There are five Cambridge ESOL exams to choose from. Below you will find a brief description of each. For more information about a particular exam click on the link to Cambridge ESOL following the exam description. A list of the British Council centres offering the exams is on the left. Click on the location nearest to you for information concerning dates, cost and enrolment.
In addition to the exams below, Cambridge ESOL offers exams which test English competence in a business context. They are called BEC (Business English Certificates) exams and are available at three levels.
An elementary exam, at Cambridge ESOL level 1 (Council of Europe level A2) which can be achieved after approximately 180-200 hours of learning and is about halfway to PET. It tests most basic communication needed in everyday situations and is suitable for students aged thirteen and over. [more...]
The Cambridge ESOL level 2 exam (Council of Europe level B1). It tests language ability at lower-intermediate level (after approximately 375 hours of study) and is about two-thirds of the way to the very popular FCE. [more... At Cambridge ESOL level 3 (Council of Europe level B2) , this exam is at the upper-intermediate or 'independent user' level. FCE is the most widely taken exam and has the most widespread recognition. It is taken for employment and study purposes. [more...]
A Cambridge level 4 exam (Council of Europe level C1), this offers a lower-advanced language qualification for those who need to use English in their jobs. It is mostly taken by university students and young professionals. Many universities recognise CAE as an English language entry requirement. [more...]
A top grade in this exam-(Council of Europe level C2) certifies that the candidate has near native speaker ability. As such it fulfils entry requirements in English language by British universities and many universities in other English speaking countries and by other professional bodies worldwide. [more...] |
