Cambridge B2 First study guide
Cambridge B2 First · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
B2 First is a Cambridge English Qualification at CEFR level B2, reported on the Cambridge English Scale at 160–179. It is offered as B2 First and B2 First for Schools: both are at the same level and follow the same format, but the Schools version is tailored to the interests and experience of school-age learners, while B2 First is designed for adults. The qualification shows that a learner can communicate in an English-speaking environment - living and working in an English-speaking country or studying on courses taught in English - and results are accepted by thousands of businesses and educational institutions worldwide. The exam has four papers and takes about 3.5 hours. The Cambridge B2 First study guide has 4 sections and about 1,222 words.
01Reading and Use of English
Reading and Use of English is a single 75-minute paper with seven parts. Parts 1–4 test language systems: multiple-choice cloze (lexical collocation and fixed phrases), open cloze (grammar words such as articles, prepositions, pronouns and auxiliaries), word formation (building a word-family member from a root), and key word transformations (rewriting while keeping meaning).
319 words, about 2 min02Writing
Writing lasts 80 minutes and has two parts. Part 1 is a compulsory essay based on notes and opinions; you must address the topic and develop your own view.
300 words, about 2 min03Listening
Listening lasts about 40 minutes and has four parts, heard twice. Part 1 has short extracts with multiple choice; Part 2 is sentence completion; Part 3 is multiple matching; Part 4 is a longer interview or discussion with multiple choice.
304 words, about 2 min04Speaking
Speaking lasts about 14 minutes and has four parts, usually with two candidates. Part 1 is an interview; Part 2 is a long turn comparing two photographs and answering a question, with a short response from the partner; Part 3 is a collaborative task; Part 4 is a discussion.
299 words, about 1 min