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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
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Are you interested in sitting a Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) exam and need information? Look at our list of Frequently Asked Questions. For further queries please contact us at exams@britishcouncil.fr
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DO I HAVE TO ATTEND A PREPARATION COURSE? |
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No, attending a preparation course is not obligatory.
We recommend, however, that candidates prepare well for an exam.
The British Council and many other language schools offer special preparation courses for some of the Cambridge ESOL examinations. Find out more from our Teaching Centre . |
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DOES THE BRITISH COUNCIL OFFER LANGUAGE COURSES? |
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WHERE CAN I FIND EXAM PREPARATION MATERIALS? |
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WHICH CAMBRIDGE ESOL EXAM SHOULD I TAKE AND
HOW IS MY EXAM MARKED? |
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If you want to find out more about your level, you can take a short online test on the Cambridge official website or have a look at the information on the Cambridge ESOL Site . You can also have a look at the sample tests available on the resources section of Cambridge ESOL Site . Don’t forget to talk to your English teacher for advice.
For the KET and PET exams, you will receive a Pass with Merit or a Pass. If you take the FCE CAE CPE or the BEC exams, you will receive an A, B or a C mark (pass levels); for the ILEC and ICFE exams, you will receive a Pass C1 or a B2 level (Common European Framework levels). For all these exams, your mark is also expressed as a percentage. In all cases you will get further relevant information on your Statement of Results which you can access online about eight weeks after your exam.
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DO I NEED TO TAKE THE KET BEFORE TAKING THE PET AND SO ON? |
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No you can take the exam you believe is the most suitable for you. |
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I HAVE FAILED MY EXAM, CAN I APPLY FOR IT AGAIN? |
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Yes, you can. You can register for an exam as many times as you wish. |
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MAY I USE A DICTIONARY DURING THE EXAM? |
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No, neither a dictionary nor any other material may be used in the examination. |
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HOW CAN I APPLY FOR THE EXAM? |
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If you want to take the exam in Paris, you can visit our Exams calendar section download the registration form and send it to us along with your payment. If you want to take the exam in some other location, you can have a look at the list of the Cambridge ESOL centres in France , or in other countries . |
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HOW CAN I PAY THE EXAM FEE? |
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You can pay the exam fee by sending a cheque made payable to The British Council along with your registration form. Exceptionally, we can take cash (only the correct amount) or bank transfers.
We currently cannot accept payments by credit card.
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CAN I CANCEL OR TRANSFER MY REGISTRATION? |
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Once registered with Cambridge ESOL, i.e. after the registration deadline, no refund, transfer, rescheduling or change in the examination level is possible. However if a candidate cannot attend the exam for medical reasons, a 50 % refund can be made provided we receive a medical certificate and the bank details within 5 days after the exam session. |
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CAN ARRANGEMENTS BE MADE FOR CANDIDATES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS? |
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Cambridge ESOL endeavours to provide equal opportunities to candidates with special needs, such as hearing or visual difficulties or physical handicaps. Special arrangements include for example question papers in Braille for candidates with visual difficulties; or with enlarged print or special recordings for candidates with hearing difficulties. For further information, have a look at the special circonstances section of Cambridge ESOL Site. Please contact us at least three months before the chosen date of your exam so we can find the right solution for you. |
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WHEN DO I RECEIVE THE RESULTS? |
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Results are available online to all candidates approximately eight weeks after the exam. We will give you all the necessary information in your notification letter or on the day of your exam. |
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HOW TO UNDERSTAND MY RESULTS? |
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Please have a look at the Cambridge ESOL Site where you will find relevant information to understand your results for all exams. |
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WHEN AND HOW CAN I GET MY CERTIFICATE? |
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On the day of the exam, candidates are told when they can come to the British Council to pick up their diplomas (usually 3 months after the exam). Private candidates also have the choice of sending us a cheque for € 6 to receive their diplomas at home by registered post. School candidates must collect their diplomas from their teacher. |
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HOW LONG IS MY CERTIFICATE VALID? |
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Certificates do not have a limited period of validity and therefore remain valid indefinitely. The language certificates are widely known and recognised internationally . |
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CAN I ACCESS MY EXAMINATION PAPERS TO CHECK MY MISTAKES? |
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No, since all examination papers are sent to Cambridge ESOL in the UK. The answer sheets and other materials which you filled out as part of the exam remain the property of Cambridge ESOL and cannot be passed on to candidates, schools nor examination centres. |
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WHAT ARE THE REGULATIONS FOR EXAM REGISTRATIONS BY SCHOOLS? |
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We can group registrations for secondary schools, language schools and other educational institutions. We need a single group list and fees must be paid together. Please contact us. |
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WE ARE A SCHOOL / INSTITUTION, CAN WE ORGANISE THE EXAMS ON OUR PREMISES? |
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Yes. There is a minimum number of 25 candidates in order to organise an exam on your premises. Please contact us . |
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WHEN IS MY REGISTRATION CONFIRMED? |
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When we have received your registration form and your payment, we will send you a “Statement of Entry” note by e-mail. |
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WHEN DO I GET INFORMATION ABOUT MY EXAM? |
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A notification letter with the exact time, date and the location of the exam will be sent to you one month prior to the exam. If this is not the case, please contact us as soon as possible. |
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I HAVE MISSED ONE PART OF MY EXAM, WILL I RECEIVE A GRADE? |
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According to the Cambridge ESOL regulations, individual paper performance is not given to those candidates with grade X (absent from part of the examination), or grade Z (absent from all of the examination). |
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CAN I SIT SEVERAL CAMBRIDGE ESOL EXAMS DURING THE SAME SESSION? |
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Yes you can if the written parts do not take place on the same day but please mention it on your registration form so we will not schedule your speaking on the same day as your other exam. |
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WHERE WILL MY EXAM TAKE PLACE? IN PARIS? |
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The exam can take place at the British Council or in an examination centre in Paris, which is always accessible by metro or RER. All location details will be on your notification letter. |
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I AM NOT AVAILABLE ON SOME OF THE DAYS INCLUDED IN THE SPEAKING DATE WINDOW; CAN I REGISTER FOR THE EXAM? |
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If you mention it on your registration form, we will try to do our best not to schedule your speaking on the days you aren’t available. However, please note that we cannot guarantee this, so it is up to you whether to register or not.
If we were not able to reschedule your speaking on another date, no refund would be possible.
Please also note that the written parts of the examination take place on a fixed and set date which cannot be changed.
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I LOST MY CERTIFICATE, WHAT CAN I DO? |
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Certificates are unique; therefore Cambridge ESOL cannot issue a duplicate however you can request a Certifying Statement. |
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HOW CAN I CONTACT THE EXAMS TEAM? |
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Should you need further help, support or guidance please contact us . We will do our best to answer within 48 hours (working days). |
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