Prepare for your b2

Exam format

Computer-based 2 hours & 40 minutes

Listening

30 minutes

Reading & Writing

2 hours & 10 minutes uninterrupted

Listening

Part 1 : 7 multiple choice questions (each with 3 options)
Task: • Listen twice to 7 unfinished conversations between 2 speakers

• 1 conversation is formal

• Choose the appropriate response to complete or continue each conversation

Part 2: 6 multiple choice questions (each with 3 options)
Task: • Listen twice to 3 conversations, each consisting of 2 speakers and identify: topic, purpose, context, speakers, gist, relationship between speakers, roles, functions, attitudes, feeling and opinions

• Choose the appropriate response to complete or continue each question

Part 3: 7 questions (write notes on the message pad based on the information on the recording)
Task: • Listen twice to a radio broadcast, narrative, presentation, etc to identify specific information

• Jot down answers of 1 to 5 words

Part 4: 6 questions (each with 3 options)
Task: • Listen twice to a discussion and identify gist, examples, fact, opinion, contrast, purpose, key ideas, attitude, cause and effect

• Choose the appropriate response for each question

Reading

Part 1: 6 multiple choice questions (each with 3 options)
Task: • A long text: news story, article, review or proposal

• Choose the appropriate response for each question

Part 2: 6 multiple choice questions (fill in an incomplete text. 1 option is a distractor)
Task: • A text with 6 sentences removed, e.g. topic sentence, summarising sentence, developing idea, emphasising a point, opinion, contrast, sequence, forward and back reference, transition to new idea

• Choose the appropriate sentence for each gap in the text

Part 3: 7 questions (4 texts provide the answers)
Task: • Read 4 short texts, e.g. email, article, advert, etc. and choose which text answers which question

Part 4: 7 questions (requiring short answers of up to 5 words)
Task: • A continuous text: narrative, descriptive, explanatory, expository, biographical, instructive

Writing

Part 1: 100 - 150 words (produce a formal response for an intended public audience)
Task: • Respond appropriately to the intended reader using a clearly defined number of content points

Part 2: 150 - 200 words (produce a personal letter, a narrative composition/ story or a descriptive composition)
Task: • Produce an informal piece of writing for a specified reader on a general subject that does not require specialist knowledge but addresses a clearly defined number of content points  

Official practice material

Download

• Practice Paper 1
• Practice Paper 2 
• Practice Paper 3
• Practice Paper 6 
• Practice Paper 7 
• Answer sheet
• Qualification Handbook Listening, Reading & Writing

Exam format

Computer-based interview with a live interlocutor at a SELT Test Centre

Speaking

13 minutes

Speaking

Part 1

• Give and spell name
• State country of origin
• Answer 5 questions

Part 2

• 2 or 3 situations are presented by the interlocutor
• Candidates are expected to respond to questions and initiate interactions

Part 3

• Hold a short discussion to make a plan, arrange or decide something using written text as the prompt

Part 4

• Candidates are given 30 seconds preparation time
• Talk about a topic provided by the interlocutor for 2 minutes
• Answer follow-up questions

Official practice material

Download

• Practice Paper 1
• Practice Paper 2
• Practice Paper 3 
• Practice Paper 6 
• Practice Paper 7 
• Qualification Handbook Speaking