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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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Our long-standing presence in Romania and extensive experience and expertise in delivering UK qualifications ensure that the examination experience is a positive one. We ensure exams are delivered to high standards so that all candidates are treated equally and fairly. This is why over 80 UK exam boards, education institutions and universities have chosen us to deliver their exams around the world.
The British Council is the only approved centre for IELTS exams in Romania. Also, we have received the Cambridge ESOL Platinum Centre status, in recognition of the high quality of the services and the expertise in exam administration.
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IELTS is not a pass-fail test. The Test Report Form that a candidate receives after taking the IELTS displays the grades that the candidate obtained. The institution 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. Please ask the institution requiring the test about the accepted module. Usually the Academic one is required for study purposes and General Training is required for immigration and work purposes.
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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. |
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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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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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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. For the computer based tests, the results are issued in three weeks. |
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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 carefully selected, trained, monitored and evaluated by 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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You can take any UK exam you need. The British Council charges an administrative fee, which depends on the length of the examination. We cannot provide necessary arrangements for practical exams (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 necessary 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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Is it possible to be transferred from one session of an English exam to a different one? |
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No, you cannot be transferred from one examination sitting to a later one or to a different level of the examination. |
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Is the use of dictionaries allowed during an 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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Is it possible to see what mistakes I made in my English exam? |
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No, it isn't. All 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 @British library can help you by lending preparation materials and according to the exam, you can find different sources of materials on each exam section on our website. |
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What happens if I disagree with my Cambridge 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. 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 test is owned by ETS, Cambridge ESOL exams are owned by Cambridge ESOL and IELTS is owned by British Council, Cambridge ESOL and IDP: IELTS Australia.
All of them test English language skills. There are differences between the tests such as test administration, areas of delivery or how results are issued.
There is no official comparison between them.
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Who marks the Cambridge English exam? |
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A team of highly trained examiners mark the written papers in Cambridge. The oral exam is assessed by the speaking examiners who are assessed and monitored by Cambridge ESOL. |
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