FCE for schools/B2

The FCE exam is made up of four exam papers, designed to test the key language skills. The four papers are: Reading and Use of English; Writing; Listening; and Speaking.

PAPER 1: READING & USE OF ENGLISH (1h 15 min)

• 7 parts and 52 questions

• Different types of text, such as fiction, newspapers and magazines, promotional and informational materials

• Parts 1-4 (grammar & vocabulary):

  • Part 1: 8 multiple-choice questions related to vocabulary in a text

  • Parts 2 & 3: gap filling in a text (choosing / forming the correct word for each gap)

  • Part 4: keyword transformation

• Parts 5-7 (reading comprehension):

  • Part 5: multiple-choice questions about a text

  • Part 6: gapped text

  • Part 7: matching statements to the correct part of a text

PAPER 2: WRITING (1 h 15 min)

• 2 parts

• between 140 & 190 words

• Part 1: compulsory essay

• Part 2: candidates are given 3 options and asked to write one of the following:

  • article

  • email/letter

  • report

  • review

PAPER 3: LISTENING (40 min)

• 4 parts

• Part 1: 8 short conversations & 1 multiple choice question

• Part 2: sentence completion with the missing information on a short text

• Part 3: multiple matching (select 5 options from a list of 8 possible answers)

• Part 4: long conversation & multiple choice

PAPER 4: SPEAKING (14 min)

• 4 parts

• face-to-face with two or three other candidates and two examiners

• Part 1_Interview_ (2 min): a short conversation with the examiner about the candidate's life

• Part 2_Long turn (1 min x candidate): compare 2 pics & answer a question about them

• Part 3_Collaborative task (3 min): conversation between the candidates in a decision-making task

• Part 4_Discussion (4 minutes): discussion between the candidates on topics related to the collaborative task