CEFR B2 · FCE · Reading
FCE Reading & Use of English Practice
FCE Reading & Use of English is one paper combining 4 grammar/vocabulary parts and 3 longer reading parts. You read articles, fiction extracts and reviews at upper-intermediate (B2) level and answer 52 questions in 75 minutes — under a minute and a half per question, so pace matters.
Duration: 75 minFormat: 52 questions across 7 parts
FCE Reading & Use of English: part by part
- Part 1 — Multiple Choice Cloze (8 questions, 1 mark each): vocabulary, collocations, phrasal verbs.
- Part 2 — Open Cloze (8 questions, 1 mark each): one-word grammar gaps. Articles, auxiliaries, prepositions, linkers.
- Part 3 — Word Formation (8 questions, 1 mark each): change the root word in capitals to fit the sentence.
- Part 4 — Key Word Transformation (6 questions, 2 marks each): rewrite a sentence using a fixed key word, 2–5 words.
- Part 5 — Multiple Choice Reading (6 questions, 2 marks each): one long text. Detail, inference, attitude, vocabulary.
- Part 6 — Gapped Text (6 questions, 2 marks each): six sentences removed from an article. Slot them back via cohesion clues.
- Part 7 — Multiple Matching (10 questions, 1 mark each): 10 prompts to match against multiple short texts.
Sample FCE Reading item
A typical reading task you'd see in a FCE mock exam.
FCE · MC Cloze · Part 1
The committee failed to _____ a consensus on the proposed reforms.
Which word best fits the gap?
A · achieve
✓B · reach
C · gain
D · arrive
Common FCE Use of English mistakes
- Adding extra words in Part 4 — the answer must be 2–5 words including the key word. Contractions count as 2 words.
- Writing the root word unchanged in Part 3 — the answer must always be a transformed form (suffix, prefix, or both).
- Picking the first option that fits in Part 1 — at B2, two options often work loosely. Only one fits the locked collocation perfectly.
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