BEC Wizard

The Cambridge BEC Preliminary exam consists of four different papers: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. It is best if you practice with a BEC preliminary model exam before doing the real BEC exam. There are two factors which will determine your score in the BEC exam: your knowledge of Business English and your knowledge of the BEC Preliminary exam format. Improving your level of English is the most difficult. It can take a long time studying and practicing to achieve significant improvement in your overall English language proficiency. Improving your knowledge of the BEC Preliminary exam is much easier and quicker. The first time you try the test, the format will probably be new to you. But the second and subsequent times you practice using an authentic test, your performance will improve as you become familiar with the different sections and the format of the BEC exam. Becoming familiar with each section of the BEC Preliminary exam, the amount of time allowed for eac

Proper Memo Formatting for BEC Exam How to Format a Business Memo A business memo (plural: memos) is a form of written communication used in a business context, with a specific format. The format of a memo is, typically, informal (but still business-related) and public. People typically use a memo to: make an announcement about something, report on company activities, discuss procedures, and distribute information to employees. If you want to communicate something confidential - do not use a memo! Tone (register) of a Memo The tone of writing (register) people use in a memo is friendly and informal. This does not mean you can write in a curt or bossy manner, but writing in a brief style is okay. Memo Structure Include the most important information in the first paragraph. Use the subsequent paragraphs to expand on the main ideas in the first paragraph. Memos generally all follow a similar structure and include the elements below: Addressee: left justified, use

Cambridge Business English Certificate Speaking Test Questions Task 2 What is important when exporting goods or services for the first time? seeking expert advice knowledge of laws/regulations regarding the target country correct documentation accurate costing BEC Speaking Test | Exporting goods or Services It is essential to partner with experts in this field if your company has no previous experience with regard to exporting goods or services. Use of a third party export consultancy or export agent would be highly recommended. Another possible source of problems is related to the legal structure and import regulations which are in force in the country being exported to. Again, it would be useful to have contact with specialists within the target country in order to smooth the way for importation of the company’s goods or services. Once the correct procedure have been identified and clarified it is crucial to ensure that the necessary documentation for exportation an

Cambridge Business English Certificate Speaking Test Questions Task 2 What are the most important points when...? Managing your time Examining current activities Organisation / Planning Monitoring your activities and time BEC Speaking Answer | Time management| A short 2 minute talk Time management is a key skill that business people need to learn, develop and always be refining. Especially for those who work in extremely dynamic business situations; the need to be constantly reviewing and if necessary reprioritizing tasks which are pending means that at the end of the day, everything is completed as and when it needs to be, without any delays. Normally the first step would be to examine current activities that are pending and then prioritize them in order of urgency, both in terms of time and the degree of impact they have on business operations. It’s a good idea to use some type of time management charts to get all the tasks in one place and in a format which is easy

Cambridge Business English Certificate | Functional Language Here are some useful phrases frequently used in communication in a business environment. There are example sentences provided below showing how they can be used. Asking for Permission Rearranging an Appointment Informing Explaining/Giving Instructions Could I... May I... Can I... I would like to... Please let me know if ... is suitable (convenient). Unfortunately I cannot attend... on the [date] Could we meet at the [place] on the [day] to discuss... ... would suit me better. I wish to inform you that... It is necessary for us to... Please feel free to contact ... if you require more details. You should... Please contact... It is necessary to... When you have completed the project, please email/deliver the details to... Example Sentences Asking for Permission Could I pop into your office to see you about an urgent issue? May I call you after the meeting to discuss another matter? Can

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