Cambridge B1 Preliminary and B2 First

How the exams work

• B1 PreliminaryReading, 32 questions in 45 minutes; Writing, 2 tasks in 45 minutes
• B1 PreliminaryListening, 25 questions in about 30 minutes; Speaking in pairs, 10 to 12 minutes
• B2 FirstReading and Use of English, 52 questions in 75 minutes; Writing, 2 tasks in 80 minutes
• B2 FirstListening, 30 questions in about 40 minutes; Speaking in pairs, 14 minutes
• FeeSet by each centre; UPV example for December 2026: €122 (B1) and €225 (B2)

• In Listening you hear each recording 2 times
• Certificate from 120 (B1 Preliminary) and from 140 (B2 First) on the Cambridge English Scale

B1 Preliminary or B2 First?

B1 Preliminary is at level B1 and B2 First at level B2. The "for Schools" versions have the same format and level, with topics for school-age learners. If you need the certificate for a university, a public-sector exam or a job, ask them which level and which certificates they accept.

The parts of B1 Preliminary

• Reading (6 parts): short texts, matching people to texts, a longer text, a text with missing sentences and two gap-fill texts
• Writing: an email of about 100 words, then either an article or a story of about 100 words
• Listening (4 parts): short recordings with pictures, short conversations, completing notes on a talk, and an interview
• Speaking (4 parts, in pairs with two examiners): interview, describing a photo, discussion with the other candidate and a general conversation

The parts of B2 First

• Reading and Use of English (7 parts, 70 marks): multiple-choice gaps, open gaps, word formation, key word transformations, a text with questions, a text with missing sentences, and matching
• Writing: a compulsory essay and one task from a choice (article, email or letter, review or report), 140 to 190 words each
• Listening (4 parts): short extracts, sentence completion, five monologues to match, and an interview
• Speaking (4 parts, in pairs): interview, comparing two photos, a shared task and a discussion on the same topic

Scores and certificates

Each skill gets a score on the Cambridge English Scale, and the overall score is the average (in B2 First, Use of English counts as a fifth element). In B1 Preliminary the certificate starts at 120; from 102 up to that point you get a Statement of Results only, with no certificate. In B2 First the certificate starts at 140 and the statement-only band at 122. The highest scores show the level above (B2 or C1) on the certificate, and the lowest certificate band the level below (A2 or B1). Computer-based results arrive in 5 to 10 working days, paper-based results normally in 4 to 6 weeks. The certificate does not expire; each organisation decides how recent it must be.

Registration and fees in Spain

You register with an authorised exam centre, which sets the fee and dates; Cambridge publishes no fees. One centre as an example: at the Universitat Politècnica de València, paper-based December 2026 session (registration until 30 October), B1 Preliminary costs €122 (€112 for its students and staff) and B2 First €225 (€207). These are that centre's prices, checked on 18 October 2026; other centres may charge differently.

How to practise

Our exercises follow the public structure of each exam, but the texts, recordings and questions are our own. Some answers you would write in the exam are chosen from options here. Your result is a practice estimate, not a Cambridge English Scale score: there is no official table to convert our marks to that scale. FreeExamPath is not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment; B1 Preliminary, B2 First and Cambridge English are its trade marks. Practise with the free Cambridge sample tests too.

Official information

• Cambridge English: B1 Preliminary format
• Cambridge English: B2 First format
• Cambridge English: results and certificates
• Free official B1 Preliminary preparation material
• Free official B2 First preparation material
• Universitat Politècnica de València: Cambridge exams (example fees)

Questions about Cambridge B1 and B2