Cambridge Business English Certificate (BEC): Cambridge English

The Cambridge BEC qualification is recognised by many large and well-known international companies. Preparing for the exam will give you the necessary business skills in the English language, to make you an asset to any employer, either current or future.

English Exam Preparation Course Structure

Cambridge Examination Courses are intensive courses consisting of 6 English lessons per day. In the morning, students participate in a Business English Mini-Group course where focus is placed on improving students' general English language skills. Lessons provide practice in the four English skills; speaking, listening, reading and writing and thereby provide invaluable general training for English exams.

In the afternoon, students have One to One lessons where attention is now focused exclusively on examination preparation. These lessons are based on past exam papers and examination course books to train students for each examination module. The teacher will also focus on exam techniques.

Exam Preparation Course Details

Alpha School of English offers three Cambridge Business English Certificate (BEC) examination preparation courses: BEC Preliminary, BEC Vantage and BEC Higher.

• Preliminary – is set at B1 of the CEFR, Common European Framework of Reference of Languages, and is suitable for Intermediate level students.
• Vantage – is set at B2 of the CEFR, Common European Framework of Reference of Languages, and is suitable for Upper Intermediate level students.
• Higher – is set at C1 of the CEFR, Common European Framework of Reference of Languages, and is suitable for Advanced level students.

We will also provide you with:

• Course materials (preliminary assessment test, photocopies)
• Free WiFi access
• Information pack / student identity card
• Final certificate of achievement

Please also note:

• Lessons are held from 09:00 - 10:30, 11:00 - 12:30 & 13:00 - 14:30
• Examination Fees and Transfers are not included in the price of the Cambridge Examination Courses

BEC Preliminary (Intermediate level / CEFR B1)

This is an intermediate-level qualification that demonstrates to your employers that you possess a sufficient, practical understanding of business English, suited to everyday use in a business environment.

At this preliminary stage you will be able to undertake basic office tasks such as reading and writing short messages and emails; understanding short telephone conversations and discussions; talking about business-related topics and interpreting charts and figures.

Our courses are designed to improve the four language skills on which you will be tested in the examination. The exam itself is made up of a 90-minute Reading & Writing paper, a 40-minute Listening paper and a 12-minute paired Speaking paper.

BEC Vantage (Upper Intermediate level / CEFR B2)

This is an upper-intermediate level qualification that demonstrates to your employers that you can use the English language with confidence in a business environment.

At this vantage stage you will be able to write short business correspondences, reports and proposals; read and understand texts from business-related publications and listen to, follow and take part in business discussions and meetings.

Our courses are designed to improve the four language skills on which you will be tested in the examination. The exam itself is made up of a 60-minute Reading paper, a 45-minute Writing paper, a 40-minute Listening paper and a 14-minute paired Speaking paper.

BEC Higher (Advanced level / CEFR C1)

This is an advanced-level qualification that demonstrates to your employers that you can use the English language effectively in most international business situations.

At this higher stage you will be able to communicate effectively at a managerial and professional business level; take part in meetings and presentations with a higher degree of confidence; express yourself with a high level of fluency and react appropriately and confidently in a number of different cultural and social contexts.

Our courses are designed to improve the four language skills on which you will be tested in the examination. The exam itself is made up of a 60-minute Reading paper, a 70-minute Writing paper, a 40-minute Listening paper and a 16-minute paired Speaking paper.

View examination dates here (Malta is Zone 3)