What is First?

First, also known as First Certificate in English (FCE) is an upper-intermediate level

qualification. It proves you can use everyday written and spoken English for work or study
purposes.
Why choosing Cambridge English?
First enables you to show youre ready for success in study, work and life.
Study in English at foundation or pathway level.
Work in English-speaking environment.
Live independently in an English-speaking country.

PAPER

CON
NTENT

MARKS

PURPOS
SE

(% of totall)
READING
R
&

7 parts/52
2 questions

40%
4

Shows you
y can deal co
onfidently with different
d
types o
of text, such as
fiction, newspapers
n
and
d magazines. Tests
T
your use o
of English with

USE
U
OF ENGLISH

tasks tha
at show how we
ell you can conttrol your gramm
mar and
(1
1 hour +15mts)
WRITING
W

vocabula
ary.
2 parts

20%
2

(1
1 hour 20 mts)
LISTENING
L

Requires you to be able

e to produce tw
wo different piecces of writing,
such as letters, reports, reviews and essays.
e

4 parts/30
0 questions

20%
2

Requires you to be able

e to follow and understand a ra
ange of spoken
n
materialls, such as new
ws programmes,, presentations and everyday

(a
about 40 mts)

conversations.
SPEAKING
S

4 parts

20%
2

Tests yo
our ability to com
mmunicate effe
ectively in face-tto-face
situation
ns. You will take
e the Speaking test with one orr two other

(1
14 mts per pair of
candidates)
c

candidates.

Paper
P
1: READING
G AND US
SE OF ENGLISH
Part
P
1: MULTIPLE-CHOICE CL
LOZE
What's
W
in
Part
P 1?
What
W
do I have to
t practise?
How
H
many ques
stions are there?
?
How
H
many mark
ks are there?

A text with
w some multip
ple-choice ques
stions. Each question has four options (A, B, C or D) you
have to
o decide which is the correct an
nswer.
Vocabu
ulary idioms, collocations,
c
shades of meanin
ng, phrasal verb
bs, fixed phrase
es etc.
8
1 mark for each correc
ct answer.

Practise:
P
Now
N
try Part 1 frrom the sample
e Reading and Use
U of English paper.
p

Part
P
2: OPEN CLOZE
C
What's
W
in
Part
P 2?
What
W
do I have to
t practise?
How
H
many ques
stions are there?
?
How
H
many mark
ks are there?
Practise:
P
Now
N
try Part 2 frrom the sample
e Reading and Use
U of English paper.
p

A text in which there are

a some gaps,, each of which represents one
e
missing word. You ha
ave to think of th
he correct word for each gap.
Gramm
mar and vocabu
ulary
8
1 mark
k for each corre
ect answer.

Part
P
3: WORD FORMATION
F
What's
W
in
Part
P 3?
What
W
do I have to
t practise?
How
H
many ques
stions are there?
?
How
H
many
marks
m
are there?
?
Practise
P
:
Now
N
try Part 3 frrom the sample
e Reading and Use
U of English paper.
p

A text containing eigh

ht gaps. Each ga
ap represents a word. At the
end off the line is a prrompt word whiich you have to change in
some way
w to complete the sentence correctly.
Vocabulary.
8
1 mark
k for each corre
ect answer.

Part
P
4: KEY WO
ORD TRANSFO
ORMATIONS
What's
W
in
Part
P 4?

What
W
do I have to
t practise?
How
H
many ques
stions are there?
?
How
H
many
marks
m
are there?
?

Each question
q
consis
sts of a sentence
e followed by a key word and
a seco
ond sentence with a gap in the middle. You ha
ave to use this
key wo
ord to complete the second sen
ntence so that iit has a similar
meanin
ng to the first se
entence.
Gramm
mar and vocabu
ulary.
6
Up to 2 marks for eac
ch correct answ
wer.

Practise:
P
Now
N
try Part 4 frrom the sample
e Reading and Use
U of English paper.
p

Part
P
5: MULTIPLE CHOICE
What's
W
in
Part
P 5?
What
W
do I have to
t practise?
How
H
many ques
stions are there?
?
How
H
many
marks
m
are there?
?
Practise:
P
Now
N
try Part 5 frrom the sample
e Reading and Use
U of English paper.
p

A text with some multtiple-choice que

estions. For eacch question,
there are
a four options
s and you have to choose A, B, C or D.
Readin
ng for detail, op
pinion, tone, purrpose, main idea, implication,
attitude
e.
6
2 mark
ks for each corrrect answer.

Part
P
6: GAPPED
D TEXT
What's
W
in
Part
P 6?

What
W
do I have to
t practise?
How
H
many ques
stions are there?
?
How
H
many
marks
m
are there?
?

A single page of text with

w some numbered gaps which represent
missing paragraphs. After
A
the text there are some p
paragraphs
which are not in the riight order. You have to read th
he text and the
paragrraphs and decid
de which paragrraph best fits ea
ach gap.
How to
o understand th
he structure and
d development o
of a text.
6
2 mark
ks for each corrrect answer.

Practise:
P
Now
N
try Part 6 frrom the sample
e Reading and Use
U of English paper.
p

Part
P
7: MULTIPLE MATCHING
G
What's
W
in
Part
P 7?
What
W
do I have to
t practise?
How
H
many ques
stions are there?
?
How
H
many
marks
m
are there?
?

A serie
es of statements followed by a text divided intto sections or
severa
al short texts. Yo
ou have to matc
ch each statem
ment to the
section
n or text in whic
ch you can find the information.
Readin
ng for specific in
nformation, deta
ail, opinion and attitude.
10
1 mark
k for each corre
ect answer.

Practise
P
Part 7
Now
N
try Part 7 frrom the sample
e Reading and Use
U of English paper.
p

Complete
C
e Reading
g and Use
e of Engliish
http://w
www.cambridgeenglish.o
org/images//174652first2015read
dinganduseeofenglishsample
paper.pdf

Paper
P
2: WRITING
G
Time
T
allowed: 1 hour 20 min
nutes

PART
P

TASK TYPE
E

ABILITY

WORD
LENGTH

1. Compuls
sory task

Focus on agrreeing or disagree

eing

Respon
nd to input of approximately 120 words
w
and write

with a statem
ment and writing an

an essa
ay, with accurate language controll

140-190

essay.

2. Choice tasks

(Questions 2-4)
2
Candidates write
w
one of the fo
ollowing: Article, Email,
E
Essay, Letterr, Report, Review
w.

140-190
Write fo
or a specific purpose and audience
e, with accurate
languag
ge control

Part
P
1: COMPULSORY QUEST
TION
What's
W
in Part 1?
?

What
W
do I have to
t practise?
How
H
many ques
stions are there?
?
How
H
much do I have
h
to write?

Practise:
P
Now
N
try Part 1 frrom the sample
e Writing paper.

Youre
e given an essay
y title and two id
deas clearly linkked to the title.
You write an essay giiving your opinio
ons about the tiitle, using the
ideas given.
g
You mus
st also add a third, different ide
ea of your own
linked to the title. The
e title will be a subject of generral interest you
u
wont need
n
any specia
alised knowledg
ge.
Using language functions, such as evaluating, expre
essing opinions
s,
hypoth
hesising, justifying, persuading.
One co
ompulsory ques
stion.
140190 words

Part
P
2: SITUATIIONALLY BAS
SED WRITING TASK
T
What's
W
in Part 2?
?

What
W
do I have to
t practise?
How
H
many ques
stions are there?
?
How
H
much do I have
h
to write?

Practise:
P
Now
N
try Part 2 frrom the sample
e Writing paper.

You write a tex

xt from a choice
e of text types
article, email/letter, report orr review. To
guide your writting, youll be giiven
information abo
out context, top
pic purpose
and target read
der.
Writing differen
nt types of text that
t
could be
included in the exam.
One task to be
e selected from a choice of
three.
140190 words
s

Paper
P
3: LISTENIN
NG
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/174651first2015listeninggsamplepaper.p
pdf

Paper
P
4: SPEAKIN
NG
Personal
P
info
ormation
http://www
h
w.autoenglis
sh.org/orale
exams/Part1.htm

http:://www.auttoenglish.or
rg/oralexam
ms/Part1.pd
df
Describing
D
a picture
http://www
h
w.autoenglis
sh.org/orale
exams/desc
cribing.htm
http://www
h
w.autoenglis
sh.org/orale
exams/keyp
phrases.htm
m
http://www
h
w.autoenglis
sh.org/orale
exams/exam
mpledescrip
ptions.htm
http://www
h
w.autoenglis
sh.org/orale
exams/galle
ery1andgam
mes.htm
http://www
h
w.autoenglis
sh.org/orale
exams/galle
ery2.htm

http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/174653first2015speakingsamplepaper.pdf