The range of Cambridge ESOL exams includes specialist exams for business and academic purposes. All four areas of language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) are tested, focusing on your ability to communicate effectively in English.
You can find out more about these exams by visiting Cambridge ESOL web page.

GENERAL ENGLISH EXAMS

- First Certificate in English (FCE)
Learners at this level can expect to be able to work or study in an English speaking environment and cope easily as tourists in an English speaking country. This certificate is widely accepted for commercial and preliminary academic purposes in the UK and throughout the world. FCE has five papers: Reading (60 minutes), Writing (80 minutes), English in Use (45 minutes), Listening (approximately 40 minutes) and Speaking (approximately 14 minutes). Certificates are issued to successful candidates with A, B and C grades.

- Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
At this level learners can be expected to cope confidently in most situations that would arise in an English speaking country -socially, professionally and in higher education. CAE is accepted by almost all universities and colleges in Britain and many others throughout the world including employers. CAE has five papers: Reading (75 minutes), Writing (90 minutes), English in Use (60 minutes), Listening (approximately 40 minutes) and Speaking (approximately 15 minutes). Certificates are issued to successful candidates with A, B and C grades.

- Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
At this stage, learners are approaching a standard of English similar to that of an educated native speaker. CPE is accepted by almost all universities and colleges in Britain and many others throughout the world, as proof of a level of English suitable for entry to courses of higher education or postgraduate study. Many employers also recognise CPE. CPE has five papers: Reading (90 minutes), Composition (120 minutes), English in Use (120 minutes), Listening (approximately 45 minutes) and Interview (approximately 19 minutes per individual candidate). Certificates are issued to successful candidates with A, B and C grades.

PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH EXAMS

- Business English Certificates (BEC)
A suite of three exams BEC PRELIMINARY, BEC VANTAGE and BEC HIGHER designed to test English language ability used in the context of business. It is ideal if you are preparing for a career in business. In Macedonia we offer BEC VANTAGE and BEC HIGHER exams. BEC VANTAGE is an examination for intermediate level candidates already in work or preparing to work in a range of business-related jobs, from general office work to production and financial services. This level is equivalent to Cambridge level 3 (FCE). BEC Vantage has 4 papers: Reading (1 hour), Writing (45 minutes), Listening (approx. 40 minutes) and Speaking (approx. 14 minutes per pair of candidates). BEC HIGHER is aimed for students who have already acquired or are acquiring business and/or office skills. Learners at this level are expected to be able to handle complex structures and demonstrate knowledge of a wide range of vocabulary. This examination is at an advanced level similar to Cambridge level 4 (CAE). BEC Higher has 4 papers: Reading (1 hour), writing (1 hour and 10 minutes), Listening (approx. 40 minutes) and Speaking (approx. 16 minutes per pair of candidates). Certificates are issued to successful candidates with A, B or C grade.

- International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE)
To meet the demand for helping business professionals to show that they have the financial English skills they need, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations and ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) have combined their expertise and developed the International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE).

ICFE is an ideal qualification for anyone thinking of, or already pursuing, a career in accountancy or finance. ICFE exams are given twice a year in May and November. The examination takes about 3 hours in total and consists of four parts: Reading (75 min), Writing (75 min), Listening (40 min) and Speaking (16 min).

Successful candidates are expected to be able to use the language in practical situations, to participate in meetings and discussions of a financial nature, express opinions clearly and understand financial documents including financial statements, journal articles, letters, reports and proposals.

The exam is set at CEFR levels B2-C1 which correspond to FCE-CAE levels. Please visit the official ICFE website for the test papers, audio materials and ICFE Handbook which are available for download even now.

- International Legal English Certificate (ILEC)
ILEC is a Cambridge ESOL examination, produced and assessed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations in collaboration with TransLegal, Europe’s leading firm of lawyer-linguists.

Employers want to make sure their staff has a sufficient level of English to communicate with clients and professionals in other countries and handle written information in English. On the other hand, law students and newly-qualified lawyers are eager to show their employers they have these skills. If you are a law student or a lawyer who is seeking employment in an international legal setting, then this examination is just for you.

It is recognised by leading associations of lawyers including the European Company Lawyers Association, the International Association of Young Lawyers and the European Young Bar Association.

ILEC exams are given twice a year, in May and November. The examination takes about 3 hours in total and consists of four parts: Reading (75 min), Writing (75 min), Listening (40 min) and Speaking (16 min).

Successful candidates are expected to be able to use the language in practical situations, to participate in meetings and discussions of a legal nature, express opinions clearly and understand texts of various types, including legal letters, memoranda and proposals.

Test results are usually reported within six weeks of the test date. The exam is set at CEFR levels B2-C1 which correspond to FCE-CAE levels.

Cambridge University Press has published an ILEC course book for students which is available in our library. Test papers, audio materials and ILEC Handbook are available for download even now.

NOVEMBER SESSION 2009

*Paper 1, 2 and 3. Paper 4 will be held between 6 and 16 November 2009.

DECEMBER SESSION 2009

If you would like to apply for any of the Cambridge ESOL exams, fill in the entry form ( FCE, CAE, CPE, BEC / ILEC, ICFE) and together with the copy of the fee payment slip fax it, post it or bring it to us.

If you are attending a preparation course at a language school, you can register through the school.

Registration dates for the November 2009 session (ILEC and ICFE only): 21 to 25 September 2009

Registration dates for the December 2009 session (FCE, CAE, CPE and BEC): 28 September to 9 October 2009

Before you register, please read our Terms and Conditions.

You cannot inspect your tests on any grounds, as tests remain the property of Cambridge ESOL. However, you may request (free of charge) a clerical check, within one week from receipt of results. If the initial result is confirmed, the ESOL clerical statement will give a chart of performance by exam papers, but no details on the particular student’s performance.

DISCLAIMER
The British Council and the Examining Boards take all reasonable steps to provide continuity of service.We feel sure you will understand, however, that we cannot be made responsible for any interruptions caused by circumstances beyond our control. If examinations or their results are disrupted, cancelled or delayed, every effort will be made to resume normal service as soon as possible. The British Council’s liability will be limited to the refund of the registration fee or re-testing at a later date.

Note: All exams are a subject to minimum entry requirements!

Please read the FCE and CAE exam specifications and also the bulletin informing about the changes. The documents are also available on the Cambridge website.

If your school would like to register your students for any of the University of Cambridge ESOL exams, you can only do so during registration periods by filling in a School entry form.
Please contact us and we will send you all the necessary information and forms.

What your students should know

What you should know

SET TEXTS FOR 2008:

From December 2008, when the updated FCE exam is introduced, there will be two set texts with one text specific question on each.

December 2008 - December 2009
- Charles Dickens, Great Expectations (Macmillan or any edition)
- Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera (Penguin or any edition)

CAE:
From December 2008, when the updated CAE exam is introduced, questions on two set texts will be included on the writing paper with one text specific question on each.

December 2008 - December 2009
- Kingsley Amis, Lucky Jim
- John Grisham, The Pelican Brief

CPE:
- Michelle Magorian, Goodnight Mister Tom
- Tobias Hill, The Cryptographer
- Tracey Chevalier, Girl with a Pearl Earring

All of exams are held in two days: (1) Written part which consist of Reading, Writing, Use of English and Listening and (2) Speaking. The dates for Written part are set by the University of Cambridge and cannot be changed.You will receive details about the times, dates and venues of both of these parts at least two weeks before the exam. Please read the information carefully and follow the instructions.

On the test day(s), please be punctual and bring along your (valid) picture ID (National ID card or passport) and your Statement of entry.

Statements of Results are sent two months after the exam has taken place. Candidates can also access their results online as they are released by Cambridge ESOL. Candidates will receive letter with details explaining how the process work, with access details.

Certificates are issued to candidates with passing grades within 1.5 months from issue of the statements of results on the awarding ceremony organised by the British Council. If a candidate cannot attend the ceremony, the certificate can be collected at the British Council premises. If a candidate has lost the certificate, a Certified Statement of Results may be applied for, which is a payable service. No duplicate certificate could be issued.

You can compare Cambridge ESOL exams to the Common European Framework levels issued by the Council of Europe:

We are pleased to offer you detailed information on our exams during the following times: on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2pm till 4pm. Would you wish to make an appointment outside of the dedicated hours please contact us: