What is the First Certificate in English (FCE)?
The Cambridge FCE is an international exam, recognised by thousands of employers as a qualification in upper-intermediate English (Level B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference).
Taking this exam will open doors to international education and provide employment opportunity, helping you to start working in an English speaking environment.
Who accepts the FCE?
The First Certificate is accepted by many educational institutions as evidence of your English skills, and also by major multinational companies such as American Express, Siemens and Procter & Gamble.
Why take the FCE with the British Council?
A million people take exams with the British Council every year. In Spain, we have many years experience working with the First Certificate in English and other Cambridge exams. We provide pre-exam support and a professional and efficient service to make your exam day run as smoothly as possible.
What’s in the exam?
The First Certificate is made up of five parts:
- reading
- writing
- use of English
- listening
- speaking
Find out more about the exam and how to prepare for it.
How to Register
Registering is quick and easy. Register for your FCE exam.
Useful Links
FCE – official Cambridge exam site.
Register for your Cambridge FCE Exam
Registering for your exam is simple.
- Check exam dates and locations in the table below.
- Download and complete the registration form and instructions for your exam.
You’ll find all the information you need on the exam registration form for your centre.
- Registration forms are only available during the registration periods shown in the table below.
- The registration forms below are for individual candidates only.
- If you are a school, academy or other organisation and want to register multiple candidates, please visit our exams for schools and academies page.
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.
Your Cambridge FCE results
You will receive detailed results for the FCE in a “Statement of Results” document. You will also be awarded a certificate if your performance is above a certain level - between the Common European Framework of Reference Levels C1 and B1.
What is the Statement of Results?
It contains:
- Your candidate result. This result is based on your total score in all papers.
- A graphical display of your performance in each paper (shown against the scale Exceptional – Good – Borderline – Weak).
- A standardised score out of 100 which allows you to see exactly how you performed.
Find out more at Understanding your Statement of Results – Cambridge FCE (PDF).
Can I get my results online?
You can access your results online through the Cambridge ESOL Results Online website. Please note that you must register for this service.