B1 Business (BEC) Preliminary
Business Certifications
Important Announcement: Discontinuation of Cambridge English Business Exams
After 28 years of making a significant impact on learners globally, Cambridge English Business Qualifications (BEC) is now discontinued. Despite its historical success, a decline in global BEC candidates over the past five years and evolving assessment preferences have led Cambridge Assessment English to discontinue these exams. As of January 2024, BEC sessions will no longer be offered. Moving forward, learners will find alternatives in products like Cambridge English Qualifications for General and Higher Education.
The last BEC examinations took place up until December 2023, and no further exam sessions will be scheduled thereafter. Certificates issued before this date will remain valid, allowing candidates to showcase their English proficiency to employers and universities.
B1 Business Preliminary is made up of three papers (Reading and Writing, Listening, Speaking) developed to test candidates’ English skills. B1 Business Preliminary shows that candidates can talk about business subjects, understand charts and graphs, write a short business email, and follow short telephone conversations. Achieving a certificate at this level proves that candidates are able to communicate with native speakers for routine business and workplace purposes.
B1 Business Preliminary is aimed at learners who want to:
- Succeed in business-related studies with English language skills they can prove.
- Improve their career opportunities – get the English language skills they need to be successful.
B1 Business Preliminary is accepted globally by top international companies as well as education institutions and business schools.
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Section |
Time |
Description |
# of items |
|
Reading & Writing |
1 hour 30 minutes |
Part 1 Five very short texts (signs, messages, postcards, emails, labels, etc.) each followed by a 3-option multiple-choice question. Candidates have to read them and choose which of the three sentences (A, B or C) is correct. |
5 questions |
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Part 2 Five short descriptions, often of people’s requirements, and one text to read. Candidates have to match each person to part of the text. |
5 questions | ||
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Part 3 Eight graphs or charts (or one or more graphics with eight parts) and five questions. Candidates need to match each question to a graph or part of a graph. |
5 questions |
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Part 4 A text and seven questions. For each question, candidates have to decide if a statement is A 'Right' or B 'Wrong', according to the text, or if the information is not given in the text, they should choose C 'Doesn't say'. |
7 questions |
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Part 5 A text, often from a leaflet or from a newspaper or magazine article, with six multiple-choice questions. Each question has three options and candidates have to choose which of the three (A, B or C) is correct. |
6 questions |
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Part 6 A text (newspaper or magazine article, advert, leaflet, etc.) with twelve numbered spaces. Each space represents a missing word and candidates have to choose the right answer (A, B, or C). |
12 questions |
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Part 7 Two short texts (memos, emails, notices, adverts, etc.) and a form to complete. Candidates have to read the texts and fill in the correct information (a word, a number or a phrase) in the empty spaces on the form. |
5 questions |
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Part 8 An internal company communication. The instructions tell candidates who to write to and what they should write (e.g. a note, a message, a memo or an email). |
30-40 words |
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Part 9 A piece of business correspondence (letter or email) or a notice, an advert, etc., to read. The instructions tell candidates what to write and who to write to. |
60-80 words |
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Listening |
about 40 minutes |
Part 1 Eight short conversations/monologues (one person speaking). For each recording, there is a multiple-choice question, which may be in the form of words or pictures. Candidates have to listen to the recordings and choose the right answer (A, B or C). |
8 questions |
|
Part 2 A short conversation or monologue which contains factual information and a form, table, chart or set of notes with gaps. Candidates have to listen to the recording and write the correct information (dates, prices, percentages, figures, etc.) in the gaps. |
7 questions |
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Part 3 A longer monologue and a page of notes or a form with gaps. Candidates have to listen to the recording and fill in the missing information (one or two words) in the gaps. |
7 questions |
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Part 4 A longer recording (about 3 minutes) which may be an interview or a discussion between two or more speakers on a business-related topic. Candidates have to listen to the recording and choose the right answer (A, B or C) for each of the eight multiple-choice questions. |
8 questions |
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Speaking |
12 minutes per pair of candidates |
Part 1 Conversation between the examiner and each candidate. The examiner encourages the candidates to give information about themselves and to express personal opinions. |
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Part 2 A ‘mini-presentation’ by each candidate on a business theme. The candidates are given prompts which generate a short talk on a business-related topic. |
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Part 3 A collaborative task which candidates do together. The candidates are presented with a scenario supported by visual or written prompts which generate a discussion. The interlocutor extends the discussion with further spoken prompts. |
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B1 Business Preliminary (BEC Preliminary) is recognized by the private sector. It is also officially recognized in Greece by the state (ASEP/Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection) as a certification of English language competence at various levels depending on the Cambridge English Scale overall score, as follows:
|
Level of recognition |
Overall score |
|
B2 |
160-170 |
|
B1 |
140-159 |
B1 Business Preliminary is accepted globally by top international companies as well as education institutions and business schools.
