The next dates, in one paragraph
The next paper-based B2 First is Saturday 7 November 2026, then Tuesday 24 November and Saturday 12 December. The next paper C1 Advanced is Saturday 14 November 2026, then Wednesday 25 November, Saturday 28 November, Saturday 5 December and Saturday 12 December. Paper B1 Preliminary sits on Saturday 21 November and Thursday 3 December 2026. In 2027 there are 13 paper dates for B2 First (from Saturday 27 February), 22 for C1 Advanced (from Saturday 23 January) and 5 for B1 Preliminary (from Saturday 6 March). These dates come from Cambridge's own examination dates PDFs: the 2026 PDF (version 4, which the dates page says was last updated in June 2026) and the 2027 PDF (version 1), and they match the table on the official exam dates page. Two things change the picture for you. First, the digital versions of all three exams are not tied to these dates; centres run them through the year. Second, the date in the PDF is the date of the written papers. Your Speaking test is set by your centre and is often on a different day.
- Paper B2 First, C1 Advanced, B1 Preliminary, B2 First for Schools and C2 Proficiency sit on fixed worldwide dates.
- All digital exams are "available throughout the year via local exam centres".
- The dates page marks every set date with the same warning: always confirm dates with local exam centres. The registration page adds that not all centres offer all of the dates shown.
- Speaking test dates "are subject to local provision".
- Paper A2 Key ends after 3 December 2026. Paper A2 Key for Schools and B1 Preliminary for Schools run through the year.
- Entry deadlines and fees are set by each centre. See the fees and registration page.
Remaining 2026 paper dates
From late October to the end of the year, these are the paper sittings left, copied from the 2026 PDF (version 4). The October dates for B2 First (Saturday 10 October) and C1 Advanced (Saturday 17 October) have passed and are left out.
| Date | Day | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| 7 November 2026 | Saturday | B2 First |
| 14 November 2026 | Saturday | C1 Advanced; B2 First for Schools |
| 17 November 2026 | Tuesday | B2 First for Schools |
| 21 November 2026 | Saturday | B1 Preliminary |
| 24 November 2026 | Tuesday | B2 First |
| 25 November 2026 | Wednesday | C1 Advanced |
| 26 November 2026 | Thursday | C2 Proficiency |
| 28 November 2026 | Saturday | C1 Advanced; B2 First for Schools |
| 3 December 2026 | Thursday | B1 Preliminary; B2 First for Schools; A2 Key (last paper sitting) |
| 5 December 2026 | Saturday | C1 Advanced; B2 First for Schools |
| 12 December 2026 | Saturday | B2 First; C1 Advanced; B2 First for Schools; C2 Proficiency |
Saturday 12 December is the only date left in 2026 when B2 First and C1 Advanced sit together on paper, and some centres make it their widest sitting: British Council Greece, for example, runs its 12 December session in Athens, Thessaloniki and 30 other towns, against two cities for its other paper dates. If you are torn between the two levels, that matters less than you might think: you enter for one exam, and the Cambridge English Scale reports a result above or below the target level anyway. A strong B2 First (180 to 190) earns a certificate that states C1, per the official results page. Our criteria and scale page explains the bands.
Every 2027 paper date, month by month
The 2027 PDF (version 1) and the 2027 exam day flyer (version 2, the file the dates page links) list the same dates. Here they are by month, so you can see at a glance which exams sit in the month you want. A blank month means no paper date for that exam.
| Month (2027) | B1 Preliminary | B2 First | C1 Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | none | none | Sat 23 |
| February | none | Sat 27 | Wed 17 |
| March | Sat 6 | Fri 12 | Sat 6, Sat 13 |
| April | none | Sat 17 | Sat 17 |
| May | Sat 8 | Sat 15, Sat 29 | Sat 8, Tue 11, Sat 15 |
| June | Sat 12 | Tue 8, Sat 19 | Sat 5, Wed 9, Sat 19, Sat 26 |
| July | Tue 27 | Thu 29 | Sat 3, Fri 30 |
| August | none | Thu 26 | Fri 27 |
| September | none | none | Sat 11 |
| October | none | Sat 9 | Sat 23 |
| November | none | Sat 6, Tue 23 | Sat 13, Wed 24, Sat 27 |
| December | Thu 2 | Sat 11 | Sat 4, Sat 11 |
| Total | 5 | 13 | 22 |
Three patterns are worth knowing. C1 Advanced has the densest calendar, with a paper date in every month of 2027 and eight dates in the eight weeks from 8 May to 3 July. B2 First has no paper date in September 2027 (26 August, then 9 October), and after Saturday 12 December 2026 there is no paper B2 First until Saturday 27 February 2027, so a candidate who misses the December sitting either waits eleven weeks or takes the digital version. B1 Preliminary on paper is thin, with five dates and none from August to November 2027, so an adult who needs B1 in the autumn will need the digital version.
For Schools, C2 Proficiency and the end of paper A2 Key
B2 First for Schools
B2 First for Schools is the same level and format as B2 First, with topics chosen for school-age learners, per the official B2 First page. It has its own paper calendar, and it is much longer. The remaining 2026 dates are Saturday 14 November, Tuesday 17 November, Saturday 28 November, Thursday 3 December, Saturday 5 December and Saturday 12 December. In 2027 the PDF lists 27 dates:
| Month (2027) | B2 First for Schools |
|---|---|
| January | Sat 30 |
| March | Sat 6, Sat 20 |
| April | Sat 10, Thu 22 |
| May | Sat 8, Wed 12, Sun 16, Wed 19, Sat 22, Sat 29 |
| June | Sat 5, Wed 9, Fri 11, Sat 12, Sat 19, Fri 25, Sat 26 |
| July | Sat 24, Wed 28 |
| September | Sat 25 |
| November | Sat 13, Tue 16, Sat 27 |
| December | Thu 2, Sat 4, Sat 11 |
If you teach a class that enters together, this is the list to plan from: it includes weekday sittings in April, May, June, July, November and December as well as Saturdays. Every Speaking page on this hub, from the B2 First part-by-part guide to the paired practice bank, applies to the for Schools version too.
C2 Proficiency
For completeness: paper C2 Proficiency sits on Thursday 26 November and Saturday 12 December 2026, and in 2027 on Saturday 6 March, Saturday 15 May, Saturday 5 June, Friday 11 June, Thursday 25 November and Saturday 11 December.
A2 Key and the for Schools exams without set dates
The 2026 PDF says paper-based A2 Key "is being withdrawn after 3 December" and that A2 Key Digital remains available. Thursday 3 December 2026 is therefore the last paper A2 Key. Paper A2 Key for Schools and paper B1 Preliminary for Schools are not on the set-date list at all: both PDFs place them among the paper exams "available throughout the year", so a school can arrange a date with its centre. If you are a teacher looking for B1 Preliminary for Schools dates, the answer is your centre's calendar, not the PDF. Our B1 Preliminary Speaking page covers the for Schools and standard versions side by side.
Digital exams: sessions through the year
The dates page puts it in one line: all digital exams are "available throughout the year via local exam centres". The official page on ways to take the exam says "up to 365 days a year" and adds a footnote that matters: talk to your chosen exam centre about their schedule. Up to 365 days means Cambridge can supply a digital exam on any day; it does not mean every centre runs one every day. Here is what two centres actually offered when we read their pages on 21 October 2026:
| Centre | Digital sessions listed | Exams |
|---|---|---|
| IH Bristol (UK) | Thursday 22 October 2026, Thursday 26 November 2026, Saturday 30 January 2027 | B2 First, B2 First for Schools, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency, B1 Preliminary for Schools |
| British Council Greece (Athens) | Saturday 17 October, Saturday 14 November, Saturday 12 December 2026 | A2 Key, B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency (general and for Schools) |
So at these two centres the realistic picture is a digital session every month or two, with a shorter entry window than paper. What you gain is speed. Per the official results page, digital results arrive 5 to 10 working days after the session, against normally 4 to 6 weeks for paper, and the ways-to-take page says the qualification at the end is the same. The Speaking test stays face to face in both formats, with two examiners and a partner. The written papers are on a computer, with an on-screen timer, headphones with volume control for Listening and a word counter for Writing. If you need a result before a fixed deadline, digital is usually the answer; see the worked example below.
The Speaking test is often on another day
This is the point most date pages skip. The official B1 Preliminary information for candidates booklet says the Speaking test "is the only paper which usually happens on a different day. All the other papers must be taken together on the same day." Both examination dates PDFs tell candidates to contact exam centres "to check their exam calendar, including the Speaking test date", and the dates page says Speaking test dates "are subject to local provision". Here is how that looked at our two example centres:
- IH Bristol: the paper B2 First on Saturday 12 December 2026 has its Speaking test on Friday 11 December, the day before. The paper C1 Advanced on 5 December and the digital sessions have Speaking on the same day. The page warns: "The Speaking component may be a different date. Please check carefully before booking."
- British Council Greece: "Oral exams may take place either on the date of the written exams or on a separate date", confirmed with the candidate's timetable about one to two weeks before the exams, within a Speaking window set by Cambridge English.
What this means for you: do not book travel, a job interview or a school trip in the week around a paper date until you have your timetable. If your centre is in another city, budget for two trips. And plan your practice so that you can do your best speaking on any day of that week, not only on the Saturday. A paired task every day in the last fortnight, timed to the official minutes, is the simplest way to arrive ready; the practice bank gives you the tasks and an AI partner who takes the second candidate's turns.
Entry deadlines: two centre examples
Cambridge gives only a general guide. Its ways-to-take page says registration is approximately 4 weeks before the exam date for paper and up to 2 working days before for digital, with a footnote: talk to your chosen exam centre about their schedule. Each centre sets its own closing dates, and they differ a lot. These are the deadlines printed on two centre pages on 21 October 2026. They are examples to calibrate your planning, not rules for your centre.
IH Bristol (UK)
| Sitting | Late-entry period starts | Last booking date | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper C1 Advanced, Saturday 5 December 2026 | Tuesday 3 November | Monday 16 November | 5 December |
| Paper B2 First for Schools, Saturday 5 December 2026 | Wednesday 4 November | Monday 16 November | 5 December |
| Paper B2 First, Saturday 12 December 2026 | Wednesday 11 November | Monday 23 November | Friday 11 December |
| Digital B2 First or C1 Advanced, Thursday 26 November 2026 | Thursday 19 November | Tuesday 24 November | 26 November |
| Digital B2 First or C1 Advanced, Saturday 30 January 2027 | Saturday 23 January | Thursday 28 January | 30 January |
The same page says: "If you enter for the exam after the closing entry date, there will be a charge of £45." It also says the Confirmation of Entry arrives by email no later than 10 days before the session. Read together, the practical rule at this centre is: enter about a month before a paper date to avoid the late charge, or a week before a digital date.
British Council Greece
| Sitting | Registration window |
|---|---|
| Paper sittings on Saturday 28 November and Saturday 5 December 2026, Athens and Thessaloniki | 14 September to 16 October 2026 |
| Paper B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency, Saturday 12 December 2026, Athens, Thessaloniki and 30 other towns | 14 September to 22 October 2026 |
| Digital sitting, Saturday 14 November 2026, Athens | 12 October to 23 October 2026 |
| Digital sitting, Saturday 12 December 2026, Athens | 9 November to 20 November 2026 |
Here the paper windows close six to seven weeks before the exam and the digital windows about three weeks before. Put the two centres side by side and the lesson is simple: the deadline can be anywhere from a few days to seven weeks before the exam, depending on the centre and the format. Find your centre first, then plan. The official centre finder lists "over 2,800 centres in 130 countries", and our fees and registration page walks through entering, step by step.
Picking a date: work back from the result you need
Most candidates pick a date by counting forward from when they feel ready. If you have a deadline, count backwards from it instead. The official results page gives the timings you need: digital results 5 to 10 working days after the session; paper results normally 4 to 6 weeks after; paper certificates usually sent to the centre within 3 to 4 weeks for digital exams and 7 to 10 weeks after the exam date for paper exams.
Worked example, written by TalkDrill
A candidate in Valencia needs proof of B2 for an application that closes on 31 January 2027. Here is what each option gives, using only the official timings above.
- Paper B2 First, Tuesday 24 November 2026: results normally between 22 December 2026 and 5 January 2027; certificate to the centre usually between 12 January and 2 February 2027.
- Paper B2 First, Saturday 12 December 2026: results normally between 9 and 23 January 2027; certificate to the centre usually between 30 January and 20 February 2027. The result arrives in time; the paper certificate may not.
- A digital B2 First session in late November (IH Bristol's is Thursday 26 November, for example; her own centre will have its own date): results 5 to 10 working days later, so between 3 and 10 December 2026, and a certificate within 3 to 4 weeks.
Her best move is the digital session, or the 24 November paper date if her centre's deadline has not passed. Before choosing 12 December, she should ask the institution whether it accepts the online result: Cambridge's free Results Verification Service lets organisations check a result with the candidate's reference number and date of birth, without the paper certificate.
If you have no deadline, use preparation time instead. Our eight-week B2 First plan puts entering the exam in week 1, so count eight weeks back from the paper date you want and check that your centre's closing date falls after you would be ready to commit. For C1 Advanced, which has a paper date every month in 2027, the same logic gives you more freedom. For the Speaking paper specifically, the C1 Advanced part-by-part page and the Part 2 phrases page are where the last two weeks should go. The results page explains what happens after the exam: see results and certificates.
How this page is kept current
The dates block on this page is rendered from the same dated rows as the rest of TalkDrill's exam pages, and a past date drops off on its own. Every week we re-read the official exam dates page and the two PDFs, check the version stamp (the 2026 PDF is version 4; the 2027 PDF is version 1 and the 2027 flyer version 2), and update this page and the rows if Cambridge changes anything. Centre deadlines are re-read at the same time and are always shown with the centre's name and the date we read them. Cambridge itself marks every date list with the same instruction, and so do we: always confirm dates with your local exam centre before you plan around them.
Change log: 21 October 2026, page published with the remaining 2026 dates (PDF version 4), every 2027 date (PDF version 1, checked against the version 2 flyer), and the IH Bristol and British Council Greece deadlines read the same day. For every other English exam on TalkDrill, see the exam dates calendar, and for the whole Cambridge picture go back to the Cambridge English hub.