From B1 to B2 in the Aptis: an 8-week plan

To move from B1 to B2 in Aptis General you need, out of 50, at least 34 in Listening, 38 in Reading, 40 in Writing and 41 in Speaking. This plan has one week to measure your level, two weeks of Core, two of Writing, two of Speaking and one for a full practice exam. It does not give separate weeks to Reading and Listening: if they are your weakest skills, change the order. It starts with a week that shows you where you are. See also the home page.

Note: The weekly split is our own proposal, not a British Council guideline. What is official is the cut scores and the exam format.

Where the bar is

The biggest jumps are in the two skills where you produce language: Writing and Speaking. That is why the plan gives them their own weeks. Remember also that the global level is the rounded average of the four levels. You do not need a perfect B2 in everything. But many institutions look at each skill separately, so it is better to aim at all four.

What changes between B1 and B2

It is not "knowing more English". It is using it in a different way:

• Grammar: from basic structures to ones that express shades of meaning: mixed conditionals, wish, passives, reported speech.
• Vocabulary: from single words to word combinations (make a decision, not do a decision) and to synonyms with a different register.
• Reading and listening: from understanding what is explicit to catching the opinion and intention of the person who speaks or writes.
• Writing: from sentences linked with "and" and "but" to texts with paragraphs, a variety of connectors and formal register when needed.
• Speaking: from describing to arguing: giving your opinion, comparing, justifying and adding nuance for two minutes in a row.

The 8 weeks

• Week 1: Measure where you are.
• Weeks 2-3: Core, your base.
• Weeks 4-5: Writing.
• Weeks 6-7: Speaking.
• Week 8: Full practice exam and adjustment.

Week 1 · Measure where you are. Do the five parts of the simulator, one each day, and write down your score for each. The skill furthest from its B2 cut score decides the order of the rest.

Weeks 2-3 · Core, your base. It is the only part that does not give a level. But if your score in a skill is just below the cut score, the system looks at the Core and, if it is strong, it can raise your level. There are 25 grammar questions, with three options each, and 25 vocabulary items (five tasks of five items, in different formats). Review conditionals, wish and collocations. Do a short set every day instead of one long set at the weekend.

Weeks 4-5 · Writing. Marking is holistic: the whole text is assessed (there is no official breakdown by criteria). Part 4 asks for a formal email of 120-150 words. In these weeks, write one formal email a day with a template and compare it with the B2 descriptors. Between band 4 (B2.2) and band 5 (C1), the descriptor for task 4 moves from "a limited number of connectors" to "a range of connectors". Count your words: going over 30 in Part 2 is the most common mistake.

Weeks 6-7 · Speaking. Each task aims at one level. Part 4 is the only one that can give C1, with one minute to prepare and two to answer the three questions in a row. Record yourself, listen and do it again. In Parts 2 and 3, answer all three questions: the official scale scores how many you have answered.

Week 8 · Full practice exam and adjustment. Repeat the five parts and compare with week 1. If a skill is still below its cut score, spend the remaining days on it.

A typical day

Thirty or forty minutes a day works better than two hours on Sunday:

• 10 minutes of Core (one set of questions).
• 15-20 minutes on the skill of the week (one writing, one speaking recording, one reading or one listening).
• 5 minutes reviewing what you got wrong: write down the mistake and the rule, not only the correct answer.

Mistakes that keep you stuck at B1

• Studying only grammar. The exam scores four skills and the Core does not give a level by itself.
• Not practising with the real format. Each part has its own timing and word count. You need to have lived them before the exam.
• Avoiding speaking because you feel shy. It is the skill with the highest B2 cut score (41), so it deserves more repetitions than any other.
• Studying vocabulary in lists. It is remembered better in sentences and in combinations (collocations).
• Not measuring yourself. Without a practice exam every few weeks, you do not know if the plan works.

How to know if you are ready

Do three full practice exams at your target level. If you reach the B2 cut scores in all three, you are probably close to the level, but a practice score is an estimate and does not guarantee the official result. If not, the skill that falls short is the one to work on.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to go from B1 to B2? It depends on your starting point and the hours you give it. There is no official figure. This plan proposes eight weeks with 30-40 minutes a day, and the practice exam in week 8 gives you an estimate of how close you are.

Which skill is hardest to raise? In cut scores, the biggest distance between B1 and B2 is in Speaking (+15) and Writing (+14). That is why the plan gives them their own weeks.

Do I need B2 in all four skills? For the global level you do not need a perfect B2 in all of them (it is the rounded average of the four levels). But many institutions look at each skill. Check the requirements of yours.

Start week 1

Do the Core part of the simulator: take a practice exam in your browser.

Aptis is a registered trademark of the British Council. AptisBot is an independent project. Our feedback is an estimate, not an official result.

Sources

No sign-upPractise this in the botReal Aptis questions, with your writing and speaking corrected against the official 0-6 rubric.Don’t use Telegram? Take the full mock exam on the web →

"Aptis Scoring System" v2.1 (TR/2024/002) for the General cut scores; Writing and Speaking format according to the Aptis General technical manual and scale report TR/2017/001. The weekly split is AptisBot's own judgement.