Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) Reading Part 1

Practice Cambridge PET Reading Part 1 with 5 real exam-style questions. Read the notices and choose the best answer for each question.

Question 1 of 5
Library notice sign

Question 1

Question 2 of 5
Handwritten note about meeting

Question 2

Question 3 of 5
Sports center advertisement

Question 3

Question 4 of 5
Train station announcement board

Question 4

Question 5 of 5
School notice board message

Question 5

Explanations

Question 1 – Answer: B. The notice says that during the school holidays the library “will open at 10:00 AM instead of 9:00 AM”. That is a change in opening hours. A is wrong because no new service is mentioned. C is wrong because the notice mentions the school holidays, but it does not advertise any event.
Question 2 – Answer: C. The message says “let’s meet at the café near the park at 3 PM”. B is wrong: the park only tells us where the café is. A is wrong: the writer says “I’ll bring the book”, so the writer will bring it, not Anna.
Question 3 – Answer: B. “First class is free for everyone” means you can try one class without paying. A is wrong because no discount on equipment is mentioned. C is wrong because there is no competition and there are no prizes. “Meet new friends and have fun” are reasons to join the club.
Question 4 – Answer: C. The train “will now depart from Platform 3 instead of Platform 1”. A is wrong: the time (10:15) is given, but nothing says the train is late. B is wrong: the train “will now depart”, so it has not been cancelled.
Question 5 – Answer: B. The teacher reminds the students that “your science project is due next Monday”. A is wrong because no change to the timetable is mentioned. C is wrong because the word science refers to the students’ project, not to an event.

About Reading Part 1

In Part 1 of the B1 Preliminary Reading paper, you read five real-world notices, messages and other short texts and choose the option that best matches the main message. It is a multiple-choice task with 5 questions, and you get one mark for each correct answer. Source: Cambridge English – B1 Preliminary exam format.

Tips for Reading Part 1

  1. Read the text first and ask yourself what its main purpose is: to inform, warn, advertise, invite, or ask for something.
  2. Then read all the options and look for the one that says the same thing as the text, often in different words.
  3. Be careful with options that repeat words from the text but change the meaning, for example the time, the place, or who has to do something.
  4. Pay attention to small words that can change the meaning, such as only, must, before, after, not and unless.
  5. Manage your time. Part 1 is the first of six parts in a 45-minute paper, so don’t spend too long on a single short text.

More B1 Preliminary Reading Practice

Part 1 of 6
View All Parts