B2 First exam
Format, scores and grades
B2 First has four papers and reports five scores on the Cambridge English Scale. You pass with an overall score of 160, and 180 or more certifies C1. This guide shows each paper, how the scale works and which raw marks Cambridge publishes for B2 and C1.
The four papers
Reading and Use of English, Writing and Listening are taken on the same day; Speaking is usually on a different day. Inside a paper there is no time limit per part, so you can work through the parts in any order.
| Paper | Time | Questions | Score it reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and Use of English | 1 hour 15 minutes | 52 questions in 7 parts | Reading and Use of English (two scores) |
| Writing | 1 hour 20 minutes | 2 tasks | Writing |
| Listening | about 40 minutes | 30 questions in 4 parts | Listening |
| Speaking | 14 minutes (pair) · 20 minutes (group of three) | 4 parts | Speaking |
Reading and Use of English: seven parts
The paper has 52 questions and 70 marks. Parts 1, 5, 6 and 7 make up your Reading score (42 marks); Parts 2, 3 and 4 make up your Use of English score (28 marks). Parts 1 to 4 start with an example.
In Parts 2, 3 and 4 your spelling must be correct. In Part 2 contractions such as don't are not accepted (can't is the one exception), and two answers to one question score nothing. In Part 4 a contraction counts as two words (again except can't), and you lose the marks if you change the given word or write more than five words.
| Part | Questions | Task | Marks | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1–8 | Multiple-choice cloze: choose the word that fits each gap in a short text (A, B, C or D) | 1 each | Reading |
| 2 | 9–16 | Open cloze: write one word in each gap | 1 each | Use of English |
| 3 | 17–24 | Word formation: change the word in capitals so that it fits the gap | 1 each | Use of English |
| 4 | 25–30 | Key word transformation: complete a sentence in 2–5 words, using a given word without changing it | up to 2 each | Use of English |
| 5 | 31–36 | Multiple choice on one long text (A, B, C or D) | 2 each | Reading |
| 6 | 37–42 | Gapped text: put six removed sentences back into an article; one of the seven sentences is extra | 2 each | Reading |
| 7 | 43–52 | Multiple matching: match ten questions to the sections of a text, or to several short texts | 1 each | Reading |
Writing, Listening and Speaking
Writing · 80 minutes
Part 1 is an essay for your teacher: two notes are given and you add a third idea of your own. In Part 2 you choose one of three tasks — an article, email, letter, review or report. Each task asks for 140–190 words and is marked out of 20 for Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language.
Listening · about 40 minutes
Four parts and 30 questions: eight short extracts, a talk where you complete ten sentences with words you hear, five speakers to match, and an interview. You hear every part twice. Small spelling mistakes in Part 2 are not penalised.
Speaking · 14 minutes (pair)
A short interview, a one-minute long turn comparing two photographs, a discussion with your partner about a question and five prompts, then a wider discussion. Two examiners mark you on five criteria.
How the Cambridge English Scale works
Each of your five scores is a number on the Cambridge English Scale. Your overall score is their average, rounded to the nearest whole number, and it alone decides your grade and your CEFR level. There is no pass mark per paper. B2 First reports scores from 122 to 190; below 122 no score is reported.
| Overall score | Result | CEFR level |
|---|---|---|
| 180–190 | Pass at Grade A | C1 |
| 173–179 | Pass at Grade B | B2 |
| 160–172 | Pass at Grade C | B2 |
| 140–159 | Level B1 certificate | B1 |
| 122–139 | No grade, level or certificate | — |
Raw marks for B2 and C1
For its official practice tests, Cambridge publishes the raw marks that reach four points on the scale. Read them as a guide: they apply to the practice tests only, the marks behind a score vary from one live exam to the next, and about three scale points either side of a boundary count as uncertain.
| Score | 180 (C1) | 160 (B2) | 140 (B1) | 122 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading /42 | 37 | 24 | 16 | 10 |
| Use of English /28 | 24 | 18 | 11 | 7 |
| Writing /40 | 34 | 24 | 16 | 10 |
| Listening /30 | 27 | 18 | 12 | 8 |
| Speaking /60 | 54 | 36 | 24 | 14 |
Computer or paper
The tasks and the marking are the same on a computer and on paper. On a computer you type your answers, Writing shows a live word count, and Listening ends with two minutes to check your answers; Listening Part 3 is answered by drag and drop. On paper you mark your Reading and Use of English and Listening answers in pencil on an answer sheet, write the Writing paper in pen, and get five minutes at the end of Listening to copy your answers onto the answer sheet.
Coming soon
B2 First mock exams are coming to ScoreUp Pro: Reading and Use of English, Writing and Listening in the official format, each with an estimated Cambridge English Scale score.
Frequently asked questions
What score do I need to pass B2 First?
You pass with an overall Cambridge English Scale score of 160 or more. 160–172 is Grade C, 173–179 Grade B, and 180–190 Grade A, which certifies C1. With 140–159 you receive a B1 certificate instead. There is no pass mark for a single paper: the overall score is the average of your five scores, so a strong paper can make up for a weaker one.
How is the overall score calculated?
Cambridge reports five scores on the Cambridge English Scale: Reading, Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The overall score is their average, rounded to the nearest whole number. The Reading and Use of English paper therefore gives you two of the five scores.
How many marks do I need in each paper?
Cambridge publishes four reference points per paper for its official practice tests. In Reading, for example, 24 of 42 marks is 160 and 37 of 42 is 180. These figures apply only to the official practice tests; the raw marks behind a score vary between live exams, and Cambridge treats about three scale points either side of a boundary as uncertain.
Is B2 First taken on paper or on a computer?
Both exist. The content and the marking are the same. On a computer you type your answers, see a word count in Writing and get two minutes at the end of Listening to check your answers; on paper you get five minutes to copy your Listening answers onto an answer sheet. Since November 2025 the computer version of Listening Part 3 is answered by drag and drop.
Does the word count in Writing matter?
Each task asks for 140–190 words. The range is guidance: there is no automatic penalty and no cut-off. A text that is clearly too short usually loses Content marks because it leaves something out, and a very long one risks becoming irrelevant.
Who are the two examiners in the Speaking test?
You take Speaking with a partner, sometimes in a group of three, in front of two examiners. One examiner leads the test and gives a global mark; the other only listens and gives four detailed marks: Grammar and Vocabulary, Discourse Management, Pronunciation and Interactive Communication. Each candidate is marked individually.