The best books to prepare for the B2 First (FCE) [Updated 2025]
Are you studying English and need to know which are the best books to prepare for the B2 First (FCE)? Then don’t miss this post.
Table of contents
Are you thinking about preparing for the FCE but don’t know where to start? Every month, I receive several emails asking me about the best books for preparing Cambridge exams. Thanks to the time I have spent teaching as an English teacher, I have had the opportunity to use quite a few preparation books with my B2 students, which has allowed me to know which ones work best and worst, at least in my case. Therefore, in today’s post, I bring you the list of the best books for preparing for the B2 First (FCE), commonly known as the First Certificate.
All this information is based on my own experience, so you can be sure that the books I recommend below are excellent. In a previous post, I already told you which were the best books for preparing the C1, so in this one, I will focus on the best books for preparing the B2 from Cambridge and some extra materials that I always recommend to my students. Here we go!
What is the B2 First (FCE)
The B2 First, commonly known as FCE or First Certificate, is an English exam developed by Cambridge Assessment English, an organisation that is part of the University of Cambridge.
As its name indicates, the B2 First is designed for individuals with an upper-intermediate level of English to demonstrate it officially, thus obtaining a B2 level certificate, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
To date, more than 8,000 educational institutions, businesses, and government departments accept this exam as proof of a B2 level of English.
The best books for preparing for the B2 First (FCE)
When we start to prepare for the B2 First on our own, we cannot make the mistake of thinking that having just one preparation book will be enough to reach the B2 level of the First Certificate. Therefore, in this section, I will present to you the best books for preparing for the B2 First, divided into categories, according to their purpose and how you should use each one.
Books for general preparation for the B2 First
Firstly, I will talk about the best general preparation books for the First Certificate. These are books that focus equally on all skills and are usually used in English courses for preparing the B2 First, whether they are annual, intensive, or semi-intensive courses. So here are the best books I have used in recent years to prepare the B2 First with my students.
Complete First (FCE) for Spanish Speakers [Third Edition]
This is the preparation book I currently use with my B2 group of 3 hours per week, and I quite like it. I believe my students have no complaints either. It has 14 fairly comprehensive units and equally covers all parts of the B2 First exam, as I mentioned earlier. Additionally, it comes with a Workbook that emphasises the grammatical and semantic aspects covered in each unit, so it is advisable to work on them together.
[amazon box=»110890338X»]
Compact First (FCE) Self-study Pack [Third Edition]
With this book, I prepare those students who are already practically at a B2 level and want an intensive general review of the exam. Therefore, this B2 First book is recommended for private classes and intensive courses.
For this reason, if you are not yet at B2 level or very close, it is better to choose another preparation book for the B2, as the Compact First offers very good advice for exam techniques and quite a lot of practice with exam-type exercises, but relatively few explanations.
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Exam books for the B2 First
As I always say, FCE exam books have a great advantage and a major drawback. On the one hand, they give you the opportunity to measure yourself against real exam exercises. However, the problem with them is that they are limited and, in general, do not teach anything; they simply tell you whether you answered correctly or not, and some don’t even tell you how to calculate your First score. Knowing this, we need to distinguish between official exam books from Cambridge University Press, and unofficial exam books from other publishers like Pearson or Cengage, among others.
Official books with B2 First (FCE) exams
In this context, we have top-notch resources regarding realism. These books offer 4 B2 First exams that have already been used in previous exam sessions. For this reason, the level is perfect for giving us an idea of how well prepared we are for the exam. The two problems I find with these books are: 1) They are relatively expensive, as they only contain 4 exams; 2) They do not teach, they simply consist of exam-type exercises with their respective answers.
Cambridge English First 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
As I have already mentioned, this type of book from Cambridge University Press contains 4 real exams that have appeared in official sessions. Although the price of each is a bit high, I highly recommend it, but only for preparing for the final stretch before taking the B2 First. This way, we will know for sure if we are well or poorly prepared.
[amazon box=»1107663318,1316503577″]
[amazon box=»1108780148″ description=»Official practice tests for B2 First. Practice makes perfect!. First 4 Practice Tests contains four official examination papers for the B2 First Cambridge Qualification, previously known as Cambridge English: First (FCE).»]
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Cambridge English First Trainer
This preparation book is the only official material with real exams that does offer some preparation. It is a B2 First exam preparation book that provides 6 practice exams, and the first 2 come with preliminary exercises to enhance exam techniques and help us better prepare for each part of the exam. I regularly use it as complementary material in class, alongside the Complete First mentioned in the previous section.
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Unofficial books with B2 First exams
In this section, I will talk about preparation books for the First Certificate that have not been published by Cambridge University Press, but by other publishers. The great advantage of these books is that, in addition to being more economical, they usually come with more exams, and many of them include explanations, guides and other resources that help us learn. The only problem is that sometimes some parts may feel a bit easier or harder than those in the real exams from the previous books. But, speaking from experience as a Cambridge exam trainer, they are truly worth it for practice and measuring our skills.
Exam Essentials: Cambridge English First 1
In this book, you will find 8 exams and it is considerably cheaper than those from Cambridge University Press. On the other hand, this B2 First preparation book contains marginal notes that help you develop proper techniques for taking the exams, and comes with a DVD-ROM that includes Listening audio, videos of Speaking exams, and tips for tackling the Speaking exam. This, in my opinion, is a great point in favour of this book. This is why I use it a lot in class.
[amazon box=»1285744926″]
Cambridge English First Practice Tests Plus Volume 1
Like the Cengage practice books, Pearson offers this preparation book with 7 practice exams and adds numerous extra materials: Writing examples, Speaking test videos, downloadable audios, transcripts, etc. I have a copy at the academy that I often turn to when I need extra work material.
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Books to prepare each part of the B2 First
In this section, we will delve into each part of the B2 exam. This way, if you need more practice or support for one of the parts, you can refer to one of these to ensure sufficient preparation before taking the B2 First.
Books for preparing the B2 First Reading & Writing
Although one of the most recommended ways to prepare for the Reading and Writing sections of the First Certificate is to read books and articles regularly, there are also some books that help you with the specific techniques (skimming, scanning, etc.) that you will need in this Cambridge exam. In fact, I always recommend the following:
Reading for First
As the title indicates, this book will help you overcome this part of the exam that, although it may not seem like it, can present significant difficulties for many people who do not read regularly in English. If you want, you can view a sample of a unit from the book.
[amazon box=»0230460933″]
Cambridge English Skills Real Reading & Writing (Level 3)
The Real Skills series from Cambridge is highly recommended for working on each of the language skills separately. Therefore, if you want to prepare for the FCE, you can take a look at these books, as they can be fantastic for reinforcing your skills.
[amazon box=»0521705738,0521705924″]
The Ultimate B2 First (FCE) Writing Guide
With this ebook, written entirely by me, my aim was to create a comprehensive guide with examples and lists of expressions to use with my students. And honestly, it has been a success. This ebook offers 3 examples of each type of Writing (essay, report, article, review, letter/email) and a bunch of useful expressions to use in each of them.
[amazon box=»1087140595″]
Books for preparing B2 First Use of English
To prepare for the Use of English section of the First, there are many more options than for preparing Reading. However, I have my favourites, and they are the following:
Use of English C1: 10 Use of English Tests for B2 First (FCE)
This book contains 10 Use of English exams for the B2 First. It is original material created by me, modelled on the Use of English of the B2. So far, the feedback I have received has been quite good. 🙂
[amazon box=»B09YNX5H3V»]
101 Word Transformation Sentences
In this original PDF ebook created by me, you will find 101 completely original sentences to practise Part 3 of the Use of English of the B2 First. Each of these 101 sentences will help you practise the typical transformations that appear in this part of the exam. Without a doubt, one of the best books for preparing for the First that I use with my own students.
And I also use the books that I list below:
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With these books, especially with Michael Vince’s First Language Practice, you will work on practically all the important grammatical and semantic points that you need to cover before taking the First Certificate. In fact, I believe that First Language Practice is the best preparation book for B2 First that exists today at the level of Use of English, grammar, and vocabulary.
Books for preparing the B2 First Listening & Speaking
Cambridge English Skills Real Listening & Speaking (Level 3)
Here we have another book from the Real Skills series, in this case for Listening & Speaking, all in one.
[amazon box=»0521705886″]
But to improve your Listening in English and Speaking, I always recommend other materials like those you will see in the following section.
Other recommended resources for the B2 First (FCE)
Since this is a B2 level of English, the best books for preparing the First Certificate may not be sufficient to achieve an optimal level to face the exam. Therefore, in this section, I will recommend what I believe are the best extra resources for preparing the B2 First.
Scribd
Scribd is a very versatile platform that offers a variety of resources that can help you in many aspects: audiobooks, ebooks, PDF documents, magazines, etc. Currently, I am subscribed to Scribd (approximately €8/month), and I mainly use it to listen to audiobooks. Therefore, I highly recommend it to my students, as listening to audiobooks is a perfect way to improve listening, vocabulary, grammar, and practically everything related to English. Additionally, as Scribd also offers ebooks, you can read and listen at the same time, which is undoubtedly very helpful for improvement.
Amazon Prime Video
Any online streaming platform for watching movies and series is highly recommended for improving our English. And if you want to prepare for the First, I strongly encourage you to try one like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. The latter, I remind you, is completely free if you are an Amazon Prime member (only €20/year). If you want to try Amazon Prime and Amazon Video, I recommend the 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, which is what I did before subscribing.
English Class 101
Among all the podcasts for learning English that I know of, English Class 101 is undoubtedly one of the best. With many lessons not only at B2 level but at all lower and higher levels, you can listen to audios, watch videos, and download them along with their transcripts. Without a doubt, one of the best ways to improve your Listening for the B2. If you want to know more, do not hesitate to click below.
Videos of the Speaking exam for the B2 First
With all the materials I have recommended earlier for preparing the B2, you now know all the parts of the First. However, it never hurts to watch some real Speaking exam videos to get a good idea of what a real Speaking exam for the B2 First is like. So here’s one published on the official Cambridge English channel, so you can start preparing for what lies ahead. 😅
What are the best books for preparing the B2 First in 2025?
- Complete First (FCE) for Spanish Speakers [Third Edition]
- Compact First Self Study Pack [Third Edition]
- Cambridge English First 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
- Cambridge First Trainer
- Exam Essentials: Cambridge English First 1
- Cambridge English First Practice Tests Plus Volume 1
- Reading for First
- Cambridge English Skills Real Reading & Writing
- The Ultimate B2 First (FCE) Writing Guide
- Use of English B2: 10 Use of English Tests for B2 First (FCE)
- 101 Word Transformation Sentences for FCE
- Language Practice for First
- Destination B2
- Grammar & Vocabulary for First
- Cambridge English Skills Real Listening & Speaking
Great. Ready. You now know the best books for preparing for the B2 First and complementary materials that can greatly aid your success. If there is any book or resource that you think I should try and include in this list, feel free to leave a comment below. I would be happy to take a look and try it with my students. And if you found this article useful, why not share it with your friends, colleagues, and other English students and teachers? And don’t forget to follow KSE Academy on social media! 🙂