A separate exam-preparation track for learners who finished the 10-unit Britain Explained course and are entering Cambridge B1 Preliminary. One part of the real exam at a time, a mini-mock every fourth week, and a full-mock block at the end.
Uma trilha separada de preparação: uma parte da prova por vez, um simulado a cada 4 semanas e simulados completos no fim.| Paper | Time | Weight | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 45 min · 32 questions | 25% | P1 notices · P2 matching · P3 longer text · P4 gapped text · P5 vocabulary cloze · P6 open cloze |
| Writing | 45 min · 2 tasks | 25% | P1 email of about 100 words · P2 article OR story of about 100 words |
| Listening | 30 min (incl. 6 min transfer) | 25% | P1 pictures · P2 gist · P3 gap fill (exact words) · P4 attitude & opinion in an interview |
| Speaking | 10–12 min per pair | 25% | P1 interview · P2 long turn (photograph) · P3 collaborative task · P4 general conversation |
| Result | Scale score | Certifies at |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | 160–170 | CEFR B2 — the stretch target |
| Grade B | 153–159 | CEFR B1 |
| Grade C | 140–152 | CEFR B1 (pass) |
| Below pass | 120–139 | CEFR A2 certificate |
Phase 1 · Part mastery — weeks 1–16
Notices & matching
Five real-world notices for the main message, then five people matched to eight texts — scanning, not reading every word. Fast parts: bank the time here.
The longer text
Detail, gist, inference and global meaning in one longer text. Read it once properly — five questions.
The gapped text
Five removed sentences restored by reference words and linkers — the part B1 learners find hardest, so it gets its own week.
Full Reading paper
32 questions, 45 minutes, a rehearsed time allocation. Under ninety seconds per question — the wrong answers pick next month's drills.
The two clozes
Six vocabulary gaps with options, six grammar gaps without. These parts test knowledge, not reasoning — do them at pace.
The 100-word email
Respond to the input covering every content point: plan three minutes, write, check coverage — not style. 20 marks.
Article or story
Choose your stronger genre and rehearse its shape: article = opinion + reasons; story = scene, event, ending. About 100 words, 20 marks.
Writing + Reading
Both writing tasks in 45 minutes, then a Reading paper. Content, communicative achievement, organisation, language — marked like the real thing.
Pictures & gist
Seven visual questions, then six short dialogues for the speaker's overall point — the answer is the attitude, not a matching word.
The gap fill
Exact-word transcription of six gaps in a monologue — numbers, names, dates. Five-minute daily bursts, like the numbers catch in Unit 1.
Attitude & the 6 minutes
A longer interview for opinion and attitude — then rehearse the six minutes of transfer time: what to copy, in what order.
Full Listening paper
All four parts with the real recording flow — everything plays twice, and the pencil never stops.
Interview & conversation
Personal questions, then likes, dislikes, experiences and opinions with a partner — the Talking Point recordings were training for this.
The long turn
One photograph, one minute, alone. Teach the shape: general description → detail → speculation. The failure mode is stopping at fifteen seconds.
The collaborative task
Suggestions made, responded to, negotiated. Assessed on interaction — parallel monologues score poorly however good the English.
Speaking, examined
Full 10–12 minute paired test with a second teacher as assessor — rotating partners, all four parts, exam-room manners.
Phase 2 · The full-mock block — weeks 17–20
The whole exam
All four papers across the week, real timing. Result reported as a component profile plus a predicted grade.
Fix the weakest paper
Mock 1 chooses the plan: each learner drills only their two weakest parts, with the matching unit's material.
Exam conditions
One sitting per paper, answer sheets, transfer time, no dictionaries — the dress rehearsal.
Tune-up & logistics
Light review only — word cards, one listening, one long turn. Documents, times, and a good night's sleep.