Changes to FCE

This is a communication to all students willing to take the First Certificate in English, FCE (B2), as there are important changes coming up in January 2015. The PET students who also will to get the B2 certification will find this information valuable too.

 

We have the latest news from Cambridge Language Assessment after yesterday's Webinar in which all the doubts have been resolved. I will summarize the contents of the Webinar below, if you have any further queries please do not hesitate to ask.

 

The length of the exam

 

The reviewed FCE is going to be shorter that the current one, in order to make it more user friendly. However, you will find the same parts for each exam, but with less questions each.

 

Reading + Use of English come together

 

Both papers have been combined and reduced. The first paper you will find is the Use of English, which is probably the easiest part of the exam. This will help candidates to warm up before getting to more complicated staff.

 

The use of English and Reading parts make a total of 7 activities, the same 3 of the Use of English and the same old 4 activities of the Reading. However; they've been significantly shorten.

 

The overall time needed for both combined papers is shorter too.

 

Writing

 

The Writing test hasn't changed significantly, but for a couple of features. There will be no more essays, but a letter or email.

 

Part 1 is mainly the same, but the length of the texts must be longer now, between 140 and 190 words.

 

In part 2, candidates must choose an email or a letter between 3 options, rated between 140 - 190 words. In the previous FCE you had 5 options.

 

Listening

 

Listening paper is going to stay pretty much the same, but for the changes on the announcer. From now on, only the heading of each question will be read, and the candidate must read the rest of the question and decide an option.

 

Speaking

 

The Speaking test will have the same format, but will perform some changes. For example, candidates will have to speak for a shorter time, 2 minutes instead of 3 in part 1. For the part 2 answers will be done in 30 seconds.

 

Part 3 includes the most significant change to the Speaking part, images are going to be substituted by written prompts in which the ideas will be presented. Candidates will have to discuss the ideas for a couple of minutes, and then given one more minute to reach a conclusion.

 

The  most important thing to know is that we can still use all the materials we already have, so there's no need to change the books.

 

This changes will not take place until January 2015, meaning that all previous exams will not vary.

 

It is just a matter of time for new material to be available, and we at Lingua-Franca will immediately have them and will gradually substitute the old for the new ones, especially the Exams Papers.

 

I hope you found all this information useful, and if you have any queries, do not hesitate to ask!

 

Best wishes

 

Paco