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Cambridge ESOL exams: Introduction for employers

Communication at work has become more and more international. As an employer you need an accurate and reliable way of assessing your employees' language skills. You also need to know which language qualifications it is realistic to demand when advertising a job.

Cambridge ESOL exams are recognised by employers, professional organisations and official bodies throughout the world. They provide evidence of English language ability and show that the holder of a particular certificate has the skills they need to use English in a wide range of everyday situations.

Alongside its General English exams, Cambridge ESOL offers a suite of exams that are particularly relevant to the business context:

Business English Certificates (BEC)

BEC is a suite of three exams, designed to test English language ability in typical work situations.

At all three BEC levels, the 'business' aspect of the exam affects the vocabulary, the types of texts selected and the situations presented in the tasks. Other skills, such as understanding the gist of a text or guessing unfamiliar words in a listening situation, are also tested.

Business Language Testing Service (BULATS)

BULATS is a multilingual assessment service for companies that require a rapid, accurate means of assessing language skills. Computer and 'pencil & paper' tests are available in English, French, German and Spanish. An online test will become available in English soon.

BULATS is run jointly by Cambridge ESOL and its ALTE partners — the Alliance Française (France), the Goethe Institut (Germany) and the Universidad de Salamanca (Spain).

Do you recognise Cambridge ESOL exams?

Find a list of organisations that recognise Cambridge ESOL exams.

You may find that your organisation is already listed. If not, why not add it to the list and make it easier for job applicants to provide you with evidence of their English language ability?

Where can I take the exam