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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
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Why should I take an exam at the British Council? |
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The British Council is the only approved centre for Cambridge and IELTS exams in Romania.
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IELTS is not a pass-fail test. The Test Report Form that a candidate receives after taking the IELTS only displays the grades that the candidate obtained. The institution/board requiring the test will specify the minimum grade accepted. |
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What IELTS module should I take? |
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There are two IELTS modules: General Training and Academic. We do not make recommendations as regards the choice of the module, as the institution requiring the test should impose one on the candidate.
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I want to emigrate to Australia/New Zealand/Canada. Can I get information about visa procedures at the British Council? |
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No. We can only provide information about the IELTS test, that is usually required for emigration purposes. All other details related to visa procedures should be asked for at the respective Consulate/ Embassy.
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Where can I take a Cambridge exam? |
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You can sit a Cambridge general English exam in 5 open centres: Bucharest, Brasov, Cluj, Iasi and Timisoara. The Business English exams are only organised in Bucharest and Timisoara for the time being. |
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Can I pay in instalments? |
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No. The University of Cambridge only accepts one payment done at the time of registration.
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Why are there only 2/3 sessions a year for Cambridge exams? |
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The University of Cambridge only organises 3 sessions a year for ESOL examinations, in March (FCE and CAE only), June and December. All Cambridge centres around the world administer the Cambridge written papers at the same fixed dates. |
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Why does it take so long before I get my Cambridge results/certificate? |
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As the written papers are marked in UK, the results are only issued 6 weeks after the examination is taken. |
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Who are the examiners for Speaking? |
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The examiners can be either British or Romanian teachers of English. They are selected, trained, monitored and evaluated Cambridge ESOL. |
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What do grades A, B and C mean when passing a Cambridge exam? |
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Grade A is the highest. C is the lowest passing grade. Usually a minimum of 60% correct answers is required in order to pass any Cambridge exam. Papers are marked separately, but only an overall grade is provided as a candidate's result. |
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How long is a Cambridge certificate valid? |
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The Cambridge certificates (general or business English) have unlimited validity |
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Can I take an accounting/law/marketing exam at the British Council? |
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Theoretically, you can take any exam you might need, provided you get into contact with the UK higher institution abroad (EG CIM, CIMA, ACCA, OU, London University, etc). The British Council charges an administrative fee, which depends on the length of the examination. Unfortunately, we cannot provide necessary arrangements for any practical exam (eg chemistry, biology, etc). |
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Can I take TOEFL at the British Council? |
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The British Council does not organise American examinations such as TOEFL, GMAT, and GRE. |
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Do I need to attend a course if I want to take an English Examination? |
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No, it is not necessar to take a course. It is up to the candidates where and how they prepare for the exams. |
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What are the pass marks for the Cambridge examinations in English? |
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To pass an examination with grade C it is necessary to achieve approximately 60% of the total marks available for FCE, CAE, CPE, BEC Vantage and BEC Higher. With KET, PET and BEC Preliminary the minimum for pass is 70%. |
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It is possible to be transferred from one session of an English exam to a different one? |
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No, your entry is obligatory, so it cannot be transferred from one examination sittng to a later one or to a different level of the examination. |
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Is the use of dictionaries allowed during the English exam? |
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No. Any candidate using or attempting to use a dictionary or a spell checker will be disqualified. |
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It is possible to see what mistakes I made in my English exam? |
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No, because al question papers are sent to Cambridge ESOL in the UK. Candidates' answers and other work done by the candidates as part of an examination remain the property of Cambridge ESOL and will not be released to candidates, schools or administering centres. |
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Do I have to start with the lowest level of the English examinations? |
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No, it is up to you to choose which level of examination suits your needs and knowledge. |
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Can I take an English examination if I have hearing or visual difficulties, dyslexia or suffer from other specific learning difficulties? |
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Yes, we are able to administrate the examination for you. Please contact us at least 2 months before the actual date of the examinations.
Please note that you'll have to submit the appropriate certification when you enroll. |
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How can I find out about exam recognition? |
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It is very important that you learn the exam techniques and get used to the time limits by doing several past papers. Our KLS>library can help you by lending preparation materials. |
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What happens if I disagree with my result? |
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Your exam will be marked by at least two independent professional examiners, and if necessary, by three and even four. Still, if you feel there is a problem, please first seek your teacher’s feedback. Then contact your British Council exam centre and we will explain the procedures to follow. Please note examining boards always retain the right to decide whether a revision is applicable or not. |
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Is TOEFL the same as Cambridge ESOL or IELTS exams? |
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TOEFL is an American examination. |
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A team of highly trained examiners correct the exam papers in Cambridge but the oral exam is assessed by the oral examiners. |
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What happens if I am late for the Cambridge ESOL exams? |
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If you arrive late for any of the papers, report to the Supervisor or Invigilator. You may not be allowed to take the examination; if you are admitted, not all of your work may be accepted or you might have to complete the test in the remaining time.
You will not be admitted to the Listening Test.
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