PEIC Level 3 (B2) study guide
PEIC Level 3 (B2) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
This page is a study companion for candidates preparing for the Pearson English International Certificate (PEIC) Level 3, the B2-level step on a four-skill English proficiency ladder. The certificate is designed for learners who can already handle everyday English and now need to demonstrate independent, confident use of the language for study, work, or migration purposes. Because the exam is organised around four equally weighted skill areas - Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing - preparation should be balanced rather than concentrated on a single paper. A typical study plan devotes regular weekly time to each skill, uses authentic materials such as news articles, podcasts, and short talks for receptive practice, and includes timed writing tasks and recorded speaking practice for productive work. The PEIC Level 3 (B2) study guide has 4 sections and about 1,201 words.
01Listening: B2 gist, detail, attitude and paraphrase
At PEIC Level 3 (B2), Listening checks whether you can follow extended speech on familiar and some unfamiliar topics, identify gist, detailed information, speaker attitude and purpose, and understand paraphrase. Tasks may include multiple-choice questions, matching and note completion.
321 words, about 2 min02Reading: gist, detail, inference and cohesion
PEIC Level 3 (B2) Reading assesses gist, detailed comprehension, inference, reference and cohesion, and vocabulary in context. Texts can be factual, opinion-based or narrative.
305 words, about 2 min03Speaking: interactive B2 communication and extended turns
PEIC Level 3 (B2) Speaking assesses interactive communication, fluency, pronunciation, grammatical range and accuracy, and vocabulary range. Tasks move from short exchanges to a discussion or longer turn.
282 words, about 1 min04Writing: task achievement, register and organisation
PEIC Level 3 (B2) Writing assesses task achievement, organisation, register, grammatical range and accuracy, and vocabulary. Tasks can include an email or letter and a longer text such as an article or essay.
293 words, about 1 min