B1 Ready: GESE Grade 5 (B1) English Exam Prep
Trinity publishes the Topic Form, the Grade 5 specifications and a set of free preparation activities. Read those first. B1 Ready is what you use after: 2,400 topic vocabulary cards with Chinese meanings, and 78 model conversations to say out loud until the words come without thinking. Fully offline.
How to prepare for Trinity GESE Grade 5 (B1)
The Trinity GESE Grade 5 exam is a one-to-one spoken English test at CEFR level B1. It is one of the Secure English Language Tests (SELT) accepted for UK settlement (indefinite leave to remain) and citizenship. You sit it face to face with a Trinity examiner, and the whole exam lasts about 10 minutes.
What does Trinity give you for free?
Most of what you need comes from Trinity at no cost. From the Trinity site you can download the GESE specifications covering Grade 5, a guide and preparation booklet for candidates, a worksheet of preparation activities, and the exam discussion Topic Form, which you complete and take with you on the day. Trinity also puts its "How to prepare for GESE exams" webinar recordings on YouTube. The one Trinity resource you pay for is the Trinity GESE Study App, sold when you book your SELT or separately. See Trinity’s study help page for B1. Start there. Those are the only materials written by the people who set the exam.
How is the exam structured?
Grade 5 has two parts. In the Topic Phase you lead a discussion on a subject you have prepared in advance, presenting your ideas and answering the examiner’s follow-up questions. In the Conversation Phase the examiner chooses two of the official subject areas and talks with you about them. You are assessed on how naturally and accurately you can speak and listen, not on memorised answers.
What topics does it cover?
Two lists matter at Grade 5 and it is worth keeping them apart. The examiner picks the Conversation Phase subject areas from a fixed published list; you pick your own Topic Phase subject, and Trinity tells you not to take it from that same list. Both lists are set out in Trinity’s free GESE specifications, so read them there rather than trusting any third party, this page included. B1 Ready is not a syllabus. It gives you 12 topic areas to build spoken vocabulary and fluency on, chosen to cover the kinds of everyday subject people are asked about at this level:
- Festivals, Special Occasions, Music, Entertainment, Transport, Recent Experiences: everyday subjects a B1 conversation often turns to.
- Work & Jobs, Sports, Hobbies & Skills, Trips, Hometown & Living, Famous People: the kind of subject candidates commonly prepare to talk about at length.
What does B1 Ready add?
B1 Ready does not reprint Trinity’s material. It covers the part the free downloads leave to you, which is the hours of saying things out loud. There are 2,400 vocabulary cards grouped by the 12 topics, each with a definition, an example sentence and the Chinese meaning. There are 78 model conversations you slow down and repeat line by line. There is a plain-English guide to the format and the grading. There is no multiple-choice question bank, because Grade 5 has no multiple-choice paper. Everything works offline.
A complete study system, on one device
Complete exam guide
A free, plain-English guide to the Grade 5 format, the scoring criteria, and which topics score highest, with tips for every topic.
2,400 topic flashcards
Every card shows the English word, a clear definition, an example sentence and the Chinese meaning, so the words actually stick.
78 model conversations
Listen to natural model answers and repeat them line by line. Each lesson shows the English with a Chinese translation.
Slow-down playback
Slow the model audio down to catch every sound, then speed back up as your fluency grows.
Fully offline
The guide, all vocabulary and all audio ship with the app. Study anywhere, no connection, no account.
One-time unlock
A single purchase unlocks all 78 shadowing lessons. No subscription, ever.
What to look for in a B1 speaking app
| Complete exam guide | Yes, free |
|---|---|
| Topic vocabulary | 2,400 cards, with Chinese meanings |
| Shadowing conversations | 78, with model audio |
| Free lessons | First lesson in each of the 12 topics |
| Slow audio playback | Yes |
| Works fully offline, no account | Yes |
| Ads | None |
| Payment | One-time purchase (unlocks all shadowing) |
All 12 Grade 5 topics, ready to study
Each topic comes with its own vocabulary set and shadowing conversations, so you can prepare exactly what the examiner will ask about.
- Festivals
- Means of Transport
- Special Occasions
- Entertainment
- Music
- Recent Experiences
- Work & Jobs
- Sports
- Specific Hobbies & Skills
- Specific Trips
- Hometown & Living
- Famous People
Where the content comes from
Built from GOV.UK guidance on proving your English with a Secure English Language Test, and the Immigration Rules Appendix English Language, for the B1 speaking and listening requirement for settlement and citizenship (GOV.UK SELT guidance as published on 28 August 2026, with the Immigration Rules as in force in September 2026), the official public source, used under All practice content is original RiverMap Learning material. The exam facts on this page (what the test is for, its length, its shape and how it is graded) are stated in our own words from publicly documented format information, with the requirement itself taken from GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence v3.0. No Trinity College London or IELTS syllabus, subject-area list, task, sample paper, recording or study-app content is used as a source or reproduced. Exam format facts are not copyrightable.. View the official source .
Last checked against the source: 2026-09-20.
B1 Ready has no multiple-choice question bank, because the B1 test is spoken: a short one-to-one exam in two parts, a discussion of a topic you prepare in advance and a conversation with the examiner, with no written paper. The app ships 2,400 original vocabulary cards across 12 topic areas, 78 original model conversations for shadowing, and a plain-English guide to the format and the grading. The 12 topic areas are the app's own practice areas and are not presented as the exam's subject areas; for the subject areas the examiner may choose, read Trinity's own free specifications.
- 2026-09-20 Two changes. Source and accuracy block added, with the exam facts re-checked against the GOV.UK SELT guidance and the Immigration Rules Appendix English Language. And the topics section was corrected: it had presented five of the app's twelve topic areas as the exam's official conversation subject areas, and sorted a sixth into the wrong group, which would have led a candidate to prepare a Topic Phase subject the exam board tells you not to choose. All twelve are now described as what they are, the topics this app uses to practise, with candidates pointed at the exam board's own free specifications for the official list. This brings the page in line with the same correction made to A2 Ready on 4 August 2026.
- 2026-09-05 Page rewritten to answer the question candidates actually search for, with the free official preparation materials named and linked first.
- 2026-06-22 Page published with the app. Content built to CEFR B1 from the publicly documented format of the UK B1 SELT, 100 percent original, with no exam board material used as a source.
Common questions
How do I prepare for the GESE Grade 5 (B1) exam?
Start with Trinity’s own free materials. Download the GESE specifications for Grade 5, the guide and preparation booklet for candidates, and the preparation activities worksheet. Complete your exam discussion Topic Form early, because you choose the subject yourself and you have to take the form with you. After that the work is spoken practice: build the vocabulary for the subject areas and rehearse answers out loud until they come without effort. B1 Ready is built for that second half.
What is the Topic Form, and do I have to bring one?
The Topic Form is where you write down the subject you have prepared for the Topic Phase. Trinity tells candidates to download and complete one and take it to the exam. It is a free download from Trinity’s prepare pages, and Trinity also shows an example of a completed form. Choose a subject you can talk about for several minutes and that gives the examiner things to ask you about.
Do I have to buy the Trinity GESE Study App?
No. It is Trinity’s own paid app, sold when you book your SELT or separately, and nothing in the exam requires it. Trinity’s free downloads already cover the format, the level and the practice activities. B1 Ready is a separate independent app and is not connected to Trinity.
What level is Trinity GESE Grade 5?
Grade 5 maps to CEFR level B1. It is accepted as a Secure English Language Test (SELT) for speaking and listening, used for UK settlement (indefinite leave to remain) and citizenship applications.
What is free and what do I pay for?
The complete exam guide, all 2,400 vocabulary flashcards, and the first shadowing lesson in each of the 12 topics are free. A single one-time purchase of GBP 9.99 unlocks all 78 shadowing conversations. There is no subscription.
Is this the official Trinity exam or app?
No. B1 Ready is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Trinity College London or any government body. Only Trinity administers the real GESE exam.
Does the app really work offline?
Yes, completely. The exam guide, all vocabulary, all shadowing audio and your progress are stored on your device. After the initial download, no connection is ever required.
How do I restore my purchase on a new phone?
Install the app using the same Apple ID or Google account you bought it with, then tap "Restore Purchases" on the paywall. Apple and Google hold the purchase record, we never store it, because there are no servers and no accounts.
A guide to the B1 Ready: GESE Grade 5 (B1) English Exam Prep
Free, in-depth answers written from the same official sources the app is built on.
- B1 Ready Explained: GESE Grade 5 (B1) English Test
B1 Ready is an independent practice app for the Trinity GESE Grade 5 (B1) English speaking test, used for UK settlement and citizenship applications.
Walk into your exam ready to speak.
One purchase. Every lesson. Yours offline, forever.