|
|
|
|
|
|
General English |
|
|
|
|
|
English for Children & Teenagers |
|
|
|
|
World of Work |
|
|
|
Certificates for Teachers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
More than ever, a good knowledge of English is needed to succeed in international business and commerce. If you can show you have relevant language skills you'll have a great advantage in the jobs market and much greater flexibility if you want to work abroad.
An internationally recognised business qualification can help you show that you have learned English to an appropriate standard and can use it in a professional context. |
There are three BEC exams - BEC Preliminary, BEC Vantage, BEC Higher - which test English language ability used in the context of business. They are ideal if you are preparing for a career in business.
The BEC exams are linked to the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and to the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's National Standards for Literacy, within the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
What does BEC involve? |
|
BEC assesses all four language skills - reading, writing, listening and speaking - in a business context.
BEC has three levels (Preliminary, Vantage, Higher) providing a progression of English language proficiency from intermediate to effective operational proficiency, all linked to global language standards.
|
|
Recognition
BEC is officially recognised by more than a thousand educational organisations, employers, ministries, government bodies and professional organisations throughout the world as a suitable qualification for business use.
Leading international companies such as Sony Ericsson, Shell, Vodafone, Bayer, Coca-Cola and HSBC have all recognised BEC in their offices around the world.
. |
|
BEC Preliminary:
- Reading and Writing: 1 hour 30 minutes.
The BEC Preliminary Reading and Writing paper has seven parts for reading and two tasks for writing. There are different types of text and questions.
- Listening: about 40 minutes, including 10 minutes' transfer time.
The BEC Preliminary Listening paper has four parts. For each part you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice.
- Speaking: 12 minutes per pair of candidates.
The BEC Preliminary Speaking test has three parts and you take it together with another candidate. There are two examiners. One of the examiners talks to you and the other examiner listens and takes notes.
BEC Vantage:
- Reading: 1 hour.
The BEC Vantage Reading paper has five parts and different types of text and questions. Texts may be from newspapers and magazine articles, reports, fiction, advertisements, letters, messages, brochures, guides, manuals, etc. In one Part you may have to read one long text or two or more shorter, related texts.
- Writing: 45 minutes.
In the two Parts of the BEC Vantage Writing paper, you have to show that you can write different types of text in English.
- Listening: about 40 minutes including 10 minutes transfer time.
The BEC Vantage Listening paper has three parts. For each part you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice.
- Speaking: 14 minutes per pair of candidates.
The BEC Vantage Speaking test has three parts and you take it together with another candidate. There are two examiners. One of the examiners conducts the test and the other examiner listens to what you say and takes notes.
BEC Higher:
- Reading: 1 hour.
The BEC Higher Reading paper has six parts with different types of text and questions. You may have to read one long text or two or more shorter, related texts.
- Writing: 1 hour 10 minutes.
In the two Parts of the BEC Higher Writing paper, you have to show that you can write different types of text in English.
- Listening: about 40 minutes including 10 minutes transfer time.
The BEC Higher Listening paper has three parts. For each part you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice.
- Speaking: 16 minutes per pair of candidates.
The BEC Higher Speaking test has three parts and you take it together with another candidate. There are two examiners. One of the examiners (the interlocutor) conducts the test and the other examiner (the assessor) listens to what you say and takes notes.
|
|
Results
A single, overall grade is awarded, based on the aggregate of marks gained in the four components (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking). There are no Pass/Fail marks for individual papers, so you do not need to reach a particular level in any component in order to achieve a Pass in the examination. You will also receive a Statement of Results which shows your performance in each paper against the scale Exceptional - Good - Borderline - Weak. The report will indicate your relative performance in each skill. If you pass, you will be awarded a certificate from Cambridge English Language Assessment.
Once awarded, Cambridge English: Bussiness certificates are valid for life.
|
 Registration for the BEC sessions
You will find information about registration for the BEC exams on our contact page. Candidates can also register on-line on this web site.
BEC Exam Sessions |
|
Exam |
Exam date |
Final entry date |
Fees |
Preliminary |
Friday 13 December 2013 |
6 December |
95.50 € |
Vantage |
174 € |
Higher |
185 € |
| |
|
Late registration and cancellations
A late registration fee of 40 € per candidate will be charged for entries received after the end of the registration period. In the case of late entries space is subject to availability. If a candidate is unable to attend an exam session on medical grounds, a 24 € administration fee will be retained by the centre and the remainder of the fees will be returned to the candidate. No refund will be made for any other reason.
Special arrangements for candidates
Cambridge English provides a Special Arrangements service for some candidates, for example those with learning difficulties, hearing difficulties or visual difficulties.
For further information on the services we provide, click the links on the left or below:
Learning difficulties
Hearing or speaking difficulties
Visual difficulties
We also have information on the range of modified materials that can be provided for candidates with special requirements.
IMPORTANT
In order to avoid spelling mistakes on exam certificates, please make sure that candidates' names and surnames are spelt correctly and that you have included their date of birth. The centre cannot accept responsibility for spelling mistakes or missing accents on final certificates. Schools registering groups of students should provide us with their name, address, email and telephone number so that we can issue results directly to the school.
|
|
|
|
|
|
