BEC Wizard

Good communication requires clear speaking and writing and in Business English tests it is important to be familiar with words and terms which are commonly used in a business context or scenario. Developing good business writing, listening, reading and speaking skills is essential to be an effective communicator in business. Check out the examples below of Business English vocabulary and phrases used in context. They include many words used in various Business English exam preparation materials and Business English vocabulary for advanced English learners. How to Use Business English Vocabulary appraisal : Next month the company will carry out the annual staff appraisals. bonus scheme : The bank offers its executives a very attractive performance related bonus scheme. book-keeping : Accurate book-keeping is critical for financial control. computer literate : All candidates for the position must be computer literate. core : The core business of the company is t...

Key rules for using comparative adjectives 1 . For short adjectives with one syllable, add –er The month end financial report is taking long er than I thought to finish. Our B2B sales are always strong er in the second quarter of the year. 2 . For adjectives with two syllables, add –ier , when the adjective ends in –y . For other adjectives, use more or less in front of the adjective. Emailing reports to the team is eas ier than distributing paper documents. Our production department needs to be more careful with quality issues. 3 . For adjective with three or more syllables, we use more or less The CEO has a private jet, it’s more comfortable than and quicker than flying commercial. Our latest products are more interesting and less expensive for our customers than the previous range. 4 . Use as ... as for similarity and not as ... as for difference Our main competitors are as good as we are at marketing, but their products are not as good as ...

BEC Vantage Report Writing Sample As part of a project to redesign the office space at your company’s head office, you have carried out a survey of staff attitudes to the current workspace. You now have to write a report summarizing the main findings and recommending changes that need to be incorporated in the new design. Look at the results of the survey below, on which you have already made some handwritten notes. Write your report using the notes in 120-140 words. What people most want to change about their workplace How information is stored NOTES: Storage problem: lack of personal space likely to get worse as company grows Recommend: more storage for personal items, more meeting rooms/places Too much information printed out: mention figure, will probably get worse Recommend: training course in electronic data storage An Informal Report Making Proposals New Office Design Proposals Background As part of the office redesign proje...

Cambridge BEC Vantage Speaking Test - Part 1 You will normally participate with another candidate in the BEC Vantage Speaking test. Before the test you should practice speaking with a partner to develop certain speaking and listening skills such as taking turns, listening carefully to what your speaking partner says and agreeing or disagreeing with the points he/she makes. In BEC speaking Part 1 of the BEC Vantage Speaking test you and the other speaking candidate will take turns to respond to some general and more specific business related questions the interlocutor will ask you. You will be tested on your ability to speak briefly about yourself, to give concise information about your home, personal interests and job, and to demonstrate your ability to use certain language functions for example, expressing agreement, disagreement, and talking about preferences. BEC Vantage Speaking Test Preparation BEC vantage speaking topics Make sure you are familiar with the ...

BEC Vantage Grammar Read the following paragraph which recommends how a new restaurant should be promoted. Choose a word to fill in each blank space to complete the paragraph. The restaurant should have a website, 1.__________ that potential customers can see the menu and the installations before they come here. 2.__________ would also be a good idea to advertise in local and regional newspapers in 3._________ to make our name known to people in the area. We should also invite some journailists to eat here, 4.________ that if they like the restaurant, they can write articles about it. Finally, it’s important to give really excellent food and service 5._________ get people talking about the restaurant, 6.__________ word-of-mouth publicity is by far the cheapest and most effective of marketing. [+] [-]   Answers so It order so to because / as / since Learn more about BEC Vantage test

The main purpose of writing business memos is to facilitate communication of information to various different employees within the same organization or members of other organizations. A memo, especially for internal business communication, is normally used instead of the more traditional letter. BEC Writing - Business Memo Memos have a wide range of purposes. They can be used to transmit information about policy and strategy changes, internal staff promotions and other changes in personnel, provide an update on a project, or inform about new product offerings. They are also commonly used to inform employees regarding meetings they should attend or changes in work procedures, or they might focus on a problem, for example, employees arriving late or being absent, or give useful feedback about a specific product or program. There are some key points to consider when you are preparing to draft your business memo. You should think about your audience (the people who will ...

If English is your second language, then obtaining a Business English Certificate can help your professional career in various ways. If you are able to show your level of proficiency via internationally recognized Business English qualifications, potential employers will consider your application more seriously and have more confidence in your ability. So which Business English Certificate is best? Firstly, any Business English qualifications you decide to pursue should be recognized internationally; among these are the TOEIC and BEC Business English Certificates by Cambridge. These are Business English qualifications acknowledged by the majority of large organizations and especially multinational British and American firms. 4 Reasons to get a Business English Certificate 1. International Recognition There is a big difference between being proficient in general English and being able to perform well using English in a business environment. Business English has many subtle nuance...

The Cambridge BEC Higher Business English Certificate is recognized by many international companies, educational institutions and government departments around the world as proof of proficiency in professional English. Cambridge English - Business English cetificate (BEC) Higher - Authentic Practice Tests BEC 3 Cambridge practice tests contains four authentic BEC Higher past exam papers. These BEC 3 Higher practice tests give candidates the best possible opportunity to learn about the format of the BEC exam, practice, and evaluate their BEC exam skills. The BEC 3 Higher student book with answers comes complete with audo CD containing the listening sections for the four BEC Higher practice tests. It allows candidates to check progress with the answer key and audio transcripts provided with the book. The BEC 3 Higher student book with answers also provides a full overview of each section of the BEC exam so that candidates can really understand the exam structure. BEC 3 Cambri...

BEC Vantage Writing Part 1 In Part 1 of the Cambridge BEC Vantage writing test you have to write a short communication, typically 40-50 words. here is an example of a BEC Vantage writing questions which asks you to write a memo about a training course. BEC Vantage Writing Part 1 Question Your company has introduced new SAGA accounting software and you think you need training in its use. Write a memo to your line manager: saying what you need describing a suitable course asking for permission to attend Write 40-50 words. BEC Vantage Writing Sample Answer Memo To: Line Manager From: Date: 8th June Subject: new SAGA accounting software I need training in how to use our new SAGA accounting software. The local business college is offering a course next month which deals with SAGA. The cost of the course is very reasonable and it won't interfere with my work. Can you please give me authorization to attend? [49 words]

Business English Certificate (BEC) Speaking Topics In this section of the BEC speaking test, you have to choose one topic from three choices and give a short talk, typically on a business topic. You are expected to talk for around one minute. the interlocutor/examiner will tell you when the time is finished. You are given one minute to think about your answer and prepare your talk. Sample Part 2 BEC Vantage Speaking Topics Topic A What is important when interviewing someone for a job deciding what qualifications are needed deciding what questions to ask Topic B What is important when arrangiing a meeting deciding who needs to be there sending out important papers Topic C What is important when giving a presentation preparing materials carefully keeping calm When you have finished your mini-presentation, your BEC speaking partner will ask you some additional questions based on your talk. Examples of BEC speaking questions your speaking partner may ask you: Wh...

Examples of BEC Vantage speaking topics What is important when deciding to visit a trade fair? Types of product displayed Number of exhibitors What is important when entertaining clients? being creative variety of entertainment. clear timetable of free-time activities. Specialise staff. What is important when preparing for a job interview? an up-to-date resume/CV research the company ask relevant questions examples of abilities, achievements identify your strengths and weaknesses reason why you waqnt to leave your job dress appropriately turn off your cell phone be natural and relaxed answer briefly, unless you are asked for more detail What is important when looking for finance for a start up business examine different finance options projection of financial statements comprehensive business plan be clear about needs and requirements to satisfy consult a financial specialist What is important when planning corporate hospitality? organize guest list dec...

Example of BEC Vantage Writing Task - an email Dear Mr Markham, Late payment I regret to say that we have not yet received payment for the goods that we delivered to you in march, although the agreement was that you would pay in 30 days. This is causing us severe cashflow problems, and unless you pay us immediately, we will have to stop supplying you with the goods you require. However, I would also like to warn you that if you do not pay promptly, we will be unable to offer you our usual discounts in the future. I look forward to receiving your payment shortly. Yours sincerely, Georgina Chandler Accounts manager BEC Vantage Writing Question Cambridge Business English Certificate Writing Tasks You received the above letter this morning. Write an email to your assistant telling him to: Investigate the cause of the problem Pay the invoice Apologize and explain to Ms Chandler You should write about 40-50 words. BEC Vantage sample email answer Dear Mike, Plea...

Cambridge B2 Business Vantage Writing Tasks Writing a Business Proposal Example B2 Business Vantage Writing Task A branch of your company is moving to another town. The company Chairman has asked you to investigate and recommend a removals company. Use the two advertisements below, and all the notes you previously wrote to write a proposal for the Chairman. Write 120 – 140 words. Writing a Business Proposal | Example B2 Business Vantage exam task B2 Business Vantage Example Proposal Companies Investigated I attach advertisements for two companies: Windspeed and A-Z. Windspeed belongs to the Freight Transport Association and AZ to the Road Haulage Association. Services Available A-Z provides a service which is essential to us, that is, the handling of hi-tech equipment. We shall need to hire crates for storage of equipment which our branch does not need immediately. I have checked, and A-Z also provide crates. Windspeed also does int...

BEC Higher Speaking Test Part 3 For two candidates: Team Building The company you work for is about to take over another company and is keen to encourage staff from both companies to work together effectively. You have been asked to prepare a proposal for team building. Discuss and decide together: what kinds of work projects and leisure activities would be suitable to encourage teamwork what benefits effective teamwork could bring to the company what arrangements should be made before new colleagues start working together* [for three candidates] BEC Higher Speaking Test Part 3 Sample Answers A I think it's important to review the workload of both groups of employees and look for duplication and areas or projects that could be combined. This will make for better efficiency and reduce any duplicate effort. B Yes, that's a good idea, and by learning more about what each group of workers is doing we'll be able to get a better idea of how to integrate them. A...

Pass Cambridge BEC Vantage This excellent resource book provides thorough practice for the international Cambridge BEC (Business English Certificate) Vantage level exam. Targeting business English students at B2 level (Upper Intermediate) it contains three complete BEC Vantage practice tests which can help students preparing for the BEC Vantage exam to become familiar with the format of the exam and also the different types of BEC Vantage exam questions. There is advice for students about the best BEC Vantage exam strategies for dealing with each of the four sections of the BEC Vantage exam:BEC Vantage Reading, BEC Vantage Listening, BEC Vantage Writing and BEC Vantage Speaking. Each of the four BEC Vantage practice tests is accompanied by a two-page test preparation section to focus students on the specific English language skills required for BEC. Pass BEC Vantage also provides a thorough and well organized revision of the important grammar and vocabulary relating to ...

Business English Vocabuary Essential Business English Vocabulary Use the business-related nouns below to complete the short paragraph, selecting the most appropriate word for each blank space. You can check your answers by clicking on ‘answers’ at the end of the quiz. Business English Vocabulary | Nouns apology advantage authorization advice agenda advertisement Many corporations seek to establish a competitive (1) _____ over their competitors in a specific market sector and build their brand by creative (2) _____ campaigns. For consumers, the corporate social responsibility (3) _____ of many organizations is becoming increasingly important in terms of purchasing decision-making, and so (4) _____ from public relations experts urges corporations to prioritize this as part of their brand building strategies. Tesco is just one example of a previously highly successful retail organization plagued by corporate image problems following an accounting scandal, and more recently, i...

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars/pounds, etc. to get yourself a business education. There are a growing number of colleges, universities and other organizations which are offering free online business courses. Here are some examples of such courses and what you can expect to learn from them. Free Online Business Courses There are many free online business courses which allow you to learn about different areas of business. You don’t need to register and there are no tuition fees. For example, there are courses on: Business Management Marketing Information Systems Masters in Business Administration However, most of these free online business courses do not equate to college credits. If you want to obtain credits for taking online business courses then you should consider accessing online business resources that are fee-based. Providers of this type of online business course typically offer online learning through a range of video lessons which are quick and inform...

Why Learning English is Important for Your International Business Career According to Bloomberg News , Honda Motor Co. has made English the official language of its global meetings. The decision is part of a policy move to give regional offices more decision-making power. Takanobu Ito, Honda’s CEO, announced the change to global employees back in April. The move copies similar policy decisions by other Japanese companies fast Retailing Co., Asia’s largest seller of apparel, and also Rakuten Inc., Japan’s biggest Internet shopping mall. The ‘English only’ rule adopted by Honda refers to meetings in-person and also video conferences. For some of the company’s staff it means using interpreters as Ito has done in previous media interviews. Honda is not alone; various other companies have adopted a similar English only policy for global operations, Rakuten back in 2010 phased the language change in over a two year period, fast Retailing adopted English as their official language last...