bec preliminary 04

8/3/2019 Bec Preliminary 04

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READING

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B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

A DET A IL ED G U IDE TO B EC P R EL IM IN AR Y

TEST OF READING AND WRITING

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Number of

PART Main Skill Focus Input Response questions

1 Reading – understanding short, Notices, messages, adverts, Multiple choice 5

real world notices, messages, etc. leaflets, etc.

2 Reading – detailed comprehension Notice, list, plan, contents Matching 5

of factual material; skimming and page, etc.

scanning skills

3 Reading – interpreting visual Graphs, charts, tables, etc. (The Matching 5

information information may be presented in

8 separate graphics or in a composite

graphic comprising up to 3 visuals.

4 Reading for detailed factual Text (approx. 150 – 200 Right/Wrong/ 7

information words): advert, business letter, Doesn’t say

product description, report,

minutes, etc.

5 Reading for gist and specific Text (approx. 300 – 400 Multiple choice 6

information words): newspaper or magazine

article, advert, report, leaflet, etc.

6 Reading – grammatical accuracy Text (approx. 125 – 150 Multiple choice 12

and understanding of text structure words): newspaper or magazine cloze

article, advert, leaflet, etc.

7 Reading and information transfer Short memos, letters, notices, Form-filling, 5

adverts, etc. note completion

PART Functions/Communicative Task Input Response Register

1 e.g. (re-)arranging appointments, Rubric only (plus layout of output Internal communication Neutral/

asking for permission, giving text type) (medium may be note, formal/

instructions message, memo informal

or e-mail) (30 – 40words)

2 e.g. apologising and offering One piece of input which may be Business corres- Neutral/

compensation, making or altering business correspondence (medium pondence (medium formal

reservations, dealing with requests, may be letter, fax or e-mail), internal may be letter, fax or

giving information about a product communication (medium may be e-mail) (60 – 80 words)

note, memo or e-mail), notice, advert,

etc. (plus layout of output text type)

WRITING



A DETAILED LOOK AT THE TASKS

READING

Part One

In this part there are five short texts, each of which is

accompanied by a multiple choice question containing three

options. In all cases the information will be brief and clear

and the difficulty of the task will not lie in understanding

context but in identifying or interpreting meaning.

A wide variety of text types, representative of those likely to

be encountered in international business, can appear in this

part. Each text will be complete and have a recognisable

context.

Preparation

In order to prepare for this part it would be useful to expose

students to a wide range of notices and short texts takenfrom business settings. It is also useful to practise answering

sample questions, asking students to explain why an answer

is correct (and why the two incorrect options do not apply).

Part Two

This is a matching task comprising one text and five

questions, which are often descriptions of people’s

requirements. Candidates are required to match each

question to an appropriate part of the text, labelled A – H.

(As there are only five questions, some of the labels are

redundant.) The testing focus of this part is vocabulary and

meaning, using skimming and scanning skills.

Preparation

For preparation purposes, students need to be familiar with

text types that are divided into lists, headings or categories;

e.g. the contents page of a directory or book, the

departments in a business or shop, the items in a catalogue,

etc. Many of the questions in this part require a simple

interpretation of what different parts of the text mean, and

preparation for this could involve setting students real-world

tasks of this kind using authentic (but simple) sources.

Part Three

This task consists of eight graphs or charts (or one or more

graphics with eight distinct elements) and five questions.

Each question is a description of a particular graphic (or

element of a graphic) and candidates are expected to match

the questions to their corresponding graphs which are

labelled A – H.

Preparation

This part focuses on understanding trends and changes.

Candidates need to be able to interpret graphic data and

understand the language used to describe it. Expressions

such as ‘rose steadily’, ‘remained stable’, ‘decreased slowly’,

‘reached a peak’ should be introduced to students, along

with relevant topics, such as sales of goods, share price

movement and monthly costs.

Part Four

This task is a text accompanied by seven, three-option

multiple choice items. Each question presents a statementand candidates are expected to indicate whether the

statement is A ‘Right’ or B ‘Wrong’ according to the text, or

whether the information is not given in the text (C ‘Doesn’t

say’). Candidates will not be expected to understand every

word in the text but they should be able to pick out salient

points and infer meaning where words in the text are

unfamiliar. The questions will refer to factual information in

the text, but candidates will be required to do some

processing in order to answer the questions correctly.

Preparation

This can be a difficult task for candidates who are not

familiar with the three choices represented by A, B and C,

and who might not understand the difference between a

statement that is incorrect and one that depends on

information that is not provided in the text. Students need to

be trained to identify a false statement, which means that the

opposite or a contradictory statement is made in the text,

and to recognise that this is not the same as a statement that

is not covered in the text.

Part Five

This part presents a single text accompanied by six multiple

choice comprehension items. The text is informative and is

often taken from a leaflet, or from a newspaper or magazine

article.

Candidates are expected to employ more complex reading

strategies in this task, in that they should demonstrate their

ability to extract relevant information, to read for gist and

detail, to scan the text for specific information, and to

understand the purpose of the writer and the audience for

which the text is intended.

Preparation

In preparing candidates for this part, it would be a good idea

to expose them to a variety of texts of a similar length. As

texts become longer, slow readers are at a disadvantage and

some practice in improving reading speed would be

beneficial for this part. It would also be useful to discuss the

following areas:

• title

• topic

• the writer ’s purpose

• the theme or main idea of each paragraph

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• factual details that can be found in the text

• the writer’s opinions (if they are evident)

Part Six

This is a multiple choice cloze test. Candidates have to

select the correct word from three options to complete

twelve gaps. This part has a predominantly grammatical

focus and tests candidates’ understanding of the general and

detailed meaning of a text, and in particular their ability to

analyse structural patterns.

Preparation

Any practice in the grammatical and structural aspects of the

language is useful in preparing students for this part.

However, it is equally important for students to analyse the

structure and coherence of language within longer discourse

so that they are encouraged to read for meaning beyond the

sentence level. As tasks such as this typically focus oncommon grammatical difficulties, it is also useful to ask

students to analyse errors in their own work. Pairwork

activities might be productive as students can often help

each other in the areas of error identification and analysis.

Part Seven

Candidates are given two short texts, for example a memo

and an advertisement, and are asked to complete a form

based on this material. There are five gaps, which should be

completed with a word, a number or a short phrase. In this

part, candidates are tested on their ability to extract relevantinformation and complete a form accurately.

For this part, candidates need to transfer their answers in

capital letters to an Answer Sheet.

WRITING

For BEC Preliminary, candidates are required to produce two

pieces of writing:

• an internal company communication; this means a

piece of communication with a colleague or

colleagues within the company on a business-related

matter; the delivery medium may be a note, message,

memo or e-mail

• a piece of business correspondence; this means

correspondence with somebody outside the company

(e.g. a customer or supplier) on a business-related

matter; the delivery medium may be letter, fax or

e-mail.

Part One

Candidates are asked to produce a concise piece of internal

company communication of between 30 and 40 words,

using a written prompt. The text will need to be produced in

the form of a note, message, memo or e-mail. Candidates are

given the layout of memos and e-mails (e.g. to/from/date/

subject) on the question paper, and need not copy this out as

part of their answer. The reason for writing and the target

reader are specified in the rubric, and bullet points explain

what content points have to be included. Relevant ideas for

one or more of these points will have to be ‘invented’ by the

candidate.

Part Two

Candidates are asked to produce an extended piece of

business correspondence of between 60 and 80 words. This

task involves the processing of a short text, such as a letter or

advertisement, in order to respond to it. A number of

bulleted content points below the text clearly indicate what

should be included in the answer. Some of this information

will need to be ‘invented’ by the candidate.

Where the delivery medium specified for a Part Two answer

is a letter, candidates need not include postal addresses in

their answer. Similarly, where the delivery medium specified

is a fax, candidates need not include ‘fax header’ details, and

where the delivery medium specified is a an e-mail,

candidates need not include to/from/subject details.

Although the use of some key words is inevitable, candidates

should not ‘lift’ phrases from the question paper to use in

their answers. They would not receive credit for the

language in these phrases.

Accuracy and Appropriacy in Faxes and e-mails

Nowadays a significant proportion of written business

communication is transmitted electronically, both within the

company and to people outside the company.

In some contexts, this technological change may have

changed the nature of what people actually write. It may be

argued that a new ‘fax’ genre has emerged, characterised by

brevity and informality (and sometimes by the mixing of

handwritten and typewritten text in the same fax). It can also

be argued that a new ‘e-mail’ genre may be starting to

emerge, characterised by even greater informality and a

(possibly temporary) lack of conventions and even of regard

for linguistic accuracy.

However, there is also mounting evidence to suggest that

linguistic inaccuracy and inappropriate informality within

electronic business communications is considered

unacceptable by many individuals and organisations, and

can be counterproductive if employed in real life.

As well as being used informally, fax and e-mail are also

widely used within business cultures in which appropriacy

and accuracy are perceived to be important, and this is the

context of use on which BEC focuses.

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Candidates at all levels of BEC should be aware that

appropriacy, accuracy, range and organisation are important

features of their writing, regardless of the delivery medium

specified in the task.

Please see the ‘Assessment of Writing’ sections for further

details of the criteria against which candidates’ writing is

assessed at each level of BEC.

Preparing for the Writing Questions

In preparing students for the Writing tasks it would be

beneficial to familiarise them with a variety of business

correspondence. Analysing authentic correspondence would

help students understand better how to structure their answer

and the type of language to use. When doing this, it would

be useful to focus on the following areas:

• the purpose of the correspondence

• references to previous communication

• factual details

• the feelings and attitude of the writer

• the level of formality

• the opening sentence

• the closing sentence

• paragraphing

• the desired outcome.

If students are in a class, it might be possible to ask them to

write and reply to each other’s correspondence so that they

can appreciate the importance of accurate content.

In a similar fashion, internal company memos and messages

might also be written and analysed in terms of the above so

that students can recognise the different levels of formality

involved. It is a necessary part of preparing for the test that

students understand the uses of, and styles inherent in,

different types of business communication so that they are

aware of how and why different types of correspondence are

used.

For the BEC Preliminary Writing component, candidateswrite their answers on the answer sheet provided.

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T u r n O v e r� 3

2

S P O R

S P O R T M A S T E R

T M A S T E R

P a k i s t a n - b a s e

d m a n u f a c t u r e r o f s p o r t s i t e m s w i s h i n g t o d o

b u s i n e s s i n E u r o p e i s l o o k i n g f o r i m p o r t e r s

T E L : 9 2 5 5 5 4 3 2 1

S p o r t m a s t e r w a n t s t o

A

s e l l i t s p r o d u c t s a b r o a d

.

B

i m p o r t p r o d u c t s i n t o P a

k i s t a n .

C

m a n u f a c t u r e i n E u r o p e .

3

A

Y o u c a n p h o t o c o p y n o t i c e s a t R e c e p t i o n f o r d i s p l a y h e r e .

B

P h o t o c o p i e d n o t i c e s c a

n o n l y b e d i s p l a y e d a t R e c e p t i o n .

C

T a k e y o u r n o t i c e t o R e c

e p t i o n i f y o u w a n t i t d i s p l a y e d h e r e .

4

T H E

A I R P O R T

E X P R E

S S

D E P A R T S

F R O M

P L A T F O R M

3

E V E R Y

2 0

M

I N U T E S

D U R I N G

T

H E

D A Y

( E V E R Y

3 0

M I N U T E S

A T

N I G H T )

A

T h e t r a i n s e r v i c e t o t h e

a i r p o r t r u n s 2 4 h o u r s a d a y .

B

A i r p o r t t r a i n s l e a v e P l a t f o r m 3

a t 2 0 m i n u t e s p a s t t h e h o u r .

C

T h e a i r p o r t e x p r e s s t a k

e s h a l f a n h o u r a t n i g h t .

5

G o o d s n o t n o r m a l l y

d i s p a t c h e d u n l e s s p a i d f o r a t t i m e o f o r d e r i n g –

p a y m e n t

o n d e l i v e r y b y s p e c i a l a r r a n g e m e n t o n l y

C u s t o m e r s s h o u l d n o r m a l l y

p a y f o r g o o d s

A

w h e n t h e i r o r d e r i s p r o c

e s s e d .

B

w h e n t h e g o o d s a r e d e l i v e r e d .

C

w h e n t h e y p l a c e a n o r d

e r .

N

O T I C E S F O R D I S P L A Y A B O V E T H I S

P H O T O C O P I E R M U S T F I R S T B E

H A N D E D T O

R E C E P T I O N

R E A D I N G

Q U E S T I O N S 1 – 4 5

P A R T

O N E

Q u e s

t i o n s 1 – 5

•

L

o o k a t q u e s t i o n s 1 – 5 .

•

I

n e a c h q u e s t i o n , w h i c h s e n t e n c e i s c o r r e c t ?

•

F

o r e a c h q u e s t i o n , m a r k o n e l e t t e r ( A , B o r C ) o n y o u r A

n s w e r S h e e t .

E x a m p l e :

0

D o n

’ t f o r g e

t –

f l i g h t B A

6 9 2

6 . 4

5 p . m

.

T h e p l a n e a r r i v e s a t

A

q u a r t e r t o s e v e n i n t h e m o r n i n g .

B

q u a r t e r p a s t s i x i n t h e e v e n i n g .

C

q u a r t e r t o s e v e n i n t h e e v e n i n g .

T h e c o r r e c t a n s w e r i s C , s o m a r k y o u r A n

s w e r S h e e t l i k e t h i s :

0

1

O f f i c e S t a f f R e q u i r e d

E x p e r i e n c e e s s e n t i a l

F u l l t r a i n i n g g i v e n ( l e a

d i n g t o

r e c o g n i s e d q u a l i f i c a t

i o n s )

A

p p l i c a n t s m u s t h a v e

A

r e l e v a n t q u a l i f i c a t i o n s .

B

p r e v i o u s e x p e r i e n c e .

C

r e c o g n i s e d t r a i n i n g .

A

B

C

2

READING AND WRITING SAMPLE PAPER

1

O f f i c e S t a f f R e q u i r

e d

E x p e r i e n c e e s s e n t i a l

F u l l t r a i n i n g g i v e n ( l e a d i n g t o

r e c o g n i s e d q u a l i f i c a t

i o n s )

A

p p l i c a n t s m u s t h a v e

A

r e l e v a n t q u a l i f i c a t i o n s .

B

p r e v i o u s e x p e r i e n c e .

C

r e c o g n i s e d t r a i n i n g .

E x

a m p l e

T e l e p h o n e m e s s a g

e

B i l l R y a n

c a u g h t 9 . 3

0

f l i g h t – d u e

h e r e

1 1 . 3

0

n o w , n o t 1 2 . 3

0 .

W h e n d o e s B i l l R y a n e x p e c t t o a r r i v e

?

T h e c o r r e c t a n s w e r i s B , s o m a r k y o u

r A n s w e r S h e e t l i k e t h i s :

A

9 . 3 0

B

1 1 . 3 0

C

1 2 . 3 0



B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

6

M a r g a r e t W i l l i a m s n e e d s h e l p i n c h o o s i n g t h e b u s i n e s s l o a n w i t h t h e m o s t c o m p e t i t i v e t e r m s .

7

I b r a h i m S h a h w a n t s t o b e s u r e t h a t t h e r e w i l l b e e n o u g h d e m a n d f o r h i s p r o d u c t .

8

M a r i a F e r n a n d e z w o u l d l i k e s o m e a d v i c e a b o u t w h e r e t o a d v e r t i s e a n e w l i n e o f g o

o d s .

9

K i m S e n g w a n t s t o r e s e a r c

h n e w l a w s o n c o n s t r u c t i n g b u i l d i n g s .

1 0

P e d e r A n d e r s e n n e e d s t o k

n o w w h e t h e r h i s e x i s t i n g f u n d s a r e e n o u g h t o s e t u p h i s b u s i n e s s .

5

T u r n O v e r�

P A R T

T W O

Q u e s

t i o n s 6 – 1 0

•

L

o o k a t t h e a d v e r t i s e m e n t b e l o w . I t s h o w s s e r v i c e s o f f e r e

d b y a b u s i n e s s c o n s u l t a n c y .

•

F

o r q u e s t i o n s 6 – 1 0 , d e c i d e w h i c h s e r v i c e ( A – H ) w o u l d b e s u i t a b l e f o r e a c h p e r s o n .

•

F

o r e a c h q u e s t i o n , m a r k o n e l e t t e r ( A – H ) o n y o u r A n s w

e r S h e e t .

•

D

o n o t u s e a n y l e t t e r m o r e t h a n o n c e .

T H I N K I N G

O F

S T A R T I N G

A

B U S I N E S S ?

N e e d e x p e r t a d v i c e a n d / o r a s s i s t a n c e i n o n e o r

m o r e o f t h e f o l l o w i n g a r e a s ?

A

M a r k e t R e s e a r c h

B

C o n s t r u c t i n g a s c h e d u l e

C

C a l c u l a t i n g c o s t s

D

M e e t i n g l e g a l r e q u i r e m e n t s

E

O b t a i n i n g f i n a n c e

F

R e n t i n g o r p u r c h a s i n g p r e m i s e s

G

R e c r u i t i n g a n d t r a i n i n g s t a f f

H

P r o m o t i n g p r o d u c t s a n d s e r v i c e s

4



B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

1 1

I n t h i s m o n t h , t o t a l e x p e n d i t u r e , l i k e i n c o m e , s h o w e d a f a l l , w h i l e s p e n d i n g o n a d v e

r t i s i n g

d e m o n s t r a t e d t h e o p p o s i t e

t r e n d .

1 2

T o t a l e x p e n d i t u r e r o s e s l i g h

t l y i n t h i s m o n t h , w h i l e a d v e r t i s i n g c o s t s r e a c h e d t h e i r p

e a k , l e a d i n g

t o a h i g h e r i n c o m e i n t h e f o

l l o w i n g m o n t h .

1 3

D e s p i t e a d e c l i n e i n a d v e r t i s i n g c o s t s i n t h i s m o n t h , e x p e n d i t u r e a s a w h o l e r o s e .

1 4

T h i s m o n t h ’ s i m p r o v e m e n t

i n i n c o m e w a s p a r t i c u l a r l y w e l c o m e , a s i t w a s n o t m a t c h

e d b y a n

i n c r e a s e i n e x p e n d i t u r e .

1 5

W h i l e t h i s m o n t h s a w a l o w

p o i n t i n t h e r e s t a u r a n t ’ s i n c o m e , e x p e n d i t u r e c o n t i n u e d

t o f a l l .

7

T u r n O v e r�

6 P A R T

T H R E E

Q u e s

t i o n s 1 1 – 1 5

• L

o o k a t t h e c h a r t b e l o w . I t s h o w s a r e s t a u r a n t ’ s i n c o m e ,

t o t a l e x p e n d i t u r e a n d a d v e r t i s i n g c o s t s

d

u r i n g a n e i g h t - m o n t h p e r i o d .

• W

h i c h m o n t h d o e s e a c h s e n t e n c e ( 1 1 – 1 5 ) o n t h e o p p o

s i t e p a g e d e s c r i b e ?

• F

o r e a c h s e n t e n c e , m a r k o n e l e t t e r ( A – H ) o n y o u r A n s w e r S h e e t .

• D

o n o t u s e a n y l e t t e r m o r e t h a n o n c e .

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

M o n t h

0

1 0 0 0

2 0 0 0

3 0 0 0

4 0 0 0

5 0 0 0

6 0 0 0

7 0 0 0

8 0 0 0

£

A d v e r t i s i n g

T o t a l e x p e n d i t u r e

I n c o m e



B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

9

T u r n O v e r�

1 6

W i t h a Q V M m a c h i n e , c o m

p a n i e s c a n a v o i d h a v i n g a c a n t e e n a l t o g e t h e r .

A

R i g h t

B

W

r o n g

C

D o e s n ’ t s a y

1 7

T h e Q V M m a c h i n e p r o v i d e

s e n o u g h h o t d r i n k s f o r u p t o f i f t e e n p e o p l e .

A

R i g h t

B

W

r o n g

C


1 8

M o s t c u s t o m e r s p r e f e r t o r e n t t h e Q V M m a c h i n e o v e r s i x t y m o n t h s .

A

R i g h t

B

W

r o n g

C


1 9

T h e e l e c t r i c i t y u s e d d a i l y b y t h e m a c h i n e c o s t s l e s s t h a n t h e p r i c e o f a h o t d r i n k .

A

R i g h t

B

W

r o n g

C


2 0

T h e m a c h i n e c o m p a n y e m p t i e s t h e m o n e y f r o m t h e m a c h i n e a s p a r t o f i t s s e r v i c e a g r e e m e n t .

A

R i g h t

B

W

r o n g

C


2 1

C u s t o m e r s c a n r e f i l l t h e i r m

a c h i n e s w i t h d r i n k s i n g r e d i e n t s , i f t h e y w a n t t o .

A

R i g h t

B

W

r o n g

C


2 2

D u r i n g t h e t r i a l p e r i o d , t h e

c u s t o m e r p a y s a r e d u c e d a m o u n t t o r e n t t h e m a c h i n e .

A

R i g h t

B

W

r o n g

C


P A R T

F O U R

Q u e s

t i o n s 1 6 – 2 2

•

R

e a d t h e a d v e r t i s e m e n t b e l o w f o r a h o t d r i n k s m a c h i n e .

•

A

r e s e n t e n c e s 1 6 – 2 2 o n t h e o p p o s i t e p a g e ‘ R i g h t ’ o r ‘ W

r o n g ’ ? I f t h e r e i s n o t e n o u g h

i n f o r m a t i o n t o a n s w e r ‘ R i g h t ’ o r ‘ W r o n g ’ , c h o o s e ‘ D o e s n ’ t

S a y ’ .

•

F

o r e a c h s e n t e n c e 1 6 – 2 2 , m a r k o n e l e t t e r ( A , B o r C ) o

n y o u r A n s w e r S h e e t .

8

I t c a n b e e x p e n s i v e t o k e e p t h e

c a n t e e n o p e n t o s e r v e d r i n k s t o y o u r

s t a f f t h r o u g h t h e d a y . O u r Q V M

h o t

d r i n k s m a c h i n e r e p l a c e s t h i s s e r v i c e ,

s o t h a t y o u c a n c l o s e t h e c a n t e e n

b e t w e e n m e a l t i m e s .

Y o u c a n i n s t a l l t h e Q V M h o t d r i n k s

m a c h i n e a n y w h e r e i n t h e b u i l d i n g .

O n e m a c h i n e i s s u i t a b l e f o r a s t a f f o f

t e n t o f i f t e e n p e o p l e . I t c o s t s £ 1 3 0 0 t o

b u y , o r £ 1 1 . 0

0 p e r w e e k t o r e n t o v e r

6 0 m o n t h s . I t i s n o t e x p e n s i v e t o

o p e r a t e : f o r e x a m p l e , t h e c o s t o f

p o w e r f o r o n e d a y i s 3 0 p , n e a r l y a s

c h e a p a s t h e p r i c e o f o n e h o t d r i n k

f r o m t h e m a c h i n e .

O u r c o m p a n y

w i l l c a r r y

o u t a

w e e k l y s e r v i c e , a t a c h a r g e o f £ 1 0 . 0

0 .

W e c a n a l s o r e f i l l t h e m a c h i n e w i t h

d r i n k s i n g r e d i e n t s f o r a n e x t r a c h a r g e

o f £ 8 . 0

0 .

S o m e c u s t o m e r s p r e f e r t o d o

t h i s t h e m s e l v e

s , h o w e v e r .

T h e r e a r e e i g h t c h o i c e s o f h o t d r i n k

a v a i l a b l e f r o m

t h e Q V M m a c h i n e , a n d

o u r c o m p a n y o f f e r s o n e m o n t h ’ s t r i a l

f r e e o f c h a r g e , s o

t h a t y o u

c a n

e s t i m a t e h o w

p o p u l a r t h e m a c h i n e

w i l l b e a n d s e e

w h a t t h e a c t u a l s a v i n g s

a r e .

S a v e m o n e y a n d k e e p y o u r s t a f f h a p p y

A D V E R T I S I N G

F E A T U R

E



B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

1 3

T u r n O v e r�

2 9

A

c a l l i n g

B

c a l l s

C

c a l l e d

3 0

A

s u c h

B

l i k e

C

s o

3 1

A

a t

B

f o r

C

i n

3 2

A

w h o

B

w h i c h

C

w h a t

3 3

A

a n d

B

b u t

C

o r

3 4

A

o u g h t

B

w i l l

C

s h a l l

3 5

A

b e c a u s e

B

a l t h o u g h

C

s i n c e

3 6

A

o n

B

o f

C

w i t h

3 7

A

a

B

t h e s e

C

t h i s

3 8

A

s t i l l

B

e v e r

C

n e v e r

3 9

A

m u s t

B

w o u l d

C

m i g h t

4 0

A

m a d e

B

h a d

C

d o n e

P A R T

S I X

Q u e s

t i o n s 2 9 – 4 0

•

R

e a d t h e a r t i c l e b e l o w a b o u t t e a m - b u i l d i n g .

•

C

h o o s e t h e c o r r e c t w o r d t o f i l l e a c h g a p , f r o m A , B o r C

o n t h e o p p o s i t e p a g e .

•

F

o r e a c h q u e s t i o n 2 9 – 4 0 , m a r k o n e l e t t e r ( A , B o r C ) o n y o u r A n s w e r S h e e t .

1 2

T E A M - B U I L D I N G T

H R O U G H

A C T I V I T I E S

N o w a d a y s , c o m p a n y b o s s e s a r e i n c r e a s i n g l y t r y i n g t o f i n d u n u s u a l t e a m - b u i l d i n g

e v e n t s a s p a r t o f t h e i r t r a i n i n g p r o g r a m m e .

A n a c t i v i t y

p a r k ( 2 9 ) . . . . . .

F a s t - t r a c k h a s

j u s t o p e n e d t o o f f e r ( 3 0 ) . . . . . . e v e n t s . I t s p e c i a l i s e s ( 3 1 )

. . . . . . e v e n t s t o a t t r a c t t h e

c o r p o r a t e e n t e r t a i n m e n t m a r k e t , ( 3 2 ) . . . . . .

i s g r o w i n g a l l t h e t i m e .

T h e p a r k i s s i t u a t e d j u s t a f e w k i l o m e t r e s o u t s i d e t h e c

i t y c e n t r e ( 3 3 ) . . . . . .

i t p r o v i d e s

e v e n t s t h a t ( 3 4 ) . . . . . . e n t e r t a i n a s w e l l a s t r a i n .

C l i e n t s c a n t r y o u t d o o r a t t r a c t i o n s s u c h a s s a i l i n g o r c l i m b i n g , ( 3 5 ) . . . . . . a v a i l a b i l i t y

c l e a r l y d e p e n d s e n t i r e l y ( 3 6 ) . . . . . . t h e w e a t h e r . A c t i v i t i e

s o f ( 3 7 ) . . . . . .

k i n d a r e p e r f e c t

t e a m - b u i l d i n g e x e r c i s e s .

‘ I ’ d ( 3 8 ) . . . . . .

b e e n t o a n a c t i v i t y p a r k b e f o r e , ’ e x p l a i n e d

J a m e s B l a c k , a c o m p a n y

m a n a g e r .

‘ B e f o r e w e c a m e , I

d i d n ’ t t h i n k w e ( 3 9 ) . . . . . . e n j o y o u r s e l v e s s o m u c h a n d I

d i d n ’ t e x p e c t t h e h u g e d i f f e r e n c e t h a t F a s t - t r a c k ’ s p r o g r a m m e h a s ( 4 0 ) . . . . . . t o m y

t e a m . N o w w e w o r k b e t t e r t o g e t h e r t h a n w e d i d b e f o r e . ’



B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

1 5

T u r n O v e r�

I n s u r a n c e C l a i m

N A M E O F P O L I C Y H O L D E R :

( 4 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . … . .

P O L I C Y N U M B E R :

L D 4 7 5 6 0 3 0 C

I T E M ( S ) T O B E R E P L A C E D :

( 4 2 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

L O C A T I O N O F I T E M ( S ) :

( 4 3 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

V A L U E W H E N P U R C H A S E D :

( 4 4 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C A U S E O F D A M A G E :

( 4 5 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

D A T E O F D A M A G E :

S u n d a y

1 9

M

a y

P A R T

S E V E N

Q u e s

t i o n s 4 1 – 4 5

• R

e a d t h e m e m o a n d n o t e b e l o w .

• C

o m p l e t e t h e c l a i m f o r m o n t h e o p p o s i t e p a g e .

• W

r i t e a w o r d o r p h r a s e ( i n C A P I T A L L E T T E R S ) o r a n u m

b e r o n l i n e s 4 1 – 4 5 o n y o u r

A

n s w e r S h e e t .

1 4

M E M O

T O :

B a r b a r a S i n c l a i r

F R O M :

P e t e r R o g e r s

D A T E :

2 5 M a y 2 0 0 2

S U B J E C T :

I n s u r a n c e C l a i m

C o u l d y o u d e a l w i t h t h i s ? I t ’ s o u r i n s u r a n c e c l a i m ,

f o r t h e

d a m a g e a t t h e w e e k e n d .

T h e

i n

s u r a n c e p o l i c y i s i n m y n a m e , a n d w e b o u g h t t h e c a r p e

t f o r £ 3 0 0 , a l t h o u g h i t w i l l c o s t a t

l e

a s t £ 5 0 0 t o r e p l a c e .

L u c k i l y o u r o f f i c e c a r p e t s s e e m f i n e

.

T h a n k s

O W E N S M I T H I N S U R A N C E

C O M P A N Y

w i t h c o m p l i m e n t s

T h a n k y o u f o r y o u r r e c e n t p h o n e c a l l

r e g a r d i n g f l o o d

d a m a g e i n y o u r p h o t o c o p y r o o m .

C o u l d y o u p l e a s e c o m p l e t e t h e a t t a c h

e d f o r m a

n d r e t u r n

i t t o m e a s s o o n a s p o s s i b l e .

M a r t i n M o r r i s



B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

P A R T T W O

Q u e s t i o n 4 7

•

R e a d t h i s p a r t o f a l e t t e r f r

o m M a r y B e n n e t t a p p l y i n g f o r a j o b .

W i t h r e f e r e n c e t o y o u r a d v e r t i s e m e n t i n T h e T i m e s , I a m

w r i t i n g t o a p p l y f o r t h e p o s t

o f

t r a i n i n g a s s i s t a n t .

I a m m o v i n g t o y o u r c o u n t r y n e x t m o n t h w i t h m y h u s b a n d . A s y o u w i l l s e e f r o m t h e e n c l o s

e d

C V , I h a v e h a d a l o t o f e x p

e r i e n c e i n t r a i n i n g a n d I f e e l t h a t I h a v e m u c h t o o f f e r y o u r c o m p a n y .

I f I a m

s e l e c t e d f o r i n t e r v

i e w , p l e a s e c o u l d y o u g i v e m e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t h o w t o r e a c h y o u r

o f f i c e s b y p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t ?

•

W r i t e a l e t t e r t o M r s B e n n

e t t :

•

a c k n o w l e d g i n g h e r l e t t e r

•

o f f e r i n g h e r a d a t e a

n d t i m e f o r a n i n t e r v i e w

•

r e q u e s t i n g t h e n a m e

s a n d a d d r e s s e s o f t w o r e f e r e e s

•

t e l l i n g h e r t h e b e s t w

a y t o r e a c h y o u b y p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t .

•

W r i t e 6 0 – 8 0 w o r d s .

•

W r i t e o n y o u r A n s w e r S h

e e t . D o n o t i n c l u d e a n y p o s t a l a d d r e s s e s .

1 7

W R I T I N G

Q U E S T I O N S 4 6 a n d 4

7

P A R T

O N E

Q u e s

t i o n 4 6

•

Y

o u a r e g o i n g t o a t t e n d a n e n g i n e e r i n g e x h i b i t i o n i n F r a n

k f u r t s o o n .

•

W

r i t e a m e m o t o y o u r a s s i s t a n t :

•

e x p l a i n i n g w h y y o u w i l l b e a w a y

•

l e t t i n g h e r k n o w t h e d a t e s y o u w i l l b e a w a y

•

s a y i n g w h a t w o r k s h e s h o u l d d o w h i l e y o u a r e a w a

y .

•

W

r i t e 3 0 – 4 0 w o r d s .

•

W

r i t e o n y o u r A n s w e r S h e e t .

1 6

M E M O

T o :

S a r a L y o n s

F r o m :

D a t e :

1 4 M a r c h 2 0 0 3

S u b j e c t :

T r i p t o F r a n k f u r t



READING ANSWER KEY

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven

1 B 6 E 11 B 16 B 23 B 29 C 41 PETER ROGERS

2 A 7 A 12 F 17 A 24 A 30 A 42 (A/THE/ONE) CARPET

3 C 8 H 13 G 18 C 25 C 31 C 43 PHOTOCOPY ROOM

4 A 9 D 14 H 19 B 26 B 32 B 44 £300

5 C 10 C 15 E 20 C 27 A 33 A 45 FLOOD/FLOODING

21 A 28 C 34 B

22 B 35 B

36 A

37 C

38 C

39 B

40 A

ASSESSMENT OF WRITING

An impression mark is awarded to each piece of writing. For

each task, a General Impression Mark Scheme is used inconjunction with a Task-specific Mark Scheme, which

focuses on criteria specific to each particular task.

For Part 1, examiners use the mark schemes primarily to

assess task achievement. For Part 2, examiners use the mark

schemes to assess both task achievement and language.

The band scores awarded are translated to a mark out of 5

for Part 1 and a mark out of 10 for Part 2. The total score for

Writing is then weighted to 30 marks.

Both General Impression Mark Schemes are interpreted at

Council of Europe level B1.

Summaries of the General Impression Mark Schemes are

reproduced below. Examiners work with a more detailed

version, which is subject to regular updating.

Part 1 Summary of General Impression Mark Scheme

Page 21

B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

Very good attempt at task, achieving all content points.Band 5

Band 4

Band 3

Band 2

Band 1

Band 0

Good attempt at task, achieving all content points.

Satisfactory attempt at task, achieving all content points with some effort by the reader, or achieving

2 content points.

Inadequate attempt at task, achieving 1 content point, possibly with noticeable irrelevance.

Poor attempt at task; no content points achieved, has little relevance.

No relevant response or too little language to assess.



Part 2 Summary of General Impression Mark Scheme

Band 5 Full realisation of the task set.

• All four content points achieved.

• Confident use of language; errors are minor, due to ambition and non-impeding.

• Good range of structure and vocabulary.

• Effectively organised, with appropriate use of simple linking devices.

• Register and format consistently appropriate.

Very positive effect on the reader.

Band 4 Good realisation of the task set.

• Three or four content points achieved.

• Ambitious use of language; some non-impeding errors.

• More than adequate range of structure and vocabulary.

• Generally well-organised, with attention paid to cohesion.

• Register and format on the whole appropriate.Positive effect on the reader.

Band 3 Reasonable achievement of the task set.

• Three or four content points achieved.

• A number of errors may be present, but are mostly non-impeding.

• Adequate range of structure and vocabulary.

• Organisation and cohesion is satisfactory, on the whole.

• Register and format reasonable, although not entirely successful.

Satisfactory effect on the reader.

Band 2 Inadequate attempt at the task set.

• Two or three content points achieved.

• Numerous errors, which sometimes impede communication.

• Limited range of structure and vocabulary.

• Content is not clearly organised or linked, causing some confusion.

• Inappropriate register and format.

Negative effect on the reader.

Band 1 Poor attempt at the task set.

• One or two content points achieved.

• Serious lack of control; frequent basic errors.

• Little evidence of structure and vocabulary required by task.

• Lack of organisation, causing a breakdown in communication.

• Little attempt at appropriate register and format.

Very negative effect on the reader.

Band 0 Achieves nothing. Either fewer than 25% of the required number of words or

totally illegible or totally irrelevant.

B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y



WRITING PART 1

EXAMINER COMMENTS

I am going to attend an engineering exhibition in Frankfurt, and the ticket’s date is 20th March,

I will be away for one week, during this week I would like you to arrange the training meeting which we

have decided and make an appointment with selling manager. I would like to see him 27th morning 10:30.

CANDIDATE A

All points clearly achieved with only minor errors of

punctuation and the occasional missing preposition or

article.

Band 5

CANDIDATE B

Next week I go to an exhibition in Frankfurt. It’s from the 9th to the 11th. While I am in Frankfurt you should

write the business letters. If there are any problems – call me!

EXAMINER COMMENTS

All the content points have been achieved but ‘Next week I

go’ and ‘write the business letters ’ are awkward.

Band 4

CANDIDATE C

I must go attend an engeneering exhibition in Frankfurt from 15 March to 18 March. Can you tell Mr Meier to

ask him confirmation for the fly on Monday and finish to made the travel documents for departure in April?

Yours sincerely

EXAMINER COMMENTS

The third content point (what work the assistant should do

while the writer is away) is not achieved as the secondsentence is confused and the role of Mr Meier is not clear.

Band 3

I will go on a trip to Frankfurt about attend an engineering exhibition tomorrow (15/March), so I want you

help me to leave a message if I have phone call. Thank you!

CANDIDATE D

EXAMINER COMMENTS

The candidate has failed to achieve both the second and

third content points (the dates when the writer will be away

and what work the assistant should do during this time),

making this an inadequate attempt at the task.

Band 2

B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y



WRITING PART 2

Dear Mrs Bennett

Thank you for applying our company. We arranged an interview for you. The date is 4th April. Please arrive

at 9.15 in the morning, the interview star at 9.30. Please arrive on time.

We also need the names and address of 2 referees.

The best way to reach our office is use underground. You can find the name of the street where our office is

from the map. And use underground from trainstation to our company. You don’t need change train.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Yours sincerely

CANDIDATE E

EXAMINER COMMENTS

All the content points have been achieved and the candidate

has demonstrated confident control throughout most of the

letter, although there are a few non-impeding errors and a

slightly abrupt register.

Band 5

CANDIDATE F

Dear Miss Bennett

Thank you for your curriculum vitae and for the interest in this job.

We are pleased to have an interview with you at Monday, 23 April at 10 a.m. in our location. So we have the

possibility to introduce you to the team.

Could you please confirm me this requested date and please send me the name of two referees in advance.

We hope to see you soon. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

EXAMINER COMMENTS

The language used by this candidate is consistent with band

5, but the fact that the last content point (how to reach the

company by public transport) is not achieved holds the mark

awarded at band 4.

Band 4

B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y



CANDIDATE H

To Mrs Bennett

I receive your letter including CV we were also looking for the person who is experienced in work. The date

for interview for you is 20-03-02 and we will very happy to interview you. The best way you can reach us by

public transport. If you need any further information please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Your sincerely

EXAMINER COMMENTS

Only the first two content points have been achieved, which

holds the mark awarded at band 2.

Band 2

CANDIDATE G

Dear Mrs Bennett

I have received your letter of application of post of traning substance, we have arrenged for you an interview

with Mr John on 26 April, please tell me your 2 referees names and addresses you can reach us by busses

numbered 610, 611 from city centre

Yours faithfully

EXAMINER COMMENTS

All the content points have been achieved and the candidate

has used an adequate range of structure and vocabulary.

However, there is an impeding error (traning substance ) and

this, together with the lack of punctuation and that the fact

that the script is slightly short, holds the mark awarded at

band 3.

Band 3

B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y



B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

P a r t 7

1 4

1 3

1 5

4 1

0

1

4 1

2 9

3 1

3 0

3 2 P

a r t 6

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

3 3

3 5

3 4

3 6

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

3 7

3 9

3 8

4 0

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

P a r t 3

1 6

A

B

C

2 3

A

B

C

1 2

1 1

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

P a r t 4

P

a r t 5

1 8

1 7

1 9

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

2 0

2 1

A

B

C

A

B

C

2 2

A

B

C

2 5 2 4 2 6

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

2 7 2 8

A

B

C

A

B

C

4 2

0

1

4 2

4 3

0

1

4 3

4 4

0

1

4 4

4 5

0

1

4 5

S u p e r v i s o r :

P R

E L I M I N A R Y

B E C P r e l i m i n a r y R e a d i n g A

n s w e r S h e e t

0

0

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

C a n d i d a t e N a m

e

I f n o t a l r e a d y p r i n t e d , w r i t e n a m e

i n C A P I T A L S a n d c o m p l e

t e t h e

C a n d i d a t e N o . g r i d ( i n p e

n c i l ) .

C a n d i d a t e ’ s S i g

n a t u r e

E x a m i n a t i o n T i t l e

C e n t r e

I f t h e c a n d i d a t e i s

A B S E N T o r h a s W I T H D R A W N s h a d e h e r e

C a n d i d a t e N o .

C e n t r e N o .

E x a m i n a t i o n

D e t a i l s

2 1 4 3

6

5

8 7 1 0 9

P a r t 1

I n s t r u c t i o

n s

U s e a P E N C

I L ( B o r H B ) .

R u b o u t a n y

a n s w e r y o u w i s h t o c h a n g e w i t h a n e r a s e r .

F o r P a r t s 1 t o 6 :

M a r k o n e b o

x f o r e a c h a n s w e r .

F o r e x a m p l e :

I f y o u t h i n k C

i s t h e r i g h t a n s w e r t o t h e q u e s t i o n , m a r k y o u r a n s w e r s h e e t l i k e t h i s :

P a r t 2

T

u r n o v e r f o r P a r t s 3 - 7

F o r P a r t 7 :

W r i t e y o u r a n s w e r c l e a r l y i n C A P I T A L L E T T E R S .

W r i t e o n e l e t t e r o r n u m b e r i n e a c h b o x .

I f t h e a n s w e r h a s m o r e t h a n o n e w o r d , l e a v e o n e b o x e m p t y b e t w e e n w o r d s .


A

B

C

0

0

A

B E C P - R

D P 4 5 3 / 3 5 3

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H



B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

T h i s s e c t i o n f o r u s e b y E x a m i n

e r o n l y

P a r t 2 : W r i t e y o u r a n s w e r

i n t h e b o x b e l o w .

P a r t 2

0

1 . 1

1

. 2

E x a m i n e r N u m b e r

E x a m i n e r ’ s S i g n a t u r e

2 . 1

2 . 2

3 . 1

3 . 2

4 . 1

4 . 2

5 . 1

5 . 2

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

9


T h i s s e c t i o n f o r u s e b y E x a m i n e r o n l y

P R

E L I M I N A R Y

B E C P r e l i m i n a r y W r i t i n g A n s w e r S h e e t

0

0

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

C a n d i d a t e N a m e


i n C A P I T A L S a n d c o m p l e t e t h e

C a n d i d a t e N o . g r i d ( i n p e n

c i l ) .


n a t u r e

E x a m i n a t i o n T i t

l e

C e n t r e

I f t h e c a n d i d a t e i s A B S E N T o r h a s W I T H D R A W N s h a d e h e r e


C e n t r e N o .


D e t a i l s

P a r t 1 : W r i t e y o u r a n s w e r i n t h e b o x b e l o w .

W r i t e y o u r a n s w e r t o P a r t 2 o n t h e o t h e r s i d e o f t h i s s h e e t

P a r t 1

0

1

2

3

4

5

B E C P - W

D P 4 5 4 / 3 5 4




Part One

The eight questions in this part of the paper are three-option

multiple choice questions. For each question, candidates

hear a short conversation or monologue, typically lasting

around 15 to 30 seconds. Each monologue or dialogue is

repeated on the tape in order to give candidates a chance

to check their answers. The multiple choice options may be

textual or they may be in the form of pictures, graphs or

diagrams.

In the extracts in Part One candidates are being tested on

their understanding of spoken English used in a range of

situations and on their ability to extract factual information.

They may need to pick out a name or time or place.

Alternatively, they may have to identify a trend in a graph, or

a place on a map, or the location of an object in a room. In

every case it will be necessary for candidates to follow theconversation closely.

Part Two

This part consists of a short conversation or monologue,

typically lasting around a minute and a half, which contains

factual information. On the question paper there is a form,

table, chart or set of notes with seven gaps where

information is missing. Candidates have to complete each of

the gaps. The answers may include dates, prices, percentages

or figures. This part has a numerical focus, although

common words may be tested, and sometimes there will benames that are spelt out on the tape; answers to these have

to be written with correct spelling.

Part Three

Candidates hear a monologue. On the question paper there

is a set of notes or a form with gaps. There are seven gaps to

complete and the answers may be one or two words. On

occasion, the key to one of the gaps may be a date.

Part Four

This part, which lasts about three minutes, contains a longer

listening text which generally takes the form of an interview,

or a discussion between two or possibly more speakers.

There are eight, three-option multiple choice questions on

the question paper and these are always in a written format.

In this part of the Listening component, candidates are being

tested on their ability to understand the gist of a longer text

and to extract detailed and specific information as required

by the questions. They may also be tested on the speakers’

opinions.

At the end of the Listening test, candidates have ten minutes

to transfer their answers to their Answer Sheet.

Preparing for the Listening Paper

The Listening component is carefully paced and candidates

are tested on short extracts in Part One so that they can

gradually ‘tune in’ to the spoken language and improve their

listening skills without losing their place in the test.

Listening can be a very demanding activity and candidates

should practise their listening skills regularly using a wide

variety of listening sources. Candidates who enter theListening test having done this will be at an advantage.

At BEC Preliminary level, it is advisable to collect as much

listening material as possible that is suitably paced and of an

appropriate length. Native speakers speak at many different

TEST OF LISTENING

Time: approx. 40 minutes including 10 minutes’ transfer time

Number of

PART Main Skill Focus Input Response Questions

1 Listening for specific Eight short conversations/monologues 3-option multiple choice 8

information

2 Listening for specific Short telephone conversation or Gap filling (numbers and 7

information prompted monologue spellings)

3 Listening for specific Monologue Note-taking (content 7

information words)

4 Listening for gist/specific Conversation/interview/discussion 3-option multiple choice 8

information between two or more people

B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y



speeds and some speak much more clearly than others. If it

is possible to collect a bank of authentic material that is

carefully chosen, this would prove useful practice for

students. Otherwise it might be better to make use of

specially designed materials for this level.

For Part One, candidates should try to listen to short extracts

of speech, concentrating on understanding the general idea

or main points of what is said. For Parts Two and Three,practice should be given in note-taking. Prior to hearing

tapes or audio materials, students should be given details of

the information they need to listen for. Teachers should

discuss the task with the students beforehand and encourage

them to listen for clues and prompts that will help them

identify the points they need to find. When listening to

longer texts, it would also be useful to discuss areas such as:

• the purpose of the speech or conversation

• the speakers’ roles

• the speakers’ opinions

• the language functions being used

• factual details

• conclusions.

B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y



B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

4 2

W h a t k i n d o f p a c k a g i n g d o

t h e y d e c i d e t o u s e ?

3

W h e r e i s M i k e g o i n g t o t a k e t h e v i s i t o r s f i r s t ?

A

B

C

4

W h o i s A n n e g o i n g t o w r i t e

t o ?

A

t h e c l i e n t s

B

t h e s u p p l i e r

C

t h e s t a f f

5

W h a t ’ s t h e n e w t i m e f o r t h e

m e e t i n g ?

A

B

C W a r e h

o u s e

P r o d u c t i o n

C u s t o m e r R e l a t i o n s

A

B

C

P A R T O N E

Q u e s

t i o n s 1 – 8

•

F o r q u e s t i o n s 1 – 8 y o u w i l l h e a r e i g h t s h o r t r e c o r d i n g s .

•

F o r e a c h q u e s t i o n , m a r k o n e l e t t e r ( A , B o r C ) f o r t h e c o

r r e c t a n s w e r .

E x a m p l e :

W h e n w e r e t h e m a c h i n e p a r t s s e n t ?

M o n d a y 3 1

T u e s d a y 1

T h u r s d a y 3

A

B

C

T h e a n s w e r i s A .

•

Y o u w i l l h e a r t h e e i g h t r e c o r d i n g s t w i c e .

1

W h i c h c h a r t i s c o r r e c t ?

A

B

C

4 0 0 0

S a l e s

M o n t h

3 0 0 0

2 0 0 0

1 0 0 0

1

2

3

4 0 0 0

S a l e s

M o n t h

3 0 0 0

2 0 0 0

1 0 0 0

1

2

3

4 0 0 0

S a l e s

M o n t h

3 0 0 0

2 0 0 0

1 0 0 0

1

2

3

3

T u r n O v e r�

LISTENING SAMPLE PAPER



B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

P A R T T W O

Q u e s t i o n s 9 – 1 5

•

L o o k a t t h e n o t e s b e l o w .

•

S o m e i n f o r m a t i o n i s m i s s i n

g .

•

Y o u w i l l h e a r a m a n a g e r t e l e p h o n i n g H u m a n R e s o u r c e s a b o u t v a c a n c i e s i n h i s d e p

a r t m e n t .

•

F o r e a c h q u e s t i o n 9 – 1 5 , f i l l i n t h e m i s s i n g i n f o r m a t i o n i n t h e n u m b e r e d s p a c e u s i n g a w o r d ,

n u m b e r s o r l e t t e r s .

•

Y o u w i l l h e a r t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n t w i c e .

C u s t o m e r S e r v

i c e s V a c a n c i e s

N U M B E R O F V A C A N C I E S :

( 9 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t e l e p h o n

e o p e r a t o r s

S A L A R Y :

( 1 0 ) M a x . £ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

T O T A L H O L I D A Y ( P E R A N N U M

) :

( 1 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

d a y s

J O B R E F E R E N C E :

( 1 2 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

J O B S T A R T D A T E :

( 1 3 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 0 2

L I N E M A N A G E R :

( 1 4 ) M s S u e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

T E L N U M B E R ( F O R E N Q U I R I E S ) :

( 1 5 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6

6

W

h i c h p r o d u c t h a s b e e n t h e m o s t s u c c e s s f u l ?

7

W

h a t i s t h e p u r p o s e o f t h e m e e t i n g ?

A

t o l o o k a t a p p l i c a t i o n s

B

t o w r i t e a j o b a d v e r t i s e m e n t

C

t o p r e p a r e f o r i n t e r v i e w s

8

W

h i c h c h a r t s h o w s t h e c o m p a n y ’ s m a r k e t s h a r e t h i s y e a r ?

A

B

C

A

B

C

5

T u r n O v e r�



B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

8 P A R T F O U R

Q u e s t i o n s 2 3 – 3 0

•

Y o u w i l l h e a r a c o n v e r s a t i o n b e t w e e n a s e n i o r m a n a g e r , c a l l e d S u e , a n d h e r a s s i s t a n t , c a l l e d

D a v i d .

•

F o r e a c h q u e s t i o n 2 3 – 3 0 ,

m a r k o n e l e t t e r ( A , B o r C ) f o r t h e c o r r e c t a n s w e r .

•

Y o u w i l l h e a r t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n t w i c e .

2 3

S u e i s p a r t i c u l a r l y p l e a s e d

a b o u t t h e c o m p a n y

A

r e c e i v i n g a n a w a r d

.

B

i n c r e a s i n g i t s s h a r e p r i c e .

C

g e t t i n g a n e w c l i e n

t .

2 4

W h a t i s t h e m a i n c a u s e o f t h e c o m p a n y ’ s r i s i n g c o s t s ?

A

i m p o r t t a x e s

B

p u b l i c i t y

C

p r e m i s e s

2 5

W h i c h e x p e n s e s d o t h e y w a n t t o r e d u c e ?

A

e n t e r t a i n m e n t

B

s t a t i o n e r y

C

t e l e p h o n e

2 6

M o r e t r a i n i n g i s r e q u i r e d b e

c a u s e t h e c o m p a n y h a s

A

b o u g h t n e w c o m p u

t e r s o f t w a r e .

B

r e c r u i t e d n e w m e m

b e r s o f s t a f f .

C

i n c r e a s e d i t s r a n g e

o f c u s t o m e r s .

2 7

H o w w i l l t h e c o m p a n y o r g a

n i s e t h e t r a i n i n g ?

A

s e n d s t a f f t o a c o l l e g e

B

u s e c u r r e n t s t a f f m

e m b e r s

C

e m p l o y e x t e r n a l t r a

i n e r s

P A R T T H R E E

Q u e s

t i o n s 1 6 – 2 2

•

L o o k a t t h e n o t e s a b o u t a p u b l i s h e r ’ s p l a n s f o r p r o m o t i o n t h i s a u t u m n .

•

S o m e i n f o r m a t i o n i s m i s s i n g .

•

Y o u w i l l h e a r p a r t o f a t a l k b y t h e c o m p a n y ’ s M a r k e t i n g D

i r e c t o r .

•

F o r e a c h q u e s t i o n 1 6 – 2 2 , f i l l i n t h e m i s s i n g i n f o r m a t i o n

i n t h e n u m b e r e d s p a c e u s i n g o n e o r

t w o w o r d s .

•

Y o u w i l l h e a r t h e t a l k t w i c e .

A

u t u m n p r o m o t i o n p l a n s

M a i n t i t l e s : p o c k e t d i c t i o n a r y a n d

( 1 6 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A d

v e r t i s i n g s p a c e b o o k e d i n

( 1 7 )

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m a g a z i n e

N e w c o l o u r f o r d i s p l a y s t a n d s :

( 1 8 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F r e e g i f t s i n c l u d e

( 1 9 )

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a n d k e y r i n g s

A l i s o n h a s m a d e a d e a l w i t h

( 2 0 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F o r m a i l i n g t o b o o k s e l l e r s i n S e p t e m b e r :

( 2 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

V e n u e f o r d i c t i o n a r y l a u n c h p a r t y :

( 2 2 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

T u r n O v e r�



B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

2 8

W h e n t h e n e x t b r o c h u r e i s

p r i n t e d , i t w i l l

A

h a v e a n i m p r o v e d d e s i g n .

B

i n c l u d e a n e w p r o d

u c t .

C

c o n t a i n e x t r a i n f o r m

a t i o n .

2 9

W h a t p r o b l e m a r e t h e y e x p

e r i e n c i n g w i t h J o h n s o n ’ s ?

A

t h e q u a l i t y o f g o o d s

B

t h e h i g h p r i c e s

C

t h e s p e e d o f d e l i v e

r i e s

3 0

W h a t w i l l t h e y d o a b o u t t h e

p r o b l e m w i t h J o h n s o n ’ s ?

A

s e n d t h e m a l e t t e r

B

c h e c k e v e r y o r d e r

C

c o n t a c t o t h e r s u p p

l i e r s

9

Y o u n o w h a v e 1 0 m

i n u t e s t o t r a n s f e r y o u r a n s w e r s t o y o u r A n s w e r S h e

e t .

LISTENING ANSWER KEY

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four

1 C 9 8 (TELEPHONE OPERATORS) 16 (NEW) ROAD MAP(S) 23 A

2 A 10 (£) 16,950 17 TRAVEL (MAGAZINE) 24 B

3 B 11 33 (DAYS) 18 ORANGE 25 C

4 C 12 CS08011 19 CALENDARS 26 C

5 B 13 6(TH) OCTOBER/OCTOBER 6 (2002) 20 RADIO EAST 27 B

6 A (THE) SIXTH (OF) OCTOBER (2002) 21 (OUR) INFORMATION SHEET(S) 28 A

7 C 6/10/02 22 (THE) MANAGEMENT CENTRE/CENTER 29 A

8 A 6/10 (2002) 30 C

14 (MS SUE) BLACKMANN

15 795335

TAPESCRIPT

PART ONE. QUESTIONS 1 to 8.

1: Which chart is correct?

M: …and I’m pleased to announce that we’ve had a

small but steady increase in ice cream sales, in spite

of the unusually low temperatures in the last three

months. We’ll see whether this trend continues.

2: What kind of packaging do they decide to use?

F: What packaging do you recommend for the smaller

type of bottle?

M: Well, I’d wrap it in clear plastic and tie it at the top.

F: OK. But don’t you think a box would be better,

perhaps with a pattern on it?

M: Boxes are dull and a pattern on the plastic would

look untidy.

F: Right, we’ll do as you recommend.

3: Where is Mike going to take the visitors first?

F: Mike, could you show some people round the

factory tomorrow?

M: Certainly. The usual tour – from reception to the

warehouse?



F: They are particularly interested in our production

techniques, so I would start there.

M: OK, and then through customer relations and into

the warehouse.

F: Thanks.

4: Who is Anne going to write to?

M: Anne, that supplier we use has become very

unreliable, and we’ve decided to look for another

one.

F: Seems a good idea.

M: We don’t need to inform our clients, but could you

send a note round to all our departments when

we’ve decided who to replace the supplier with?

F: Yes of course.

5: What’s the new time for the meeting?

F: What time’s the MD back tomorrow?

M: Erm.. just after lunch, I think. Why?

F: Well, I’ve got a meeting tomorrow at a quarter pasttwo, but I need to be here when the MD arrives –

I’ll rearrange my meeting for three.

M: Well, Paul’s coming to that meeting, and he has to

leave early.

F: OK, I’ll make it a quarter to, then.

6: Which product has been the most successful?

M: Our sales figures show that toy trains haven’t done

very well, although we’ve sold a reasonable number

of the dolls. As for model cars, we’ve sold so many

that we can’t produce enough!

7: What is the purpose of the meeting?

F: We’ve got to fill those vacancies in research

urgently. That’s why today’s meeting’s so important.

M: Yes, but the advertisement’s only just gone out.

Why discuss the interviews now?

F: The closing date is next Friday. It will take us a day

to look at the applications. If we decide on the

interview questions today that’ll save time.

8: Which chart shows the company’s market share this year?

F: Is the company doing better this year?M: It’s a mixed picture really. Sales have risen by about

fifty per cent, which is excellent, but our total

market share is down to five per cent from twenty

per cent last year.

PART TWO. QUESTIONS 9 – 15.

F: Human Resources, Helen speaking.

M: Hello. It’s Alan Thomas, phoning about the

vacancies here in Customer Services.

F: I’ll just take the details to put in the ad. It’s for

5 telephone operators, isn’t it?

M: It was 5, but we’re busier now and also 2 staff are

leaving this week, so we need 8 new people.

F: OK. I’ll put that. And are these grade 1 posts, salary

14 to 15 thousand?

M: Starting salary is fourteen thousand, but I need some

people with experience, so we’ll pay up to sixteen

thousand nine hundred and fifty. That’s the top of

grade 2.

F: Fine.

M: Holidays, next.

F: The usual 21 days a year?

M: Actually, the telephone staff are working longer

shifts now, so they get an extra 12 days off a year.Together it’s 33 days.

F: OK. Do you have a reference number for these

posts?

M: Yes, it’s CS zero eight zero double one.

F: Right. We’ll advertise next week, September the 7th.

What start date shall I put? The 6th of October?

M: I wanted them to start on the 1st, but your date is

better. So, put that.

F: And will you be their line manager, Mr Thomas?

M: They’ll actually report to Sue Blackmann, that’s

double N.

F: And who can people contact?

M: Sue. She’s on 795 double 3 5.

F: Right.....

PART THREE. QUESTIONS 16 – 22.

M: Okay, I just want to update you on our main plans

for promotion this autumn. The main campaign will

of course be the pocket dictionary, but we also have

a reasonable budget for the new road map, which is

coming out next month, as you know. For bothtitles, we’ve already taken full-page adverts in

‘Travel’ magazine and I’m also considering space for

the dictionary in that new monthly ‘Reference

Now’. For window and general shop display, our

designer has produced the wonderful stands you

can see in the corner. I’m sure you’ll agree that the

orange is an improvement on the green stands we

had last year! Erm, we’re looking at a range of free

gifts for handing out at exhibitions – currently on

order are calendars and keyrings, but possibly in

future larger things too, like umbrellas for major

clients. I’d like your views on that idea before I go

ahead. Alison’s managed to negotiate some air time

on Radio East and I’m going to visit a TV network

on Friday – that’s more relevant to our future titles

B E C

P R E L I M

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though. Now, publicity material – everything is

listed in the annual catalogue, which will be ready

to send to booksellers in December. And talking of

bookseller mailshots we’ve also got one going out

in September, which will be our information sheet.

Finally, I can confirm the venue for the dictionary

launch party, which is next month. Some of you

know we were trying to get the university library,

but in fact, we’ve now booked the management

centre, which will be excellent. Their catering is

supposed to be very good…

PART FOUR. QUESTIONS 23 – 30.

F: There's quite a lot to talk about.

M: Well Sue, it doesn't matter if we don't cover

everything today.

F: Ok, David, let’s see how we go.

M: Things are looking good, aren't they?F: Definitely. I'm very pleased. We've gone beyond

our sales targets. Our share price is stable. And, of

course, you know Eurocom were going to move but

they’ve chosen to keep their contract with us after

all. But winning the prize for British Exporter of the

year was the best thing, as far as I'm concerned.

M: On the other hand, there is the problem of rising

costs.

F: Yes, even though we avoided another rent

increase…

M: But all those expensive newspaper advertisements…

F: Yes, that’s the real problem. Although they are partly

balanced by the decrease in import duties.

M: Mmm … meanwhile, you want to limit our

expenses where possible?

F: Yes, certainly. Actually, the budget for entertaining

clients is fairly reasonable, and very necessary.

It's the cost of phone calls that worries me.

It seems far too high.

M: Everyone should be using e-mail wherever possible

if you want to save on communications generally.

Um, we've already got cheaper paper from the

printers, which is a start.F: True. Now on to training. We need to be clear

where this demand for training is coming from.

M: Well, our own success, basically. Our customer

base is expanding all the time. Our staff…

F: ….who are up to date with new computer

applications…

M: Yes, they're ok for that, but they have to deal with

all these new clients. They'll need a wider range of

skills than they have at the moment…

F: We could contact the business school. Perhaps they

could send us some of their trainers.

M: Or what about the courses they run?

F: But then again, it seems a pity not to use our own

training department.

M: Doing it ourselves, you mean? Well, yes … after all,

it's the people here who know what we do best and

can really understand our needs.

F: I agree. OK, what's next?

M: Um, there's the printing of the new brochure.

F: Is the basic information changing?

M: I shouldn't think so but the whole thing really needs

to look a bit better. The current one just doesn't give

the right idea at all…

F: Much too old-fashioned. Yes, a new presentation,

a proper lay-out. What about out-of-date products?

M: Steve’s already taken them out. Now, do you want

to talk about the supplier situation?

F: You mean the situation with Johnson's?

M: Yes, they're just not giving us what we need. Their

prices have always seemed very reasonable, but the

products aren't good enough. There's no point

being cheap and on time if we don't actually get

what we want.

F: Right, well, we need to deal with the situation.

What contact have you had with them?M: I wrote to them twice last month, and it didn't seem

to have any real effect. We've looked at every order

as it comes in, so we already have a fairly clear

picture of the problem.

F: Hmm… I think you should start by ringing some

other firms, see if they can match Johnson's deal.

Then I'll make a decision.

M: Right. Great, we did manage to discuss everything.

F: Yes, good.

B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y



B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

P a r t 3

1 6

0

1

1 6

2 3

A

B

C

P a r t 4

2 5

2 4

2 6

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

2 7

2 8

A

B

C

A

B

C

2 9

A

B

C

1 7

0

1

1 7

1 8

0

1

1 8

1 9

0

1

1 9

2 0

0

1

2 0

2 1

0

1

2 1

2 2

0

1

2 2

3 0

A

B

C


0

P R

E L I M I N A R Y

B E C P r e l i m i n a r y L i s t e n i n g A

n s w e r S h e e t

0

0

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

C a n d i d a t e N a m

e


i n C A P I T A L S a n d c o m p l e

t e t h e

C a n d i d a t e N o . g r i d ( i n p e

n c i l ) .


n a t u r e

E x a m i n a t i o n T i t l e

C e n t r e

I f t h e c a n d i d a t e i s

A B S E N T o r h a s W I T H D R A W N s h a d e h e r e


C e n t r e N o .


D e t a i l s

2 1 4 3 5 P a r t 1

I n s t r u c t i o n s

U s e a P E N C I L

( B o r H B ) .

R u b o u t a n y a n

s w e r y o u w i s h t o c h a n g e w i t h a n e r a s e r .

F o r P a r t s 1 a n d 4 :

M a r k o n e b o x f

o r e a c h a n s w e r .


I f y o u t h i n k C i s

t h e r i g h t a n s w e r t o t h e q u e s t i o n , m a r k y o u r a n s w e

r s h e e t l i k e t h i s :

P a r t 2

T

u r n o v e r f o r P a r t s 3 a n d 4

F o r P a r t s 2 a n d 3 :

W r i t e y o u r a n s w e r c l e a r l y i n C A P I T A L L E T T E R S . W r i t e o n e l e t t e r

i n e a c h b o x .

I f t h e a n s w e r h a s m o r e t h a n o n e w o r d , l e a v e o n e b o x e m p t y b e t w e e n w o r d s .


A

B

C

0

6 7 8

1 0 9

0

1

0

1

1 2

1 1

0

1

0

1

1 3

0

1

9 1 0

1 1

1 2

1 3

1 4

0

1

1 5

0

1

1 4

1 5

A

B E C P - L

D P 4 5 6 / 3 5 6

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C

A

B

C




Part One

In the first part of the test, the interlocutor addresses each

candidate in turn and asks them questions about themselves

and their opinions. The questions will be slightly different for

each candidate, and candidates are not addressed in strict

sequence. In this part of the test, candidates are being testedon their ability to talk briefly about themselves, to provide

concise information on subjects such as their home, hobbies

and jobs, and to perform simple functions such as agreeing

and disagreeing and expressing preferences.

Part Two

The second part of the test is a ‘mini-presentation’. In this

part, each candidate is given a choice of two topics and has

one minute to prepare a piece of extended speech lasting

approximately one minute. After each candidate has finished

speaking the next candidate is asked which of the bulletpoints they think is the most important. In this part of the test

candidates are being tested on their ability to sustain their

talk accurately and appropriately.

Part Three

The third part of the test is a conversation between the

candidates. The interlocutor outlines a scenario and provides

prompts in the form of black and white pictures or written

text to help the candidates. The candidates are asked to

speak for about two minutes. The interlocutor will support

the conversation as appropriate and then ask furtherquestions related to the main theme. In this part of the test,

candidates are being tested on their ability to interact

appropriately using appropriate functional language and

strategies.

Preparing for the Speaking Paper

It is important to familiarise candidates with the format of the

test before it takes place, and a Speaking Test video with

worksheets and notes for the teacher is available for this

purpose from Cambridge ESOL publications. For an order

form, please go to our website and click on Publications.

Candidates can be further prepared through the use of pair

and group activities in class as well as test practice material.It may be necessary for teachers to explain the benefits of the

paired test format. The primary purpose is to sample a wider

range of discourse than can be elicited from an individual

interview, in particular allowing the assessment to focus on

the interactive nature of oral communication.

Part One of the test is in an interview format. Classroom

activities such as pair or group work where candidates

exchange information would be useful preparation for this

part of the test. Practice of simple repair strategies such as

asking for repetition or clarification would also be useful.

Part Two requires a longer turn. Classroom activities which

encourage longer contributions will prepare candidates for

this part of the test. Discussions as well as short talks or

presentations are ideal. Preparation might also include a

focus on simple discourse markers and connectors.

Part Three is a discussion. Classroom activities which

encourage candidates to interact well with each other, such

as pair and group work, would be good preparation.

Candidates should be encouraged to interact appropriately

by taking turns to speak. It is also a good idea to encouragestudents to change partners in class so that they grow

accustomed to interacting with a variety of people, some of

whom they do not know well. Practice of particular

functions such as giving opinions, agreeing and disagreeing,

etc. would also be useful.

TEST OF SPEAKING

Time: 12 minutes

PART Format/Content Time Interaction Focus

1 Conversation between the About 2 minutes The interlocutor encourages the candidates to

interlocutor and each candidate give information about themselves and to

express personal opinions

General interaction and sociallanguage

2 A ‘mini-presentation’ by each candidate About 5 minutes The candidates are given prompts which

on a business theme generate a short talk on a business-related topic

Organising a larger unit of discourse.

Giving information and expressing

opinions

3 Two-way conversation between About 5 minutes The candidates are presented with a scenario

candidates followed by further supported by visual or written prompts which

prompting from the interlocutor generates a discussion. The interlocutor extendsthe discussion with further spoken prompts.

B E C P R E L I M

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B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

B E C P r e

l i m i n a r y –

P A R T T W O

T a s

k S h e e

t 2

A : W H A T I S I M P O R T A N T W H E N … ?

C h o o s

i n g a

b u s

i n e s

s l a n g u a g e c o u r s e

•

C o s

t

•

S i z e o

f G r o u p

•

Q u a

l i f i c a

t i o n

B : W H A T I S I M P O R T A N T W H E N … ?

S e

l l i n g a n e w p r o d u

c t

•

P r i c e

•

Q u a

l i t y

•

A d v e r t i s

i n g

T a s k

S h e e

t 1

A : W H A T I S I M P O R T A N T W H E N … ?

L o o

k i n g

f o r a n e w

j o b

•

L o c a

t i o n

•

S a

l a r y

•

G o o

d C o

l l e a g u e s

B : W H A T I S I M P O R T A N T W H E N … ?

C h o o s

i n g a

b u s

i n e s s c

l u b t o j o i n

•

N u m

b e r s o

f M e m

b e r s

•

T y p e s o

f E v e n

t s

•

C o s

t o

f J o

i n i n g

B E C P r e

l i m i n a r y –

P A R T T W O

SPEAKING SAMPLE TASKS

T a s k S h e e t f o r C a n d i d a t e A

T a s k S h e e t f o r C a n d i d a t e B

C h o o s i n g a t r a i n i n g c o u r s e

•

S i z e o f g r o u p

•

C o s t

•

T i m e s o f c o u r s e

B o o k i n g a h o t e l f o r a b u s i n e s s t r i p

•

L o c a t i o n

•

F a c i l i t i e s

•

C h a r g e s

C h o o s i n g a b u s i n e

s s l a n g u a g e c o u r s e

•

C o s t

•

S i z e o f g r o

u p

•

Q u a l i f i c a t i o n

S e l l i n g a n e w p r o d

u c t

•

P r i c e

•

Q u a l i t y

•

A d v e r t i s i n

g



B E C P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

T o p i c s f o r t r a i n i n g

• E q u

i p m e n

t

• C o m p u

t e r s

k i l l s

• C o m p a n y o r g a n

i s a

t i o n

• C o m p a n y r u

l e s

• C u s

t o m e r s e r v

i c e

• P r o

d u c

t t r a i n i n g

• H e a

l t h a n

d s a

f e t y

• F o r e

i g n

l a n g u a g e s

G e n e r a l t r a i n i n g p r o g r a m m e f o r n e w s t a f f

B E C P r e

l i m i n a r y

– P A R T T H R E E

S c e n a r i o :

I ’ m g o

i n g

t o d e s c r i b e a s

i t u a

t i o n .

A c o m p a n y i s p l a n n i n g t o i n t r o d u c e a g e n e r a l t r a i n i n g p r o g r a m m e f o r n e w s t a f f .

T a l k t o g e t h e r a b o u t t h e t o p i c s t h e c o m p a n y c o u l d i n c l u d e i n t h e p r o g r a m m e a n d

d e c i d e w h i c h t h r e e y o u t h i n k a r e m o s t i m p o r t a n t .

H e r e a r e s o m e

i d e a s

t o h e

l p y o u .

B E C P r e

l i m i n a r y –

P A R T T H R E E

C a n d i d a t e s ’ P r o m p t S h e e t

E x a m i n e r F r a m e

BEC Preliminary - PART THREE

BEC Preliminary - PART THREE

Topics for training

• Equipment• Computer skills• Company organisation• Company rules• Customer service• Product training

• Health and safety• Foreign languages

General training programme for new staff

Scenario:

I’m going to describe a situation.

A company is planning to introduce a general training programme for new staff.

Talk together about the topics the company could include in the programme and

decide which three you think are most important.

Here are some ideas to help you.



B E C

P R E L I M

I N

A R Y

ASSESSMENT OF SPEAKING

Candidates are assessed on their own performance and not

in relation to each other, according to the following

analytical criteria: Grammar and Vocabulary, Discourse

Management, Pronunciation and Interactive Communication.

These criteria are interpreted at Preliminary level.

Assessment is based on performance in the whole test and is

not related to particular parts of the test.

Both examiners assess the candidates. The Assessor applies

detailed, analytical scales, and the Interlocutor applies a

Global Achievement Scale which is based on the analytical

scales.

Grammar and Vocabulary

This refers to range and accuracy as well as the appropriate

use of grammatical and lexical forms. At BEC Preliminarylevel, a range of grammar and vocabulary is needed to deal

with the tasks. At this level candidates may make frequent

minor errors and use some inappropriate vocabulary, but this

should not obscure intended meanings.

Discourse Management

This refers to the coherence, extent and relevance of each

candidate’s individual performance. Contributions should be

adequate to deal with the tasks. At times, candidates’

utterances may be inappropriate in length and some

utterances may lack coherence.

Pronunciation

This refers to the candidate’s ability to produce

comprehensible utterances. At BEC Preliminary level, most

meanings are conveyed through the appropriate use of stress,

rhythm, intonation and clear individual sounds, although

there may be some strain on the listener.

Interactive Communication

This refers to the candidate’s ability to take an active part in

the development of the discourse. At BEC Preliminary level,

candidates are able to take turns and sustain the interaction

by initiating and responding appropriately. Hesitation may

demand patience of the listener.

bec preliminary 04

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