LanguageCert B1 Achiever: Complete Guide for Candidates

Do you want to certify your B1 level with an international certification? Now you can do it online, from home, with the B1 Achiever from LanguageCert.

Updated on 03/01/26

Although the B1 English level is slowly losing popularity in Spain, it remains one of the most in-demand, if not the most. This is because even today, although things are changing, B1 is still the minimum level required for many things, such as obtaining a university degree, taking the Correos civil service exams, etc. Therefore, in this article, I am going to talk to you about one of the most recent, but reliable, B1 level exams: the LanguageCert B1 Achiever.

What is the LanguageCert B1 Achiever Exam

The LanguageCert B1 Achiever exam is the B1 level exam from the LanguageCert International ESOL series. By taking this exam, the four language skills of the candidates are evaluated. In general, this exam is intended for those who want to certify an intermediate level of English. It is an appropriate level of English for everyday interactions, without reaching the more complex interactions typical of a B2 or C1 level.

What level does the B1 Achiever certify

The objective of the LanguageCert International ESOL B1 Achiever is simply to certify the intermediate level of linguistic competence, as described in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). In this sense, LanguageCert summarises this level in the following competences:

• Can understand the main points of clear standard communication on matters regularly encountered in social roles, work, school, leisure, education and training.
• Can convey information, feelings and opinions on familiar topics, with appropriate formality.
• Can enter into conversation in a familiar situation making relevant points and responding to reach shared understanding.
• Can deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling in an area where the language is spoken.
• Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest, adapting to the intended audience.
• Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

In summary, if you manage to pass the LanguageCert B1 Achiever, it means you have an internationally recognised certification of an intermediate level of English. Notice how key words referring to the intermediate level are always present: clear standard communication, familiar topics, familiar situation, most situations, simple text, topics which are familiar or of personal interest, etc. That is to say, this level is not for studying abroad, as the LanguageCert B2 is starting to be, but is just one level below.

B1 Achiever: Exams and Modalities

Exams

Just like the other levels certified by LanguageCert International ESOL, the B1 Achiever consists of 2 exams. And each exam is a certification in itself:

• Written Exam: Evaluates Listening, Reading and Writing.
• Spoken Exam: Evaluates Speaking.

Modalities

One of LanguageCert’s peculiarities is the fact that it offers three modalities (or options) for taking International ESOL exams from B1 level upwards. Therefore, the B1 Achiever is the first of the exams that can be taken in the following ways:

• In-person: Computer-based & Paper-based
• Online: from home

And the important thing about this is that in all cases the candidate is being supervised by a person to ensure the security and validity of the results. 🙂

What are the parts of the LanguageCert B1 Achiever

Below I present all the parts of the LanguageCert B1 Achiever. Keep in mind that I will describe all parts together, but you should remember that the Speaking is done separately.

In summary, the LanguageCert B1 exam is organised in the following way:

• Listening: 4 tasks (26 questions)
• Reading: 4 tasks (26 questions)
• Writing: 2 tasks (2 items)
• Speaking: 4 tasks

Let’s now look at each of the parts of the exam itself.

B1 Achiever: Listening

• Tasks: 4 tasks
• Number of items: 26 questions
• Duration: 30 minutes

Candidates must demonstrate that they understand a variety of audio messages such as explanations, descriptions, questions, conversations between different speakers, narratives, specific information, main ideas, etc.

The B1 Achiever Listening is divided into the following parts: 

• Part 1:
  • Number of questions: 7
  • Description: 7 decontextualised sentences are heard, one of them from a formal conversation. Each sentence is heard twice, and for each one you must choose the most appropriate response (A, B or C) to the sentence just heard.
• Part 2:
  • Number of questions: 6
  • Description: 3 conversations with two speakers each are heard. The topic, context, purpose, context, relationship between the speakers, etc. must be identified. For each conversation, you must answer 2 questions by choosing the best option (A, B or C).
• Part 3:
  • Number of questions: 7
  • Description: A monologue (radio programme, narration, presentation, etc.) is heard twice. You must complete 7 gaps in a notepad by taking notes. Each answer must be between 1 and 3 words.
• Part 4:
  • Number of questions: 6
  • Description: A discussion is heard and you will have to identify the purpose, an example, opinions, contrasts, main ideas, etc. You must answer 6 questions by choosing the best option (A, B or C).

B1 Achiever: Reading

• Tasks: 4 tasks
• Number of items: 26 questions
• Duration: 2 hours and 10 minutes (taken together with Writing, without a break)

In this part of the B1 Achiever, candidates must demonstrate that they can understand short but authentic texts from emails, articles, advertisements, stories, leaflets, timetables, posters, etc.

The B1 Achiever Reading is divided into the following parts: 

• Part 1:
  • Number of questions: 6
  • Description: 5 short texts are read with a gap that tests vocabulary, cohesive and coherent elements, grammatical structures, etc. For each gap you must choose the correct answer (A, B or C).
• Part 2:
  • Number of questions: 6
  • Description: You must read a medium-short length text and complete the 6 gaps (1 – 6) with the correct sentences (A – G). There is always one extra sentence that should not be used.
• Part 3:
  • Number of questions: 7
  • Description: There are 7 questions (1 – 7) and 4 texts (A – D). For each question you must choose the text where the answer is found.
• Part 4:
  • Number of questions: 7
  • Description: You must read a long narrative, descriptive, explanatory, etc. text, and answer 7 open-ended questions with answers of up to 3 words.

B1 Achiever: Writing

• Tasks: 2 Writing tasks
• Duration: 2 hours and 10 minutes (taken together with Reading, without a break)

In the B1 Achiever Writing, candidates must complete 2 Writing tasks of different lengths, always responding to and adhering to a set of prior instructions.

• Part 1 (70 – 100 words): Respond appropriately to a given text. Complete a formal Writing task according to instructions that indicate the points to be covered and the intended reader. Example: letter in response to a newspaper advertisement.
• Part 2 (100 – 120 words): Write an informal Email according to instructions that indicate who the text is addressed to, with specific points to be covered and without requiring specialised knowledge of any particular topic. Example: invite a friend to stay, describe what you will do, etc. This task is very similar to the Cambridge B1 email.

B1 Achiever: Speaking

• Tasks: 4 parts
• Duration: 12 minutes

The LanguageCert B1 Speaking exam is individual, unlike Cambridge exams, and is conducted face-to-face with an interlocutor (even in the online version). One of the peculiarities of this exam is that the interlocutor is only in charge of conducting the exam, not evaluating it. It is recorded and sent to be evaluated by qualified examiners.

The B1 Achiever Speaking exam is divided into the following parts:

• Part 1: In this part, at the beginning of the exam, the candidate must:
  • Say their name and spell it.
  • Say where they are from.
  • Answer 5 questions.
• Part 2: The interlocutor presents 2 or 3 situations for which the candidate must respond and initiate interactions.
• Part 3: Consists of having a conversation about a topic to make a plan, decide or organise something, using visual aids provided by the examiner.
• Part 4: The candidate has to talk about a topic provided by the interlocutor. They must speak for 1 minute and 30 seconds, having 30 seconds to think about their response. In addition, they must answer a series of follow-up questions asked by the interlocutor after finishing the exam.

LanguageCert B1 Exam in PDF

Now that we know all the parts and all the tasks of this certification, here are some LanguageCert B1 exams in PDF to download. I hope they are very useful to you!

Price of LanguageCert B1 Achiever

Below are the prices for the LanguageCert B1 Achiever. Generally, the price for the online modality is higher, as a person will be supervising your exam at all times via a webcam. However, these prices are not official, as they may change and might not have been updated here. Please consult with me using the contact form to find out the updated prices.

How the LanguageCert B1 Achiever is Evaluated

In general, it is quite simple to calculate the LanguageCert B1 score, and it is the same as for the rest of the LanguageCert International ESOL exams. But first, let’s present the score for each part:

• Listening: 26 points (1 question = 1 point)
• Reading: 26 points (1 question = 1 point)
• Writing: 24 points (1 task = 12 points)
• Speaking: 12 points (overall)

Next, each score obtained must be equated to 50 points. For example:

• Listening: 23 points –> We calculate 23/26*50 = 44 points (approximately).
• Reading: 19 points –> We calculate 19/26*50 = 36 points (approximately).
• Writing: 18 points –> We calculate 18/24*50 = 37 points (approximately).
• Speaking: 8 points–> We calculate 8/12*50 = 33 points (approximately).

And now we add everything up for each exam. Remember that we have Written (Listening, Reading and Writing) and Spoken (Speaking).

• Written: 44 (L) + 36 (R) + 37 (W) = 117 points
• Spoken: 33 points

And finally, we compare it to the LanguageCert scale, valid for all levels:

• Written Exam:
  • Fail: 0 – 74 points
  • Pass: 75 – 100 points
  • High Pass: 101 – 150 points
• Spoken Exam:
  • Fail: 0 – 24 points
  • Pass: 25 – 34 points
  • High Pass: 35 – 50 points

According to this, we will have obtained the following grade in the B1 Achiever:

• Written Exam: High Pass
• Spoken: Pass

Books to prepare for the LanguageCert B1 Achiever

Below is a list of official books to prepare for the LanguageCert B1 Achiever:

Burlington Books 

• LanguageCert International ESOL Achiever B1, ISBN: 9789963273911 

Global ELT

• Succeed in LanguageCert Access CEFR Level B1 Audio CDs, ISBN: 9781781643853
• Succeed in LanguageCert Access CEFR Level B1 Self-Study Edition, ISBN: 9781781643846
• Succeed in LanguageCert Access CEFR Level B1 Student’s Book, ISBN: 9781781643839
• Succeed in LanguageCert Access CEFR Level B1 Teacher’s Book, ISBN: 9781781643860

As you will see, there are not many books to prepare for this particular exam. That’s why I recommend that you use other books to prepare for B1, whatever your exam. And honestly, it doesn’t matter which books you use, as LanguageCert exams are not as specific as Cambridge exams, so you can use any material, and it’s about achieving the level, not learning how to pass a particular exam.

More Information

If you need more information, I recommend you leave me a comment. I will reply as soon as possible, I promise. In addition, I recommend you read the candidate information available on the official LanguageCert website.