How can I prepare for a B2 speaking and listening test?

Start from what B2 means: the Council of Europe describes a B2 speaker as able to interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity, and to explain a viewpoint with the advantages and disadvantages of different options. So practise talking for longer about less familiar topics, giving reasons and opinions, and listening to natural speech, not only memorising answers.

Check what you need first

Confirm that you need B2 at all (the date you apply decides: see When does the B2 rule start?), and which approved test you will take, because formats differ. The ILR rule asks for speaking and listening; the B2 tests on the approved list today are four-skill tests, so check whether your test also includes reading and writing.

Speaking: from describing to explaining

• Practise giving a view and backing it up: "I think ... because ...; on the other hand ...".
• Talk for one to two minutes on a topic without stopping, then ask someone to question you on it.
• Practise topics beyond daily life: work, health, technology, the environment, education.
• Record yourself and listen back for long pauses and repeated simple words.
• Practise asking questions too, because many speaking tests include a conversation.

Listening: real speech, not only textbook audio

Listen daily to natural British English: news, radio, podcasts, conversations at work. Try to follow the main ideas and the speaker's opinion, not every word. The CEFR describes B2 as understanding the main ideas of complex speech on both concrete and abstract topics.

Plan your time

The test must be taken no more than 2 years before you apply, so plan backwards from your application date. Trinity says its GESE Grade 7 exam takes 15 minutes, but it was not on the approved list when we checked: see Is GESE Grade 7 approved?.

An honest word

No course, app or practice test can promise a result, and nobody can tell you your level from a short online exercise. Practise regularly with real speaking and listening. The free checker tells you whether you probably need the test; see also B1 vs B2 explained.

Last checked against GOV.UK: 21 October 2026.

Sources

1. Council of Europe: CEFR common reference levels, global scale (www.coe.int, checked 21 Oct 2026)
2. Immigration Rules: Appendix KoLL (updated 26 March 2026) (GOV.UK, checked 21 Oct 2026)
3. Trinity College London: B2 English test (GESE Grade 7) (provider site) (test provider's site, checked 21 Oct 2026)

This is general information, not immigration advice. Check GOV.UK for your own route, or speak to a regulated immigration adviser (registered with the IAA, formerly OISC). Find a regulated adviser on GOV.UK.