the handbook for teachers, both texts are marked against four criteria, each from 0 to 5: Content (has the task been fully completed?), Communicative Achievement (do tone and register suit the text type?), Organisation (logical structure, paragraphs, linking) and Language (range and accuracy of vocabulary and grammar).

Model structure for the essay

Question: Is it better to work for a large company or a small one? Notes: career opportunities, working atmosphere, your own idea.

Introduction: Choosing an employer is one of the most important decisions we make, and company size plays a bigger role than many people think.

Paragraph 1: On the one hand, large companies tend to offer clearer career paths and more training …

Paragraph 2: On the other hand, the atmosphere in a small firm is often more personal …

Paragraph 3 (your own idea): Another factor worth considering is job security …

Conclusion: All things considered, I believe that a small company is a better choice at the start of a career, because …

Useful phrases for the Part 2 email

• Opening in a semi-formal tone: Thank you for your email asking about …
• Recommending: If I were you, I would …, It might be worth …
• Closing: I hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else.

Getting the register right

An article addresses readers directly (Have you ever wondered …?), a report uses headings and neutral language (The aim of this report is to …), and a review ends with a clear recommendation. If you can keep registers apart confidently, you will score highest for Communicative Achievement. You will find more templates in our article on writing an essay in an English exam.

B2 First Listening: strategies for all 4 parts

The B2 First Listening paper takes about 40 minutes and has 4 parts with 30 questions in total; every recording is played twice. Part 1 has short extracts with multiple choice, Part 2 is sentence completion, Part 3 matches five monologues to statements and Part 4 is an interview. Answer on the first hearing; check on the second.

• Part 1 (8 questions): short, unrelated extracts of about 30 seconds, each with three options.
• Part 2 (10 questions): sentence completion based on a monologue of 3 to 4 minutes.
• Part 3 (5 questions): five short monologues on a shared theme, matched to eight statements.
• Part 4 (7 questions): an interview or conversation of 3 to 4 minutes, multiple choice.

How to use the second listening

On the first listening, mark a provisional answer; on the second, check only the items you are unsure about. In Part 2 you almost always hear the missing word exactly as it needs to be written; the difficulty is that the recording also contains similar but wrong information. In Part 3 it helps to note a synonym for each of the eight statements before you listen, because speakers rarely use the same words. For more practice ideas, see our article on improving your English listening skills.

B2 First Speaking: format and useful phrases

You take the Speaking test in pairs (occasionally in a group of three) with two examiners: one leads the conversation, the other listens and assesses. You are marked on Grammar and Vocabulary, Discourse Management, Pronunciation and Interactive Communication, plus a global mark. The whole test lasts about 14 minutes per pair and has four parts.

• Part 1 (about 2 min per candidate): questions about you, your everyday life and your plans.
• Part 2 (1 min + 30 sec): you compare two photos and answer a question about them; your partner then responds briefly.
• Part 3 (2 min + 1 min): a joint discussion based on written prompts, followed by a joint decision.
• Part 4 (about 4 min): follow-up questions on the topic from Part 3.

Useful phrases for Parts 2 and 3

• Comparing: Both pictures show …, but in the first one … whereas in the second …
• Speculating: They might be …, It looks as if …, I’d imagine that …
• Involving your partner: What do you think about …? Would you agree that …?
• Disagreeing: I see your point, but I’m not entirely sure that …
• Deciding: So, shall we go for …? I think we both agree that …

A common mistake in Part 3 is for both candidates to take turns giving monologues. You earn marks for Interactive Communication by responding to what your partner says. If you tend to freeze in conversation, you will find tips in our article on overcoming the fear of speaking.

B2 First preparation: a 10-week study plan

As a rough guide, Cambridge mentions around 200 guided learning hours per CEFR level, as explained on the Cambridge help page on guided learning hours. If your level is still well below B2, plan more time than the ten weeks of exam training below. Our article How long does it take to learn English? describes a realistic timeline.

In our B2 First preparation you work online in small groups or one-to-one. Practising with a partner is especially valuable for Speaking, because Part 3 only works as a dialogue. If you would like to strengthen your general English first, start with our online English courses; individuals will find all formats under language courses for individuals.

Common mistakes in the Cambridge B2 First

The most common B2 First mistakes are avoidable: using more than five words in key word transformations, misspellings in Use of English Parts 2 and 3, leaving out your own third point in the essay, structures carried over from your first language, describing photos without answering the question in Speaking and, in the paper-based exam, an incomplete answer sheet.

• Ignoring word limits: in key word transformations, more than five words is marked wrong.
• Spelling in Use of English: in Parts 2 and 3, the spelling must be correct.
• Forgetting the third point in the essay: without an idea of your own, your Content mark suffers.
• Translating from your first language: German speakers, for example, often write I am here since two years instead of I have been here for two years. Our article on typical mistakes German speakers make in English (in German) covers more of these.
• Not answering the task in Speaking: in Part 2 it is not enough to describe the photos; you must answer the question printed above them.
• Not completing the answer sheet: in the paper-based exam, only what is on the answer sheet counts.

Not sure whether B2 First or C1 Advanced is the right goal? Read Cambridge C1 Advanced: preparation and our comparison of English certificates.

Sources

1. cambridgeenglish.org: first
2. cambridgeenglish.org: format
3. cambridgeenglish.org: results
4. cambridgeenglish.org: 167791 b2 first handbook
5. support.cambridgeenglish.org: 202838506 Guided learning hours
6. support.cambridgeenglish.org: 202838296 How long are my results certificate valid for

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