I NTRODUCTI ON TO UCLES EFL " developing examinations
" interpreting examination results
UCLES EFL is a part of the University of Cambridge Local
" striving for fairness
Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which has provided
" informing examination takers.
examinations in English as a Foreign Language since 1913.
UCLES EFL offers an extensive range of Cambridge EFL
examinations, certificates and diplomas for learners and
The Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE)
teachers of English. Every year over 800,000 people take the
UCLES is a member of the Association of Language Testers in
Cambridge EFL examinations at centres in over 130
Europe (ALTE), which was formed in 1990. The members are
countries.
all providers of language examinations and certificates from
countries within Europe.
Cambridge EFL examinations can be taken by anyone whose
first language is not English. They are suitable for learners of
The principal objectives of ALTE are as follows:
all nationalities, whatever their first language and cultural
" to establish a framework of levels of proficiency in
background, and there are examinations suitable for learners
order to promote the transnational recognition of
of almost any age. The range of Cambridge EFL examinations
certification, especially in Europe
includes specialist examinations in Business English and
" to establish common standards for all stages of the
English for Academic Purposes, as well as tests for young
language testing process: i.e. for test development,
learners and a suite of certificates and diplomas for language
question and materials writing, test administration,
teachers.
marking and grading, reporting of test results, test
The examinations cover all the four language skills  analysis and reporting of findings
listening, speaking, reading and writing. They include a
" to collaborate on joint projects and in the exchange of
range of tasks which assess candidates ability to use English,
ideas and know-how.
so that in preparing for the examinations, candidates develop
the skills they need to make practical use of the language in
At the present stage of development of the framework,
a variety of contexts. Above all, what the Cambridge EFL
considerable agreement has been reached on the content
examinations assess is the ability to communicate effectively
definition of all five levels of proficiency. Further empirical
in English.
research is taking place.
UCLES EFL has around 150 specialist staff, responsible for all
For more information on ALTE or the five level system,
areas of the examination process, including:
please contact:
" question paper preparation
EFL Information Tel: [phone]
UCLES Fax: [phone]
" examination administration
1 Hills Road
" examination processing (marking, grading etc.)
Cambridge
" research and validation
CB1 2EU
" customer service and business support.
United Kingdom
UCLES EFL is committed to providing examinations of the
[e-mail]
highest possible quality. This commitment is underpinned by
an extensive programme of research and evaluation, and by
Information on ALTE can also be found on the ALTE website:
continuous monitoring of the marking and grading of all
www.alte.org
Cambridge EFL examinations. Of particular importance is the
rigorous set of procedures which are used in the production
The Production of EFL Question Papers
and pretesting of question papers, and these are described in
The production process for question papers for EFL
the following section.
examinations begins with the commissioning of material and
For UCLES EFL, user service concerns professional matters
ends with the printing of question papers.
such as the production of information for test users, e.g.
For the majority of EFL question papers there are five main
specifications, handbooks, sample materials, examination
stages in the production process:
reports, etc. It is also the responsibility of EFL staff to ensure
that obligations to test users are met, and that in this context
" commissioning
UCLES EFL examinations fulfil the Code of Practice
established by the Association of Language Testers in Europe " editing
(see below). This Code of Practice focuses on the
" pretesting
responsibilities of both examination providers and
" analysis and banking of material
examination users and covers four main areas:
" question paper construction.
This process can be represented in the diagram below: UCLES EFL employs teams of item writers to produce
examination material, and throughout the writing and editing
process strict guidelines are followed in order to ensure that
Commissioning of material the materials conform to the test specifications. Topics or
for question papers contexts of language use which might introduce a bias
against any group of candidates of a particular background
(i.e. on the basis of sex, ethnic origin, etc.) are avoided.
AB
After selection and editing, the items are compiled into
Pre-editing and editing
pretest papers. Pretesting plays a central role as it allows for
of material
questions and materials with known measurement
characteristics to be banked so that new versions of question
papers can be produced as and when required. The
pretesting process helps to ensure that all versions conform
Trial Pretest
to the test requirements in terms of content and level of
construction construction
difficulty.
Each pretest paper contains anchor items or is supplied to
candidates with an additional anchor test. The anchor items
Trialling Pretesting
Revision
are carefully chosen on the basis of their known
measurement characteristics, and their inclusion means that
all new items can be linked to a common scale of difficulty.
Trialling Item
Pretest papers are despatched to a wide variety of schools
Rejection
review analysis
and colleges which have offered to administer the pretests to
candidates of a suitable level. After the completed pretests
have been returned to the Pretesting Section of UCLES EFL, a
score for each student is provided to the centre within two
weeks of receiving the completed scripts. The items are
Materials Bank*
marked and analysed, and those which are found to be
suitable are banked.
Material for the productive components of the examinations
Question paper is trialled with candidates to assess its suitability for inclusion
construction in the Materials Bank.
*electronic bank for pretested materials
BACKGROUND TO BEC Examination Levels
The revised BEC suite is linked to the five ALTE/Cambridge
levels for language assessment, and to the Council of
UCLES EFL s Provision for testing Business Language
Europe s Framework for Modern Languages. It is also aligned
UCLES EFL offers two complementary products to cover a
with the UK Qualification and Curriculum Authority s
comprehensive range of Business Language testing needs.
National Standards for Literacy, within the National
Qualifications Framework (NQF).
The Business Language Testing Service (BULATS) is non-
certificated, and offers employers a quick, reliable and
BEC Equivalent Council of UK NQF Level
flexible method of assessing employees language skills.
Main Suite Europe Level
Exam
The Business English Certificates (BEC) are certificated
Certificate of C2
examinations which can be taken on six fixed dates per year
Proficiency in (ALTE level 5)
English (CPE)
at approved centres authorised for BEC. They are aimed
primarily at individual learners who wish to obtain a
BEC Higher Certificate in C1 Level 2*
Advanced (ALTE level 4)
business-related English language qualification, and provide
English (CAE)
an ideal focus for courses in Business English.
BEC Vantage First Certificate B2 Level 1
in English (ALTE level 3)
For more information about BULATS, please contact:
(FCE)
EFL information Tel: [phone]
BEC Preliminary B1 Entry 3
UCLES Fax: [phone]
Preliminary English Test (ALTE level 2)
(PET)
1 Hills Road email: [e-mail]
Cambridge www.bulats.org Key English A2
Test (ALTE level 1)
CB1 2EU
(KET)
UK
* This represents the level typically required for employment purposes to
History of BEC
signify the successful completion of compulsory secondary education in the
UK.
BEC was originally developed to meet a specific demand in
the Asia-Pacific region for tests of English language in a
business context. The tests were introduced there between
At all three BEC levels, the  business aspect of this
1993 and 1996. In line with UCLES EFL s policy of reviewing
examination affects the vocabulary, the types of texts
its tests at regular intervals, a review of BEC was begun in
selected and the situations presented in the tasks. In
1999. The result of this review and the subsequent revision
addition, as in the UCLES Main Suite exams, other skills,
process is Revised BEC, introduced in March 2002.
such as understanding the gist of a text or guessing
unfamiliar words in a listening situation, are tested.
Recognition
Recognition of BEC is increasing rapidly as a growing
The ALTE Can-do Project
number of companies are using the examination as a focus
A major ALTE project is underway to publish a series of  can-
for in-company training courses. A list of companies that use
do statements describing what language users are actually
the BEC examinations for a variety of purposes including
able to do in a particular language. Each of these statements
recruitment can be found on the BEC pages of the UCLES
will be plotted to one of the five levels of the ALTE
EFL website.
Framework.
Many universities in the United Kingdom recognise BEC
Statements are divided into three main subject areas: Social
Higher as a suitable entry requirement for international
& Tourist, Work and Study. Within each subject area there
students to business-related and other courses of study.
are sets of statements relating to the following skills:
Listening & Speaking, Reading, Writing.
Further information concerning recognition of the
examination is available from EFL Information at UCLES.
The Work statements are clearly linked to use of English in
business contexts. Social & Tourist and Study statements are
BEC Candidature
relevant to business people when they are in related social
situations or studying business or related subjects. Examples
In 2001 there were approximately 58,000 candidates for
follow of some of the statements for each level.
BEC in over 50 countries.
BEC Preliminary: Example  Can-do Statements
Listening/Speaking Reading Writing
Example " Can take and pass on " Can understand standard " Can write a non-routine
can-dos most messages that are types of letters such as orders, letter where this is restricted
likely to require attention complaints, appointments, to matters of fact
during a normal working day enquiries, etc. and pass these " Can write a report of a factual
" Can take part in a routine on to the appropriate person nature, but if the report is for
meeting or seminar on for action external consumption her/his work
familiar topics, exchanging " Can understand the will require checking and
factual information through general meaning of reports correcting
question and answer or dealing with, for example, " Can draft straightforward
through receiving instructions conditions and advice instructions, regulations, etc.
" Can express her/his own " Can understand instructions,
opinion, and present arguments procedures, etc. within own
to a limited extent job area
BEC Vantage: Example  Can-do Statements
Listening/Speaking Reading Writing
Example " Can give detailed information " Can understand " Can make notes that
can-dos and state detailed requirements correspondence expressed in are useful to both him/herself
within a familiar area of work non-standard language and to colleagues
" Can put his/her point across " Can, within a reasonably " Can write most letters
persuasively when talking, for short period of time, he/she is likely to be asked
example, about a familiar product understand most reports to do; such errors as occur
" When making requests can he/she is likely to come across will not prevent understanding
deal with unpredictable " Can understand the intention of the message.
replies and difficulties within of instructions etc. outside " Can write a simple report
her/his own immediate job area of a factual nature and
begin to evaluate, advise, etc.
BEC Higher: Example  Can-do Statements
Listening/Speaking Reading Writing
Example " Can ask questions outside own " Can understand most " Can handle a wide range
can-dos immediate area of work articles likely to be of routine and non-routine
" Can argue her/his case encountered during the situations in which professional
effectively, justifying, if necessary, course of her/his work services are requested from
a need for a service and including complex ideas colleagues or external contacts
specifying needs precisely expressed in complex " Can take reasonably accurate
" Can argue effectively for or discuss language notes during meetings
against a case, and has sufficient " Can write any type of letter
language to be able to talk about necessary in the course of her/his
most aspects of her/his work work
TOPI C AREAS Using the Answering the phone and making a phone
telephone call
Materials used in the BEC suite of examinations relate to the
Giving and interpreting numerical data,
areas of language use given below. The coverage of the
common abbreviations and acronyms
topics is spread across the four components of each
(as used in international business)
examination. In general terms, the topic areas are similar for
Exchanging information
each level, but a greater range of linguistic knowledge and
Taking messages
degree of skill are required as the levels progress. Note,
however, that certain topics will be more prevalent at certain Health and Understanding health and safety rules in
levels, e.g. socialising and personal details are areas of safety the workplace
language tested more at BEC Preliminary level. Discussing leisure activities, interests and
sports
TOPIC AREAS FUNCTIONS/COMMUNICATIVE TASKS
Producing instructions and notices
Personal Greeting people and responding to
identification greetings Buying and Understanding prices and delivery dates
Introducing oneself and other people selling Making and accepting offers
Asking for and giving personal details Making agreements
(name, occupation, etc.) Negotiating contracts
Asking about and describing jobs and
Company Presenting and describing company
responsibilities
structures, structures and processes
Asking about and describing a company
systems, Exchanging information on company
and its organisation
processes facilities
Completing forms with personal or
Understanding and explaining a
company details
company s production, ordering and
Understanding and writing letters which
delivery systems
give personal details
Understanding and explaining
Understanding and writing simple CVs
manufacturing processes
Understanding references
Understanding and describing processes
The office, Arranging and re-arranging appointments in one s company (including staff
general business and meetings selection, promotion, etc.)
environment Planning future events and tasks Asking about and explaining errors
and routine Confirming or changing plans
Products and Describing and presenting products
Asking for and giving permission
services Explaining how something works
Giving and receiving instructions
Asking for and giving information about a
Predicting and describing future
product or service
possibilities
Making comparisons, expressing opinions,
Asking for and giving opinions: agreeing
preferences, etc.
and disagreeing
Making and receiving complaints
Making, accepting and rejecting
Apologising and accepting apologies
suggestions or recommendations
Justifying decisions and past actions
Results and Describing and explaining company
Understanding records of meetings
achievements performance and results, trends, events
Understanding office communications
and changes
(reports, letters, memos, etc.)
Business issues Understanding and talking about general
Entertainment Discussing interests and leisure activities
business topics, such as management
of clients, Inviting, accepting and refusing offers and
skills, promotional strategies, training
free time, invitations
courses, business services, etc.
relationships Thanking and expressing appreciation
with colleagues Welcoming a foreign visitor
Other topic A number of other topic areas of general
and clients Talking about own region/country
areas interest, such as food and drink, education
Making, accepting and refusing offers
(training, courses), consumer goods,
shopping and prices, current events,
Travel and Making enquiries, reservations, orders and
places, weather, etc. may occur.
conference bookings
meetings Checking into and out of a hotel
Ordering a meal
Following directions
EXAM CONTENT: AN OVERVI EW
The BEC examinations cover the four language skills:
Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. In BEC
Preliminary, the tests of Reading and Writing are combined
on one question paper. In BEC Vantage and BEC Higher,
there are separate Reading and Writing papers.
The BEC Suite
The table below indicates the common characteristics and
variations at the different levels of the BEC suite.
BEC Preliminary BEC Vantage BEC Higher
Reading 7 parts/45 items 5 parts/45 items 6 parts/52 items
1 hr 1 hr
Writing 2 tasks 2 tasks 2 tasks
1 hr 30 minutes
Reading and Writing 45 minutes 1 hr 10 minutes
Listening 4 parts/30 items 3 parts/30 items 3 parts/30 items
about 40 minutes about 40 minutes about 40 minutes
including transfer time including transfer time including transfer time
Speaking 3 parts 3 parts 3 parts
12 minutes 14 minutes 16 minutes
2:2 format* 2:2 format* 2:2 format*
*2 examiners, 2 candidates (2:3 format used for the last group in a session where necessary)
Examiners refer to a General Mark Scheme which gives
ASSESSMENT
detailed descriptions of performance at each of five levels of
The methods of assessment used in the three BEC proficiency. In addition to this, a Task-specific Mark Scheme
examinations are the same in principle at each level. for each question gives guidance on the features an answer
should contain.
Reading and Listening
Speaking
All answers for these components are assessed simply as
right or wrong, with one mark available for each. Spelling The standard test format is two candidates and two
should be correct, though some minor spelling errors in the examiners: an assessor and an interlocutor.
listening test are tolerated at Preliminary and Vantage levels.
Each examiner marks a candidate s performance
Both British and American spellings are accepted.
independently. The interlocutor, who speaks to the
candidates, gives a single mark based on a global
Writing
achievement scale. The assessor gives four separate marks
Each Writing task is marked by a trained examiner. based on separate scales for grammar and vocabulary,
Examiners mark in teams, monitored by Team Leaders. Each discourse management, pronunciation and interactive
marking session is led by a Principal Examiner. communication.
GRADI NG AND RESULTS Special Consideration: UCLES EFL may give Special
Consideration to candidates affected by adverse
For each level of BEC, the individual papers total 120 marks,
circumstances immediately before or during an examination.
after weighting. Each skill (Reading, Writing, Listening,
Applications for Special Consideration are submitted by
Speaking) represents 25% of the total marks available.
centres and must be made within two weeks of the
examination date.
Grading takes place once all scripts have been returned to
UCLES and marking is complete. The grade boundaries (the
Malpractice: The Malpractice Committee will consider cases
minimum score needed to achieve each grade) are set using
where candidates are suspected of copying or collusion, or
the following information:
where other breaches of exam regulations are reported.
Results may be withheld pending further investigation.
" statistics on the candidature
Centres are notified if a candidate is suspected of
" statistics on the overall candidate performance malpractice.
" statistics on individual items, for those parts of the
examination for which this is appropriate (Reading and
Listening)
" the Principal Examiner s report on the performance of
ANSWER SHEETS
candidates on the writing tasks
Candidates record their answers to the Reading and Listening
" comparison with statistics from previous years
components on Answer Sheets designed to be machine read.
examination performance and candidature.
For the Reading component, candidates may, if they wish,
A candidate s overall grade is based on the total score gained
write the answers on their exam paper first, but must transfer
in all papers. It is not necessary to achieve a satisfactory
those answers to their Answer Sheet before the end of the
level in each paper in order to pass the examination.
test.
For BEC Preliminary, results are reported as two passing
For the Listening test, candidates write on their exam papers
grades (Pass with Merit and Pass) and two failing grades
as they listen. When the final task ends they are allowed an
(Narrow Fail and Fail). This follows the reporting model used
extra ten minutes to transfer answers to their Answer Sheet.
by the UCLES EFL General English test at the equivalent level
(PET).
A soft or medium pencil must be used for recording marks
on Answer Sheets. If an answer needs to be changed, an
For BEC Vantage and BEC Higher, results are reported as
eraser should be used.
three passing grades (A, B and C) and two failing grades (D
and E). This follows the reporting model used by the UCLES
Where questions require candidates to choose an option,
EFL General English tests at the equivalent level (FCE and
answers are recorded by shading one of the lozenges on the
CAE).
Answer Sheet. Where the production of a word or phrase is
required, candidates write each letter (or numeral,
For all levels of BEC, candidates receive statements of results
punctuation mark, etc.) in a separate box on the Answer
which, in addition to their grades, show a graphical profile
Sheet. Each letter should be written as a CAPITAL.
of their performance in each skill. These are shown against
the scale Exceptional  Good  Borderline  Weak, and
For BEC Preliminary, answers for the Writing component are
indicate the candidate s relative performance in each skill.
also written on an Answer Sheet, although these Answer
Statements of results are issued through centres
Sheets have lines rather than individual boxes for candidates
approximately seven weeks after the examination.
responses. Answers for the Writing component are marked
Certificates are issued to passing candidates approximately
by examiners, and candidates write in normal handwriting.
four weeks after the issue of statements of results. There is no
limit on the validity of the certificate.
For BEC Vantage and BEC Higher, answers for the Writing
component are written on normal lined paper.
Special Circumstances
Answer Sheets are reproduced in this handbook within the
Special Circumstances covers three main areas: Special
detailed guide to each test.
Arrangements, Special Consideration and Malpractice.
Special Arrangements: These are available for candidates
with a long-term disability such as hearing/sight impairment,
dyslexia or a speech impediment, or short-term difficulties
such as a broken arm. They may include extra time, separate
accommodation or equipment, Braille transcription, etc. Consult
the UCLES Local Secretary in your area for more details.
SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS
Past Papers
Past examination papers, which can be used for practice, are
available from UCLES EFL. A charge is made for these. If you
require an order form, please see www.cambridge-
efl.org/support/pubs/ or contact EFL Information at UCLES
([e-mail]).
Please note that Past Papers taken before 2002 reflect the
previous syllabus.
Seminars for Teachers
UCLES offers a wide range of seminars designed for teachers
preparing candidates for EFL examinations, including BEC.
Please contact the Business Support Group at UCLES (ext.
3759) for further details.
Course Material
Various coursebooks and practice materials are available
from publishers.
Please note that UCLES does not undertake to advise on text
books or courses of study.
A wide range of information on all UCLES EFL examinations
is available on the Internet at www.cambridge-efl.org
EXAMI NATI ON DATES 2002
Session 1
BEC Preliminary Thursday 14 March
BEC Vantage Friday 15 March
BEC Higher Saturday 16 March
Session 2
BEC Preliminary Saturday 25 May
BEC Vantage Saturday 1 June
BEC Higher Saturday 18 May
Session 3
BEC Preliminary Wednesday 5 June
BEC Vantage Thursday 6 June
BEC Higher Tuesday 4 June
Session 4
BEC Preliminary Friday 19 July
BEC Vantage Saturday 20 July
BEC Higher Thursday 18 July
Session 5
BEC Preliminary Wednesday 20 November
BEC Vantage Thursday 21 November
BEC Higher Tuesday 19 November
Session 6
BEC Preliminary Saturday 23 November
BEC Vantage Saturday 7 December
BEC Higher Saturday 30 November
Special timetable arrangements may apply for candidates at
centres in the UK.
The Speaking test takes place on a date of the centre s
choosing within a window period specified by UCLES.
BEC CONTACTS AT UCLES
Contact the EFL Liaison Officer (Ext. 3820) about:
" Centre approval and BEC authorisation
Contact the Specialised Exams Group (Ext. 3126) about:
" the content of BEC
" the method of assessment
Contact the Publications Department (Ext. 3265) about:
" past papers
Contact the EFL Information (Ext. 3822) about:
" publicity material
" sample material
Contact the Business Support Group (Ext. 3489) about:
" recognition of BEC
Contact the Entries Unit (Ext. 3454) about:
" exam entries
Contact the Results Unit (Ext. 3477) about:
" exam results
Contact the Examiners Unit (Ext. 3575) about:
" Oral Examiner visit arrangements for UK centres
Contact the Finance Department (Ext. 3244) about:
" exam fees
Contact the Special Circumstances Unit (Ext. 3276) about:
" applications for special arrangements
Our address is:
UCLES EFL
1 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB1 2EU
United Kingdom
Tel: + 44 1223 553355
Fax: + 44 1223 460278
email: [e-mail]
www.cambridge-efl.org