A B2 First qualification shows that you can: > communicate effectively face-to-face, expressing opinions and presenting arguments > follow the news > write clear, detailed English, expressing opinions and explaining the advantages and disadvantages of different points of view > write letters, reports, stories and lots of other types of text.		Reasons to choose B2 First: > Accepted for entry to foundation/pathway/pre-sessional courses in English-speaking countries. > Accepted for entry to undergraduate programmes taught in the medium of English in non-English-speaking countries. > Click here to see some of the leading organisations that will accept your certificate: Who accepts Cambridge English exams and tests?

	Fair and reliable	General and higher education leaflet
	B2 First is respected and accepted internationally. It: provides the most reliable reflection of your language skills covers all major varieties of English (e.g. British English, American English) is designed to be fair to users of all nationalities and linguistic backgrounds is supported by the largest research programme of its kind can be taken by people with a wide range of special requirements.
	A Cambridge English qualification Once you have earned a Cambridge English certificate, you hold one of the most valuable English qualifications in the world. It’s an achievement you can be really proud of.

What’s in the B2 First?
The B2 First exam consists of four papers developed to test your English language skills in all areas of language ability: Reading and Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The Speaking exam uses a face-to-face test with two candidates and two examiners. This creates a more realistic and reliable measure of your ability to use English to communicate.

B2 First has four papers:

Reading and Use of English: 1 hour 15 minutes The B2 First Reading and Use of English paper has 7 parts and 52 questions and has a mix of text types and questions. For Parts 1 to 4, candidates read a range of texts and do grammar and vocabulary tasks. For Parts 5 to 7, candidates read a series of texts and answer questions that test their reading ability and show that they can deal with a variety of different types of texts This paper accounts for 40% of the total mark.

Writing: 1 hour 20 minutes The B2 First Writing paper has two parts. Candidates have to show that they can write different types of text in English. In Part 1 there is one compulsory question and in Part 2 candidates answer one question from a choice of three. This paper accounts for 20% of the total mark.

Listening: About 40 minutes The B2 First Listening paper has four parts. For each part you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice.This paper accounts for 20% of the total mark.

Speaking: 14 minutes per pair of candidates The B2 First Speaking shows how good your spoken English is as you take part in conversation by asking/answering questions and talking, for example, about your likes and dislikes. The test has four parts and will be conducted face-to-face with one or two other candidates. This makes your test more realistic and more reliable. There are two examiners. One examiner (the interlocutor) talks to you and the other examiner (the assessor) just listens. Both examiners decide your grade but the assessor gives more detailed marks than the interlocutor. Examiners may use their mobile phones for entering marks using an app. The Speaking test accounts for 20% of the total mark. Register for B2 First Exams Owl is our support site for candidates, schools and teachers. The site provides comprehensive information on exam structure and content as well as support to help you or your students prepare for their exam and understand their - Paper based exams - Computer based exams - Answer keys - Regulations for candidates - Exam day tips - Practice tests

Useful resources to help you to prepare for your A2 First exam

ALL THE INFORMATION AND SUPPORT YOU NEED TO PREPARE FOR A2 FIRST EXAM ON OUR NEW PORTAL... Official support site of Exams Catalunya, Exams Madrid and Exams Balears for Preparation Centres, Teachers and Candidates Exams Owl is our new support site for candidates, schools and teachers. The site provides comprehensive information on the A2 First exam structure and content as well as support to help you or your students prepare for their exam and understand their results: - Sample tests - Speaking test videos - Candidate information - Preparation resources - Exam day tips

Are you a private candidate? It’s easy to register for B2 First in just three steps:

Registration for schools and academies