EXAM FORMAT

Cambridge English: First (FCE) is a test of all areas of language ability.

The updated exam (for exam sessions from January 2015) is made up of four papers
developed to test your English language skills. You can see exactly whats in each
paper below.

The Speaking test is taken face to face, with two candidates and two examiners. This
creates a more realistic and reliable measure of your ability to use English to
communicate.

PAPER CONTENT PURPOSE

Reading and Use 7 parts/52 questions Shows you can deal confidently with
of English(1 hour different types of text, such as fiction,
15 minutes) newspapers and magazines. Tests
See sample your use of English with tasks that
paper show how well you can control your
grammar and vocabulary.

Writing 2 parts Requires you to be able to produce

(1 hour 20 two different pieces of writing, such
minutes) as letters, reports, reviews and
See sample essays.
paper

Listening 4 parts/30 questions Requires you to be able to follow and

(about 40 understand a range of spoken
minutes) materials, such as news programmes,
See sample presentations and everyday
paper conversations.

Speaking 4 parts Tests your ability to communicate

(14 minutes per effectively in face to face situations.
pair of You will take the Speaking test with
candidates) one or two other candidates.
See sample
paper
WHATS IN THE READING AND USE OF ENGLISH PAPER?
The Cambridge English: First Reading and Use of English paper is in seven parts and
has a mix of text types and questions.
For Parts 1 to 4, you read a range of texts and do grammar and vocabulary tasks.
For Parts 5 to 7, you read a series of texts and answer questions that test your reading
ability and show that you can deal with a variety of different types of texts.
Summary

Time allowed: 1 hour 15 minutes

Number of parts: 7

Number of questions: 52

Marks: 40% of total

Length of texts: About 2,200 words to read in total.

Texts may be from: Newspapers and magazines, journals, books (fiction

and non-fiction), promotional and informational
material.

Part 1 (Multiple-choice cloze)

What's in Part 1? A text with some multiple-choice questions. Each

question has four options (A, B, C or D) you
have to decide which is the correct answer.

What do I have to practise? Vocabulary idioms, collocations, shades of

meaning, phrasal verbs, fixed phrases etc.

How many questions are there? 8

How many marks are there? 1 mark for each correct answer.
Part 2 (Open cloze)

What's in Part 2? A text in which there are some gaps, each of

which represents one missing word. You have to
think of the correct word for each gap.

What do I have to practise? Grammar and vocabulary.

How many questions are there? 8

How many marks are there? 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 3 (Word formation)

What's in Part 3? A text containing eight gaps. Each gap represents

a word. At the end of the line is a prompt word
which you have to change in some way to
complete the sentence correctly.

What do I have to practise? Vocabulary.

How many questions are there? 8

How many marks are there? 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 4 (Key word transformations)

What's in Part 4? Each question consists of a sentence followed by

a key word and a second sentence with a gap in
the middle. You have to use this key word to
complete the second sentence so that it has a
similar meaning to the first sentence.

What do I have to practise? Grammar and vocabulary.

How many questions are there? 6

How many marks are there? Up to 2 marks for each correct answer.
Part 5 (Multiple choice)

What's in Part 5? A text with some multiple-choice questions. For

each question, there are four options and you
have to choose A, B, C or D.

What do I have to practise? Reading for detail, opinion, tone, purpose, main
idea, implication, attitude.

How many questions are there? 6

How many marks are there? 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 6 (Gapped text)

What's in Part 6? A single page of text with some numbered gaps

which represent missing paragraphs. After the
text there are some paragraphs which are not in
the right order. You have to read the text and the
paragraphs and decide which paragraph best fits
each gap.

What do I have to practise? How to understand the structure and

development of a text.

How many questions are there? 6

How many marks are there? 2 marks for each correct answer.

Part 7 (Multiple matching)

What's in Part 7? A series of statements followed by a text divided

into sections or several short texts. You have to
match each statement to the section or text in
which you can find the information.

What do I have to practise? Reading for specific information, detail, opinion

and attitude.

How many questions are there? 10

How many marks are there? 1 mark for each correct answer.
WHATS IN THE WRITING PAPER?
In the two parts of the Cambridge English: First Writing paper, you have to show that
you can write different types of text in English.
Summary

Time allowed: 1 hour 20 minutes

Number of parts: 2

Number of questions: Part 1: one compulsory question, Part 2: one question

from a choice of three

Types of task: Articles, email, essay, letter, report, review.

Part 1 (Compulsory question)

What's in Part 1? Youre given an essay title and two ideas clearly
linked to the title. You write an essay giving your
opinions about the title, using the ideas given.
You must also add a third, different idea of your
own linked to the title. The title will be a subject
of general interest you wont need any
specialised knowledge.

What do I have to practise? Using language functions, such as evaluating,

expressing opinions, hypothesising, justifying,
persuading.

How many questions are there? One compulsory question.

How much do I have to write? 140190 words

Part 2 (Situationally based writing task)

What's in Part 2? You write a text from a choice of text types

article, email/letter, report or review. To guide
your writing, youll be given information about
context, topic purpose and target reader.

What do I have to practise? Writing different types of text that could be

included in the exam.

How many questions are there? One task to be selected from a choice of three.

How much do I have to write? 140190 words

WHATS IN THE LISTENING PAPER?
The Cambridge English: 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.
Summary

Time allowed: About 40 minutes

Number of parts: 4

Number of questions: 30

Marks: 20% total

Recordings may be from: Monologues: answer phone messages, radio

broadcasts and features, news, public
announcements, stories and anecdotes, lectures and
talks; or interacting speakers: conversations,
interviews, discussions, radio plays.

Part 1 (Multiple choice)

What's in Part 1? Eight short extracts from monologues or

conversations between interacting speakers.
There is one multiple-choice question for each
extract, and you have to choose A, B or C.

What do I have to practise? Listening for feeling, attitude, opinion, purpose,

function, agreement, gist and detail.

How many questions are there? 8

How many marks are there? 1 mark for each correct answer.
Part 2 (Sentence completion)

What's in Part 2? A monologue (which may be introduced by a

presenter) lasting approximately 3 minutes. You
have to complete the sentences on the question
paper with the missing information which you
hear on the recording.

What do I have to practise? Listening for specific information, stated opinion.

How many questions are there? 10

How many marks are there? 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 3 (Multiple matching)

What's in Part 3? A series of five themed monologues of

approximately 30 seconds each. On the question
paper, you have to select five correct options
from a list of eight possible answers.

What do I have to practise? Listening for gist, attitude, opinion, purpose,

feeling, main points and detail.

How many questions are there? 5

How many marks are there? 1 mark for each correct answer.

Part 4 (Multiple choice)

What's in Part 4? A conversation between two or more speakers of

approximately 34 minutes. You have to answer
some multiple-choice questions by choosing the
correct answer from three options (A, B or C).

What do I have to practise? Listening for attitude, opinion, detail, gist, main
idea and specific information.

How many questions are there? 7

How many marks are there? 1 mark for each correct answer.
WHATS IN THE SPEAKING PAPER?
The Cambridge English: First Speaking test has four parts and you take it together
with another candidate.
There are two examiners. One of the examiners asks you questions and gives you the
booklet with things to talk about. The other examiner listens to what you say.

Summary

Time allowed: 14 minutes per pair of candidates

Number of parts: 4

Marks: 20% total

You have to talk: with the examiner

with the other candidate
on your own

Part 1 (Interview)

What's in Part 1? Conversation with the examiner. The examiner

asks questions and you may have to give
information about your interests, studies, career,
etc.

What do I have to practise? Giving information about yourself and expressing

your opinion about various topics.

How long do I have to speak? 2 minutes

Part 2 (Long turn)
What's in Part 2?
What do I have to practise?
How long do I have to speak?
Part 3 (Collaborative task)
What's in Part 3?
What do I have to practise?
How long do we have to speak?
The examiner gives you two photographs and asks
you to talk about them. You have to speak for 1
minute without interruption and the interlocutor
then asks the other candidate to comment on your
photographs for about 30 seconds.
The other candidate receives a different set of
photographs and you have to listen and comment
when they have finished speaking. The question
you have to answer about your photographs is
written at the top of the page to remind you what
you should talk about.
Talking on your own about something: comparing,
describing, expressing opinions, speculating.
1 minute per candidate
Conversation with the other candidate. The
examiner gives you some material and a task to
do. You have to talk with the other candidate and
make a decision.
Exchanging ideas, expressing and justifying
opinions, agreeing and/or disagreeing,
suggesting, speculating, evaluating, reaching a
decision through negotiation, etc.
3 minutes (a 2-minute discussion followed by a
1-minute decision-making task)
Part 4 (Discussion)

What's in Part 4? Further discussion with the other candidate,

guided by questions from the examiner, about
the topics or issues raised in the task in Part 3.

What do I have to practise? Expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing

and/or disagreeing.

How long do we have to speak? 4 minutes

EXAM DATES

2017 PAPER-BASED

OCTOBER 07 SATURDAY

NOVEMBER 04 SATURDAY
28 TUESDAY

DECEMBER 09 SATURDAY

WHEN WILL I GET MY CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH:

FIRST STATEMENT OF RESULTS?
All candidates receive a Statement of Results, and if you are successful in the exam
you will also receive a certificate.
Your Statement of Results is released online, approximately four to six weeks after
the exam for paper-based exams, and two to three weeks after the exam for
computer-based exams. The fastest way to get your results is to sign up to our free
online results service.
 WHEN WILL I GET MY CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH:
FIRST CERTIFICATE?
We send your certificate to your exam centre about three weeks after results are
available. Your exam centre then sends it on to you.
If you took a paper-based exam, your certificate will be sent to your centre seven
to nine weeks after the date of your exam.
If you took a computer-based exam, your certificate will be sent to your centre
five to six weeks after your exam date.

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH: FIRST SCALE SCORES

Depending on which university, college or organisation you are applying to, you may
be asked to achieve a specific score or grade, either overall or for a particular skill.
For Cambridge English: First, the following scores will be used to report results:

Cambridge English Scale Score Grade/CEFR CEFR level

180190 Grade A C1

173179 Grade B B2

160172 Grade C B2

140159 Level B1 B1
Certificates are normally sent to exam centres within three months of the exam.
Please contact your centre if you need to know the specific date. Your certificate
can be awarded at different levels, depending on your achievement.

Cambridge English: First Level C1

Exceptional candidates sometimes show ability beyond B2 level. If you achieve a
scale score of 180190 (grade A) in your exam, you will receive the First Certificate
in English stating that you demonstrated ability at Level C1.

Cambridge English: First Level B2

If you achieve a scale score of 160179 (grade B or C) in your exam, you will be
awarded the First Certificate in English at Level B2.

Level B1 certificate
We believe it is important to recognise your achievement, even if you do not reach
Level B2. If your performance is below Level B2, but falls within Level B1 (scale
score 140159), we will recognise your achievement with a Cambridge English
certificate stating that you demonstrated ability at Level B1.

How long is my Cambridge English: First certificate valid for?

Your Cambridge English certificate does not expire. Recognising organisations such
as universities, colleges and employers can choose how long to accept results for,
so make sure you always check their requirements.