Problem: B2 First Reading Parts 5–7 punish whole-text readers — headings match jobs not details, gapped text needs logic not memory, Part 7 rewards elimination. Answer in brief: headings by paragraph function, insertion by reference chains and logic, gist with systematic elimination. This guide teaches all three parts with worked tactics, and Cambridge B2 First Reading — Course 1 trains Parts 5–7 across its topic sections.
Part 5: headings and multiple matching
Match paragraph jobs to headings (as IELTS headings): function summaries, not detail traps. Distractors share vocabulary with wrong paragraphs — jobs break ties. Read headings first, map jobs second, match third. Unused headings are normal; forced fits are the fault.
Part 6: gapped text — insertion logic
Removed sentences fit by reference (pronouns pointing back), logic (contrast, cause, example relations) and topic continuity. Read the text with gaps first for flow, test each candidate by reading across the join aloud — grammatical fit plus meaning fit, both required. Extra sentence provided: identify it by misfit, not by leftover logic.
Master Parts 5–7 supervised? The full Cambridge B2 First Reading — Course 1 trains headings, gapped-text insertion and gist tactics with worked lessons. Explore the course →
Part 7: gist plus elimination
Short texts, multiple matching: gist each text’s job first, then eliminate options systematically — cross out decided options visibly, re-read only undecided pairs. Elimination discipline beats comprehension depth here; most marks come from ruling out, not from understanding fully.
Worked lesson: innovations headings 1–5
Course lesson shape (method described): five innovation paragraphs mapped by job (problem, breakthrough, resistance, adoption, outlook), headings A–H with three distractors sharing vocabulary. Execution: jobs noted, vocabulary-matches distrusted, distractors eliminated by function mismatch. Job-matching demonstrated on a full set.
FAQs
Which part first in the exam?
Personal order allowed: many candidates bank Part 5 confidence, then Part 7 speed, then Part 6 care. Practise all orders; adopt the one with best timed scores.
How do I spot the extra sentence in Part 6?
Test every candidate in every gap; the extra fits nowhere grammatically AND logically. Leftover-by-elimination confirms; gut feeling does not.
What is in the course?
Worked lessons on headings, paragraph insertion and gist-plus-elimination for Parts 5–7.
The matching course
Cambridge B2 First Reading — Course 1 takes Parts 5–7 apart: headings, insertion, gist tactics — with worked lessons. If the back half of Reading costs marks, train here.
Sources and note
- B2 First format per cambridgeenglish.org — B2 First format. Check current guidance before the exam.
- Course details verified from its public staging page (read-only).
- Methods are general techniques; lesson descriptions summarise the course.