A separate exam-preparation track for learners who finished the 10-unit Britain, Arguably course and are entering Cambridge B2 First. One part of the real exam at a time, key word transformations every single week, a mini-mock every fourth week, and a full-mock block at the end.
| Paper | Time | Weight | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading & Use of English | 1 h 15 min · 52 questions | 40% | P1 MC cloze · P2 open cloze · P3 word formation · P4 key word transformations · P5 long-text MC · P6 gapped text · P7 multiple matching |
| Writing | 1 h 20 min · 2 tasks | 20% | P1 essay (compulsory, 140–190 words) · P2 one of four: article, email/letter, review, report or story |
| Listening | ≈40 min · 30 questions | 20% | P1 short extracts · P2 sentence completion (exact words) · P3 multiple matching · P4 long interview |
| Speaking | 14 min per pair | 20% | P1 interview · P2 long turn (comparing photographs) · P3 collaborative task · P4 discussion |
| Result | Scale score | Certifies at |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | 180–190 | CEFR C1 — the stretch target |
| Grade B | 173–179 | CEFR B2 |
| Grade C | 160–172 | CEFR B2 (pass) |
| Below pass | 140–159 | CEFR B1 certificate (122–139: reported, not certificated) |
Phase 1 · Part mastery — weeks 1–16
Multiple-choice cloze
Eight lexical gaps: collocation, shade of meaning, fixed phrase. Vocabulary depth, not reasoning — and it responds fast to teaching.
Open cloze & word formation
Function words with no options, then eight derived forms. Affixes and negative prefixes as a taught system.
Key word transformations
Six rewrites, up to 2 marks each — the recurring structural patterns catalogued and drilled. From here, six KWT items every week.
Use of English under time
Parts 1–4 at exam pace. Score it together; the errors choose next month's drills.
Long-text multiple choice
Detail, opinion, attitude, tone and implication — 2 marks per question, the highest-value reading.
The gapped text
Six removed sentences restored by reference, substitution and lexical chains. The structure part — teach it explicitly.
Multiple matching
Ten items scanned under pressure — then the whole-paper drill: 52 questions in 75 minutes, part by part.
Full Paper 1
Reading and Use of English complete, one sitting. 40% of the exam lives here.
The essay
Compulsory: two given points plus one of your own, 140–190 words, taught to structure with banded exemplars.
The genres
Article, email/letter, review, report, story — pick two strong genres and rehearse their conventions and register.
Extracts & matching
Eight unrelated extracts, then five themed monologues against eight options — distractor recognition at speed.
Writing + Listening
Both writing tasks in 80 minutes, then a full Listening paper with the real recording flow.
Sentence completion & interview
Exact-word transcription from a 3–4 minute monologue, then attitude and opinion tracking — plus transfer-time rehearsal.
Interview & long turn
Personal questions, then comparing two photographs for a full minute: compare, speculate, sustain.
Collaborate & defend
The written-prompt negotiation with its one-minute decision, then four minutes of justifying opinions under challenge.
Speaking, examined
The full 14-minute paired test with a second teacher as assessor — unfamiliar partners on purpose.
Phase 2 · The full-mock block — weeks 17–20
The whole exam
All four papers across the week, real timing. Component profile plus predicted grade.
Weakest component first
Remediation grouped by mock profile — each learner drills only their two weakest parts.
Exam conditions
One sitting per paper, answer sheets, live speaking — the dress rehearsal.
Tune-up & logistics
Light review: word cards, one listening, one long turn. Documents, times, sleep.