CEFR B1
The step between basic English and IELTS
B1 Preliminary sits at CEFR B1 and splits Reading and Writing into separate papers, which is where the jump from A2 Key is felt. Four papers, equally weighted, about two and a half hours.
Our Approach
Reading is 45 minutes, 6 parts, 32 questions. Writing is 45 minutes and only 2 questions. Listening is 30 minutes including 6 minutes of transfer time, 4 parts, 25 questions. Speaking is 10–12 minutes for a pair, 4 parts. None outweighs another.
At A2 Key, reading and writing share one paper. At B1 Preliminary they are separate, and Writing gives 45 minutes for two extended pieces. That is the change students feel most when they move up.
160–170 earns a certificate stating ability at B2, a level above the exam. Grades B and C, 140–159, certify B1. A score of 120–139 still earns a certificate, at A2. Below 120 there is no result.
B1 is the level where academic English becomes approachable. A student holding B1 Preliminary has the grammar and range to start IELTS preparation rather than general English, which shortens the road to a 6.5.
Curriculum
Who It's For
For secondary learners at CEFR B1 who are building towards academic English and, after that, IELTS or TOEFL.
Serving students across Metro Vancouver — including Richmond, Burnaby, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, and Surrey — with in-person classes at our Vancouver and Richmond campuses and live online tutoring worldwide.
Questions
140 on the Cambridge English Scale, a Grade C at CEFR B1. Below 120 no result or certificate is issued.
B1 Preliminary for Schools uses school-age topics; the content, scoring and certificate are the same as the standard version.
中文课程介绍
B1 Preliminary（原 PET）
我们在温哥华和列治文提供 B1 Preliminary（原 PET）备考课程。考试对应 CEFR B1 等级，共四张试卷、各占 25%，约 2 小时 30 分钟。剑桥英语量表 102–170 分，140 分及以上为通过。
A2 Key 的阅读和写作合在一张卷；B1 Preliminary 拆成两张，写作单独 45 分钟写两篇。这是升级时感觉最明显的变化。
B1 是学术英语变得可接近的水平。拿到 B1 Preliminary 的学生已有足够语法和词汇量直接进入雅思备考，而不必先补通用英语。
Get Started
Visit our Vancouver or Richmond campus, or connect with us online. Our advisors will build a study plan tailored to your goals.
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