Reading - Signs & Notices
B1
Cambridge English B1 Exam
Look at the text of each sign. What does it suggest? Select the option that best captures the meaning of the sign.
Train Station Dress Code Signs
Sign 1
For safety, you must wear shoes in the station. Bare feet are not permitted on platforms.
What does this sign suggest?
Bare feet are permitted on platforms if you wear shoes in the station.
You should wear shoes only when you get on the train, not in the station.
You have to keep your feet covered while you are in the station, especially on the platforms.
Sign 2
No shirts, no service. Passengers must wear a top inside the ticket office and waiting room.
What does the text say?
Passengers must wear a top only in the waiting room, not in the ticket office.
You should bring a spare shirt because the station sells tops inside the ticket office.
You cannot be served here unless you are wearing a shirt or other top.
Sign 3
High-visibility vests must be worn in the maintenance area. Passengers are not allowed beyond this gate.
What does this sign suggest?
Passengers are allowed beyond this gate if they wear a high-visibility vest.
You should wear a high-visibility vest anywhere in the station, even in the café.
Only staff wearing safety vests may enter this area; passengers must stay out.
Sign 4
Skates and rollerblades are not permitted in the station building. Please change into normal shoes before entry.
What does the text say?
You must not enter the station wearing skates; you need to put on regular shoes first.
You should bring skates to the station because there is a special skating area inside.
Skates and rollerblades are permitted in the station building if you enter carefully.
Sign 5
Face coverings must be worn during busy hours (7–9 a.m., 4–6 p.m.). You may remove them at other times.
What does this sign suggest?
Face coverings must be worn at other times, not during busy hours (7–9 a.m., 4–6 p.m.).
You have to wear a face covering at certain times of day, but it is optional outside those hours.
You should wear a face covering only if you are travelling to another city.
About Reading Signs & Notices — Cambridge English B1
This Cambridge English B1 Reading Signs & Notices exercise shows short public messages — signs, labels, emails and notes. For each one, choose the option that best explains its meaning.
It tests your understanding of everyday English and the real purpose behind short, functional messages you meet in daily life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Reading Signs & Notices?
You read a short message such as a sign, label or note and choose the option that best explains what it means or wants you to do.
What does it test?
Understanding the purpose and meaning of short, real-world English messages.
Any tips for Signs & Notices?
Ask yourself who wrote the message and why — the correct option matches its real purpose, not just individual words in it.
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What to do
This part of the reading test consists of five images with messages. Each image has 3 possible answer options. What does the notice say?
Read the notices and messages first. Don’t look at the choices until you understand the texts.
Compare each option with the text before choosing your answer. Remember that the wrong, answers might seem to be correct at first, so it is important to read the chosen option again to check that the meanings match.
Strategy
- Read the text and decide what situation it could appear in.
- Look at the images, the design often suggests the correct answer.
- Read the three options.
- Compare each option with the text before choosing an answer.
- Read the chosen option again to be sure it is a right answer.