Why by topic, not A to Z: the exam serves vocabulary in topics — a reading text about commuting, a speaking task about technology — so words learned in topic clusters arrive together when you need them. And learn the collocation, not the word: the exam tests “do a degree” and “heavy traffic”, not “degree” and “traffic” in isolation.
Work & education
| Word / phrase | Collocation in action |
|---|---|
| apply for | apply for a job / a place at university |
| qualification | gain a qualification · have the right qualifications |
| experience | gain work experience · lack experience (uncountable!) |
| deadline | meet a deadline · miss a deadline |
| colleague | get on well with colleagues |
| salary | earn a good salary · a rise in salary |
| degree | do a degree in economics · graduate with a degree |
| training | receive training · a training course |
| employer / employee | a demanding employer · a full-time employee |
| career | pursue a career · a career in medicine (not “make career”) |
Travel & environment
| Word / phrase | Collocation in action |
|---|---|
| journey / trip | a long journey · a business trip (journey = the travelling, trip = the whole visit) |
| destination | a popular tourist destination |
| accommodation | book accommodation (uncountable) |
| catch / miss | catch the last train · miss a connection |
| pollution | reduce air pollution · a major source of pollution |
| climate change | tackle climate change · the effects of climate change |
| renewable | renewable energy sources |
| waste | reduce waste · recycle household waste |
| crowded | a crowded beach · get crowded in summer |
| abroad | travel abroad · live abroad (no “to”) |
Relationships & media
| Word / phrase | Collocation in action |
|---|---|
| get on with | I get on really well with my flatmates |
| fall out with | They fell out with each other over money |
| close | a close friend · we're very close |
| trust | earn someone's trust · trust someone completely |
| argument | have an argument · win an argument |
| headline | front-page headlines · hit the headlines |
| audience | attract a wide audience |
| broadcast | broadcast live · a live broadcast |
| social media | post on social media · a social media platform |
| influence | have a strong influence on young people |
Health & technology
| Word / phrase | Collocation in action |
|---|---|
| keep fit | keep fit by cycling to work |
| balanced diet | eat a balanced diet |
| injury | suffer an injury · recover from an injury |
| treatment | receive treatment · an effective treatment for |
| prescription | get a prescription from the doctor |
| device | a hand-held device · charge a device |
| download / upload | download an app · upload a video |
| connection | a stable internet connection · lose the connection |
| breakthrough | a scientific breakthrough |
| out of date | my laptop is hopelessly out of date |
How to actually memorise this list
- Space it. Ten words a day revisited after one day, three days and a week beats forty words once. Any flashcard app with spaced repetition does the scheduling for you.
- Use it or lose it. The fastest way to own a collocation is to put it in your own sentence — which is what the writing tasks are for. Work this week’s ten words into a B2 writing task and Felix’s marking will tell you whether you used them naturally.
- Say them aloud. Words you have spoken come back faster under pressure than words you have only read — the Part 2 photo drills are a natural place to deploy descriptive vocabulary.
- Learn families, not singles. Each new word is four: employ, employer, employment, unemployed — see the word formation patterns, which turn one learned root into a whole Part 3 answer set.
Where this list connects
The single biggest gap in most candidates’ vocabulary is not single words at all — it is phrasal verbs, which Use of English Parts 1 and 2 test relentlessly; that list is this one’s natural second half. Grammar structures live in the FCE grammar topics guide, exam terminology in the glossary, and the whole exam in the complete B2 First preparation guide.