Business English Certificate

UCLES EFL's Provision for Testing Business Language:

UCLES EFL offers two complementary products to cover a comprehensive range of Business Language testing needs. The Business Language Testing Service (BULATS) is non certificate, and offer employers a quick, reliable, and flexible method of assessing employees language skills. The Business English Certificate (BEC) are certificated examinations which can be taken on six fixed dates per year at approved centres authorised for BEC.They are aimed primarily at individual learners who wish to obtain a business-related English language qualification, and provide an idea focus for courses in Business English.
For more information about BULATS, please contact:

EFL information Tel: +44 1223 553822
UCLES Fax: +44 1223 460278
1 Hills Road E-mail: bulats@ucles.org.uk
Cambridge www.bulats.org
CB1 2EU
UK

Recognition:

Recognition of BEC is increasing rapidly as a growing number of companies are using the examination as a focus for in-company training courses.A list of companies that use the BEC examinations for the variety of purposes including recruitment can be found on the BEC pages of the UCLES EFL website.

Many Universities in the United Kingdom recognise BEC Higher as a suitable entry requirement for requirement for international students to business-related and other courses of study. Further information concerning recognition of the examination is available from EFL information at UCLES.
BEC Candidature

In 2001 there were approximately 58,000 candidates for BEC in over 50countries.

Examination Levels

The revised BEC suite is linked to the five ALTE/Cambridge levels for language assessment, and to the Council of Europe's Framework for the Modern Languages. It is also aligned with the UK Qualification and Curriculum Authority's National Standards of literacy,within the National Qualification Framework (NQF).

BEC

Equivalent Main Suites Exam

Council of Europe Level

UK NQF Level

Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)

C2 (ALTE level 5)

BEC Higher

Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)

C1 (ALTE level 4 )

Level 2*
BEC Vantage

First Certificate in English (FCE)

B2 (ALTE level 3 )

Level 1
BEC

Preliminary Preliminary English Test( PET )

B1 (ALTE level 2 )

Entry 3

Key English Test (KET)

A2 (ALTE level 1 )

*This represents the level typically required for employment purposes to signify the successful completion of compulsory secondary education in the UK.

* At all three BEC levels,the 'business' aspect of this examination affects the vocabulary, the types of texts selected and the situations presented in the tasks. In addition, as in the UCLES Main Suites exams, other skills, such as understanding the gist of a text or guessing unfamiliar words in listening situation, are tested.

The ALTE Can-Do Project

A major ALTE project is underway to publish a series of 'can do' statements describing what language users are actually able to to do in a particular language.Each of these statements will be plotted to one of the five level of the ALTE Framework.

Statements are divided into three main subject areas: Social & Tourist, Work & Study.Within each subject area there are sets of statements relating to the following skills:Listening & Speaking,Reading ,Writing.

The Work statements are clearly linked to use of English in Business contexts. Social & Tourist and Study statements are relevant to business people when they are in related social situations or studying business or related subjects.Examples follow of some of the the statements for each level.

BEC Preliminary : Example 'Can-do' Statements

Listening/Speaking

* Can take and pass on most messages that are likely to require attention during a normal working day.
* Can take part in a routine meeting or seminar on familiar topics, exchanging factual information through question and answer or through receiving instructions.
* Can express her/his own opinion, and present arguments to a limited extent

Reading

* Can understand standard tpes of letter such as orders, complaints, appointments, enquiries,etc.and pass these on to the appropriate person for action.
* Can understand the general meaning of reports dealing with, for example, conditions and advice.
* Can understand instructions, procedures, etc.within own job area.

Writing

* Can write a non-routine letter where this is restricted to matters of fact
Can write a report of a factual nature,but if the report is for external consumption her/his work will require checking and correcting
Can draft straight forward instructions, regulation, etc.

BEC Vantage : Example 'Can-do' Statements

Listening/Speaking

* Can give detailed information and state detailed requirements within a familiar area of work.
* Can put his/her point across persuasively when talking, for example, about a familiar product.
* When making requests can deal with unpredictable replies and difficulties within her/his own immediate job area.

Reading

* Can understand correspondence expressed in non-standard language.
* Can, within a reasonably short period of time, understand most reports he/she is likely to come across.
* Can understand the intentionof instruction etc.outside of a factual nature and begin to evaluate, advise, etc.

Writing

* Can make notes that are useful to both him/herself and to colleagues.
* Can write most letters he/she is likely to be asked to do;such errors and prevent understanding of the message.
* Can write simple report.

BEC Higher : Example 'Can-do' Statements
Listening/Speaking

* Can ask questions outside own immediate area of work.
* Can argue her/his case effectively, justifying, if necessary, a need for a service and specifying needs precisely.
* Can argue effectively for or discuss againts a case,and has sufficient language to be able to talk about most aspects of her/his work.

Reading

* Can undertand most articles likely to be encountered during the course of her/his work including complex ideas expressed in complex language.

Writing

* Can handle wide-range of routine and non-routine situations in which professional services are requested from colleague or external contacts.
* Can take reasonably accurate notes during meetings.
* Can write any type of letter necessary in the course of her/his work.

History of BEC

BEC was Originally developed to meet a specific demand in the Asia-Pasific region for test of English language in a business context. The tests were introduced there between 1993 and 1996.In line with UCLES EFL's policy of reviewing its tests at regular intervals, a review of BEC was begun in 1999.The result of this review and the subsequent revision process is Revised BEC, introduced in March 2002.

NOTE: KOLEJ FAJAR reserve the right to change the information, programme structure and fees structure without prior notice.

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