Breakout English has plenty of Preliminary (PET) materials which can be used to prepare for the Cambridge B1 exam. The PET exam is often the first time candidates step into the world of official exams, making it a significant challenge. Cambridge doesn’t make it easy either. While the exam doesn’t include the dreaded Use of English seen at higher levels, it still has demanding Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking sections.
Materials
B1 fixed phrases, dependent prepositions and collocations
Often the difference between a pass and a fail in B1 exams is the minor details such as choosing the...
How to write an email – PET Writing Part 1
Are you gearing up for the Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) writing part 1 and feeling a bit overwhelmed by writing...
Preliminary (PET) Reading Part 6 – Open Cloze
Preliminary (PET) Reading Part 6 is primarily a grammar test that focusses on B1 level structures, fixed phrases or even...
Preliminary (PET) Writing Sample Tests
Writing can be a scary thing for B1 learners, but with some training the Preliminary (PET) writing doesn’t have to...
How to do Preliminary (PET) Reading Part 2
Preliminary (PET) Reading Part 2 is a matching task. You are given 5 people who have to be matched to...
Pictures to describe for Preliminary (PET) Speaking Part 2
Describing a picture is a common element of almost all Cambridge main suite English exams, but in order to practise...
Dead Famous – Past Simple Game
Past simple is a grammar point which you start to learn early on, but can take some time to use...
Describing a Picture – Preliminary (PET) Speaking Part 2 Plan
Describing a picture is an element across all Cambridge exams because it’s something we do so much in everyday life...
Christmas Songs Listening
Are you looking for something to do with your classes before the Christmas break? Whether it’s an exam class or...
Make and Do – Collocations
Make and do are notoriously difficult for learners of English to distinguish. There is a subtle difference in meaning, but...
Writing an Article – Rhetorical Questions
Writing rhetorical questions is a literary device that professional writers love to hate, but if you’re writing an article for...
Preliminary (PET) Speaking – Sample Tests
Speaking at B1 level involves candidates showing that they are able to communicate effectively in everyday situations. You won’t be...
Preliminary (PET) Reading Part 4 – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
With the Christmas season and the New Year upon us, it’s time to start thinking about what Christmas activities we...
First day get to know you questions
On the first day of any new class you need to get to know your students and they need to...
Cambridge Exam Changes 2020 – Updates for Preliminary (PET) and Key (KET)
Cambridge Preliminary (PET) and Key (KET) are getting reasonably major overhauls in 2020. The changes to Cambridge exams in 2020...
Preliminary (PET) Writing Part 2 – Emoji Story 😀
Like it or not, emoji are part of our modern lives 😉. Kids and grandparents 👴👵 alike love 💖 them...
Liar, liar! – present perfect / past simple game
Have you ever taught the present perfect and past simple to a B1 group? I definitely have! This is one...
Preliminary (PET) Transformations – Conditionals
At B1 level for the Cambridge PET exam, more complex grammar starts to become a factor. Conditionals are one of...
How to teach Cambridge exam classes
Cambridge English exams are taken by over 5.5 million candidates per year in 130 different countries. Since introducing the first...
Preliminary (PET) Speaking Parts 3 & 4
In the PET speaking exam there are 4 parts. Obviously it is important to practise all of the parts, but...
Expressing Preferences – Would you rather…
Expressing preferences is one of those functional areas that will come in useful across so many parts of any exam...
Preliminary (PET) Transformations – Passive
The passive is one of Cambridge’s favourite grammar points to test in Writing Part 1 of the PET exam. I’d...
Preliminary (PET) Transformations – Comparatives and Superlatives
The Preliminary (PET) exam doesn’t have a Use of English section, but it does still have key-word transformations. They appear...
How to do PET Reading Part 1 – Signs and Modals of Obligation
Reading Part 1 of the PET exam consists of 5 questions. The candidate has to read the information on short...
Cambridge Speaking Part 1 – Chat Cards
Speaking Part 1 in Preliminary (PET), First (FCE) and Advanced (CAE) are all quite similar and can be practised with...
First day of exam class – Get to know the exam (Cambridge)
The first day of class can be tough to plan for, whether its an exam class or not. There’s a...
Preliminary PET Writing Part 1 – Improve a letter
For Cambridge B1 candidates as of January 2020, Preliminary PET Writing Part 1 is always a letter. The candidate is...
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How to prepare for Preliminary PET exam
Passing the Cambridge PET exam is all about getting the basics down. Once you’ve got a solid grasp of basic grammar and vocabulary, you need to work on practising the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. You can also start to learn some more advanced concepts to try to capture the highest marks in the exam, but remember not to complicate your life too much.
Here are some things you can do to prepare for the exam:
- Study vocabulary – Vocabulary can be one of the biggest challenges at B1 level. Using course books designed for a B1 level will often expose you to a lot of vocabulary about common topics for the level including travel, shopping, describing a town or city and much more.
- Perfect the basic grammar – You should be able to write and speak in the present, past and future without making lots of mistakes. Memorise your irregular verbs, work on using modal verbs to give advice and discuss obligation and in general get those basics covered.
- Start listening to more English – There are some great websites like BBC 6 Minute English which give intermediate level learners the chance to practice listening without getting overwhelmed. Try to make listening in English part of your study routine.
- Get a graded reader – Graded readers like these ones from Penguin Books are novels and stories which have been adapted to a specific level. Find one at B1 level and get reading!
- Learn how to organise your writing – The biggest problem a lot of PET exam writing has is a lack of organisation. You don’t need to write Shakespeare for the Preliminary exam, but you do need to organise a letter, article and story in a logical way.
- Take a class or find a language exchange partner – It can be hard to find opportunity to speak in English, especially if you are self-conscious about your speaking. Force yourself to speak by taking a class with other learners at your level. The teacher will help too!
- Do some practice exams – You should never take an official exam without practising first. There are books available with practice exams where you can check your own answers and get a feel for the real day.
Enjoy the Preliminary (PET) materials!
More Cambridge materials
