Exam Preparation · B1–C2

Cambridge English Exam Preparation

Original practice material aligned to the current task types of B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency, with strategy, timed practice and speaking/listening simulations.

← Back to Learning Hub
Important: These are original Corrigan School practice tasks modelled on official Cambridge English exam formats. They are not copied past papers and are not official Cambridge materials.

Complete exam guides

B1

B1 Preliminary

Detailed strategy and original practice for all four papers.

Open full guide →
B2

B2 First

Use of English, writing, listening and speaking preparation.

Open full guide →
C1

C1 Advanced

Inference, advanced transformation, writing and collaborative speaking.

Open full guide →
C2

C2 Proficiency

Lexical nuance, critical reading, sophisticated writing and high-level speaking.

Open full guide →

Choose your examination

B1

B1 Preliminary

Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking with practical everyday language.

B2

B2 First

Reading & Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking.

C1

C1 Advanced

High-level reading, transformation, essay/report writing, listening and collaborative speaking.

C2

C2 Proficiency

Dense texts, lexical precision, sophisticated writing, rapid listening and nuanced speaking.

B1 Preliminary — Original Practice Mock 1

Reading
Text: CITY LIBRARY NOTICE — From Monday, the second floor will close for renovation. Study desks will be available on the ground floor until 8 p.m. Students who have booked group rooms should report to reception on arrival.

Question: What should students with group-room bookings do? A) Use the second floor. B) Speak to reception. C) Rebook online.
Answer

B. The notice says they should report to reception on arrival.

Gapped text: Mia had wanted to learn to cook for years. _____. When a community centre opened a Saturday course, she finally enrolled. A) She had never had enough time. B) The teacher was very strict. C) The recipe was already prepared.
Answer

A. It creates a logical contrast with “finally enrolled”.

Writing
Email task: Your English-speaking friend Alex is visiting your town. Write an email of about 100 words. Suggest one place to visit, explain why you like it, and say when you are free to meet.
Article task: Write an article for a school website: “The best way to spend a free afternoon.” Give reasons and examples.
Listening

Hi Sara, just a quick message about tomorrow. The train we planned to take at nine fifteen has been cancelled. There is another one at nine forty, but it arrives too late for the museum tour. I think the best option is the eight fifty train. I know it is early, but we can have breakfast when we arrive.

Question: Which train does the speaker recommend? A) 8:50 B) 9:15 C) 9:40
Answer

A.

Speaking
Part-style prompt: Your friend wants to become healthier. Discuss these options: joining a gym, walking to work, cooking at home, joining a sports club. Decide which would be easiest to continue for six months.

B2 First — Original Practice Mock 1

Reading & Use of English
Open cloze: Many people assume that productivity depends mainly ___ working longer hours. In reality, research increasingly suggests ___ regular breaks can improve concentration. The challenge is to find a rhythm ___ allows sustained focus without exhaustion.
Answers

on · that · that/which

Word formation: The new policy was introduced after a period of considerable public ______ (DISCUSS). Managers were asked to explain the changes with greater ______ (CLEAR).
Answers

discussion · clarity

Key word transformation: I last saw Nina three months ago. FOR → I ______ three months.
Answer

haven’t seen Nina for

Writing
Essay: “Schools should spend more time teaching practical life skills.” Discuss two of these areas: financial skills, communication skills, digital skills. Explain which is most important.
Review: Write a review of a course, app or book that helped you learn something difficult. Explain what made it effective and who you would recommend it to.
Listening

When I first moved into management, I assumed the best way to solve problems was to give clear instructions. Over time, I realised that people often already knew what needed to change. The more useful skill was asking the right question and then resisting the temptation to answer it myself.

Question: What change did the speaker make as a manager? A) Gave more detailed instructions. B) Asked staff to solve problems independently. C) Avoided discussing problems.
Answer

B.

Speaking
Long-turn prompt: Compare working from home with working in an office. Say what challenges people might face in each setting and which environment may be better for someone starting a new job.

C1 Advanced — Original Practice Mock 1

Reading & Use of English
Multiple-choice cloze: The proposal was initially dismissed as unrealistic, but it gradually ______ support once the financial implications became clearer. A) gathered B) collected C) assembled D) accumulated
Answer

A) gathered support is the natural collocation.

Transformation: The committee did not realise how serious the delay was until the final week. ONLY → Only in the final week ______ how serious the delay was.
Answer

did the committee realise

Inference: “The author describes the policy as ‘an elegant solution on paper’.” What is implied? A) It is visually attractive. B) It may work better in theory than practice. C) It is too expensive.
Answer

B.

Writing
Essay: Which should universities prioritise most: specialist knowledge, employability skills, or intellectual independence? Discuss two and justify your conclusion.
Report: Your organisation piloted hybrid working for six months. Write a report evaluating productivity, communication and staff wellbeing, and make recommendations.
Listening

What surprised us was not that customers disliked waiting; that was predictable. The unexpected finding was that uncertainty mattered more than the delay itself. People were considerably more tolerant when they were given a reliable estimate, even if that estimate was longer than the actual wait under the old system.

Question: What most influenced customer tolerance? A) Shorter delays. B) Accurate information about waiting time. C) More staff.
Answer

B.

Speaking
Collaborative task: A city wants to improve quality of life. Discuss the value of: more green spaces, later public transport, cheaper cultural events, more cycling infrastructure, more community centres. Decide which two are likely to have the broadest impact.

C2 Proficiency — Original Practice Mock 1

Reading & Use of English
Lexical precision: The minister’s response was sufficiently ______ to satisfy supporters while leaving room for a change of policy later. A) ambiguous B) obscure C) vague D) cryptic
Answer

A) ambiguous — deliberately open to more than one interpretation. “Vague” suggests lack of precision rather than strategic dual interpretation.

Transformation: I strongly suspect that the figures were revised after the meeting. EVERY → There is ______ the figures were revised after the meeting.
Answer

every reason to believe that

Style: Explain the difference between “The plan is ambitious” and “The plan is nothing if not ambitious.”
Answer

The second is emphatic and can be contextually admiring, sceptical or ironic; it foregrounds ambition as the plan’s most undeniable quality.

Writing
Essay: “Convenience is increasingly treated as a social good, but it can conceal significant costs.” Discuss with reference to at least two areas of modern life.
Article: Write for an educated general audience on why expertise is difficult to communicate in an age of information abundance.
Listening

There is a temptation to describe the change as a technological disruption, but that gives the technology too much agency. The more interesting story is institutional: organisations adopted the tools selectively, often preserving old habits beneath a new digital surface. In that sense, the apparent revolution was partly cosmetic.

Question: What is the speaker’s main argument? A) Technology had no effect. B) Institutions often adapted superficially rather than fundamentally. C) Organisations rejected digital tools.
Answer

B.

Speaking
Discussion: To what extent should experts simplify complex information for public audiences? Consider accuracy, trust, accessibility and the risk of distortion.

Exam strategy

SkillWhat strong candidates do
ReadingRead for structure and stance, not only keywords; verify answers against the exact evidence.
Use of EnglishThink in collocations, grammar patterns and word families rather than translating.
WritingAnswer the task fully, control register, organise ideas clearly and reserve time to edit.
ListeningPredict the type of information required, listen for paraphrase and recover quickly after a missed item.
SpeakingDevelop answers, interact with the other candidate, compare rather than describe, and justify decisions.

Official exam references

Always check the current official format before an exam date:

Image credit: Yen Vu / Unsplash.