FCE Reading Part 5: multiple choice
FCE Reading Part 5 is one long text followed by six multiple-choice questions, each with four options and worth two marks. The questions test detail, opinion, attitude, tone, purpose and meaning from context, so the right answer is usually a paraphrase rather than the words in the text.
- Questions
- 6 (Q31–36)
- Marks
- 2 each
- Time to spend
- ≈ 14 min
- Counts towards
- Reading
What FCE Reading Part 5 tests
Part 5 is the first long text in the paper. It may be an extract from a novel, a personal account, or an article from a magazine or newspaper. Six questions (31–36) follow, each with four options, A–D. The questions follow the order of the text, although the last one may ask about the text as a whole.
This part goes beyond finding facts. Questions ask you to understand:
- detail and main ideas in a paragraph;
- opinion and attitude: how the writer or a character feels about something;
- implication: what the writer suggests without saying it directly;
- purpose: why the writer mentions a particular example or person;
- meaning from context: what a word or phrase means in this text;
- reference: what a word such as this or it refers to;
- tone and the whole text: the writer's overall aim or attitude.
How it is marked: two marks for each correct answer, 12 marks in total, which count towards your Reading score. That makes each Part 5 question worth twice as much as a question in Part 1 or Part 7, so it deserves careful reading rather than a rushed guess.
A B2 Reading Part 5 extract with questions
This is a shortened extract. In the exam the text is longer and there are six questions. For each question, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
My first kitchen
The first time I stood in the kitchen at Marlowe's, I was sure I had made a terrible mistake. I had applied for the job because it paid slightly more than the café down the road, and because a friend had told me that working in a 'proper' restaurant would look good when I applied to catering college. Nobody had mentioned the noise. Pans crashed, orders were shouted across the room, and the head chef, a small, silent woman called Ines, moved between the stations without ever seeming to hurry.
For the first week, I was given nothing more challenging than peeling vegetables. I told myself this was a test of character, though I suspected it was simply that no one trusted me with anything else. Ines would occasionally stop behind me, watch for a few seconds and then walk away without comment. I found this far more unsettling than if she had shouted.
On the Friday, a waiter dropped a tray of desserts just as the busiest service of the week began. Without being asked, I cleared up the mess and started plating the replacements, copying what I had seen the pastry chef do earlier. When I looked up, Ines was watching. 'Who showed you that?' she asked. I admitted that nobody had. She nodded once and said, 'Monday, you're on starters.' It was the longest conversation we had that month, and I have never been prouder of anything I've cooked.
31 Why did the writer apply for the job at Marlowe's?
A He had always wanted to work in a busy kitchen.
B He had been unhappy at the café down the road.
C He believed it would help him get onto a course.
D He wanted to learn from a well-known chef.
32 What does the writer suggest about being given vegetables to peel?
A He saw it as an important part of his training.
B He thought the real reason was a lack of confidence in him.
C He was relieved not to have more difficult tasks.
D He felt he was being treated unfairly compared with others.
33 What is the writer's main point in the final paragraph?
A He had secretly been practising desserts at home.
B The restaurant was badly organised on busy nights.
C He felt he should have been given more responsibility sooner.
D A few words from Ines meant a great deal to him.
Show the answer and explanation
31 C. His friend said working there "would look good when I applied to catering college". A is never stated, B is a trap (he compares the pay, not his happiness), and nothing suggests Ines was famous (D).
32 B. "I suspected it was simply that no one trusted me with anything else." A is what he told himself, not what he believed: questions often test the difference between what someone says or pretends and what they really think.
33 D. Ines speaks only one short sentence, yet he has "never been prouder". A is contradicted (he copied the pastry chef), B takes one event and makes it general, and C is not suggested anywhere.
How to answer B2 Reading Part 5 questions
- 01
Skim the whole text in two or three minutes before reading the questions. Get the gist: who is involved, what happens and how the writer feels about it.
- 02
Read the first question stem, but not the options yet. Because the questions follow the text, the answer to question 31 is near the beginning and question 32 comes after it.
- 03
Find the relevant lines and read them carefully, including the sentence before and after. Form your own answer in your head first.
- 04
Now read the four options and choose the one that matches your answer in different words. Check that each wrong option is wrong for a clear reason: not stated, the opposite, or true but not an answer to this question.
- 05
For a meaning-from-context or reference question, replace the word with your answer and check that the sentence still makes sense.
- 06
Leave any question about the whole text until you have answered the others; by then you will know the text well.
Common mistakes in FCE Reading Part 5
Matching words, not meaning. An option that repeats exact words from the text is often wrong. The correct answer usually says the same idea in different words.
Choosing something true that does not answer the question. Option B in question 31 is related to the text, but the question asks why he applied, not where he worked before.
Confusing what a character says with what the writer means. Many questions turn on phrases like "I told myself", "people assume" or "I pretended".
Running out of time for Part 7. Part 5 deserves care, but do not spend more than 15 minutes on it. Parts 6 and 7 together are worth 22 marks.
Question types you will meet in Part 5
| Question type | Typical wording | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Detail | What does the writer say about…? | Find the exact lines and paraphrase them |
| Attitude or feeling | How did the writer feel when…? | Look for adjectives, adverbs and reactions |
| Purpose | Why does the writer mention…? | Ask what the example shows or proves |
| Meaning from context | What does "…" mean in line 23? | Read around the phrase; ignore its usual meaning |
| Reference | What does "it" refer to in line 40? | Look back, usually one or two sentences |
| Whole text | What is the writer's main aim in the article? | Answer last; think about the text as a whole |
Practise Part 5 in full FCE Reading and Use of English tests
Each FCE Reading and Use of English test on this site has its own Part 5, timed with the whole paper and marked as soon as you submit, with an explanation for every answer.
FCE Reading Part 5 questions
How many marks is FCE Reading Part 5 worth?
Twelve. There are six questions and each correct answer is worth two marks. The marks count towards your Reading score, which is out of 42.
Do the questions in FCE Part 5 follow the order of the text?
Yes. Each question relates to the next section of the text, so you can work through it in order. The final question sometimes asks about the text as a whole.
How long should I spend on Reading Part 5 in FCE?
About 13 to 15 minutes, including skimming the text. Spending longer usually means rushing Part 7 at the end.
What kind of text is used in B2 Reading Part 5?
A single long text, often a fiction extract, a personal story or a magazine or newspaper article. The topics are general; you never need specialist knowledge.
Sources
- B2 First Handbook for Teachers (Cambridge University Press & Assessment), pages 7, 14
- B2 First exam format (cambridgeenglish.org)
- B2 First preparation materials: Cambridge's own sample tests
CambridgeMock is independent and not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Facts on this page are checked against the official documents above; the practice items and advice are our own.
Ready for B2 First? Find out today
Take a free FCE mock test and get an estimated Cambridge English Scale score, with your marks part by part.