Cambridge Preparation · B1 Preliminary

B1 Preliminary: Complete Preparation

A detailed original Corrigan School preparation course for Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, with task strategy, model language and practice.

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Exam mindset

The B1 exam rewards clear functional English. The goal is not to sound advanced; it is to understand the task, communicate successfully and control common B1 grammar and vocabulary.

Reading

Short texts and notices

Read for purpose before detail. Ask: Who wrote this? Who is it for? What action is expected?

Notice: “Pool closed 2–4 p.m. today for a school event. Members may use the gym during this period.”
What should members understand? A) The whole centre is closed. B) The pool is unavailable temporarily. C) Only school students can use the gym.
Answer

B.

Longer reading

Read the questions first, then locate evidence. Do not choose an answer simply because it contains the same words as the text; Cambridge-style questions often paraphrase.

Text: “Marta expected the course to be difficult because she had not studied for years. In fact, the hardest part was finding time after work.”
What surprised Marta? A) The course was easier than expected. B) She disliked studying. C) She had forgotten everything.
Answer

A.

Writing

Email strategy

Answer every content point. Use a greeting, natural paragraphing and a clear closing. B1 writing should be easy to follow.

Planning: identify the three content points → make one idea for each → add one detail/example.
Task: Your friend Leo wants to visit you. Write an email saying where he can stay, what you can do together and what he should bring.
Article/story strategy

Use a clear beginning, development and ending. In stories, control past tenses and sequence. In articles, directly engage the reader and organise ideas.

Listening

How to avoid losing marks
  • Read options before the audio starts.
  • Predict the type of information required.
  • Expect paraphrase, not identical wording.
  • If you miss one answer, move on immediately.

Speaking

Part 1: personal questions

Do not answer with one word. Give a direct answer plus one detail: “Yes, I do. I usually go twice a week because the gym is close to my house.”

Collaborative task

Interact, do not deliver a monologue. Use: What do you think? / That's a good point. / I'm not sure about that because… / Shall we choose…?

Discuss four ways a student can improve English outside class: films, apps, conversation groups, reading. Decide which is easiest to do every day.

Mini mock

Use of English: I have lived here ___ 2022. A) for B) since C) from
Answer

B.

Writing: 100 words — describe a useful skill you learned and explain how you learned it.
Speaking: Talk for 60 seconds about a place you enjoy visiting.

Source note

All practice tasks and explanations are original Corrigan School material. Task design is aligned to the current official Cambridge English exam formats; no past-paper content is reproduced.