What is in the Cambridge B2 First exam?

Reading and Use of English covers 2,200 to 2,500 words of text in total. Parts 1 to 4 test vocabulary and grammar (multiple-choice cloze, open cloze, word formation and key word transformations); Parts 5 to 7 are multiple choice, gapped text and multiple matching (Cambridge).

Writing Part 1 is a compulsory essay: you get a title and two ideas, and add an idea of your own. Part 2 is one task chosen from a list of text types: article, email or letter, review, report (B2 First only) or story (B2 First for Schools only). Each answer is 140 to 190 words (Cambridge).

Listening has four parts, including a 3 to 4 minute monologue with sentence completion and a 3 to 4 minute interview with seven multiple-choice questions (Cambridge).

Speaking is face to face with one or two other candidates and two examiners. One examiner talks to you (and may be examining remotely, online) while the other listens. The parts are an interview (2 minutes), a long turn on a pair of photographs (1 minute each plus a 30-second response), a collaborative task (a 2-minute discussion and a 1-minute decision) and a 4-minute discussion (Cambridge).

B2 First and B2 First for Schools are at the same level with the same format; the Schools version is tailored to school-age learners (Cambridge). Rules and fees change. Check the test owner's own page for your country before you book or pay. This guide is general information, not official advice from the test owner.