English Exams

BEC Vantage

What is the BEC Vantage test like?

There are four parts to the BEC tests: speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Reading - 60 minutes, 45 questions / 1 hour

Candidates are tested on the five tasks: multiple choice, matching, sentence level gap-filling, multiple choice gap-filling and error identification.

1. part 1 - matching 7 sentences to four short texts
2. part 2 - text with sentences missing
3. part 3 - text with multiple choice questions
4. part 4 - text with multiple choice gaps
5. part 5 - Identification of additional unnecessary words in text

Writing - 2 tasks , 45 minutes

Candidates are tested on two tasks, both of which are compulsory.
Candidates are to produce a piece of internal office communication (40 – 50 words), and a short report, proposal or business correspondence (120 words). This is based on the Reading input.

Listening - 40 minutes, 30 questions

There are three task types: gap-filling or note completion, matching and multiple choice. Students are exposed to a variety of texts including monologues, dialogues, interviews, discussions, telephone conversations and messages.

1. part 1 - note completion, 3 short passages
2. part 2 - matching
3. part 3 - multiple choice

Speaking - interview, normally with another candidate, 15 minutes

Candidates are examined in pairs by two external examiners. Students are to give a mini-presentation, take part in a collaborative task with the other candidate and take part in a discussion.

The topic areas include the following:

- Personal identification
- The office, general business environment and routine
- Entertainment of clients, free time, relationships with colleagues and clients
- Travel and conference meetings
- Using the telephone
- Health and safety
- Buying and selling
- Company structures, systems, processes
- Products and services
- Results and achievements
- Business issues

A business background is an advantage, but not essential for BEC. Additional course themes may include:

International trade
Meeting and negotiation skills
Teamwork & team-building
Human resources
Stock market
E-business and E-commerce

Business Grammar

http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/bgp/ebgp/


FCE & CAE

http://www.pearsonlongman.com/gold

Downloads and other links

http://www.pdfebooksdownloads.com

http://www.pdf4me.net

http://www.cambridge-efl.org/exam/index.cfm

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk

http://www.world-english.org

http://www.englishlearner.com