- How to calculate the score for Cambridge PET or B1 Preliminary
- B1 Preliminary (PET) and PET for Schools: Marks per Paper
- Cambridge Score Converter for B1 Preliminary (PET)
- Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
- What's the minimum score to pass Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET)?
- What grades can I obtain in my B1 Preliminary (PET) exam by Cambridge Assessment English?
- Do I need to pass every part to pass the whole B1 test?
- Do I get an A2 Key (KET) certificate if I fail B1 Preliminary (PET)?
- What is the validity of the A2 certificate of achievement when I fail B1 Preliminary (PET)?
- If I obtain a Grade A, do I receive a B2 First (FCE) certificate?
- What percentage do I need to pass the B1 Preliminary (PET) exam?
- Bibliography and resources
How to calculate the score for Cambridge PET or B1 Preliminary
The process to calculate the score for the PET or PET for Schools exam is relatively easy.
Here’s how to do it:
- Work out the total marks for each part.
- Convert those marks into the Cambridge Scale Score.
- Calculate the average mark like this: (R + W + L + S) / 4
Now, you may be asking yourself the following questions, to which I’m providing you the answers:
- How do I work out the total marks for each part? Easy peasy. In the next section you have a few tables with the values of every part and question in the test.
- How do I convert marks into the Cambridge Scale Score? Easy. You can use the score converter I’ve created.
B1 Preliminary (PET) and PET for Schools: Marks per Paper
What follows is a break down of every paper’s parts and the number of questions and marks assigned to each item. In the case of Speaking, parts are not assessed individually, so you will see the different criteria for which candidates are awarded marks.
| READING | ITEMS | MARKS PER ITEM |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Part 2 | 5 | 1 |
| Part 3 | 5 | 1 |
| Part 4 | 5 | 1 |
| Part 5 | 6 | 1 |
| Part 6 | 6 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 32 | 32 |
| WRITING | ITEMS | MARKS PER ITEM |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 1 | 20 |
| Part 2 | 1 | 20 |
| TOTAL | 2 | 40 |
| LISTENING | ITEMS | MARKS PER ITEM |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Part 2 | 6 | 1 |
| Part 3 | 6 | 1 |
| Part 4 | 6 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 25 | 25 |
| SPEAKING | MAX. POINTS | MARKS PER ITEM |
|---|---|---|
| Grammar & Vocabulary | 5 | 5 |
| Discourse Management | 5 | 5 |
| Pronunciation | 5 | 5 |
| Interactive Communication | 5 | 5 |
| Global Performance | 5 | 10 |
| TOTAL | 25 | 30 |
Cambridge Score Converter for B1 Preliminary (PET)
The following is a Score Converter for Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) and B1 Preliminary (PET) for Schools. This converter turns your correct items (or points) into the Cambridge Scale Score. You can choose to make the conversion per part or for the global mark.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What’s the minimum score to pass Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET)?
The minimum score to pass B1 Preliminary is 140 in the Cambridge English Scale. The minimum number of correct items/marks to pass each part is:
- Reading: 23 correct items
- Writing: 24 marks
- Listening: 18 correct items
- Speaking: 18 marks
What grades can I obtain in my B1 Preliminary (PET) exam by Cambridge Assessment English?
There are 6 different grades you can obtain after your exam. Here is a table with the grades and other outcomes of your B1 Preliminary exam:
| GRADE | SCORES | LEVEL |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | 160 – 170 | B2 |
| Grade B | 153 – 159 | B1 |
| Grade C | 140 – 152 | B1 |
| Level A2 | 120 – 139 | A2 |
| Below level A2 | 102 – 119 | – |
| Not reported | 0 – 101 | – |
And in case you’re wondering what is a pass or a fail and which grade qualifies for a certificate or certificate of achievement, here’s a table to clarify:
| GRADE | PASS OR FAIL? | CERTIFICATE? |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | Pass | Yes |
| Grade B | Pass | Yes |
| Grade C | Pass | Yes |
| Level A2 | Fail | Yes |
| Below level A2 | Fail | No |
| Not reported | Fail | No |
Do I need to pass every part to pass the whole B1 test?
No, you don’t. Even if you fail some parts in the B1 Preliminary, you can still pass your test because the average score may be above 140 in the Cambridge English Scale. However, there is a minimum number of correct items/marks that you need to obtain in each part in order to be able to pass:
- Reading: 13 correct items
- Writing: 16 marks
- Listening: 11 correct items
- Speaking: 12 marks
This means that, if you get less that that in one of the parts, you will not be able to pass your PET exam.
Do I get an A2 Key (KET) certificate if I fail B1 Preliminary (PET)?
If you fail your B1 Preliminary test with marks above the minimum mentioned in the previous frequently asked question, you will get a certificate of achievement proving that you performed at an A2 level. However, this certificate is not an A2 Key (KET) certificate and does not say so anywhere. This is so because you did not take the A2 Key exam, so you cannot get that certificate.
What is the validity of the A2 certificate of achievement when I fail B1 Preliminary (PET)?
It is a valid A2-level certificate of achievement issued by Cambridge Assessment English. However, as mentioned before, it is not an A2 Key certificate. Therefore, if you are required an A2 Key certificate, this certificate of achievement will probably not be valid for that purpose.
If I obtain a Grade A, do I receive a B2 First (FCE) certificate?
No, you don’t. If you manage to obtain a Grade A in your B1 Preliminary exam, you will get a B1 Preliminary certificate stating that you performed at a B2 level. Therefore, if you are required a B2 First certificate by a given organisation, this certificate will not be accepted.
What percentage do I need to pass the B1 Preliminary (PET) exam?
You need around 70% of correct items/marks to pass the Cambridge PET. However, this percentage may be different for some papers (Reading, Writing, etc.). That’s the reason I do not recommend working with percentages any more, as Cambridge Assessment English does not take percentages into account for B1 Preliminary since they updated the exam in 2015.
Bibliography and resources
- B1 Preliminary Sample Test
- B1 Preliminary for Schools Sample Test
- B1 Preliminary: Sample Statement of Results
- B1 Preliminary: Understanding your Statement of Results
- B1 Preliminary: Converting Practice Test Scores to Cambridge English Scale Scores
- Cambridge English Scale page on Cambridge Assessment English Website
- B1 Preliminary page on Cambridge Assessment English website
- B1 Preliminary Results page on Cambridge Assessment English website