How to Prepare for B2 First (FCE): What the Exam Asks For and How to Study
Hiroki Obara · DeveloperAlphaGeorgeHow-To
B2 First (FCE) is the Cambridge English Qualification designed to test CEFR level B2. It has four papers, Reading and Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking, and takes about three and a half hours in total. There is a paper-based and a digital version, and the format is the same in both (B2 First on the Cambridge English site).
I wrote about the Cambridge exams in general in Cambridge English vs Eiken, and about choosing an exam in Which Cambridge Exam Level Should You Take?. This post is for people who have decided to take FCE: what is in the exam and how to prepare. All the figures were checked in October 2026 on the official site and in the 2026 handbook for teachers.
What changes from PET
Compared with B1 Preliminary (PET), the level below, I think four things change.
The first is Use of English. This section tests grammar and vocabulary directly, through gap fills and sentence transformations, and PET has nothing like it. It shares a paper with Reading, but it gets its own score on the Statement of Results.
The second is the amount of writing. Both PET writing tasks are about 100 words. Both FCE tasks are 140 to 190 words, and the first is a compulsory essay in which you have to argue an opinion.
The third is the length of the listening. Some parts use a three to four minute monologue or interview, and there are 30 questions.
The fourth is speaking. In one part you compare two photographs and talk on your own for a minute.
Cambridge English publishes guided learning hours as a rough guide (Guided learning hours). Counting from zero, B1 Preliminary is about 350 to 400 hours and B2 First about 500 to 600 hours, a gap of roughly 150 to 200 hours. I think taking FCE straight after passing PET is a little too quick. How to prepare for PET is in How to Prepare for B1 Preliminary (PET).
The exam format
Here is a summary of the official exam format page and the handbook.
| Paper | Time | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Use of English | 1 hour 15 minutes | 7 parts, 52 questions |
| Writing | 1 hour 20 minutes | 2 parts, 2 tasks |
| Listening | About 40 minutes | 4 parts, 30 questions |
| Speaking | 14 minutes for a pair, 20 minutes for a group of three | 4 parts |
Reading and Use of English
Parts 1 to 4 are Use of English and Parts 5 to 7 are Reading. The texts total 2,200 to 2,500 words.
- Part 1: choose the word that fits each gap in a text, four options (8 questions)
- Part 2: write one word in each gap (8 questions)
- Part 3: change the form of a given word to fit each gap (8 questions)
- Part 4: rewrite a sentence in two to five words using a given word (6 questions, 2 marks each)
- Part 5: answer four-option questions on the detail and the writer’s opinions in a longer text (6 questions, 2 marks each)
- Part 6: put sentences removed from a text back in place (6 questions, 2 marks each)
- Part 7: find which of several texts matches each statement (10 questions)
Writing
- Part 1: a compulsory essay. You give your opinion using two given ideas and a third idea of your own (140 to 190 words)
- Part 2: choose one task from a short list (140 to 190 words). The handbook lists an article, a letter or email, a review and a report
Listening
Every recording is played twice.
- Part 1: eight short recordings of about 30 seconds, three-option questions (8 questions)
- Part 2: complete sentences from a three to four minute monologue (10 questions)
- Part 3: match five short monologues to five of eight statements (5 questions)
- Part 4: three-option questions on a three to four minute interview or conversation (7 questions)
Speaking
There are two examiners. One leads the test and the other listens.
- Part 1: answer the examiner’s questions (about 2 minutes)
- Part 2: compare two photographs for a minute, then answer a short question about your partner’s photographs
- Part 3: discuss a prompt with your partner for two minutes, then take a minute to reach a decision
- Part 4: a discussion of the Part 3 topic, led by the examiner (about 4 minutes)
How results work
According to the handbook, the Statement of Results shows five scores: Reading, Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The overall score is their average, and all five carry equal weight. So the Reading and Use of English paper alone makes up 40% of the total.
The overall score is on the Cambridge English Scale (B2 First results).
| Score | Result |
|---|---|
| 180 to 190 | Grade A, certified at C1 |
| 173 to 179 | Grade B, B2 |
| 160 to 172 | Grade C, B2 |
| 140 to 159 | Certified at B1 |
| 122 to 139 | Score on the Statement of Results only, no certificate |
How to study
From here on this is my own view.
1. Do one official sample test from start to finish
Start with the sample tests on the official preparation page, timed. The aim is to see which parts you run out of time on and where you get stuck. FCE is a long exam, so this also tells you whether your concentration lasts.
2. A little Use of English every day
Use of English is a fifth of the overall score by itself. Your grammar and vocabulary turn straight into marks, so I think short daily practice pays off well here.
Part 4, the key word transformations, costs marks if you don’t know the rules. The handbook says the answer must be two to five words including the key word, and the key word must not be changed. More than five words gets no marks. The answer is marked in two halves, one mark each, so a half-correct answer still earns a mark.
Spelling is the other point. The handbook stresses that correct spelling is essential in Parts 2, 3 and 4. Even words you know need to be learned in writing.
3. Get a feel for 140 to 190 words
Both writing tasks carry equal marks. Each is assessed on four subscales, Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language, with 0 to 5 marks for each. The handbook says that writing far too few words is likely to mean the task has not been completed, while overlong answers tend to repeat ideas and lose their organisation. Counting words in the exam wastes time, so it helps to learn during practice how many lines of your handwriting make 140 words.
British or American spelling is fine, but you should keep to one within an answer. Dictionaries are not allowed.
4. Get used to long recordings
I think the biggest step up from PET is the three to four minute recordings in Parts 2 and 4. You hear each one twice, so practise listening for the overall flow the first time and for the details the second time.
5. Time yourself speaking for a minute
Comparing photographs in Part 2 is where you can run out of words if you have never practised speaking alone for a full minute. Ask a family member or friend to time you while you describe how two photos differ and what they suggest, and repeat it.
How long it takes
Going by the guided learning hours above, someone who is solidly at B1 needs roughly 150 to 200 more hours to reach B2. These are hours of guided study, and the official page says they vary a lot with background and intensity. At an hour a day that works out at about five to seven months. I think it is best treated as a lower limit when you pick an exam date.
Preparing for B2 with AlphaGeorge
AlphaGeorge, an app I make for iPhone and iPad, is for preparing for the Cambridge exams. The course has six levels from A1 to C2, with 66 units in total, and the 10 units of the B2 Upper-intermediate level match B2 First (FCE). A diagnostic test of about five minutes decides where you start. The app’s interface and explanations are in English and Japanese.
From B2 upwards the course includes word formation and key word transformation questions, the formats of Use of English Parts 3 and 4. Each unit has lessons in grammar and reading, vocabulary, everyday conversation, writing and speaking, followed by a review and a progress check. As in the real exam, listening questions are played twice before you can continue.
The writing lessons do not mark 140 to 190 word essays, though. Write those with the official sample tests and, if you can, have a teacher look at them. The questions were all written for the app. It is not a Cambridge University Press & Assessment publication.
AlphaGeorge is free to start, with ads and a limit of hearts. AlphaGeorge Premium, a monthly or yearly subscription, removes ads, makes hearts unlimited and lets you replay finished lessons. Getting Started with AlphaGeorge walks through the first session.
