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About the Exams

CAMBRIDGE EXAMS OFFERED BY THE BRITISH COUNCIL EXAMINATION CENTRE IN BIELSKO-BIAŁA:

1. Cambridge General English Examinations
It is the main group of examinations offered by the University of Cambridge. They are the most popular exams in English both in Poland and all over the world. They are taken by hundreds of thousands of candidates every year:

· Key English Test (KET) - elementary level
· Preliminary English Test (PET) - pre-intermediate level
· First Certificate in English (FCE) - intermediate level
· Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) - advanced level
· Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) - proficient level

There are two KET, PET and CPE examination sessions a year: Summer session and Winter session.

There are three FCE and CAE examination sessions a year: Spring, Summer and Winter session.

2. Business English Examinations

BEC (Business English Certificate) examinations certify English language competence in professional environment and international business. They are offered at three levels of competence:
· BEC Preliminary - elementary level
· BEC Vantage - intermediate level
· BEC Higher - advanced level
There are two BEC examination sessions a year: Summer session and Winter session.

3. IELTS Examination

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an examination designed for people who have to supply documentary evidence of their competence in English so that they are able to study or work in the countries where English is commonly used. The examination is also intended for people applying for an emigration visa to Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

There are two IELTS examination sessions a month on average.

4. English for Kids

Cambridge Young Learners English Tests (YLE) are designed to offer a comprehensive approach to testing the English of primary learners between the ages of 7 and 12. They are offered at three levels of assessment:
· YLE Starters
· YLE Movers
· YLE Flyers

YLE examinations are organised on request for groups of at least 10.

5. Examinations in Legal English

Designed for lawyers and students of the law. They assess legal English skills in the areas such as: knowledge and use of vocabulary relevant in the global commercial market, reading and writing complex law documentation, writing formal letters and communicating by email, the language of negotiating, etc.

· Test of Legal English Skills (TOLES) - an examination developed by the Global Legal English institute and recognised by many law societies. It is offered at two levels:

- TOLES Foundation - intermediate level
- TOLES Advanced - advanced level

TOLES examination is offered a few times a year.

· International Legal English Certificate (ILEC) - an examination assessing the ability of using legal English in a lot of realistic situations that legal professionals have to deal with in their work environment. It has been conducted since November 2006.

ILEC examination is offered in two sessions a year.

6. Examination in Financial English

International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE) - an examination assessing a competence in English in a lot of realistic situations that finance and accounting professionals have to deal with in their work environment. It is mainly intended for the students of finance and accounting, as well as the professionals already working in these areas. The exam will be available in 2007.

ICFE examination is offered twice a year.

7. Teaching Qualifications

Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) is an exam testing the professional knowledge of English Language teachers, focusing on issues such as: different ways of teaching a language, terminology in language teaching, the use of teaching resources, the key elements of lesson planning, classroom management methods for different needs.

TKT examination is offered in a few sessions a year.

8. Professional and Vocational Examinations

Conducted on request, examinations offered by the UK’s most prestigious British universities and top professional institutions such as:

· Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)
· Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
· Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA)
· Institute of Financial Services (IFS)
· Securities Institute
· Edexcel International
· College of Estate Management
· Institute of Export
· Scottish Qualifications Authority
· Open University
· University of London
· University of Wales
· University of Westminster
· Heriot-Watt University
· Chartered Institute of Linguists

We would also like to invite you to the British Council’s website http://www.britishcouncil.org/poland where you can find the following:
· detailed information on examinations
· recognition list
· registration documents for given exam sessions
· results of KET, PET, FCE, CAE, CPE and BEC examinations

And to our FORUM where you can express your opinions, as well as ask questions about examination subjects of your interest.

A few other useful websites:

· Cambridge ESOL website
· IELTS website
· TOLES website
· ILEC website
· ICFE website