FCE practice: free B2 First Reading, Use of English and Listening sets
This page collects all our free FCE practice: one original set for each part of Reading and Use of English and each part of Listening. Every set marks your answers straight away and explains why the right answer is right and why the most tempting wrong answer is wrong. Use the sets after you have read the matching part guide, so you practise the strategy, not just the questions.
By Eleanor BennettLast updated:
What practice is available
Every practice set on this site is written from scratch for PassTheFCE. The texts, scripts, questions and explanations are new, so you won't have seen them in a coursebook. Each set copies the task type of one part of the exam: the same kind of text, the same number of questions and the same way of answering.
Reading and Use of English
- Part 1 multiple-choice cloze: choose the word that fits each gap from four options.
- Part 2 open cloze: think of one grammar word for each gap.
- Part 3 word formation: change a word in capitals so that it fits the sentence.
- Part 4 key word transformation: rewrite a sentence in two to five words using a key word.
- Part 5 multiple choice: read a long text and answer questions about meaning, attitude and detail.
- Part 6 gapped text: put removed sentences back into an article.
- Part 7 multiple matching: match statements to short texts written by different people.
Listening
- Part 1 short extracts: eight short situations with a three-option question each.
- Part 2 sentence completion: complete sentences with words you hear in a talk.
- Part 3 multiple matching: match five speakers to statements.
- Part 4 interview: answer three-option questions about a longer interview.
For now the Listening sets give you the script as text. Read each script once, quickly, as if you were hearing it, then answer the questions without going back. This is harder than it sounds, and it trains the same skill: catching meaning the first time.
All practice sets
Reading & Use of English
- Part 1 · 8 questionsMultiple-choice cloze 1: Bees on the roof
- Part 2 · 8 questionsOpen cloze 1: Never too late to swim
- Part 3 · 8 questionsWord formation 1: Repair cafés
- Part 4 · 6 questionsKey word transformations 1: Mixed grammar
- Part 5 · 6 questionsReading Part 5 practice 1: Cooking for forty
- Part 6 · 6 questionsGapped text 1: A night under the stars
- Part 7 · 10 questionsReading Part 7 practice 1: Learning an instrument as an adult
How to use the practice sets
- 1
Read the part guide first
Each set links to a guide that explains what the part tests and how to approach it. Five minutes with the guide makes the practice far more useful, because you go into the questions with a plan.
- 2
Do the set under light time pressure
Give yourself a time limit, but don't panic about it. The aim is to notice where you slow down. In the real exam you must divide one time limit between several parts, so knowing your speed matters.
- 3
Commit to an answer before you check
Don't peek. Choose an answer for every question, even when you are guessing, because there is no penalty for a wrong answer in the exam. Guessing well is a skill you can practise.
- 4
Study the explanations, especially the right ones
Read the explanation for every question, not only the ones you got wrong. If you were right for the wrong reason, the explanation will show you. Pay attention to why the main distractor is wrong: that is the trap you will meet again.
- 5
Keep a mistakes notebook
Write down each mistake with a short note: the collocation you didn't know, the grammar pattern you forgot, the word in the script that tricked you. Review the notebook once a week. Patterns appear quickly.
- 6
Repeat after a few days
Come back to a set three or four days later and do it again. If you still remember every answer, cover the options and try to explain the answer in your own words instead.
Which set should you start with?
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the Use of English sets (Part 2 and Part 4 are a good test of your grammar), then try one long reading text such as Part 5. After that, do one Listening set. Your results will show you which area needs the most work, and you can use our study plan to decide how to split your time.
If you already know your weak part, go straight to it, but don't ignore the others completely. Every paper counts towards your final result, and a strong part can make up for a weaker one. Our score calculator shows how scores from different papers combine.
Practice for vocabulary
Parts 1 and 3 depend heavily on vocabulary. Alongside the sets, use the phrasal verb trainer and the word formation trainer, which bring back the words you find difficult more often than the ones you know.
Writing and Speaking
These sets cover Reading, Use of English and Listening, the papers with right and wrong answers. For Writing, study the model answers and check your work with the writing checker. For Speaking, use the partner practice guide to practise with a friend.
FCE practice: common questions
Are these real past FCE exam papers?
No. Every text, script and question here is original and written for this site. We don't reproduce official papers. The sets copy the task types and question counts of the real exam so that the practice feels the same, and official sample papers are available from Cambridge if you want to try those as well.
How many practice sets should I do before the exam?
There is no magic number. It is more useful to do fewer sets carefully, studying every explanation and keeping a mistakes notebook, than to rush through lots of tests. Aim to try every part at least once early on, then focus on the parts where you lose the most marks.
Is the timing the same as in the real exam?
The sets aren't timed automatically. In the exam, Reading and Use of English is one paper with one time limit for all seven parts, so it is your job to divide the time. Each practice page suggests a rough time to aim for, which you can adjust as you get faster.
Why do the Listening sets show the script?
The scripts are shown as text for now. Read each one once, at normal speed, as if you were hearing it, then answer without looking back. You can also ask a friend to read the script aloud to you, which is even closer to the real task.
Can I use these sets for B2 First for Schools?
Yes. The task types in Reading, Use of English and Listening are the same in both versions, although the topics in the Schools version are chosen for younger candidates. See our comparison of the two versions for the details.