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B2 First (FCE) · Paper 1 · 374 free exercises
B2 First Reading & Use of English: the complete guide
Seven parts, 52 questions, 1 hour 15 minutes, and two separate scores. What each part tests, the marks you need for a B2, how to split your time, and free practice with instant marking.
Try one now · Part 1 · 1 of 8 in the real paper
After weeks of thinking about it, Maria finally ___ up her mind to apply for the course.
- took
- made
- did
- set
All four go with “up”. Only one means “decide”.
- 7 parts
- 52 questions
- 75 minutes
- 160 for a B2
Practise Part 1 free → · Try a timed paper
The seven parts, and where students lose marks
Tap a part for its guide
- Part 1 · Multiple Choice Cloze: Collocations and words close in meaning · 69 free exercises. Questions: 8 questions, 1 mark each. Time: 6 min, suggested. B2 students score: 69%.
- Part 2 · Open Cloze: Grammar words: prepositions, articles, linkers · 70 free exercises. Questions: 8 questions, 1 mark each. Time: 7 min, suggested. B2 students score: 61%.
- Part 3 · Word Formation: Prefixes, suffixes, negatives, plurals · 71 free exercises. Questions: 8 questions, 1 mark each. Time: 7 min, suggested. B2 students score: 65%.
- Part 4 · Key Word Transformations (Hardest): Same meaning in 2–5 words, key word unchanged · 76 free exercises. Questions: 6 questions, 2 marks each. Time: 10 min, suggested. B2 students score: 56%.
- Part 5 · Multiple Choice Reading: Detail, opinion and attitude in a long text · 29 free exercises. Questions: 6 questions, 2 marks each. Time: 12 min, suggested. B2 students score: 69%.
- Part 6 · Gapped Text: How a text holds together: references, linkers · 29 free exercises. Questions: 6 questions, 2 marks each. Time: 13 min, suggested. B2 students score: 61%.
- Part 7 · Multiple Matching: Finding ideas fast across short texts · 30 free exercises. Questions: 10 questions, 1 mark each. Time: 12 min, suggested. B2 students score: 75%.
- Reading score: Parts 1, 5, 6, 7 (42 marks)
- Use of English score: Parts 2, 3, 4 (28 marks)
- Times are suggestions, plus 8 minutes to check
Key Word Transformations is where B2 students score lowest (56%). Each answer is worth up to 2 marks, and half-right answers still earn 1, so practice here pays off fastest. Multiple Matching is the friendliest part (75%): bank those marks.
Average score from 12,125 tries by 456 B2 students on Cambridge Ready.
The marks you need for a B2
160 on the Cambridge English Scale in each score
- Reading: 24 of 42. Parts 1, 5, 6 and 7. About 57% of the marks gives 160.
- Use of English: 18 of 28. Parts 2, 3 and 4. About 64% of the marks gives 160.
Your overall result is the average of all five skills, so a strong Reading can carry a weaker Use of English.
From Cambridge’s published conversion tables. The exact mark varies slightly from paper to paper.
The method
Six habits that hold under time pressure
- Read the title and skim each text first. Knowing what it’s about makes every gap easier.
- Do Parts 1–4 first, in order. They’re short and reward fast, accurate grammar.
- In Part 4, count your words. Contractions count as two, and the key word mustn’t change.
- In Part 6, check the sentences either side of the gap for this, they, however, also.
- In Part 7, read the questions first, then scan for the idea, not the same words.
- Never leave a blank. A wrong answer costs nothing.
The traps
The mistakes we see most
- The word that “sounds right”: In Part 1 all four options often mean the same. Only one fits the collocation. (
take up→ make up your mind) - Spelling scores zero: Parts 2, 3 and 4 need correct spelling, even when the word is right. (
responsable→ responsible) - The root isn’t the answer: In Part 3, check if the gap needs a plural, a negative or another part of speech. (SUCCESS → unsuccessful)
- The matching-words trap: In Parts 5 and 7, an option repeating words from the text is usually wrong. The right one paraphrases.
Practise Key Word Transformations free → The part where B2 students score lowest. 76 exercises, every answer explained.
Questions students ask
How long is the B2 First Reading and Use of English paper?
1 hour 15 minutes for all seven parts, 52 questions. There’s no extra time to copy answers onto the answer sheet.
How many marks do you need to pass B2 First Reading and Use of English?
About 24 out of 42 in Reading and 18 out of 28 in Use of English, each giving 160 on the Cambridge English Scale, the B2 level. You pass on your overall score, the average of all five skills.
Which part of B2 First Reading and Use of English is the hardest?
For B2 students on Cambridge Ready, Key Word Transformations (Part 4, 56%) and Open Cloze (Part 2, 61%) have the lowest average scores.
Is B2 First Reading and Use of English different on the computer?
The tasks, timing and marks are the same. You type your answers, and spelling still counts.
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