B2 First for Schools exam-day guide
B2 First for Schools · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Confirmation email or statement of entry
Bring the confirmation your centre sent after registration. It shows your candidate number, the papers you are sitting and the venue. If you did not receive one, contact the centre before exam day rather than on the morning.
Valid photo ID
Most centres require a passport or national ID card. The exact accepted documents and whether a school ID is enough vary by centre, so confirm with the provider which ID they accept and check that it has not expired.
Two pens and two pencils plus an eraser
Use a black or dark blue pen for Writing and pencil for the answer sheet and Listening. Bring spares: you cannot rely on borrowing from other candidates.
Clear pencil case or transparent bag
Some centres ask for a transparent container or none at all. Check your centre's rules and keep only permitted items inside.
Printed exam timetable with start times and venue address
Write down the reporting time, which is usually earlier than the start time, and the exact room or building. Plan the route in advance and allow extra time for traffic and security checks.
Water in a clear bottle with the label removed
This is allowed at many centres but not all. Confirm with the provider whether drinks are permitted in your exam room.
No phone, smartwatch or other electronic device in the exam room
Devices must be switched off and left outside the room as instructed. Having one on you, even switched off, can lead to disqualification, so leave valuables at home.
Leave notes and study materials behind
Do not bring revision notes, textbooks or any written material into the exam room. If you want to revise, do it before you enter the building and hand everything to a friend or family member.
Know your candidate number and centre number
You will need these to complete the answer sheet correctly. They appear on your statement of entry; copy them onto paper the night before.
Check the Listening equipment arrangements
Listening is played through a CD player or similar device and the recording is played twice. Ask the centre in advance what equipment is used and what happens if there is a technical problem, so nothing surprises you.
Confirm break and toilet arrangements
The number and length of breaks, and whether you may leave the room during a paper, are set by the centre. Confirm with the provider in advance.
Check the results and certificate collection process
Ask how and when results are released and whether certificates are posted or collected. This is centre-specific, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
Plan the day
Do a full timed mock of one paper you find hardest, using a quiet room and no phone. Mark it honestly and write down the two or three error types that cost you most marks, for example missing a negative in a Listening question or running out of time in Writing. Spend the remaining days fixing those specific errors rather than starting new material.
Re-read the task instructions for each paper so you know the format by heart. For B2 First for Schools, Reading and Writing are taken together and timed as one block, so decide in advance how many minutes you will give to Reading and how many to Writing. Practise that split once so the timing feels familiar.
Prepare your Writing toolkit: a clear structure for an essay, an article, a review, an email or letter, and a story, plus a short list of linking words and useful phrases you can use accurately. Accuracy matters more than ambitious vocabulary, so only use structures you can control.
Check the venue location, journey time and reporting time, and set two alarms. Pack your bag with ID, confirmation, pens, pencils, eraser and your timetable, and put it by the door. Confirm with the provider if anything about the venue or timing is unclear.
Do light revision only: review your error list and a few model answers, then stop. Do not learn new grammar or vocabulary the night before, as it rarely sticks and increases anxiety. Eat a normal meal and go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Eat breakfast, drink water and arrive at the venue at the reporting time, not the start time. Go to the toilet before entering the room. Leave your phone switched off and stored as instructed, and hand over any notes before you go in.
In the room, check that your answer sheet has your correct name, candidate number and centre number. Listen carefully to the invigilator's instructions about filling in the answer sheet and when you may turn over the question paper.
Read the whole paper first and choose your Writing task deliberately. Do Reading first if that is your plan, keep to your time split and do not let one difficult text eat the time for the rest. For Writing, spend a few minutes planning, leave time to check your work for tense, agreement and spelling errors, and make sure you answer every part of the task.
Use the pause before each part to read the questions and underline key words. The recording is played twice; on the first listening get the general meaning and on the second confirm details. Write answers on the question paper as you listen, then transfer them clearly to the answer sheet in the time given.
You will usually be tested with a partner. Speak to your partner, not only to the examiner, and ask them questions in the discussion task. If you do not understand, ask the examiner to repeat the question politely. Keep talking, give reasons and examples, and do not worry about a mistake, since fluency and communication matter more than perfection.
Do not spend time comparing answers with other candidates; it changes nothing and can upset you before the next paper. Note anything you want to improve, then focus on the next session. Ask the centre about the results release date before you leave if it was not given to you.
Rules to check
Bring the ID document your centre accepts, usually a passport or national ID card, and keep it on your desk if instructed. If you have no acceptable ID, contact the centre before exam day; confirm with the provider what alternatives are allowed.
Arrive at the reporting time. Centres set their own late-arrival rules and may not admit you after the paper has started, so confirm with the provider what happens if you are delayed.
Switch off all electronic devices and leave them outside the exam room as instructed. Using or even holding a phone, smartwatch or unauthorised notes during a paper can lead to your paper being cancelled.
Follow the invigilator's instructions at all times, including when to start, when to stop writing and how to fill in the answer sheet. Do not communicate with other candidates during the paper.
Breaks and toilet visits are controlled by the centre and may be limited during a paper. Confirm with the provider what the arrangements are so you can plan around them.
Tell the centre in advance about any access arrangements, such as extra time or a separate room, and bring any evidence they require. These are not granted on the day, so confirm with the provider well before the exam.
Each paper is marked separately and the results are reported as a grade and a score on the Cambridge English Scale, with a statement of results showing your performance in each skill. Ask your centre how and when results are released.
If something goes wrong on the day, such as a disturbance or a technical problem with the Listening recording, tell the invigilator immediately. Do not discuss it with other candidates afterwards; the centre handles such reports through its own procedure.