The Computer Test lasts about 45-60 minutes or there is an option of 75 minutes.
The Standard Test (on paper) lasts 110 minutes.
The Speaking Test lasts about 12 minutes.
The Writing Test lasts 45 minutes.

More and more companies are working in partnership with companies from other countries - whether this is the result of mergers, take-overs, joint ventures, closer supplier/distributor chain relationships, or other types of relationship. Communication is essential for effective and efficient working practices, and it is vital that the same standards of language skill are used across these international partnerships. What companies need these days is a single system of describing different levels of language ability. And this single system should not just apply for one language, but for a whole range of key languages.

Most companies do not have the time or expertise to establish a framework of standards in language ability in their own company, and they would certainly find it very difficult to link these to standards used by other companies they work with. What is needed is a properly researched, relevant and internationally accepted framework of levels which any company in the world can relate to, whatever their particular needs.

ALTE (the Association of Language Testers in Europe) has been working for many years on establishing such a framework for all European languages. There is no system in the world with the same depth and breadth to its framework. For example, with the ALTE Framework, a multinational company in France can apply the same standards of language skill for workers coming to the French headquarters and need French, for their staff who work in international business and need English, and for their staff who are frequently communicating with their Argentinian suppliers and so need Spanish.

BULATS is the only system in the world that can provide this single system in such a reliable and practical way.

There is no official minimum time lapse requirement before a candidate re-sits a BULATS test. However, we advise clients not to put candidates through the test again until they have been through at least 100 hours of training over a period of more than 3 months. This is because BULATS is not designed to pick small improvements in ability. If a candidates re-sits the test after a short period, s/he may get the same score or may even get a lower score.

Occasionally, candidates request to re-sit the test because they felt they underachieved significantly the first time round – because of illness or misunderstanding what was required of them, or some other reason. This is a different situation, since the purpose of the second test is not to pick up any improvements in a short period. Therefore we would not particularly advise against this – though the client may, of course, not want to allow candidates this option.

Measure of reliability
An estimate of the test’s reliability gives an indication of how far a difference in score on a test is significant and not just the result of chance. The most common estimate of reliability for this type of test is the alpha coefficient, a figure between 0 and 1, where a value close to one indicates high reliability. BULATS tests have alpha coefficients over 0.9, which conforms to accept international standards of reliability for tests of this kind.

Margins of error
For BULATS, one can be confident that a Band 3 is clearly distinct from a Band 5. With contiguous levels, e.g. 3 and 4, there will be an element of uncertainty around the cut score. The standard error of measurement (SEM) for BULATS tests is about 4 points on the scale for the overall test result (0-100). We would therefore recommend that, when clients are making important decisions on the basis of these scores alone, they should allow a margin of 5 points on either side of any benchmark levels for the final overall score.

As a general guideline, and assuming that the executive needs to operate independently in a typical range of managerial tasks, we would advise that the learner should be Level 3 or better, preferably with a minimum of Level 4. This would almost certainly apply to speaking skills as well, though it may not apply to writing skills in all cases, e.g. where the manager only has a need to write short note-like emails. If this is applied to the listening result, Level 4 would be indicted by 75-89 on the scale of 100.

However, a more accurate answer would depend on the tasks involved and the degree of independence and responsibility the executive has in those tasks. Some examples of the types of task that we distinguish from the point of view of language level are:

• Requesting work-related services
• Providing work-related services
• Participating in meetings and seminars
• Following a demonstration
• Giving a presentation
• Understanding correspondence
• Writing faxes, letters, etc
• Understanding reports, journals, etc
• Understanding notices and instructions
• Taking phone messages
• Making outgoing phone calls
• Making travel and hotel arrangements

With more precise information about the tasks and responsibilities of the executive, it is possible to give a more precise and useful answer.