B2 First - Exam Preparation Exercises

First Certificate in English (FCE)

The following quizzes and exercises are to help you prepare for the Cambridge B2 First exam, previously known as the First Certificate in English (FCE). The information contained below takes into account the changes to the B2 First exam as from 2015.

Paper One - Reading & Use of English

Part 1 - Multiple Choice Cloze

The first part of the Use of English paper in the B2 First examination is multiple choice cloze where you have to choose the correct word from four similar given words. This is a test of your vocabulary knowledge primarily, your ability to use the correct word (noun, verb, adjective) depending on context.

Part 2 - Open Cloze

The second part of the Use of English paper in the B2 First Examination is open cloze, in which you use one word to fill each space in a short text. The required words are usually grammatical, such as pronouns, articles, prepositions, auxiliary verbs and so on.

English Learning Lounge - iOS and Android Apps

Our app for both Android and iOS to help you improve your English!

  • Full Grammar explanations.
  • Exercises to help with Grammar, Vocabulary, Listening, Reading and Pronunciation.
  • Exam Levels - First, Advanced, Proficiency, IELTS, TOEFL
  • Authentic English listening and reading materials.
  • Fun, imaginative quizzes and games.
  • Full statistics. Track your progress as your English improves!
  • Download today for FREE!

Part 3 - Word Formation

The third part of the Use of English paper in the B2 First Examination is word formation where you have to use a root such as 'able' and create an appropriate word (disable, unable, ability) to fill the gap in a text.

Part 4 - Key Word Transformations

The final part of the Use of English paper is Key Word Transformations. A sentence followed by a key word and a second sentence which has a gap in it. You have to use the key word to complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first sentence.

Part 5 - Reading: Multiple Choice

The first of the reading parts in the Reading and Use of English paper in the B2 First exam is the multiple choice reading comprehension section where you must choose the correct answer out of four possible answers.

Part 6 - Reading: Gapped Text

In this part of the Reading and Use of English paper, known as 'Gapped Text', you need to put back paragraphs that have been removed from a text. This section of the First Certificate exam will test your understanding of coherence, cohesion, text structure and global meaning.

Part 7 - Reading: Multiple Matching

The final part of the B2 First Reading and Use of English paper is Multiple Matching. In this section, you must match questions or prompts to parts of a single text or individual smaller texts that follow. This tests your ability to understand specific detail and author attitude and opinion.

Paper Two - Writing

There are two parts to the writing paper. Part One is compulsory and you must choose one out of three questions to do for Part Two. The total time available is one hour and twenty minutes. You might need to write an essay, an email, an article, a report or a review.

Paper Four - Speaking

There are four parts to the speaking paper, which takes about 14 minutes to complete. Here, you will find eight complete speaking papers with all parts included.

© 2001-2024 esl-lounge.com