About the FCE
There are five parts to the FCE exam:
- Reading: You will need to read and understand different types of text, including fiction and non-fiction books, newspapers and magazines.
- Writing: You have to produce two pieces of writing in any of the following styles: a short story, a letter, an article, a report or an essay.
- Use of English: You will be tested on your grammar and vocabulary.
- Listening: You will listen to some spoken material, including news programmes, stories and public announcements and answer some questions on their content.
- Speaking: You’ll take the speaking test with one or two other candidates and will have to speak alone, with the examiner and with the other candidates.
Learn more about FCE at the Cambridge website.
Prepare with the British Council
You can follow an exam preparation course in any of the British Council Teaching Centres in Spain. On these courses you will learn how best to approach the different papers. This will include:
- techniques for doing the reading tasks quickly and efficiently
- how to organise and compose the different writing options: narratives, reports, articles etc
- the types of grammar and vocabulary exercises which appear in use of English and how best to approach them
- hints and techniques for listening
- how to produce the best English possible on the day of your speaking exam
More preparation help
If you’d prefer to prepare for the FCE on your own, take a look at the Cambridge ESOL exam preparation site. You can download many free materials, including a short booklet about the exam, information for candidates, sample exam papers and sound files for the Listening Test materials.
Top tips for FCE answers your last-minute questions. There are also many other books and materials to help you prepare for the FCE.
Do you have a disability?
If you have a disability, please contact your local British Council Exams centre to find out how we can help. You can also get more information on the Cambridge exams site.
