How to Tackle the B2 First (FCE) Reading and Use of English: Question Types, Strict Rules, and Official Strategies for the 7 Parts

The first paper of B2 First is Reading and Use of English: 1 hour 15 minutes, 7 parts, 52 questions, and a raw score of 70 marks. It is split into two scores: Parts 1, 5, 6, and 7 count towards "Reading," while Parts 2, 3, and 4 count towards "Use of English." Each accounts for 20% of the total score, making up 40% combined, which makes this the most heavily weighted paper in the entire exam. We introduced the entire exam in How to Take the B2 First, and this article focuses specifically on this paper: what each part tests, official recommendations on how to approach it, and rules that often lead to lost marks. This is based on the exam format page on the Cambridge English website, the B2 First Handbook for Teachers (2025 edition), and the official Cambridge practice score conversion guide. The format of this paper is the same for both B2 First for Schools and B2 First, so the information below applies to both versions.

1. Structure of This Paper

• Scoring: Reading is worth 42 marks (Parts 1, 5, 6, and 7), and Use of English is worth 28 marks (Parts 2, 3, and 4); each is converted into a scale score;
• Reading volume: The official website states that the total reading volume for the paper is approximately 2,200–2,500 words, with texts sourced from newspaper articles, reports, fiction, advertisements, letters, brochures, guides, and manuals;
• Order of answering: The handbook states you can answer in any order; however, for the paper-based test, answering in the order of the paper helps avoid misaligning your answers;
• Paper-based test: Shade the answer sheet for Parts 1, 5, 6, and 7; write your answers on the answer sheet for Parts 2, 3, and 4, using capital letters; there is no extra time to transfer your answers, so you can transfer them after each part or all at once at the end;
• Computer-based test: Answers are entered directly; the screen has a countdown timer, and the bottom of the screen indicates which questions have been answered and which have not; you can take notes on paper and leave them on the desk after the test;
• Dictionaries are not allowed.

2. The Three Use of English Parts: Strictest Rules, Most Prone to Losing Marks Over "Form"

The handbook specifically emphasizes: spelling must be correct in Parts 2, 3, and 4. The "What it tests" and "How to approach it" for each part below are organized based on the handbook's instructions.

Part 2: Open Cloze (8 questions)

What it tests: A short text with 8 gaps and no options; you need to think of one word for each gap. It tests grammar (articles, auxiliary verbs, prepositions, pronouns, verb tenses and forms) or lexicogrammar (phrasal verbs, linking words, words in fixed collocations). Some gaps may have more than one correct answer, and the marking criteria will accept all of them; incorrect or missing punctuation does not lose marks, but spelling must be correct.

How to approach it:

• Look at the words before and after the gap; when filling in a verb, ensure it agrees with the subject;
• Always keep the overall meaning of the text in mind;
• You can only write one word per gap: do not use abbreviations (e.g., sthg), and do not use contractions (e.g., didn't, he'll, which count as two words); the only exception is can't (= cannot);
• Write only one answer: if you write two and one is wrong, you get no marks for the question.

Example (created by us, not an actual exam question): She has been living in Shanghai ___ 2019.
Answer: since (present perfect continuous + starting point in time).

Part 3: Word Formation (8 questions)

What it tests: A text with 8 gaps; next to each gap is a capitalized root word (on the right side of the screen for the computer-based test, or at the end of the line for the paper-based test), which you need to change into the appropriate form to fill in the gap. It tests prefixes, suffixes, internal word changes (e.g., long → length), and compound words.

How to approach it:

• Be familiar with the range of words that can be derived from the same root, such as compete, competition, competitor, competitive, competitively, as well as the negative form uncompetitive;
• Do not just write the form you are most familiar with when you see the root; read the whole sentence to determine what word is needed;
• Pay attention to whether a plural or negative form is required;
• Each root word is only used for its corresponding gap, and it must be changed in form; copying the original word is incorrect.

Example (created by us, not an actual exam question): Many people were surprised by his ___ to help. (WILLING)
Answer: willingness: a noun is needed after "his." If the sentence were "His ___ to help surprised no one because he never offers," the meaning would require the negative unwillingness.

Part 4: Key Word Transformations (6 questions, 2 marks each)

What it tests: Each question gives you an original sentence, a key word, and a second sentence with only the beginning and end provided. Use 2–5 words to complete the second sentence, which must include the key word, making its meaning as close to the original sentence as possible. When marking, the answer is split into two parts, and you get 1 mark for each correct part.

Strict rules that easily lead to lost marks (as per the handbook):

• More than 5 words, no marks;
• Not using the key word, or changing the form of the key word, results in no marks;
• Contractions are counted as their full forms (didn't counts as two words: did not), with can't being the exception;
• Write only the part that fills the gap (including the key word); do not copy the entire sentence;
• The verb in the second half of the second sentence often indicates whether to use a singular or plural form.

Example (created by us, not an actual exam question): I haven't seen Tom for three years. SINCE
It is three years ___ Tom.
Answer: since I last saw (4 words, including the key word since, which is not changed in form).

3. The Four Reading Parts

Part 1: Multiple-Choice Cloze (8 questions)

What it tests: A short text with 8 gaps; for each gap, choose from 4 words or phrases. It mainly tests vocabulary: distinguishing synonyms, collocations, fixed phrases, linking phrases, and phrasal verbs; some questions also test "vocabulary + grammar," requiring you to look at the following preposition or verb form to make a judgment. Phrasal verbs may test the entire phrase, just the verb, or just the following preposition/adverb.

How to approach it: The handbook gives a very typical example—for "The roof of our tent was ___," you should choose leaking, not the similar-sounding spilling, pouring, or flowing; for "You may be ___ in applying for this job," you can only choose interested because it is followed by in, whereas keen, enthusiastic, and eager do not take in. Therefore:

• You must also read the words after the gap; the following prepositions and adverbs often determine the answer;
• Read all four options before choosing, and select only one for each question;
• Memorize phrases and collocations in chunks in your daily study, not just individual word meanings.

Part 5: Multiple-Choice Reading Comprehension (6 questions, 2 marks each)

What it tests: A text (such as an excerpt from a modern novel or an article) with 6 multiple-choice questions. It may test the main idea, details, attitudes and opinions, inference of word and sentence meaning, pronoun reference, tone, writer's purpose, and the function of examples and comparisons. The questions follow the order of the text, and the last question may test the overall understanding of the whole text.

How to approach it:

• Read the text first, then look at the questions—three of the four options are wrong, so there is no need to memorize all the options first;
• Read each question carefully to know what to look for in the text;
• Beware of "word matching": just because an option contains words from the text does not mean the meaning is the same;
• When the question stem is an incomplete sentence, connect it with the option to check the whole sentence.

Part 6: Gapped Text (6 questions, 2 marks each)

What it tests: A text (such as a magazine excerpt) with 6 sentences removed, placed in a shuffled order after the text, along with 1 extra sentence; each sentence can only be used once. It tests the understanding of text structure, coherence, and cohesion.

How to approach it:

• Read through the original text with the gaps first to grasp the structure and the author's line of thought before starting;
• When choosing a sentence, look at both before and after the gap—the handbook reminds us that a common mistake is only looking at the preceding text without checking if it connects with the following text;
• Practice identifying cohesive devices more: words indicating time, cause and effect, examples, and contrast, as well as repetition, tense harmony, pronouns, etc.;
• Also, do not just "match words": the appearance of the same word, name, or date in the preceding and following text does not necessarily mean it is the correct sentence.

Part 7: Multiple Matching (10 questions)

What is tested: One long text or up to 6 short texts, with 10 questions listed at the beginning. Match each question to the corresponding text or paragraph. You need to understand the details, attitudes, or opinions in the questions and eliminate paragraphs that look similar but do not fully match the question; the same option may correspond to more than one question.

How to approach it: Practice skimming and scanning quickly to find specific information; during practice, say out loud "why this paragraph matches this question" to confirm your reasoning; do not just choose an answer based on similar words.

IV. How to Allocate Your Time

The handbook suggests: After familiarizing yourself with the question types, see which parts take you the longest and allocate your time accordingly; do not spend too much time on any single part, and leave a few minutes at the end to check. You can answer the parts in whatever order suits you best.

Here is some practical advice: For the 7 parts in 75 minutes, you can plan for about 10 minutes per part. The three Use of English parts have shorter texts, so try to finish them quickly and save time for Parts 5, 6, and 7, which have longer texts; students taking the paper-based exam also need to factor in the time to transfer their answers to the answer sheet.

V. What Practice Test Scores Mean for Your Level

Cambridge has provided a conversion table for estimating scale scores using official practice tests:

Cambridge notes that this table only applies to official practice tests and should be used as a reference only; it cannot accurately predict formal exam scores. Students near the borderline (within about 3 scale points above or below) are advised to keep improving. When scoring, note: Parts 4, 5, and 6 are worth 2 marks per question, and for Part 4, getting half the question right earns 1 mark.

VI. Common Reasons for Losing Points

Here is a practical summary:

• Part 4: Writing more than 5 words or changing keywords: You get 0 marks even if the meaning is completely correct;
• Part 2: Using contractions: Writing didn't, won't, etc., counts as two words in a single gap;
• Spelling errors: In the three Use of English parts, you get no marks if the meaning is correct but the spelling is wrong;
• Part 3: Forgetting plurals or negatives: The word class is correct, but you missed the -s or un-;
• Part 1: Only looking before the gap: Failing to notice that the preposition after the gap determines which word to use;
• Parts 5, 6, and 7: "Word spotting": Choosing an option just because it contains the same word;
• Paper-based exam: Writing two answers: If one is wrong, the whole question scores 0; answers not written in capital letters or with unclear handwriting.

VII. How to Practice

The first six tips below are from the handbook, and the last two are based on our experience:

1. Read extensively and widely: Textbooks, graded readers, short stories, non-fiction, newspaper articles, and English content related to your hobbies;
2. Practice without a dictionary: Learn to guess word meanings from context; dictionaries are not allowed in the exam;
3. Build your own vocabulary notebook: Keep records as detailed as possible, including collocations, sentence patterns, and example sentences;
4. Focus on paraphrasing: Rewrite sentences using different expressions to practice vocabulary substitution and grammatical transformation (corresponding to Part 4);
5. Accumulate word formation knowledge: Organize common prefixes and suffixes, internal word changes, and compound words (corresponding to Part 3);
6. Familiarize yourself with the test format: Computer-based test takers should practice with the on-screen interface; paper-based test takers should practice filling out the answer sheet under timed conditions;
7. Memorize phrasal verbs and collocations as "chunks": For example, pay attention to, take part in, keep on doing, memorizing them together with the following prepositions and verb forms (practical tip);
8. Categorize mistakes by part: Distinguish whether the error is due to comprehension, vocabulary, or "form" (word count, spelling, keywords). The last category is the easiest to correct through practice (practical tip).

Final Thoughts

The B2 First Reading and Use of English section is 75 minutes long, has 7 parts, and is worth 70 marks. It is split into Reading and Use of English scores, which together account for 40% of the total score. Use of English Part 3 has the strictest rules: one word per gap, contractions count as two words, keywords cannot be changed, no more than 5 words, and spelling must be correct. The common requirement for the four Reading parts is to look at the words before and after the gap and avoid "word spotting." Turning these rules into habits will help you score consistently. If you want to know how close your child is to the B2 level, you can book a free assessment with us, or check out our PET training.

Verification Note: This article was verified in September 2026. The duration of Reading and Use of English, the question types, number of questions, and marks for the 7 parts, as well as the total reading volume and source texts, are from the B2 First exam format page on the Cambridge English website. The components of Reading and Use of English, the tested content and answering methods for each part, spelling requirements, the one-word-per-gap and contraction rules for Part 2, the rule that writing two answers yields no marks, the word formation scope and example words for Part 3, the word count, keywords, and two-part scoring rules for Part 4, the handbook examples for Part 1, the question order for Part 5, the multiple matching (seven options, six gaps) for Part 6, the reusable options for Part 7, the answering rules for paper-based and computer-based exams (including capitalization and no extra time for transferring answers), the rule against using dictionaries, and the preparation advice are from the Cambridge B2 First Handbook for teachers (2025 edition). The 42 marks for Reading, 28 marks for Use of English, and the conversion table and instructions for practice test scores to Cambridge English Scale scores are from The Cambridge English Scale explained: A guide to converting practice test scores (2023 edition). The examples for Parts 2, 3, and 4 are created by us and are not actual exam questions. The specific advice on time allocation, common reasons for losing points, and the last two practice tips are based on our experience.

References:

• Cambridge English：B2 First exam format
• Cambridge English：B2 First Handbook for teachers（PDF）
• Cambridge English：Converting practice test scores to Cambridge English Scale scores（PDF）