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FCE- Introduction
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Paper 1- Reading and Use of English
- Introduction to the Reading and Use of English section of the FCE exam
- Developing reading skills: skimming, scanning, and reading for detail
- General Information and Tips- Reading and Use of English- Paper 1
- Tips: Part 7- Multiple Matching- Reading and Use of English
- Practice Part 7-Multiple Matching- Reading and Use of English
- Tips Part 4-Key Word Transformation- Reading and Use of English
- More Tips Part 4- Key Word Transformation- Reading and Use of English
- Practice Part 4- Key Word Transformations- Reading and Use of English
- Tips Part 6- Gapped Text- Reading and Use of English
- Practice Part 6- Gapped Text- Reading and Use of English
- Tips Part 3-Word Formation- Reading and Use of English
- Practice Part 3- Word Formation-Reading and Use of English
- Tips Part 5- Multiple Choice- Reading and Use of English
- Practice Part 5- Multiple Choice- Reading and Use of English-
- Tips Part 1- Multiple Choice Cloze- Reading and Use of English
- More Tips Part 1- Multiple Choice Cloze- Reading and Use of English
- Practice Part 1- Multiple Choice Cloze- Reading and Use of English-
- Tips Part 2- Open Cloze- Reading and Use of English
- More Tips Part 2- Open Cloze- Reading and Use of English
- Practice Part 2- Open Cloze- Reading and Use of English
- General Overview and Tips- Reading and Use of English
- General Review- Reading and Use of English
- Paper 1 Practice- Reading and Use of English
- More Tips and Practice- Part 1- Multiple Choice Cloze-Reading and Use of English
- More Practice- Part 1- Multiple Choice Cloze- Reading and Use of English
- More Practice- Part 1- Multiple Choice Cloze- Reading and Use of English
- More Practice- Part 1- Multiple Choice Cloze- Reading and Use of English
- More Tips and Practice- Part 2- Open Cloze- Reading and Use of English
- More Tips and Practice- Part 3- Word Formation- Reading and Use of English
- More Tips and Practice- Part 4-Key Word Transformation-Reading and Use of English
- More Practice- Part 4- Key Word Transformation- Reading and Use of English
- More Practice- Part 4- Key Word Transformation- Reading and Use of English
- More Practice- Part 4- Key Word Transformation- Reading and Use of English
- More Tips and Practice- Part 5- Multiple Choice- Reading and Use of English
- More Practice- Part 5- Multiple Choice- Reading and Use of English
- More Tips and Practice- Part 6- Gapped Text- Reading and Use of English
- More Practice- Part 6- Gapped Text- Reading and Use of English
- More Tips and Practice- Part 7- Multiple Matching- Reading and Use of English
- Protegido: Sample Paper Test- Reading and Use of English
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Grammar
- Dynamic vs Stative Verbs- MN Video- Listening- Grammar Focus
- Dynamic vs Stative Verbs – Quiz – Practice Focus
- Verb + Gerund- Reading and Writing- Grammar Focus
- Verb + Infinitive- Reading and Writing- Grammar Focus
- Verb + Gerund/Infinitive- Reading and Writing- Grammar Focus
- Verb + Gerund/Infinitive- Reading and Writing- Grammar Focus
- The Use of Articles (a/an/the)- Reading and Writing- Grammar Focus
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Vocabulary
- Vocabulary development and strategies for word formation and collocations
- Vocabulary- Learning Tips
- Collocations- Part 1
- Collocations- Part 2
- Collocations- Part 3
- Collocations- Part 4
- Collocations- Part 5
- Prefixes and Suffixes- Part 1
- Word Formation -“-ed” vs “-ing”
- Phrasal Verbs (1): meanings and types
- Phrasal Verbs (2): Separability
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Paper 2- Writing
- Writing- Preparing for the exam
- Writing- Some Common Questions
- Writing- Dos and Don’ts
- Writing- How is FCE Writing Scored?
- Informal Letter/Email- Writing Guide
- Informal Email/Letter- Sample and Tips
- Informal Letter or Email-Tips/Sample questions and answers
- Informal Email/Letter- Sample and Practice
- Formal Email/Letter – Steps to Writing
- Letter of Application- Writing Guide
- Letter of Application- Understanding and Model
- Letter of Application- Sample and Practice
- Letter of Application-Writing Topics- Practice
- Formal and Semi-formal Letter/ Email- Tips and Samples
- Email/Letter General Writing Guide
- Article- Steps to Writing
- Article- Writing Guide,Tips and Sample Questions and Answers
- Article- How to Write an Article- Video
- Article- Writing Topics- Practice
- Essay- Writing Guide
- Writing Essays for the FCE- Types and Organization
- Essay- Writing Guide, Tips and Sample Questions and Answers
- Essay- Tips and Samples
- Essay- Samples,Tips, and Practice
- Review- Writing Guide, Tips, and Sample Questions and Answers
- Review- Steps to Writing and Tips
- Review- Tips and Sample
- Review- Tips and Sample
- Review- Sample Questions- Practice
- Report- First Steps to Writing a Report
- Report- Writing Guide
- Report- Writing Sample Questions-Practice
- Writing-10 B2 First Writing Exam Tips
- Writing- B2 First Writing Checklist
- Protegido: Writing- B2 First Writing Sample Paper Test Parts 1 and 2
- Writing Essays- 5 most common mistakes
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Paper 3- Listening
- FCE Listening- Introduction and General Tips
- FCE Listening- Do’s and Dont’s
- FCE Listening Tips- Part 1- Multiple Choice
- Listening Practice- Part 1- Multiple Choice
- Listening Practice- Part 1- Multiple Choice
- Listening Practice- Part 1- Multiple Choice
- FCE Listening Tips- Part 2- Sentence Completion
- Listening Practice- Part 2- Sentence Completion
- Listening Practice- Part 2- Sentence Completion
- Listening Practice- Part 2- Sentence Completion
- FCE Listening Tips- Part 3- Multiple Matching
- Listening Practice- Part 3- Multiple Matching
- Listening Practice- Part 3- Multiple Matching
- Listening Practice- Part 3- Multiple Matching
- Listening Practice- Part 3- Multiple Matching
- FCE Listening Tips- Part 4- Multiple Choice
- Listening Practice- Part 4- Multiple Choice
- Listening Practice- Part 4- Multiple Choice
- Listening Practice- Part 4- Multiple Choice
- Protegido: Listening- Sample Paper Test 1
- Protegido: Listening- Sample Paper Test 2
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Paper 4- Speaking
- Varieties of English
- Speaking- Preparing for the exam
- Speaking- Some More Tips
- Speaking- Some Common Questions
- Speaking- Do’s and Don’ts
- Speaking- Examiners Comments
- Speaking- Exam Assessment
- Speaking Part 2- Exam Tips and Practice
- Speaking Part 2- Practice
- Speaking Part 2- Practice
- Speaking Part 3- Exam Tips and Practice
- Speaking Parts 3 and 4-Exam Tips and Practice
- Speaking Part 1- Exam Tips and Practice
- Speaking Part 1- Practice
- Speaking Part 1- Practice
- Speaking Exam Review
- Speaking Test Practice
Writing- Preparing for the exam
Remember
You have 1 hour and 20 minutes to write two texts. The first text will always be an essay and should be 140-190 words long. The second text can be an article, informal email or letter, a formal email or letter, a report, or a review and should be 140-190 words.
- Part 1 is compulsory. Candidates are given input in the form of an essay title to respond to, along with accompanying notes to guide their writing.
- In Part 2 candidates choose one from a choice of three questions. They are expected to be able to write text types such as an article, a formal or informal letter/email, a review or a report.
Time management
The two texts are worth equal points and have the same word lengths, so you should spend equal time on them. That gives you 40 minutes per text. Spend some of that time planning and some checking. For example:
- Planning – 10 minutes
- Writing – 25 minutes
- Checking – 5 minutes
You might think that’s too long for the planning stage, but the more you plan the fewer problems you will have later.
Assessment Criteria with examples
There are four assessment criteria for the Writing tasks: Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language.
- Content focuses on how well you have completed the task, in other words, if you have done what you were asked to do.
- Communicative Achievement focuses on how appropriate the writing is for the task (for example, is the style right for a magazine article?), and whether you have used the right register, for example formal or informal.
- Organisation focuses on the way you put together the piece of writing, in other words, if it’s logical and ordered.
- Language focuses on vocabulary and grammar. This includes the range of language as well as how accurate it is.
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Content
The first thing Cambridge cares about in your writing is the content itself. If you are asked to write a letter to your friend and you write a poem – well, it doesn’t matter how good that poem is. Maybe you can write the best poem in the history of the world – the examiner will be impressed, and then give you zero points.
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Communicative Achievement
The next thing Cambridge wants is for you to show that you understand about tone.
Example
If you were asked to write something to your English teacher. How formal should that be? You’re not writing to a lawyer so you don’t have to be super formal, but you aren’t writing to your best friend, so you shouldn’t be too casual. So, you should use a neutral or slightly formal style. That means you need to study how to write in different ways.
Spot the difference in tone in these extracts from letters:
1.
Yo, John,
Guess what? I bunked off school and tramped up and down the beach all day. Great fun! I found some nearly-fresh muffins in a box, so that was lunch sorted. Free food! Niiiiiice.
2.
Dear Mr and Mrs Biggins,
I regret to inform you that we have taken the decision to suspend Jack from school for the next week. Not only did he fail to come to school today, but we received a call that he had stolen a container of confectionery from a local business.
In short, try to make sure that what you write is appropriate for the person you are writing to.
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Organisation
Cambridge loves it when you link sentences together with words like ‘whereas’ and ‘however’, and link paragraphs with phrases like ‘Firstly, secondly’. So,you must learn how to use these phrases if you want a good grade.
One easy way to get a higher score in ‘organisation’ is to ask a question, and then answer it.
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Language
Your writing will be more interesting and you’ll get a better grade if you can use a wide variety of language. Use high-level vocabulary when you know it; don’t repeat the same word too many times; don’t make too many mistakes; try to use a variety of grammar (not just ‘subject verb object’ all the time).
You will be rewarded if you learn (and use) some appropriate phrasal verbs, idioms, and collocations. Compare these sentences:
1. The food was good and the service was good and we had a good time.
2. The food was delicious, while the service was faultless. Did we have a good time? Absolutely!
I hope you agree that the second is much nicer to read. Is it much harder to write? Not really. And if you don’t know the word ‘faultless’ you might know a different word that would fit. Even if you said ‘good’ again, the sentence would get you a much better score in FCE because the ‘while’ connects the first two parts and the question connects the last two.
Example
Read Candidate F letter
Read the examiner comments about this letter.
