Achieve your ambitions in international business In today’s challenging business environment, companies are seeking employees with English language skills to help their organisation compete internationally. You can give yourself a vital advantage by making sure you have the language skills that employers are looking for. Cambridge English: Business Certificates are developed in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) – the internationally accepted system for describing language ability. A clear route for progression Cambridge English Business Certificates feature three certificates that provide a progressive way to develop and improve Business English ability, and make it easy to prove to employers the exact level of your English skills. |
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 | Language skills for real-life business situations |
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| Business B1 Preliminary, is set at Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The content in Business B1 Preliminary
reflects everyday work and business tasks. Preparing for your exam will
give you skills that will make you an asset to your employer. At this level, you would be able to carry out basic office tasks such as:
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| Improving your employability and career prospects Proving your business English abilities can open the door to career opportunities with a new employer, or can make your ambitions for promotion or career development within your current organisation a reality. | ||
| Clear, reliable evidence of your language ability Employers value and rely on Business B1 Preliminary because it is a thorough test of all four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) in a business context. | ||
| Fair and valid Cambridge English carries out detailed research and analysis to ensure all our exams are accurate, relevant and fair to the people that take them. The systems and processes meet the internationally recognised ISO 9001:2008 quality management standard. | ||
Business B1 Preliminary FAQs
Business B1 Preliminary has 3 parts:
 Reading & Writing: 1 hour, 30 minutesThe Business B1 Preliminary Reading & Writing has seven parts for Reading and two tasks for Writing. There are different types of texts and questions.In the Reading part of the test you are tested on your ability to understand gist and detail and to identify main points and specific information. You are also tested on vocabulary and understanding the structure and development of a text. The Writing: Part 1 is a piece of communication with a colleague or colleagues inside a company. Writing: Part 2 is a longer piece of business correspondence, which is usually with somebody outside the company. Writing: Part 2 is worth twice as many marks as Writing: Part 1. When examiners assess your writing, they will think about task achievement, range of structure and vocabulary, accuracy and control of language, organisation and cohesion, appropriacy of register and format and the effect the writing will have on the target reader. The Reading and Writing test accounts for 50% of the total mark – 25% for Reading and 25% for Writing. | ||
| Listening: about 40 minutes The Business B1 Preliminary Listening has four parts. For each part, you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice. The recordings are scripted. They all deal with business topics and situations. Nearly all have one or two speakers. The Listening test accounts for 25% of the total mark. | ||
| Speaking: 16 minutes per pair of candidates The Business B1 Preliminary Speaking Test has three parts and you take it together with another candidate. There are two examiners. One of the examiners talks to you and the other examiner listens and takes notes. One examiner (the interlocutor) speaks to you, and the other (the assessor) does not take part in the test but listens to you speak and interact with the other candidate. Both examiners give you a mark, but the assessor gives more detailed marks than the interlocutor. The Speaking test accounts for 25% of the total mark. Download the Business B1 Preliminary sample papers
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Your results
Business B1 Preliminary results will be reported on the Cambridge English Scale.
Download a factsheet about the Cambridge English Scale
You will receive a Statement of Results. If your performance ranges between CEFR Levels B2 and A2, you will also receive a certificate.
You will receive a separate score for each of the four skills (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking), giving you a clear understanding of your performance. These five scores are averaged to give an overall result for the exam. You will also be given a grade and Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level.
'Statement of Results'
Your Statement of Results contains the following information:
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For Business B1 Preliminary, the following scores will be used to report results:
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 | The exam is targeted at Level B1 of the CEFR. The examination also provides reliable assessment at the level above B1 (Level B2) and the level below (Level A2). Scores between 120 and 139 are also reported for Business B1 Preliminary. You will not receive a certificate, but your Cambridge English Scale score will be shown on your Statement of Results. Please click on the image to the left of this text to find out the relationship between the CEFR levels, the Cambridge English Scale and the grades awarded in Business B1 Preliminary.
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Your certificate
If a candidate demonstrates that he/she has achieved level A2 or above of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), one of the following certificates will be awarded:
If a candidate demonstrates that he/she has achieved level A2 or above of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), one of the following certificates will be awarded:
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Business B1 Preliminary - Level B2 If you achieve a scale score of 160–170 (Pass with Distinction) in your exam, you will receive the Business English Certificate Preliminary at Level B2. |
| Business B1 Preliminary If you achieve a scale score of 140–159 (Pass, Pass with Merit) in your exam, you will receive the Business B1 Preliminary at Level B1. | |
| Level A2 certificate Cambridge English believes it is important to recognise your achievement, even if you do not reach Level B1. If your exam performance is below Level B1, but falls within Level A2, Cambridge English will recognise your achievement with a certificate stating that you demonstrated ability at Level A2. |
 If you want a university, employer or other organisation to verify your
result, you must provide them with the information on your Statement of
Results and two additional pieces of information:1.- Your ID Number (a sequence of nine letters and numbers). 2.- Your Secret Number (a four-digit number). Both of these pieces of information can be found on your Confirmation of Entry, which you receive when you register for the exam. They can then verify your result by logging in to www.cambridgeenglish.org/verifiers |
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 | Language skills for real-life business situations |
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| Business B2 Vantage, is set at Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The content in Business B2 Vantage reflects
everyday work and business tasks. Preparing for your exam will give you
skills that will make you an asset to your employer. At this level you would be able to:
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| Improving your employability and career prospects Proving your business English abilities can open the door to career opportunities with a new employer, or can make your ambitions for promotion or career development within your current organisation a reality. | ||
| Clear, reliable evidence of your language ability Employers value and rely on Business B2 Vantage because it is a thorough test of all four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) in a business context. | ||
| Fair and valid Cambridge English carries out detailed research and analysis to ensure all our exams are accurate, relevant and fair to the people that take them. The systems and processes meet the internationally recognised ISO 9001:2008 quality management standard. | ||
Business B2 Vantage has 4 parts:
 Reading: 1 hourThe Business B2 Vantage Reading paper has four parts and different types of texts and questions. In part 1, you may be required to read one long text divided into four sections, or four shorter, related texts. There is no time limit for each task; some tasks may take longer than others and you should be aware of how long you need for different tasks. However, it’s worth remembering that some tasks have more items and are, therefore, worth more marks. You are tested on your ability to understand gist, detail and the text structure and to identify main points and specific information. You are also tested on vocabulary, understanding discourse features and the ability to identify errors. The Reading test accounts for 25% of the total mark. | ||
| Writing: 45 minutes The Business B2 Vantage Writing paper has different types of texts and questions. There are 2 parts. In Part 1, the task requires internal communication (writing to somebody within the same company), which may be a note, message, memo or email. In Part 2, the task may be a business letter, fax or email, or a report or proposal. Part 2 is worth twice as many marks as Part 1. The scores are converted to provide a mark out 10 for Part 1 and a mark out of 20 for Part 2. The Writing paper is worth a total of 30 marks (25% of the total score). | ||
| Listening: about 40 minutes (+ 5 minutes transfer time) The Business B2 Vantage Listening paper has three parts. For each part you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice. The recordings are scripted. They all deal with business topics and situations. All have one or two speakers. The Listening test accounts for 25% of the total mark. | ||
| Speaking: 10-12 minutes per pair of candidates The Business B2 Vantage Speaking Test has three parts and you take it together with another candidate. For the Vantage level, you need to be accurate enough in your grammar and choice of words to get your meaning across. In other words, you do not need to be accurate all the time to pass. Also, remember that grammar and vocabulary is only one of the four areas that are assessed in the exam. The others are discourse management, pronunciation and interactive communication. There are two examiners. One of the examiners conducts the test and the other examiner listens to what you say and takes notes. One examiner (the interlocutor) speaks to you, and the other (the assessor) does not take part in the test but listens to you speak and interact with the other candidate. Both examiners give you a mark, but the assessor gives more detailed marks than the interlocutor. The Speaking test accounts for 25% of the total mark.
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Your results
Business B2 Vantage results will be reported on the Cambridge English Scale.
Download a factsheet about the Cambridge English Scale
You will receive a Statement of Results. If your performance ranges between CEFR Levels C1 and B1, you will also receive a certificate.
You will receive a separate score for each of the four skills (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking), giving you a clear understanding of your performance. These five scores are averaged to give an overall result for the exam. You will also be given a grade and Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level.
'Statement of Results'
Your Statement of Results contains the following information:
 |
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For Business B2 Vantage, the following scores will be used to report results:
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 | The exam is targeted at Level B2 of the CEFR. The examination also provides reliable assessment at the level above B2 (Level C1) and the level below (Level B1). Scores between 140 and 159 are also reported for Business B2 Vantage. You will not receive a certificate, but your Cambridge English Scale score will be shown on your Statement of Results. Please click on the image to the left of this text to find out the relationship between the CEFR levels, the Cambridge English Scale and the grades awarded in Business B2 Vantage.
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Your certificate
If a candidate demonstrates that he/she has achieved level B1 or above
of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), one of the
following certificates will be awarded:
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Business B2 Vantage - Level C1 If you achieve a scale score of 180–190 (Grade A) in your exam, you will receive the Business B2 Vantage at Level C1. |
| Business B2 Vantage If you achieve a scale score of 160–179 (Grade B, Grade C) in your exam, you will receive the Business B2 Vantage at Level B2. | |
| Level B Certificate Cambridge English believes it is important to recognise your achievement, even if you do not reach Level B2. If your exam performance is below Level B2, but falls within Level B1, Cambridge English will recognise your achievement with a certificate stating that you demonstrated ability at Level B1. |
If you want a university, employer or other organisation to verify your
result, you must provide them with the information on your Statement of
Results and two additional pieces of information:1.- Your ID Number (a sequence of nine letters and numbers). 2.- Your Secret Number (a four-digit number). Both of these pieces of information can be found on your Confirmation of Entry, which you receive when you register for the exam. They can then verify your result by logging in to www.cambridgeenglish.org/verifiers |
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 | Language skills for real-life business situations |
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| Business C1 Higher, is set at Level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Business C1 Higher shows
the employers that you have the drive and motivation to achieve an
advanced level of business English, and can use your skills to function
effectively in most international business situations. C1 is the level of English required for demanding professional and academic settings and shows employers you can:
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| Improving your employability and career prospects Proving your business English abilities can open the door to career opportunities with a new employer, or can make your ambitions for promotion or career development within your current organisation a reality. | ||
| Clear, reliable evidence of your language ability Employers value and rely on Business C1 Higher because it is a thorough test of all four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) in a business context. | ||
| Fair and valid Cambridge English carries out detailed research and analysis to ensure all our exams are accurate, relevant and fair to the people that take them. The systems and processes meet the internationally recognised ISO 9001:2008 quality management standard. | ||
Business C1 Higher has 4 parts:
 Reading: 1 hourThe Business C1 Higher Reading paper has six parts with different types of texts and questions. You may have to read one long text or two or more shorter, related texts. You are tested on your ability to understand gist, detail and text structure and to identify main points and specific information. You are also tested on vocabulary, understanding discourse features and the ability to identify errors. The Reading paper is worth 25% of the total score. | ||
| Writing: 1 hour, 10 minutes For the Business C1 Higher Writing paper you have to show that you can write different types of text in English. There are two parts: one compulsory task (Part 1) and another from a choice of three tasks (Part 2). In Part 1 the task is based on graphic input – graphs, bar charts or pie charts. Part 2 is worth twice as many marks as Part 1. The Writing paper is worth a total of 30 marks (25% of the total score). | ||
| Listening: about 40 minutes (+ 5 minutes transfer time) The Business C1 Higher Listening paper has three parts. For each part you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice. The recordings are scripted. They all deal with business topics and situations. Nearly all have one or two speakers. The Listening test accounts for 25% of the total mark. | ||
| Speaking: 16 minutes per pair of candidates The Business C1 Higher Speaking Test has three parts and you take it together with another candidate. There are two examiners. One of the examiners (the interlocutor) conducts the test and the other examiner (the assessor) listens to what you say and takes notes. The Speaking test accounts for 25% of the total mark.
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Your results
The Business C1 Higher results will be reported on the Cambridge English Scale.
Download a factsheet about the Cambridge English Scale
You will receive a Statement of Results. If your performance ranges between CEFR Levels C2 and B2, you will also receive a certificate.
You will receive a separate score for each of the four skills (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking), giving you a clear understanding of your performance. These five scores are averaged to give an overall result for the exam. You will also be given a grade and Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level.
'Statement of Results'
Your Statement of Results contains the following information:
 |
| |||||||||||||||
For Business C1 Higher, the following scores will be used to report results:
| ||||||||||||||||
 | The exam is targeted at Level B2 of the CEFR. The examination also provides reliable assessment at the level above B2 (Level C1) and the level below (Level B1). Scores between 160 and 179 are also reported for Business C1 Higher. You will not receive a certificate, but your Cambridge English Scale score will be shown on your Statement of Results. Please click on the image to the left of this text to find out the relationship between the CEFR levels, the Cambridge English Scale and the grades awarded in Business C1 Higher.
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Your certificate
If a candidate demonstrates that he/she has achieved level B1 or above of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), one of the following certificates will be awarded:
 |
Business C1 Higher - Level C2 If you achieve a scale score of 200–210 (Grade A) in your exam, you will receive the Business C1 Higher at Level C2 |
| Business C1 Higher If you achieve a scale score of 180–199 (Grade B, Grade C) in your exam, you will receive the Business C1 Higher at Level C1 | |
| Level B2 certificate Cambridge English believes it is important to recognise your achievement, even if you do not reach Level C1. If your exam performance is below Level C1, but falls within Level B2, Cambridge English will recognise your achievement with a certificate stating that you demonstrated ability at Level B2. |
If you want a university, employer or other organisation to verify your
result, you must provide them with the information on your Statement of
Results and two additional pieces of information:1.- Your ID Number (a sequence of nine letters and numbers). 2.- Your Secret Number (a four-digit number). Both of these pieces of information can be found on your Confirmation of Entry, which you receive when you register for the exam. They can then verify your result by logging in to www.cambridgeenglish.org/verifiers |
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| Are you a private candidate? It’s easy to register for Cambridge English: Business in just three steps: |
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C/ Freixa, 5-9