View
181
Download
13
Category
Tags:
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
The Business English Certificates (BEC) from Cambridge ESOL are for individual learners who want to have a business-related English language qualification. By taking an internationally recognised business qualification like BEC. you can show that you havelearned English to an appropriate standard and can use it :n a professional contextBEC is available at three levels: BEC Preliminary, BEC Vantage and BEC Higher. BEC Preliminary is set at Level Bl of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Citation preview
BEC PRELIMINARY
BusinessEnglishCertificates
UCLES 2014 EMC | 3993 | 6Y08 NOT FOR RESALE
Cambridge English ESOL Examinations
bec preliminary information for candidates 2
Why take BEC?More than ever, you need a good knowledge of English to succeed in international
business and commerce. If you can show you have relevant language skills, you'll have a
great advantage in the jobs market and more choice if you want to work or study abroad.
The Business English Certificates (BEC) from Cambridge ESOL are for individual learners
who want to have a business-related English language qualification. By taking an
internationally recognised business qualification like BEC, you can show that you have
learned English to an appropriate standard and can use it in a professional context.
BEC is available at three levels: BEC Preliminary, BEC Vantage and BEC Higher. BEC
Preliminary is set at Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages (CEFR).
Why take a Cambridge ESOL exam?University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL) offers the worlds leading
range of qualifications for learners and teachers of English. Around 1.75 million people
in over 135 countries take Cambridge ESOL exams every year.
Develop effective communication skills
The Cambridge ESOL examinations cover all four language skills listening, speaking,
reading and writing. They include a range of tasks which assess your ability to use
English, so that you develop the full range of skills you need to communicate
effectively in a variety of contexts.
Worldwide recognition
Universities and employers all over the world recognise Cambridge ESOL exams, so a
Cambridge ESOL examination is a valuable qualification.
Quality you can trust
We do extensive research and trialling to make sure that you get the fairest, most
accurate assessment of your ability and that our exams are most relevant to the
range of uses for which you need English.
Preparing for BECIf you would like some practice material to help you prepare for BEC Preliminary, there
are past paper packs available to buy which include an audio CD of the Listening test.
You can find more information, prices and details of how to order on our website at:
www.CambridgeESOL.org/support/pastpapers.htm
What does BEC Preliminary involve?This booklet is a brief introduction to BEC Preliminary. If you would like to see a full
sample paper for BEC Preliminary, you can download one from our website at:
www.CambridgeESOL.org/support/dloads/bec_downloads.htm
The table below shows the different parts of BEC Preliminary and how long each paper
takes. In BEC Preliminary, Reading and Writing are combined on one question paper.
Name of paper Content Time allowed Marks (% of total)
Reading andWriting
Reading: 7 parts/45 itemsWriting: 2 tasks
1 hour 30 minutes Reading: 25%Writing: 25%
Listening 4 parts/30 items about 40 minutes includingtransfer time
25%
Speaking 3 parts 12 minutes (2:2 format*) 25%
* 2 examiners, 2 candidates (2:3 format is used for the last group in a session where necessary)
BECPreliminary
bec preliminary information for candidates 3
Reading and Writing
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Reading
The Reading section has the following types of exercise: multiple-choice, matching,
Right/Wrong/Doesnt Say, multiple-choice gap-filling and form-filling. Reading is worth
25% of the total marks.
Part One (5 questions)
In this part there are five short texts, each of which has a multiple-choice question
containing three options. In all cases the information will be brief and clear. To answer
the question correctly, you have to identify or interpret the meaning of the text.
A wide variety of text types typical of international business situations can appear in
this part. Each text will be complete and have a recognisable context. Below are two
examples of the type of text you will find. You have to choose the correct answer from
the three options given (A, B or C) and mark it on your Answer Sheet. There are three
more texts and questions like this one in the exam.
Office Staff Required
Experience essentialFull training given (leading to
recognised qualifications)
Applicants must have
A relevant qualifications.
B previous experience.
C recognised training.
SPORSPOR TMASTERTMASTER
Pakistan-based manufacturer of sports items wishing to dobusiness in Europe is looking for importers
TEL: 92 555 4321
Sportmaster wants to
A sell its products abroad.
B import products into Pakistan.
C manufacture in Europe.
1
Part Two (5 questions)
This is a matching task with one text and five questions which are often descriptions of
peoples requirements. This section of the test is about vocabulary and meaning. There
are more possible answers than questions, so you wont have to use all of them.
In the example below, you have to read an advertisement which shows services offered
by a business consultancy. You have to match each question (6, 7 and 8) to the right part
of the advertisement text (labelled AH). In the exam, there are two more questions like
these.
Part Three (5 questions)
This task consists of eight graphs or charts (or one or more graphics with eight distinct
elements) and five questions. In the example below, you can see the income of a
restaurant, total expenditure and advertising costs during an eight-month period. The
months are labelled AH.
For each sentence (1113), you have to say which month it describes. You may not use
any letter (AH) more than once. There are two more questions like the ones below in
the exam.
bec preliminary information for candidates 4
A B C D E F G H
Month
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
Advertising
Total expenditure
Income
T H I N K I N G O F S T A R T I N G A B U S I N E S S ?
Need expert advice and/or assistance in one or
more of the following areas?
A Market Research
B Constructing a schedule
C Calculating costs
D Meeting legal requirements
E Obtaining finance
F Renting or purchasing premises
G Recruiting and training staff
H Promoting products and services
11 In this month, total expenditure, like income,
showed a fall, while spending on advertising
demonstrated the opposite trend.
12 Total expenditure rose slightly in this month,
while advertising costs reached their peak,
leading to a higher income in the following
month.
13 Despite a decline in advertising costs this
month, expenditure as a whole rose.
6 Margaret Williams needs help in choosing the
business loan with the most competitive terms.
7 Ibrahim Shah wants to be sure that there will
be enough demand for his product.
8 Maria Fernandez would like some advice
about where to advertise a new line of goods.
Part Four (7 questions)
This is a text with seven multiple-choice questions. Each question presents a statement
and you have to say whether the statement is A Right or B Wrong according to the text
and mark it on your Answer Sheet. If the information is not given in the text, the answer
is C, Doesnt say.
You dont have to understand every word in the text but you should be able to pick out
the important points and work out the meaning. Read each statement and the text and
choose A, B or C for each question (1618). The example below is an advertisement for a
hot drinks machine. In the exam, there are four more questions like the ones below.
Part Five (6 questions)
This is a single text with six multiple-choice comprehension questions. It is often from a
leaflet, or from a newspaper or magazine article.
The example below is part of a review of a book called The Bosses Speak. For each
question (2325), you have to choose the correct answer (A, B or C). In the exam, there
are three more questions like these.
bec preliminary information for candidates 5
23 The reviewer suggests that one advantage of the book is that
A it is better value than other management books.
B it does not need to be read right through.
C it is about well-known people.
24 The book concentrates on the fact that the twenty executives who are interviewed
A work in a number of different industries.
B started their companies.
C have worked for different lengths of time.
25 The reviewer cannot accept Stuarts opinions because Stuart
A makes unreasonable complaints about the interviewees.
B writes too positively about the interviewees.
C has different attitudes towards different interviewees.
It can be expensive to keep thecanteen open to serve drinks to yourstaff through the day. Our QVM hotdrinks machine replaces this service,so that you can close the canteenbetween mealtimes.
You can install the QVM hot drinksmachine anywhere in the building.One machine is suitable for a staff often to fifteen people. It costs 1300 tobuy, or 11.00 per week to rent over60 months. It is not expensive tooperate: for example, the cost ofpower for one day is 30p, nearly ascheap as the price of one hot drinkfrom the machine.
Our company will carry out aweekly service, at a charge of 10.00.We can also refill the machine withdrinks ingredients for an extra chargeof 8.00. Some customers prefer to dothis themselves, however.
There are eight choices of hot drinkavailable from the QVM machine, andour company offers one months trialfree of charge, so that you canestimate how popular the machinewill be and see what the actual savingsare.
Save money and keep your staff happy
ADVERTISING FEATURE
16 With a QVM machine, companies can avoid having a canteen altogether.
A Right B Wrong C Doesnt say
17 The QVM machine provides enough hot drinks for up to fifteen people.
A Right B Wrong C Doesnt say
18 Most customers prefer to rent the QVM machine over sixty months.
A Right B Wrong C Doesnt say
John Stuart is an executiverecruitment specialist who hasturned to writing. The result is thisbook, based on interviews withtwenty Chief Executives.
Each top manager none of themfamous names, surprisingly isgiven a short chapter, and there issome introductory material and aconclusion. This means you canjump from one person to another,in any order, which is good forpeople who are too busy to read abook from cover to cover. Fora management book it isntexpensive, although whether itsgood value for money is doubtful.
Some of the twenty intervieweesstarted their own businesses,while others joined a companyand worked their way up. Some
are fairly new in their position,and others have had years ofexperience, though, strangely,Stuart doesnt seem interestedin these differences. Theinterviewees work in everything,from retailing to airlines tosoftware, and it is this variety thatforms the main theme of Stuartsbook.
I have to say that Stuartsapproach annoys me. He rarelystays at a distance from hisinterviewees, who are mostlypresented in their own, positivewords. If this were always thecase, at least you would knowwhere you were. But he seems todislike certain interviewees. As aresult, I dont know whether toaccept any of his opinions.. . .
The Bosses Speak
bec preliminary information for candidates 6
Part Six (12 questions)
In this part you have to select the correct word from three options to complete 12 gaps
in the text. This part is largely about grammar. It tests your understanding of the general
and detailed meaning of a text, and in particular your ability to analyse structural
patterns.
The example below is part of a text about team-building. You have to choose the correct
answer (A, B or C) for each of the questions (2934). In the exam there are six more
questions like the ones below.
Part Seven (5 questions)
In this part you have two short texts, for example a memo and an advertisement, and
you have to complete a form based on these texts. There are five gaps and you need a
word, a number or a short phrase for each one. In this part, you have to extract relevant
information and complete a form accurately. In the exam you need to transfer your
answers (in CAPITAL LETTERS) to an Answer Sheet.
In the example below, you have to read the memo and the note. Then you should
complete the Insurance Claim form (lines 4145) on the next page. You need to write a
word, a number or a phrase for each line.
MEMO
TO: Barbara Sinclair
FROM: Peter Rogers
DATE: 25 May 2002
SUBJECT: Insurance Claim
Could you deal with this? Its our insurance claim, for the damage at the weekend. The
insurance policy is in my name, and we bought the carpet for 300, although it will cost at
least 500 to replace. Luckily our office carpets seem fine.
Thanks
OWEN SMITH INSURANCE COMPANY
with compliments
Thank you for your recent phone call regarding flooddamage in your photocopy room.
Could you please complete the attached form and returnit to me as soon as possible.
Martin Morris
Nowadays, company bosses are increasingly trying to find unusual team-buildingevents as part of their training programme. An activity park (29) ...... Fast-track hasjust opened to offer (30) ...... events. It specialises (31) ...... events to attract thecorporate entertainment market, (32) ...... is growing all the time.
29 A calling B calls C called
30 A such B like C so
31 A at B for C in
32 A who B which C what
33 A and B but C or
34 A ought B will C shall
TEAM-BUILDING THROUGH ACTIVITIES
The park is situated just a few kilometres outside the city centre (33) ...... it providesevents that (34) ...... entertain as well as train.
. . .
NACHHILFE & SPRACHKURSE www.LearningInstitute.ch
Tel: 0041 44 586 33 60 info@LearningInstitute.ch
NACHHILFE SPRACHKURSE FIRMENTRAINING LEHRLINGSBETREUUNG STELLVERTRETUNG
Nachhilfe Nachhilfe notwendig? Sprachkurs erwnscht? Das Learning Institute organisiert in der ganzen Schweiz individuelle Nachhilfe- und Sprachkurse fr Privat- und Geschftskunden: Anmeldung und Informationen unter www.LearningInstitute.ch
Die ber 850 Learning Institute Lehrkrfte unterrichten gerne bei Ihnen zu Hause, an Ihrer Schule oder an Ihrem Arbeitsplatz. Bildung ist Vertrauenssache: Dementsprechend gestalten wir unsere Beziehung zu den Lernenden.
Sprachkurse
Firmentraining
Lehrlingsbetreuung
Stellvertretung
Nachhilfe in der Grundschule
Sie wollen fr Ihr Kind individuelle, professionelle Nachhilfe? Unsere Grundschul-Nachhilfe...
Nachhilfe fr Universitt, FH
Stehen strenge Universitts- oder FH-Prfungen vor der Tr? Unsere Uni- und FH-Nachhilfe...
Nachhilfe in der Berufsschule
Probleme in der Lehre, BMS oder Berufsschule? Wir helfen Ihnen. Unsere Berufsschul-Nachhilfe...
Nachhilfe Erwachsenenbildung
Professionelle Untersttzung fr Ihren Job od. Ihre Weiterbildung? Zur Nachhilfe fr Erwachsene...
Nachhilfe im Gymnasium
Du bist im Gymnasium oder willst die Gymi-Prfung machen? Unsere Gymnasium-Nachhilfe...
Warum beim Learning Institute?
Weil unsere Methodik und unsere kompetenten Lehrkrfte top sind. Bildung ist Vertrauenssache.
bec preliminary information for candidates 7
Writing
For BEC Preliminary, you have to produce two pieces of writing:
a piece of communication with a colleague or colleagues within the company on a
business-related matter; it may be a note, message, memo or e-mail
a piece of correspondence with somebody outside the company (e.g. a customer or
supplier) on a business-related matter; it may be a letter, fax or e-mail.
The Writing section is worth 25% of the total marks.
Part One
Here you have to write a note, message, memo or e-mail. You should write 3040 words
and we give you a written prompt which explains why you are writing and who you are
writing to. The layout of memos and e-mails (e.g. to/from/date/subject) is on the
question paper and you dont have to copy this out as part of your answer. The bullet
points explain what content points you should include. You will have to make up your
own content to answer these points.
PART ONE
Question 46
You are going to attend an engineering exhibition in Frankfurt soon.
Write a memo to your assistant:
explaining why you will be away
letting her know the dates you will be away
saying what work she should do while you are away.
Write 30 40 words.
Write on your Answer Sheet.
Insurance Claim
NAME OF POLICY HOLDER: (41) ..........................................................................
POLICY NUMBER: L D 4 7 5 6 0 3 0 C
ITEM(S) TO BE REPLACED: (42) ..............................................................................
LOCATION OF ITEM(S): (43) ..............................................................................
VALUE WHEN PURCHASED: (44) ..............................................................................
CAUSE OF DAMAGE: (45) ..............................................................................
DATE OF DAMAGE: S u n d a y 1 9 M a y
bec preliminary information for candidates 8
Part Two
You have to write a piece of business correspondence of between 60 and 80 words. For
this you have to read a short text, such as a letter or advertisement and respond to it.
There are some content points below the text to show you what you should include in
the answer. You will have to invent some of the information you need.
In the example below you have to read part of a letter from Mary Bennett who is
applying for a job. Read the instructions after the letter and write your reply.
Listening
Time: approx. 40 minutes including 10 minutes transfer time.
In the Listening section there are four tasks (multiple-choice, gap-filling and form-
filling). Texts used are monologues and dialogues, including interviews, discussions,
telephone conversations and messages. Listening is worth 25% of the total marks.
Part One (8 questions)
The eight questions in this part of the paper are multiple-choice questions. For each
question, you will hear a short conversation or monologue, typically lasting around 15 to
30 seconds. The multiple-choice options may be texts or they may be in the form of
pictures, graphs or diagrams.
In the extracts in Part One you have to show that you can understand spoken English in
a range of situations and that you can find factual information. You may need to pick out
a name or time or place. Alternatively, you may have to identify a trend in a graph, or a
place on a map, or the location of an object in a room. There are seven more questions
like the one below in the exam. You will hear the eight recordings twice.
8 Which chart shows the companys market share this year?
A B C
With reference to your advertisement in The Times, I am writing to apply for the post of
training assistant.
I am moving to your country next month with my husband. As you will see from the enclosed
CV, I have had a lot of experience in training and I feel that I have much to offer your company.
If I am selected for interview, please could you give me information about how to reach your
offices by public transport?
Write a letter to Mrs Bennett:
acknowledging her letter
offering her a date and time for an interview
requesting the names and addresses of two referees
telling her the best way to reach you by public transport.
Write 60 80 words.
Write on your Answer Sheet. Do not include any postal addresses.
With reference to your advertisement in The Times, I am writing to apply for the postof training assistant.
I am moving to your country next month with my husband. As you will see from theenclosed CV, I have had a lot of experience in training and I feel that I have much tooffer your company.
If I am selected for interview, please could you give me information about how to reachyour offices by public transport?
bec preliminary information for candidates 9
Part Two (7 questions)
This part consists of a short conversation or monologue. It usually lasts around a minute
and a half and contains factual information. On the question paper there is a form, table,
chart or set of notes with seven gaps where information is missing. The answers may
include dates, prices, percentages or figures.
In the example below, you have to listen to the recording of a manager telephoning
Human Resources about vacancies in his department. You should then complete each of
the gaps (915) with a word, numbers or letters. You will hear the conversation twice.
Part Three (7 questions)
You will hear a monologue. On the question paper there is a set of notes or a form with
gaps. There are seven gaps to complete and the answers may be one or two words.
Sometimes the key to one of the gaps may be a date. You will hear the talk twice.
For the example below, the recording is of part of a talk by the Marketing Director of a
publishing company. You have to fill in the missing information in the notes about the
Autumn promotion plans. You have to use one or two words for each question (1622).
Autumn promotion plans
Main titles: pocket dictionary and (16) ....................................................................................................
Advertising space booked in (17) ............................................................................... magazine
New colour for display stands: (18) ....................................................................................................
Free gifts include (19) ......................................................................... and keyrings
Alison has made a deal with (20) ....................................................................................................
For mailing to booksellers in September: (21) ....................................................................................................
Venue for dictionary launch party: (22) ....................................................................................................
Customer Services Vacancies
NUMBER OF VACANCIES: (9) .......................................................................................... telephone operators
SALARY: (10) Max. ................................................................................................................
TOTAL HOLIDAY (PER ANNUM): (11) ........................................................................................................................... days
JOB REFERENCE: (12) .........................................................................................................................................
JOB START DATE: (13) ......................................................................................................................... 2002
LINE MANAGER: (14) Ms Sue ....................................................................................................................
TEL NUMBER (FOR ENQUIRIES): (15) .........................................................................................................................................
bec preliminary information for candidates 10
Part Four (8 questions)
This part, which lasts about 3 minutes, contains a longer listening text. It is usually an
interview or a discussion between two or possibly more speakers. There are eight
multiple-choice questions on the question paper. In this part you have to show that you
can understand the gist of a longer text and find detailed and specific information to
answer the questions. You may also be tested on the speakers opinions.
In the following example, Sue, a senior manager, is talking to her assistant, called David.
You have to choose the correct answer (A, B or C) for each question (2325). There are five
more questions like the ones below in the exam. You will hear the conversation twice.
At the end of the Listening test, you have 10 minutes to transfer all your answers to the
Answer Sheet.
Speaking
Time: 12 minutes
The Speaking test is conducted by two oral examiners and you will be tested in pairs of
candidates. At centres with an uneven number of candidates, the last single candidate is
examined with the last pair in a group of three. The Speaking test is worth 25% of the
total marks.
Part One
In the first part of the test, one of the examiners talks to each of you in turn and will ask
you questions about yourselves and your opinions. In this part of the test, you will have
to show that you can talk briefly about yourself, provide brief information on subjects
such as your home, hobbies and jobs, and perform simple functions such as agreeing
and disagreeing and expressing preferences.
23 Sue is particularly pleased about the company
A receiving an award.
B increasing its share price.
C getting a new client.
24 What is the main cause of the companys rising costs?
A import taxes
B publicity
C premises
25 Which expenses do they want to reduce?
A entertainment
B stationery
C telephone
bec preliminary information for candidates 11
Part Two
The second part of the test is a mini-presentation. In this part, you have a choice of two
topics and one minute to prepare a speech lasting approximately one minute. After you
have finished speaking, the other candidate is asked which of the bullet points (see
sample topics below) they think is the most important.
Part Three
The third part of the test is a conversation between you and the other candidate. One of
the examiners describes a scenario and will give you prompts in the form of black and
white pictures or written text to help you. You have to speak for about 2 minutes. The
examiner will support the conversation as appropriate and then ask further questions
related to the main theme.
Next stepsWe wish you every success in taking BEC Preliminary and we hope that you will take
other Cambridge ESOL exams in future. BEC Vantage is the next level of the BEC suite of
business-oriented exams (see www.CambridgeESOL.org/exams/bec.htm) or, if you
prefer a general English qualification, you should consider First Certificate in English
(FCE) as the next step.You can find out more information about FCE on our website at:
www.CambridgeESOL.org/exams/fce.htm
READING
Page 9
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
A D E TA I L E D G U I D E TO B E C P R E L I M I N A RY
TEST OF READING AND WRITING
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Number of PART Main Skill Focus Input Response questions
1 Reading understanding short, Notices, messages, adverts, Multiple choice 5real world notices, messages, etc. leaflets, etc.
2 Reading detailed comprehension Notice, list, plan, contents Matching 5of factual material; skimming and page, etc. scanning skills
3 Reading interpreting visual Graphs, charts, tables, etc. (The Matching 5information information may be presented in
8 separate graphics or in a compositegraphic comprising up to 3 visuals.
4 Reading for detailed factual Text (approx. 150 200 Right/Wrong/ 7information words): advert, business letter, Doesnt say
product description, report, minutes, etc.
5 Reading for gist and specific Text (approx. 300 400 Multiple choice 6 information words): newspaper or magazine
article, advert, report, leaflet, etc.
6 Reading grammatical accuracy Text (approx. 125 150 Multiple choice 12and understanding of text structure words): newspaper or magazine cloze
article, advert, leaflet, etc.
7 Reading and information transfer Short memos, letters, notices, Form-filling, 5adverts, etc. note completion
PART Functions/Communicative Task Input Response Register
1 e.g. (re-)arranging appointments, Rubric only (plus layout of output Internal communication Neutral/asking for permission, giving text type) (medium may be note, formal/instructions message, memo informal
or e-mail) (30 40 words)
2 e.g. apologising and offering One piece of input which may be Business corres- Neutral/ compensation, making or altering business correspondence (medium pondence (medium formalreservations, dealing with requests, may be letter, fax or e-mail), internal may be letter, fax or giving information about a product communication (medium may be e-mail) (60 80 words)
note, memo or e-mail), notice, advert, etc. (plus layout of output text type)
WRITING
A DETAILED LOOK AT THE TASKS
READING
Part One
In this part there are five short texts, each of which isaccompanied by a multiple choice question containing threeoptions. In all cases the information will be brief and clearand the difficulty of the task will not lie in understandingcontext but in identifying or interpreting meaning.
A wide variety of text types, representative of those likely tobe encountered in international business, can appear in thispart. Each text will be complete and have a recognisablecontext.
Preparation
In order to prepare for this part it would be useful to exposestudents to a wide range of notices and short texts takenfrom business settings. It is also useful to practise answeringsample questions, asking students to explain why an answeris correct (and why the two incorrect options do not apply).
Part Two
This is a matching task comprising one text and fivequestions, which are often descriptions of peoplesrequirements. Candidates are required to match eachquestion to an appropriate part of the text, labelled A H.(As there are only five questions, some of the labels areredundant.) The testing focus of this part is vocabulary andmeaning, using skimming and scanning skills.
Preparation
For preparation purposes, students need to be familiar withtext types that are divided into lists, headings or categories;e.g. the contents page of a directory or book, thedepartments in a business or shop, the items in a catalogue,etc. Many of the questions in this part require a simpleinterpretation of what different parts of the text mean, andpreparation for this could involve setting students real-worldtasks of this kind using authentic (but simple) sources.
Part Three
This task consists of eight graphs or charts (or one or moregraphics with eight distinct elements) and five questions.Each question is a description of a particular graphic (orelement of a graphic) and candidates are expected to matchthe questions to their corresponding graphs which arelabelled A H.
Preparation
This part focuses on understanding trends and changes.Candidates need to be able to interpret graphic data andunderstand the language used to describe it. Expressions
such as rose steadily, remained stable, decreased slowly,reached a peak should be introduced to students, alongwith relevant topics, such as sales of goods, share pricemovement and monthly costs.
Part Four
This task is a text accompanied by seven, three-optionmultiple choice items. Each question presents a statementand candidates are expected to indicate whether thestatement is A Right or B Wrong according to the text, orwhether the information is not given in the text (C Doesntsay). Candidates will not be expected to understand everyword in the text but they should be able to pick out salientpoints and infer meaning where words in the text areunfamiliar. The questions will refer to factual information inthe text, but candidates will be required to do someprocessing in order to answer the questions correctly.
Preparation
This can be a difficult task for candidates who are notfamiliar with the three choices represented by A, B and C,and who might not understand the difference between astatement that is incorrect and one that depends oninformation that is not provided in the text. Students need tobe trained to identify a false statement, which means that theopposite or a contradictory statement is made in the text,and to recognise that this is not the same as a statement thatis not covered in the text.
Part Five
This part presents a single text accompanied by six multiplechoice comprehension items. The text is informative and isoften taken from a leaflet, or from a newspaper or magazinearticle.
Candidates are expected to employ more complex readingstrategies in this task, in that they should demonstrate theirability to extract relevant information, to read for gist anddetail, to scan the text for specific information, and tounderstand the purpose of the writer and the audience forwhich the text is intended.
Preparation
In preparing candidates for this part, it would be a good ideato expose them to a variety of texts of a similar length. Astexts become longer, slow readers are at a disadvantage andsome practice in improving reading speed would bebeneficial for this part. It would also be useful to discuss thefollowing areas: title
topic
the writers purpose
the theme or main idea of each paragraph
Page 10
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
factual details that can be found in the text
the writers opinions (if they are evident)
Part Six
This is a multiple choice cloze test. Candidates have toselect the correct word from three options to completetwelve gaps. This part has a predominantly grammaticalfocus and tests candidates understanding of the general anddetailed meaning of a text, and in particular their ability toanalyse structural patterns.
Preparation
Any practice in the grammatical and structural aspects of thelanguage is useful in preparing students for this part.However, it is equally important for students to analyse thestructure and coherence of language within longer discourseso that they are encouraged to read for meaning beyond thesentence level. As tasks such as this typically focus oncommon grammatical difficulties, it is also useful to askstudents to analyse errors in their own work. Pairworkactivities might be productive as students can often helpeach other in the areas of error identification and analysis.
Part Seven
Candidates are given two short texts, for example a memoand an advertisement, and are asked to complete a formbased on this material. There are five gaps, which should becompleted with a word, a number or a short phrase. In thispart, candidates are tested on their ability to extract relevantinformation and complete a form accurately.
For this part, candidates need to transfer their answers incapital letters to an Answer Sheet.
WRITING
For BEC Preliminary, candidates are required to produce twopieces of writing:
an internal company communication; this means apiece of communication with a colleague orcolleagues within the company on a business-relatedmatter; the delivery medium may be a note, message,memo or e-mail
a piece of business correspondence; this meanscorrespondence with somebody outside the company(e.g. a customer or supplier) on a business-relatedmatter; the delivery medium may be letter, fax or e-mail.
Part One
Candidates are asked to produce a concise piece of internalcompany communication of between 30 and 40 words,using a written prompt. The text will need to be produced in
the form of a note, message, memo or e-mail. Candidates aregiven the layout of memos and e-mails (e.g. to/from/date/subject) on the question paper, and need not copy this out aspart of their answer. The reason for writing and the targetreader are specified in the rubric, and bullet points explainwhat content points have to be included. Relevant ideas forone or more of these points will have to be invented by thecandidate.
Part Two
Candidates are asked to produce an extended piece ofbusiness correspondence of between 60 and 80 words. Thistask involves the processing of a short text, such as a letter oradvertisement, in order to respond to it. A number ofbulleted content points below the text clearly indicate whatshould be included in the answer. Some of this informationwill need to be invented by the candidate.
Where the delivery medium specified for a Part Two answeris a letter, candidates need not include postal addresses intheir answer. Similarly, where the delivery medium specifiedis a fax, candidates need not include fax header details, andwhere the delivery medium specified is a an e-mail,candidates need not include to/from/subject details.
Although the use of some key words is inevitable, candidatesshould not lift phrases from the question paper to use intheir answers. They would not receive credit for thelanguage in these phrases.
Accuracy and Appropriacy in Faxes and e-mails
Nowadays a significant proportion of written businesscommunication is transmitted electronically, both within thecompany and to people outside the company.
In some contexts, this technological change may havechanged the nature of what people actually write. It may beargued that a new fax genre has emerged, characterised bybrevity and informality (and sometimes by the mixing ofhandwritten and typewritten text in the same fax). It can alsobe argued that a new e-mail genre may be starting toemerge, characterised by even greater informality and a(possibly temporary) lack of conventions and even of regardfor linguistic accuracy.
However, there is also mounting evidence to suggest thatlinguistic inaccuracy and inappropriate informality withinelectronic business communications is consideredunacceptable by many individuals and organisations, andcan be counterproductive if employed in real life.
As well as being used informally, fax and e-mail are alsowidely used within business cultures in which appropriacyand accuracy are perceived to be important, and this is thecontext of use on which BEC focuses.
Page 11
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
Candidates at all levels of BEC should be aware thatappropriacy, accuracy, range and organisation are importantfeatures of their writing, regardless of the delivery mediumspecified in the task.
Please see the Assessment of Writing sections for furtherdetails of the criteria against which candidates writing isassessed at each level of BEC.
Preparing for the Writing Questions
In preparing students for the Writing tasks it would bebeneficial to familiarise them with a variety of businesscorrespondence. Analysing authentic correspondence wouldhelp students understand better how to structure their answerand the type of language to use. When doing this, it wouldbe useful to focus on the following areas:
the purpose of the correspondence
references to previous communication
factual details
the feelings and attitude of the writer
the level of formality
the opening sentence
the closing sentence
paragraphing
the desired outcome.
If students are in a class, it might be possible to ask them towrite and reply to each others correspondence so that theycan appreciate the importance of accurate content.
In a similar fashion, internal company memos and messagesmight also be written and analysed in terms of the above sothat students can recognise the different levels of formalityinvolved. It is a necessary part of preparing for the test thatstudents understand the uses of, and styles inherent in,different types of business communication so that they areaware of how and why different types of correspondence areused.
For the BEC Preliminary Writing component, candidateswrite their answers on the answer sheet provided.
Page 12
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
Page 13
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
Turn
Ove
r 3
2S
PO
RS
PO
RT
MA
ST
ER
TM
AS
TE
R
Pak
ista
n-ba
sed
man
ufac
ture
r of
spo
rts
item
s w
ishi
ng t
o do
busi
ness
in
Eur
ope
is l
ooki
ng f
or i
mpo
rter
s
TE
L:
92
55
5 4
32
1
Spo
rtm
aste
r w
ants
to
Ase
ll its
pro
duct
s ab
road
.
Bim
port
pro
duct
s in
to P
akis
tan.
Cm
anuf
actu
re in
Eur
ope.
3
AYo
u ca
n ph
otoc
opy
notic
es a
t R
ecep
tion
for
disp
lay
here
.
BP
hoto
copi
ed n
otic
es c
an o
nly
be d
ispl
ayed
at
Rec
eptio
n.
CTa
ke y
our
notic
e to
Rec
eptio
n if
you
wan
t it
disp
laye
d he
re.
4TH
E AI
RPOR
T EX
PRES
S DE
PART
S FR
OM P
LATF
ORM
3 EV
ERY
20 M
INUT
ESDU
RING
THE
DAY
(EV
ERY
30 M
INUT
ES A
T NI
GHT)
AT
he t
rain
ser
vice
to
the
airp
ort
runs
24
hour
s a
day.
BA
irpo
rt t
rain
s le
ave
Pla
tform
3 a
t 20
min
utes
pas
t th
e ho
ur.
CT
he a
irpo
rt e
xpre
ss t
akes
hal
f an
hou
r at
nig
ht.
5Go
ods
not
norm
ally
dis
patc
hed
unle
ss p
aid
for
at t
ime
of o
rder
ing
pa
ymen
t on
del
iver
y by
spe
cial
arr
ange
men
t on
ly
Cus
tom
ers
shou
ld n
orm
ally
pay
for
good
s
Aw
hen
thei
r or
der
is p
roce
ssed
.
Bw
hen
the
good
s ar
e de
liver
ed.
Cw
hen
they
pla
ce a
n or
der.
NO
TICE
S FO
R DI
SPLA
Y A
BOVE
TH
IS
PHO
TOCO
PIER
MUS
T FI
RST
BE
HA
NDE
D TO
REC
EPTI
ON
RE
AD
ING
QU
ES
TIO
NS
1
45
PAR
T O
NE
Qu
esti
on
s 1
5
Lo
ok a
t qu
estio
ns 1
5
.
In
eac
h qu
estio
n, w
hich
sen
tenc
e is
cor
rect
?
F
or e
ach
ques
tion,
mar
k on
e le
tter
(A,
Bor
C)
on y
our
Ans
wer
She
et.
Exa
mp
le:
0Do
nt
forg
et
flig
ht B
A 6
92
6.4
5 p.
m.
The
pla
ne a
rriv
es a
t
Aqu
arte
r to
sev
en in
the
mor
ning
.
Bqu
arte
r pa
st s
ix in
the
eve
ning
.
Cqu
arte
r to
sev
en in
the
eve
ning
.
The
cor
rect
ans
wer
is C
, so
mar
k yo
ur A
nsw
er S
heet
like
thi
s:
0
1O
ffic
e S
taff
Req
uir
ed
Exp
erie
nce
ess
enti
alF
ull
trai
nin
g g
iven
(le
adin
g t
ore
cog
nis
ed q
ual
ific
atio
ns)
App
lican
ts m
ust
have
Are
leva
nt q
ualif
icat
ions
.
Bpr
evio
us e
xper
ienc
e.
Cre
cogn
ised
tra
inin
g.AB
C
2
READING AND WRITING SAMPLE PAPER
1O
ffic
e S
taff
Req
uir
ed
Exp
erie
nce
ess
enti
alF
ull
trai
nin
g g
iven
(le
adin
g t
ore
cog
nis
ed q
ual
ific
atio
ns)
App
lican
ts m
ust
have
Are
leva
nt q
ualif
icat
ions
.
Bpr
evio
us e
xper
ienc
e.
Cre
cogn
ised
tra
inin
g.
Exa
mpl
e
Tele
ph
on
e m
essa
ge
Bill
Ryan
cau
ght
9.30
flig
ht
due
her
e 11
.30
now,
not
12.
30.
Whe
n do
es B
ill R
yan
expe
ct t
o ar
rive?
The
cor
rect
ans
wer
is B
, so
mar
k yo
ur A
nsw
er S
heet
like
thi
s:
A9.
30
B11
.30
C
12.3
0
Page 14
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
6M
arga
ret W
illia
ms
need
s he
lp in
cho
osin
g th
e bu
sine
ss lo
an w
ith t
he m
ost
com
petit
ive
term
s.
7Ib
rahi
m S
hah
wan
ts t
o be
sur
e th
at t
here
will
be
enou
gh d
eman
d fo
r hi
s pr
oduc
t.
8M
aria
Fer
nand
ez w
ould
like
som
e ad
vice
abo
ut w
here
to
adve
rtis
e a
new
line
of
good
s.
9K
im S
eng
wan
ts t
o re
sear
ch n
ew la
ws
on c
onst
ruct
ing
build
ings
.
10P
eder
And
erse
n ne
eds
to k
now
whe
ther
his
exi
stin
g fu
nds
are
enou
gh t
o se
t up
his
bus
ines
s.
5
Turn
Ove
r
PAR
T T
WO
Qu
esti
on
s 6
10
Lo
ok a
t th
e ad
vert
isem
ent
belo
w.I
t sh
ows
serv
ices
offe
red
by a
bus
ines
s co
nsul
tanc
y.
F
or q
uest
ions
6
10,
dec
ide
whi
ch s
ervi
ce (
A
H)
wou
ld b
e su
itabl
e fo
r ea
ch p
erso
n.
F
or e
ach
ques
tion,
mar
k on
e le
tter
(A
H)
on y
our
Ans
wer
She
et.
D
o no
t us
e an
y le
tter
mor
e th
an o
nce.
TH
INK
ING
OF
ST
AR
TIN
G A
BU
SIN
ES
S?
Nee
d e
xper
t ad
vice
an
d/o
r as
sist
ance
in o
ne
or
mo
re o
f th
e fo
llow
ing
are
as?
AM
arke
t Res
earc
h
BC
onst
ruct
ing
a sc
hedu
le
CC
alcu
latin
g co
sts
DM
eetin
g le
gal r
equi
rem
ents
EO
btai
ning
fina
nce
FR
entin
g or
pur
chas
ing
prem
ises
GR
ecru
iting
and
trai
ning
sta
ff
HPr
omot
ing
prod
ucts
and
ser
vice
s
4
Page 15
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
11In
thi
s m
onth
, to
tal e
xpen
ditu
re,
like
inco
me,
sho
wed
a fa
ll, w
hile
spe
ndin
g on
adv
ertis
ing
dem
onst
rate
d th
e op
posi
te t
rend
.
12To
tal e
xpen
ditu
re r
ose
slig
htly
in t
his
mon
th,
whi
le a
dver
tisin
g co
sts
reac
hed
thei
r pe
ak,
lead
ing
to a
hig
her
inco
me
in t
he fo
llow
ing
mon
th.
13D
espi
te a
dec
line
in a
dver
tisin
g co
sts
in t
his
mon
th,
expe
nditu
re a
s a
who
le r
ose.
14T
his
mon
ths
impr
ovem
ent
in in
com
e w
as p
artic
ular
ly w
elco
me,
as
it w
as n
ot m
atch
ed b
y an
incr
ease
in e
xpen
ditu
re.
15W
hile
thi
s m
onth
saw
a lo
w p
oint
in t
he r
esta
uran
ts in
com
e, e
xpen
ditu
re c
ontin
ued
to fa
ll.
7
Turn
Ove
r
6PAR
T T
HR
EE
Qu
esti
on
s 11
1
5
Lo
ok a
t th
e ch
art
belo
w.I
t sh
ows
a re
stau
rant
s in
com
e, t
otal
exp
endi
ture
and
adv
ertis
ing
cost
s
durin
g an
eig
ht-m
onth
per
iod.
W
hich
mon
th d
oes
each
sen
tenc
e (1
1
15)
on t
he o
ppos
ite p
age
desc
ribe?
F
or e
ach
sent
ence
, m
ark
one
lette
r (A
H
) on
you
r A
nsw
er S
heet
.
D
o no
t us
e an
y le
tter
mor
e th
an o
nce.
AB
CD
EF
GH
Mon
th
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
Adv
ertis
ing
Tot
al e
xpen
ditu
re
Inco
me
NACHHILFE & SPRACHKURSE www.LearningInstitute.ch
Tel: 0041 44 586 33 60 info@LearningInstitute.ch
NACHHILFE SPRACHKURSE FIRMENTRAINING LEHRLINGSBETREUUNG STELLVERTRETUNG
Nachhilfe Nachhilfe notwendig? Sprachkurs erwnscht? Das Learning Institute organisiert in der ganzen Schweiz individuelle Nachhilfe- und Sprachkurse fr Privat- und Geschftskunden: Anmeldung und Informationen unter www.LearningInstitute.ch
Die ber 850 Learning Institute Lehrkrfte unterrichten gerne bei Ihnen zu Hause, an Ihrer Schule oder an Ihrem Arbeitsplatz. Bildung ist Vertrauenssache: Dementsprechend gestalten wir unsere Beziehung zu den Lernenden.
Sprachkurse
Firmentraining
Lehrlingsbetreuung
Stellvertretung
Nachhilfe in der Grundschule
Sie wollen fr Ihr Kind individuelle, professionelle Nachhilfe? Unsere Grundschul-Nachhilfe...
Nachhilfe fr Universitt, FH
Stehen strenge Universitts- oder FH-Prfungen vor der Tr? Unsere Uni- und FH-Nachhilfe...
Nachhilfe in der Berufsschule
Probleme in der Lehre, BMS oder Berufsschule? Wir helfen Ihnen. Unsere Berufsschul-Nachhilfe...
Nachhilfe Erwachsenenbildung
Professionelle Untersttzung fr Ihren Job od. Ihre Weiterbildung? Zur Nachhilfe fr Erwachsene...
Nachhilfe im Gymnasium
Du bist im Gymnasium oder willst die Gymi-Prfung machen? Unsere Gymnasium-Nachhilfe...
Warum beim Learning Institute?
Weil unsere Methodik und unsere kompetenten Lehrkrfte top sind. Bildung ist Vertrauenssache.
Page 16
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
9
Turn
Ove
r
16W
ith a
QV
M m
achi
ne,
com
pani
es c
an a
void
hav
ing
a ca
ntee
n al
toge
ther
.
AR
ight
BW
rong
CD
oesn
t sa
y
17T
he Q
VM
mac
hine
pro
vide
s en
ough
hot
drin
ks fo
r up
to
fifte
en p
eopl
e.
AR
ight
BW
rong
CD
oesn
t sa
y
18M
ost
cust
omer
s pr
efer
to
rent
the
QV
M m
achi
ne o
ver
sixt
y m
onth
s.
AR
ight
BW
rong
CD
oesn
t sa
y
19T
he e
lect
ricity
use
d da
ily b
y th
e m
achi
ne c
osts
less
tha
n th
e pr
ice
of a
hot
drin
k.
AR
ight
BW
rong
CD
oesn
t sa
y
20T
he m
achi
ne c
ompa
ny e
mpt
ies
the
mon
ey f
rom
the
mac
hine
as
part
of
its s
ervi
ce a
gree
men
t.
AR
ight
BW
rong
CD
oesn
t sa
y
21C
usto
mer
s ca
n re
fill t
heir
mac
hine
s w
ith d
rinks
ingr
edie
nts,
if t
hey
wan
t to
.
AR
ight
BW
rong
CD
oesn
t sa
y
22D
urin
g th
e tr
ial p
erio
d, t
he c
usto
mer
pay
s a
redu
ced
amou
nt t
o re
nt t
he m
achi
ne.
AR
ight
BW
rong
CD
oesn
t sa
y
PAR
T F
OU
R
Qu
esti
on
s 16
2
2
R
ead
the
adve
rtis
emen
t be
low
for
a ho
t dr
inks
mac
hine
.
A
re s
ente
nces
16
22
on t
he o
ppos
ite p
age
Rig
hto
r W
rong
? I
f th
ere
is n
ot e
noug
h
info
rmat
ion
to a
nsw
er R
ight
or
Wro
ng,
choo
se D
oesn
t S
ay.
F
or e
ach
sent
ence
16
22
, m
ark
one
lette
r (A
,B
or
C)
on y
our
Ans
wer
She
et.
8
It
can
be
expe
nsiv
e to
ke
ep
the
cant
een
open
to
serv
e dr
inks
to
your
staf
f th
roug
h th
e da
y. O
ur Q
VM
hot
drin
ks m
achi
ne r
epla
ces
this
ser
vice
,so
th
at
you
can
clos
e th
e ca
ntee
nbe
twee
n m
ealti
mes
.Y
ou c
an in
stal
l the
QV
M h
ot d
rink
sm
achi
ne
anyw
here
in
th
e bu
ildin
g.O
ne m
achi
ne i
s su
itabl
e fo
r a
staf
f of
ten
to f
ifte
en p
eopl
e. I
t cos
ts
1300
tobu
y, o
r 1
1.00
per
wee
k to
ren
t ov
er60
m
onth
s.
It
is
not
expe
nsiv
e to
oper
ate:
fo
r ex
ampl
e,
the
cost
of
pow
er f
or o
ne d
ay i
s 30
p, n
earl
y as
chea
p as
the
pri
ce o
f on
e ho
t dr
ink
from
the
mac
hine
.
Our
co
mpa
ny
wil
l ca
rry
out
aw
eekl
y se
rvic
e, a
t a c
harg
e of
10
.00.
We
can
also
ref
ill t
he m
achi
ne w
ithdr
inks
ing
redi
ents
for
an
extr
a ch
arge
of
8.00
. Som
e cu
stom
ers
pref
er to
do
this
them
selv
es, h
owev
er.
The
re a
re e
ight
cho
ices
of
hot d
rink
avai
labl
e fr
om th
e Q
VM
mac
hine
, and
our
com
pany
off
ers
one
mon
ths
tri
alfr
ee
of
char
ge,
so
that
yo
u ca
nes
tim
ate
how
po
pula
r th
e m
achi
new
ill b
e an
d se
e w
hat t
he a
ctua
l sav
ings
are.
Sav
e m
oney
and
kee
p yo
ur s
taff
hap
py
AD
VE
RT
ISIN
G F
EA
TU
RE
Page 17
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
23T
he r
evie
wer
sug
gest
s th
at o
ne a
dvan
tage
of
the
book
is t
hat
Ait
is b
ette
r va
lue
than
oth
er m
anag
emen
t bo
oks.
Bit
does
not
nee
d to
be
read
rig
ht t
hrou
gh.
Cit
is a
bout
wel
l-kno
wn
peop
le.
24T
he b
ook
conc
entr
ates
on
the
fact
tha
t th
e tw
enty
exe
cutiv
es w
ho a
re in
terv
iew
ed
Aw
ork
in a
num
ber
of d
iffer
ent
indu
strie
s.
Bst
arte
d th
eir
com
pani
es.
Cha
ve w
orke
d fo
r di
ffere
nt le
ngth
s of
tim
e.
25T
he r
evie
wer
can
not
acce
pt S
tuar
ts o
pini
ons
beca
use
Stu
art
Am
akes
unr
easo
nabl
e co
mpl
aint
s ab
out
the
inte
rvie
wee
s.
Bw
rites
too
pos
itive
ly a
bout
the
inte
rvie
wee
s.
Cha
s di
ffere
nt a
ttitu
des
tow
ards
diff
eren
t in
terv
iew
ees.
26R
eadi
ng t
he b
ook
mad
e th
e re
view
er t
hink
tha
t
Ath
ere
are
cert
ain
qual
ities
whi
ch a
ll C
hief
Exe
cutiv
es n
eed.
Bit
is d
iffic
ult
to d
isco
ver
how
peo
ple
real
ly r
un a
com
pany
.
Cru
nnin
g a
com
pany
is e
asie
r th
an m
any
peop
le t
hink
.
27W
hich
par
ts o
f th
e bo
ok d
id t
he r
evie
wer
mos
t en
joy
read
ing?
Aho
w t
he in
terv
iew
ees
beca
me
Chi
ef E
xecu
tives
Bw
hat
sort
of
peop
le t
he in
terv
iew
ees
are
Cth
e ad
vice
giv
en b
y th
e in
terv
iew
ees
28T
he r
evie
wer
rec
omm
ends
the
boo
k fo
r pe
ople
who
Ain
tend
to
set
up in
bus
ines
s.
Bw
ant
to b
ecom
e se
nior
man
ager
s.
Car
e ou
tsid
e th
e fie
ld o
f bu
sine
ss.
11
Turn
Ove
r
PAR
T F
IVE
Qu
esti
on
s 23
2
8
R
ead
the
follo
win
g re
view
of
a bo
ok c
alle
d T
he B
osse
s S
peak
.
F
or e
ach
ques
tion
23
28
on t
he o
ppos
ite p
age,
cho
ose
the
corr
ect
answ
er.
M
ark
one
lette
r (A
, B
or
C)
on y
our
Ans
wer
She
et.
10
Joh
n
Stu
art
is
an
exec
uti
ve
recr
uit
men
t sp
ecia
list
wh
o
has
turn
ed t
o w
riti
ng
. T
he
resu
lt i
s th
is
bo
ok,
b
ased
o
n
inte
rvie
ws
wit
h
twen
ty C
hie
f E
xecu
tive
s.
Eac
h t
op
man
ager
n
on
e o
f th
em
fam
ou
s n
ames
, su
rpri
sin
gly
is
giv
en a
sh
ort
ch
apte
r, an
d t
her
e is
som
e in
tro
du
cto
ry m
ater
ial
and
a
con
clu
sio
n.
Th
is
mea
ns
you
ca
n
jum
p f
rom
on
e p
erso
n t
o a
no
ther
,
in
any
ord
er,
wh
ich
is
g
oo
d
for
peo
ple
wh
o a
re t
oo
bu
sy t
o r
ead
a b
oo
k fr
om
co
ver
to
cove
r. Fo
r
a m
anag
emen
t b
oo
k it
is
nt
exp
ensi
ve,
alth
ou
gh
w
het
her
it
s
go
od
val
ue
for
mo
ney
is d
ou
btf
ul.
So
me
of
the
twen
ty i
nte
rvie
wee
s
star
ted
th
eir
ow
n
bu
sin
esse
s,
wh
ile
oth
ers
join
ed
a co
mp
any
and
w
ork
ed
thei
r w
ay
up
. S
om
e
are
fair
ly
new
in
th
eir
po
siti
on
,
and
o
ther
s h
ave
had
ye
ars
of
exp
erie
nce
, th
ou
gh
, st
ran
gel
y,
Stu
art
do
esn
t se
em i
nte
rest
ed i
n
thes
e d
iffe
ren
ces.
Th
e in
terv
iew
ees
wo
rk i
n e
very
thin
g,
fro
m r
etai
ling
to a
irlin
es t
o s
oft
war
e, a
nd
it is
th
is
vari
ety
that
fo
rms
the
mai
n t
hem
e
of
Stu
arts
bo
ok.
I hav
e to
say
th
at S
tuar
ts a
pp
roac
h
ann
oys
me.
He
rare
ly s
tays
at
a
dis
tan
ce
fro
m
his
in
terv
iew
ees,
wh
o a
re m
ost
ly p
rese
nte
d i
n t
hei
r
ow
n,
po
siti
ve w
ord
s. I
f th
is w
ere
alw
ays
the
case
, at
le
ast
you
wo
uld
kn
ow
wh
ere
you
wer
e. B
ut
he
seem
s to
d
isli
ke
cert
ain
inte
rvie
wee
s.
As
a re
sult
, I
do
nt
kno
w w
het
her
to
acc
ept
any
of
his
op
inio
ns.
It a
lso
mea
ns
that
th
e b
oo
k g
ives
no
cle
ar l
esso
ns.
At
the
very
lea
st,
I ex
pec
ted
to
lea
rn w
hat
mak
es a
succ
essf
ul
Ch
ief
Exe
cuti
ve.
Bu
t
thes
e p
eop
le
seem
to
sh
are
two
typ
es o
f q
ual
itie
s. S
om
e o
f th
em
are
very
co
mm
on
, su
gg
esti
ng
th
at
anyo
ne
can
be
equ
ally
su
cces
sfu
l,
wh
ich
is
d
efin
itel
y n
ot
the
case
.
An
d t
he
oth
er q
ual
itie
s ar
e o
nes
wh
ich
mo
st s
ucc
essf
ul
bo
sses
Iv
e
seen
def
init
ely
do
not
hav
e. S
o i
n
the
end
Im
no
wis
er a
bo
ut
wh
at
real
ly g
oes
on
.
Per
hap
s Im
bei
ng
un
fair.
As
lon
g
as y
ou
do
nt
thin
k ab
ou
t w
het
her
you
d li
ke t
hem
as
frie
nd
s, a
nd
pay
no
att
enti
on
to
mo
st o
f th
e ad
vice
they
giv
e, t
he
mo
st r
ead
able
par
ts
are
wh
ere
the
bo
sses
des
crib
e th
eir
rou
te t
o t
hei
r p
rese
nt
po
siti
on
.
Stu
art
seem
s to
th
ink
that
his
bo
ok
wo
uld
be
use
ful
for
peo
ple
aim
ing
for
the
top
, an
dth
at i
t m
igh
t ev
en
mak
e a
few
wan
t to
sta
rt t
hei
r o
wn
com
pan
y;
bu
t, in
fa
ct,
wh
at
they
cou
ld
lear
n
her
e is
ve
ry
limit
ed.
See
n a
s lig
ht
bu
sin
ess
read
ing
fo
r
a d
oct
or
or
teac
her
, th
ou
gh
, th
is
bo
ok
wo
uld
p
rovi
de
som
e g
oo
d
ente
rtai
nm
ent.
Th
e B
oss
es S
pea
k
Page 18
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
13
Turn
Ove
r
29A
calli
ngB
calls
Cca
lled
30A
such
Blik
eC
so
31A
atB
for
Cin
32A
who
Bw
hich
C
wha
t
33A
and
Bbu
tC
or
34A
ough
tB
will
Csh
all
35A
beca
use
Bal
thou
ghC
sinc
e
36A
onB
ofC
with
37A
aB
thes
eC
this
38A
still
Bev
erC
neve
r
39A
mus
tB
wou
ldC
mig
ht
40A
mad
eB
had
Cdo
ne
PAR
T S
IX
Qu
esti
on
s 29
4
0
R
ead
the
artic
le b
elow
abo
ut t
eam
-bui
ldin
g.
C
hoos
e th
e co
rrec
t w
ord
to f
ill e
ach
gap,
fro
m A
, B
or C
on t
he o
ppos
ite p
age.
F
or e
ach
ques
tion
29
40,
mar
k on
e le
tter
(A,
Bor
C)
on y
our
Ans
wer
She
et.
12
TE
AM
-BU
ILD
ING
TH
RO
UG
HA
CT
IVIT
IES
Now
aday
s,co
mpa
ny b
osse
s ar
e in
crea
sing
ly t
ryin
g to
find
unu
sual
tea
m-b
uild
ing
even
ts a
s pa
rt o
f the
ir t
rain
ing
prog
ram
me.
An
activ
ity p
ark
(29)
......
Fast
-tra
ck h
asju
st o
pene
d to
offe
r (3
0)...
...ev
ents
.It
spec
ialis
es (
31)
......
even
ts t
o at
trac
t th
eco
rpor
ate
ente
rtai
nmen
t m
arke
t,(3
2)...
...is
gro
win
g al
l the
tim
e.
The
par
k is
situ
ated
just
a fe
w k
ilom
etre
s ou
tsid
e th
e ci
ty c
entr
e (3
3)...
...it
prov
ides
even
ts t
hat
(34)
......
ente
rtai
n as
wel
l as
trai
n.
Clie
nts
can
try
outd
oor
attr
actio
ns s
uch
as s
ailin
g or
clim
bing
,(35
)...
...av
aila
bilit
ycl
earl
y de
pend
s en
tirel
y (3
6)...
...th
e w
eath
er.
Act
iviti
es o
f (37
)...
...ki
nd a
re p
erfe
ctte
am-b
uild
ing
exer
cise
s.
Id
(38)
......
been
to
an a
ctiv
ity p
ark
befo
re,
expl
aine
d Ja
mes
Bla
ck,a
com
pany
man
ager
.B
efor
e w
e ca
me,
I did
nt
thin
k w
e (3
9)...
...en
joy
ours
elve
s so
muc
h an
d I
didn
t ex
pect
the
hug
e di
ffere
nce
that
Fas
t-tr
ack
s pr
ogra
mm
e ha
s (4
0)...
...to
my
team
.Now
we
wor
k be
tter
tog
ethe
r th
an w
e di
d be
fore
.
Page 19
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
15
Turn
Ove
r
Insu
ranc
e C
laim
NA
ME
OF
PO
LIC
Y H
OL
DE
R:
(41)
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
..
PO
LIC
Y N
UM
BE
R:
LD4
756
03
0C
ITE
M(S
) T
O B
E R
EP
LA
CE
D:
(42)
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
LO
CA
TIO
N O
F I
TE
M(S
):(4
3)...
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
...
VA
LU
E W
HE
N P
UR
CH
AS
ED
:(4
4)...
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
...
CA
US
E O
F D
AM
AG
E:
(45)
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
DA
TE
OF
DA
MA
GE
:S
und
ay
19 M
ay
PAR
T S
EV
EN
Qu
esti
on
s 41
4
5
R
ead
the
mem
o an
d no
te b
elow
.
C
ompl
ete
the
clai
m fo
rm o
n th
e op
posi
te p
age.
W
rite
a w
ord
or p
hras
e (in
CA
PIT
AL
LET
TE
RS
) or
a n
umbe
r on
line
s 41
4
5on
you
r
Ans
wer
She
et.
14
MEMO
TO:
Barb
ara
Sinc
lair
FROM:
Pete
r Ro
gers
DATE:
25 M
ay 2
002
SUBJE
CT:
Insu
ranc
e Cl
aim
Coul
d yo
u de
al w
ith t
his?
Its
our
insu
ranc
e cl
aim
, fo
r th
e da
mag
e at
the
wee
kend
. Th
e
insu
ranc
e po
licy
is in
my
nam
e, a
nd w
e bo
ught
the
car
pet
for
300
, al
thou
gh it
will
cos
t at
leas
t 5
00 t
o re
plac
e. L
ucki
ly o
ur o
ffic
e ca
rpet
s se
em f
ine.
Than
ks
OW
EN
SM
ITH
IN
SUR
AN
CE
CO
MPA
NY
wit
h co
mpl
imen
ts
Than
k yo
u fo
r yo
ur r
ecen
t ph
one
call
rega
rdin
g flo
odda
mag
e in
you
r ph
otoc
opy
room
.
Coul
d yo
u pl
ease
com
plet
e th
e at
tach
ed f
orm
and
ret
urn
it to
me
as s
oon
as p
ossi
ble.
Ma
rtin
Morr
is
Page 20
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
PAR
T T
WO
Qu
esti
on
47
R
ead
this
par
t of
a le
tter
from
Mar
y B
enne
tt ap
plyi
ng fo
r a
job.
Wit
h r
efer
ence
to
yo
ur
adve
rtis
emen
t in
Th
e Ti
mes
, I
am w
riti
ng
to
ap
ply
fo
r th
e p
ost
of
trai
nin
g a
ssis
tan
t.
I am
mo
vin
g t
o y
ou
r co
un
try
nex
t m
on
th w
ith
my
hu
sban
d. A
s yo
u w
ill s
ee f
rom
th
e en
clo
sed
CV,
I h
ave
had
a lo
t of e
xper
ien
ce in
trai
nin
g a
nd
I fe
el th
at I
hav
e m
uch
to o
ffer
yo
ur
com
pan
y.
If I
am s
elec
ted
fo
r in
terv
iew
, ple
ase
cou
ld y
ou
giv
e m
e in
form
atio
n a
bo
ut
ho
w t
o r
each
yo
ur
off
ices
by
pu
blic
tra
nsp
ort
?
W
rite
a le
tter
to M
rs B
enne
tt:
ac
know
ledg
ing
her
lette
r
of
ferin
g he
r a
date
and
tim
e fo
r an
inte
rvie
w
re
ques
ting
the
nam
es a
nd a
ddre
sses
of
two
refe
rees
te
lling
her
the
bes
t w
ay t
o re
ach
you
by p
ublic
tra
nspo
rt.
W
rite
60
80
wo
rds.
W
rite
on
yo
ur
An
swer
Sh
eet.
Do
no
t in
clu
de
any
po
stal
ad
dre
sses
.
17
WR
ITIN
G
QU
ES
TIO
NS
46
and
47
PAR
T O
NE
Qu
esti
on
46
Yo
u ar
e go
ing
to a
ttend
an
engi
neer
ing
exhi
bitio
n in
Fra
nkfu
rt s
oon.
W
rite
a m
emo
to y
our
assi
stan
t:
ex
plai
ning
why
you
will
be
away
le
tting
her
kno
w t
he d
ates
you
will
be
away
sa
ying
wha
t w
ork
she
shou
ld d
o w
hile
you
are
aw
ay.
W
rite
30
40
wo
rds.
W
rite
on
yo
ur
An
swer
Sh
eet.
16
ME
MO
To:
Sar
a Ly
ons
Fro
m:
Dat
e:14
Mar
ch 2
003
Sub
ject
:T
rip
to F
rank
furt
READING ANSWER KEY
Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven
1 B 6 E 11 B 16 B 23 B 29 C 41 PETER ROGERS2 A 7 A 12 F 17 A 24 A 30 A 42 (A/THE/ONE) CARPET3 C 8 H 13 G 18 C 25 C 31 C 43 PHOTOCOPY ROOM4 A 9 D 14 H 19 B 26 B 32 B 44 3005 C 10 C 15 E 20 C 27 A 33 A 45 FLOOD/FLOODING
21 A 28 C 34 B22 B 35 B
36 A37 C38 C39 B40 A
ASSESSMENT OF WRITING
An impression mark is awarded to each piece of writing. Foreach task, a General Impression Mark Scheme is used inconjunction with a Task-specific Mark Scheme, whichfocuses on criteria specific to each particular task.
For Part 1, examiners use the mark schemes primarily toassess task achievement. For Part 2, examiners use the markschemes to assess both task achievement and language.
The band scores awarded are translated to a mark out of 5for Part 1 and a mark out of 10 for Part 2. The total score forWriting is then weighted to 30 marks.
Both General Impression Mark Schemes are interpreted atCouncil of Europe level B1.
Summaries of the General Impression Mark Schemes arereproduced below. Examiners work with a more detailedversion, which is subject to regular updating.
Part 1 Summary of General Impression Mark Scheme
Page 21
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
Very good attempt at task, achieving all content points.Band 5
Band 4
Band 3
Band 2
Band 1
Band 0
Good attempt at task, achieving all content points.
Satisfactory attempt at task, achieving all content points with some effort by the reader, or achieving2 content points.
Inadequate attempt at task, achieving 1 content point, possibly with noticeable irrelevance.
Poor attempt at task; no content points achieved, has little relevance.
No relevant response or too little language to assess.
Page 22
Part 2 Summary of General Impression Mark Scheme
Band 5 Full realisation of the task set. All four content points achieved. Confident use of language; errors are minor, due to ambition and non-impeding. Good range of structure and vocabulary. Effectively organised, with appropriate use of simple linking devices. Register and format consistently appropriate.Very positive effect on the reader.
Band 4 Good realisation of the task set. Three or four content points achieved. Ambitious use of language; some non-impeding errors. More than adequate range of structure and vocabulary. Generally well-organised, with attention paid to cohesion. Register and format on the whole appropriate.Positive effect on the reader.
Band 3 Reasonable achievement of the task set. Three or four content points achieved. A number of errors may be present, but are mostly non-impeding. Adequate range of structure and vocabulary. Organisation and cohesion is satisfactory, on the whole. Register and format reasonable, although not entirely successful.Satisfactory effect on the reader.
Band 2 Inadequate attempt at the task set. Two or three content points achieved. Numerous errors, which sometimes impede communication. Limited range of structure and vocabulary. Content is not clearly organised or linked, causing some confusion. Inappropriate register and format.Negative effect on the reader.
Band 1 Poor attempt at the task set. One or two content points achieved. Serious lack of control; frequent basic errors. Little evidence of structure and vocabulary required by task. Lack of organisation, causing a breakdown in communication. Little attempt at appropriate register and format.Very negative effect on the reader.
Band 0 Achieves nothing. Either fewer than 25% of the required number of words or totally illegible or totally irrelevant.
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
Page 23
WRITING PART 1
EXAMINER COMMENTS
I am going to attend an engineering exhibition in Frankfurt, and the tickets date is 20th March, I will be away for one week, during this week I would like you to arrange the training meeting which wehave decided and make an appointment with selling manager. I would like to see him 27th morning 10:30.
CANDIDATE A
All points clearly achieved with only minor errors ofpunctuation and the occasional missing preposition orarticle.
Band 5
CANDIDATE B
Next week I go to an exhibition in Frankfurt. Its from the 9th to the 11th. While I am in Frankfurt you shouldwrite the business letters. If there are any problems call me!
EXAMINER COMMENTS
All the content points have been achieved but Next week Igo and write the business letters are awkward.
Band 4
CANDIDATE C
I must go attend an engeneering exhibition in Frankfurt from 15 March to 18 March. Can you tell Mr Meier toask him confirmation for the fly on Monday and finish to made the travel documents for departure in April?
Yours sincerely
EXAMINER COMMENTS
The third content point (what work the assistant should dowhile the writer is away) is not achieved as the secondsentence is confused and the role of Mr Meier is not clear.
Band 3
I will go on a trip to Frankfurt about attend an engineering exhibition tomorrow (15/March), so I want youhelp me to leave a message if I have phone call. Thank you!
CANDIDATE D
EXAMINER COMMENTS
The candidate has failed to achieve both the second andthird content points (the dates when the writer will be awayand what work the assistant should do during this time),making this an inadequate attempt at the task.
Band 2
BE
C P
RE
LIM
INA
RY
Page 24
WRITING PART 2
Dear Mrs Bennett
Thank you for applying our company. We arranged an interview for you. The date is 4th April. Please arriveat 9.15 in the morning, the interview star at 9.30. Please arrive on time.
We also need the names and address of 2 referees.
The best way to reach our office is use underground. You ca
Recommended