ESL Exams – a Teacher’s Guide

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It is the top of one other class, and one scholar has stayed behind. No drawback, you suppose, possibly a simple grammar query, or a touch upon how they loved the category (or not!)… or possibly it is a query about an ESL examination. “What is the distinction between TOEFL and TOEIC?” “Ought to I take the FCE?” “Who acknowledges IELTS?” So if you do not know your BEC out of your KET, or your CAE out of your CELS, this is a short information to the most well-liked ESL exams.

ESL exams fall broadly into three fundamental classes: Common English, Enterprise English and Educational English.

Common English

Most likely the most well-liked on this class are the Cambridge ESOL exams. One and a half million folks in 135 international locations take Cambridge exams yearly. There are 5 Common English exams, typically known as the “Cambridge Predominant Suite.”

The primary two ranges are the KET (Key English Take a look at) and the PET (Preliminary English Take a look at). The KET and PET have studying and writing, listening, and talking parts, and are most frequently used to evaluate progress or to arrange for the following examination within the collection. The PET can be acknowledged by some employers and universities. KET and PET have two cross grades, Cross with benefit and Cross.

Subsequent up from the PET is the FCE (First Certificates in English). The FCE has 5 sections, studying, writing, use of English, listening and talking. It’s well known by employers and academic establishments and so may be very in style with college students who need to examine or work overseas.

Many universities and employers, nonetheless, favor the CAE (Certificates in Superior English), which is the following stage up. This examination reveals {that a} scholar is able to following a college course or can operate in a spread of enterprise contexts.

After the CAE comes the CPE (Certificates of Proficiency in English), the very best stage within the collection. College students who cross this examination have the flexibility to operate successfully in virtually each English talking context. The CPE can be a typical requirement for non-native audio system who need to practice as English lecturers. College students usually want 3 years of examine after passing the FCE to achieve this stage (relying, after all, on how usually they examine and different elements).

FCE, CAE and CPE have 5 grades, A-E, of which A-C are passes.

Cambridge additionally has a collection of Common English exams for Younger Learners aged between 7 and 12 (YLE). There are three exams within the collection, Starters, Movers and Flyers. They’re taken primarily as a method of measuring progress, and likewise as preparation for the KET and PET. There is no such thing as a cross or fail – college students are awarded as much as 5 “shields” for every part (studying and writing, listening, talking).

Different Common English exams

Cambridge additionally provides CELS (Certificates in English Language Abilities). These are particular person exams in every of the 4 abilities (studying, writing, listening, talking). College students can select which of the exams they need to take, in accordance with their strengths and necessities.

Pitman, a part of the British Metropolis and Guilds Group, is one other inspecting physique with a collection of Common English exams. The Worldwide ESOL covers listening, studying and writing, and the Worldwide Spoken ESOL is a one to at least one structured interview. Each have six ranges, from primary to superior.

Enterprise English

Yearly 4 and a half million folks take the TOEIC (Take a look at of English for Worldwide Communication), run by the Academic Testing Service (ETS). The TOEIC is a a number of alternative examination in two sections, listening and studying, every scored out of 445, giving a complete of 990. Many corporations and authorities businesses use TOEIC as a criterion for recruiting or selling employees, or for sending employees overseas. Some universities additionally use TOEIC, requiring their enterprise faculty college students to attain a specific rating previous to commencement, for instance.

Cambridge additionally has a collection of enterprise exams referred to as the BEC (Enterprise English Certificates). BEC is available in three ranges, Preliminary, Vantage and Increased. The kinds of examination activity are much like these within the Cambridge Predominant Suite, however take a look at language potential in a enterprise context. They’re acknowledged by many employers worldwide, and college students take them to exhibit language abilities required for worldwide enterprise. There are two cross grades for BEC, Cross with benefit and Cross.

Different Enterprise English exams

Cambridge provides BULATS (The Enterprise Language Testing Service). BULATS is designed particularly for corporations and organizations to check the language potential of staff who want English of their work, and for college students and staff on language and enterprise programs.

Pitman has a three-level collection of exams referred to as English for Enterprise Communications, which exams enterprise writing potential, and English for Workplace Abilities, a two-level collection designed to check the flexibility to hold out office-related duties the place accuracy in writing and following directions is necessary.

Educational English

A typical query from college students is “What is the distinction between TOEIC and TOEFL?” Properly, each are run by ETS, however whereas TOEIC evaluates language abilities for the office, TOEFL evaluates language abilities in an educational context. It’s subsequently used primarily as a prerequisite for admission to universities and faculties. Greater than 5000 faculties and universities in 90 international locations acknowledge the examination. Throughout 2005 and 2006, TOEFL is phasing in a brand new internet-based take a look at (iBT), which can change the present computer-based and paper-based exams. The iBT has 4 sections, studying, listening, talking and writing, every with a rating of 30, giving a complete rating of 120. That is more likely to trigger some confusion for some time, as most college students and universities are used to working with the paper-based complete of 677, or the computer-based complete of 300!

Cambridge additionally has an educational examination, the IELTS (Worldwide English Language Testing System), which they collectively handle with the British Council and IDP:IELTS Australia. IELTS is acknowledged by universities and faculties, in addition to employers, immigration authorities {and professional} our bodies. The examination has listening, studying, writing and talking parts. For the studying and writing, college students can select between an educational and a basic possibility. IELTS is scored on a scale of 1-9.

Evaluating ranges

Probably the most widespread questions from college students is how exams within the completely different classes evaluate to one another. Is the FCE equal to one of many BEC exams? If I’ve the CAE, what TOEFL rating can I count on? Fortunately, we’ve a reference information to assist us right here, referred to as the “Frequent European Framework of Reference for Languages” (CEF). The CEF divides language learners into six ranges, and allows us to match all of the ESL exams in accordance with these ranges.

The six ranges are A1 (Breakthrough), A2 (Waystage), B1 (Threshold), B2 (Vantage), C1 (Efficient Operational Proficiency), and C2 (Mastery).

This is a fast comparability of exams on the completely different ranges. Keep in mind that this can be a basic information solely — college students’ scores in numerous exams will after all depend upon many elements, reminiscent of preparation time and motivation!

A1: YLE Movers, Pitman ESOL Fundamental, IELTS rating 1-2.

A2: KET, YLE Flyers, Pitman ESOL Elementary, TOEIC rating 246-380, TOEFL iBT rating 32-42, IELTS rating 3.

B1: PET, TOEIC rating 381-540, BEC Preliminary, TOEFL iBT rating 43-61, IELTS rating 3.5-4.5.

B2: FCE, Pitman ESOL Intermediate, TOEIC rating 541-700, BEC Vantage, TOEFL iBT rating 62-91, IELTS rating 5-6.

C1: CAE, Pitman ESOL Increased Intermediate, TOEIC rating 701-910, BEC Increased, TOEFL iBT rating 92-112, IELTS rating 6.5-7.

C2: CPE, Pitman ESOL Superior, TOEIC rating 911-990, TOEFL iBT rating 113-120, IELTS rating 7.5-9.

There may be after all rather more details about these exams on the Cambridge ESOL, TOEIC, TOEFL and Pitman web sites — you will discover the hyperlinks at this ESL exams useful resource

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Source by Keith Taylor