B1 LEVEL • MORE INDEPENDENT ENGLISH
Your guide to B1 Preliminary
A clear tour of B1 Preliminary (PET): all four papers, every part, writing assessment and practical ways to prepare.
What B1 Preliminary measures
B1 Preliminary is a CEFR B1 qualification in English for everyday situations. You need to understand longer texts, explain opinions, write connected messages and keep a conversation going. PET is its familiar older abbreviation. You do not need to take A2 Key first, although a secure A2 foundation helps.
Reading and Writing are separate papers. Each of the four skills contributes 25% of the overall result. Digital and paper versions have the same format; practise the delivery mode you book as well as the language itself.
| Paper | Time | Parts / questions | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 45 minutes | 6 parts / 32 questions | 25% |
| Writing | 45 minutes | 2 parts | 25% |
| Listening | About 30 minutes, including 6 minutes’ answer transfer | 4 parts / 25 questions | 25% |
| Speaking | 10–12 minutes per pair; 15–17 for three | 4 parts | 25% |
The answer-transfer allowance relates to paper answer sheets. Follow your delivery mode’s instructions. Format information checked on 31 October 2026.
Reading: all six parts
Reading mixes quick messages with longer connected texts. Strong readers notice why something was written, how sentences fit together and which word naturally completes an expression. Practise explaining why an incorrect option fails; that often reveals more than counting correct answers.
| Part | Questions | What you do | A useful practice habit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Multiple choice | 5 | Five short notices or messages; identify the main message. | Work out purpose, audience and any condition. Compare meanings rather than matching isolated words. |
| 2 · Matching | 5 | Match five descriptions of people to eight short texts. | List all of a person’s requirements. Reject a text that meets only one attractive detail. |
| 3 · Multiple choice | 5 | Read a longer text for detail, gist, inference, attitude and opinion. | Find evidence for an interpretation. Separate the writer’s opinion from an opinion they report. |
| 4 · Gapped text | 5 | Replace five removed sentences in a text. | Check references, linking words and time order on both sides of each gap. |
| 5 · Multiple-choice cloze | 6 | Choose vocabulary to complete a shorter text. | Check collocations, phrasal verbs and dependent prepositions before deciding. |
| 6 · Open cloze | 6 | Complete six gaps with one word each. | Identify the grammar pattern, then reread the sentence for both meaning and accuracy. |
Writing: two tasks in 45 minutes
Part 1 · Email
Write about 100 words in response to an email and its notes. Maximum 20 marks.
Make a quick plan from the notes. Give a clear response to each one, add useful supporting details and use a tone suitable for the recipient. Reserve time to check.
Part 2 · Article or story
Choose one of the article or story tasks and write about 100 words. Maximum 20 marks.
For an article, address the reader and organise your ideas around the prompt. For a story, follow the given starting instruction and develop a clear event and ending.
What the writing assessment considers
Content: have you given the reader the information the task asks for? Communicative Achievement: does the style suit the text and its purpose? Organisation: can the reader follow the order and connections? Language: do vocabulary and grammar express your meaning with enough range and control?
These descriptions are our plain-language explanation of the four assessment areas. A long answer does not automatically perform better. Aim near the suggested length, make your points specific and use language you can control. Our Writing Lab has models, and the Part 1 email workshop compares four learning examples. The word counter checks length rather than marking your work.
Listening: all four parts
Every recording is heard twice. Read the questions before listening so you know what matters. In discussion and interview tasks, pay attention to attitudes, reasons and changes of mind. An option can repeat a word from the recording and still give the wrong meaning.
| Part | Questions | What you do | A useful practice habit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Picture choice | 7 | Seven short monologues or dialogues; choose the correct picture. | Listen for corrections and contrasts. Distinguish what happened from what was planned. |
| 2 · Multiple choice | 6 | Six short dialogues; understand gist. | Listen for the speakers’ purpose, feelings or agreement rather than one repeated noun. |
| 3 · Gap completion | 6 | A monologue; complete six gaps. | Read the notes and predict the type of information. Keep within the task instructions. |
| 4 · Multiple choice | 6 | An interview; identify detail, attitude and opinion. | Track which person holds an opinion and whether their view changes. |
Try a short listening journal: write the main idea, the evidence for one answer and a useful phrase. Compare your first and second attempts before reading a transcript. This helps you notice whether the problem was vocabulary, speed or interpretation.
Speaking: four different ways to communicate
The test is face to face with one or two other candidates and two examiners; the interlocutor may be remote. Listen actively and leave room for your partner. You can support the interaction by inviting an opinion or asking a simple follow-up.
| Part / time | What happens | How to practise |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Interview · 2 minutes | Answer personal and factual questions. | Give a direct answer with a reason or detail. Avoid a memorised biography. |
| 2 · Photograph · 3 minutes | Describe one colour photograph for about one minute each. | Move from the overall scene to people, actions and details. Use “perhaps” when you are unsure. |
| 3 · Collaboration · 4 minutes | Make and respond to suggestions, discuss alternatives and negotiate agreement. | Compare ideas, explain reasons and ask your partner’s view. Build towards a decision together. |
| 4 · Conversation · 3 minutes | Discuss general topics in a broader conversation. | Extend an opinion with an example. Respond to what your partner actually says. |
Standard, for Schools and your result
B1 Preliminary and B1 Preliminary for Schools assess the same level and skills with the same format. The Schools version uses topics geared towards younger learners. Digital and paper delivery require the same preparation in English; practise the screen controls or answer-sheet routine separately. Confirm local availability and candidate arrangements with your centre.
The overall Cambridge English Scale score averages Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Grade A at 160–170 demonstrates B2; Grade B at 153–159 and Grade C at 140–152 demonstrate B1. Scores of 120–139 receive Level A2. Scores of 102–119 appear on the Statement of Results without a certificate. See the complete score bands.
Digital results usually take 5–10 working days, and paper results normally take 4–6 weeks. Certificates do not expire. If you need a result for a particular organisation, ask it about any recency requirement and allow time for processing.
Build a balanced weekly routine
Rotate reading, writing, listening and speaking. Spend some time building general English through interesting texts and conversations, then apply those skills to a focused exam task. Keep an error log with corrected examples. Review one older mistake before starting something new, and use the B1 verbs drill for short recall practice.