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ht options all belong to the overall theme or topic which will be clearly stated in the task rubric. The two sections will always test different areas and so if the first section focuses on, say, topics, the second section will focus on something else, such as functions (. agreeing/disagreeing, expressing preferences). In the example below, five people are talking about a problem. For each recording, you have to decide what the speaker is talking about. You should write one letter (A–H) next to the number of the recording. You can only use each letter once. You will hear the five recordings twice. There is a second section like this one in the exam. Part Three (8 questions) This is a longer recording, usually lasting approximately 4 minutes. It will typically be an interview, conversation or discussion with two or more speakers, or possibly a presentation or report with one speaker. There are eight questions that focus on details and main ideas in the text. There may be questions on opinions and feelings, but these will be relatively simple. You will not have to remember long or plex pieces of information. You will hear the recording twice. In the example below, you will hear a radio interview with Jos233。 Mart237。nez, the Director of Pizza Rapida, a pizza delivery chain. For each question (23–25), you have to choose A, B or C. In the exam, there are five more questions like these. Speaking Time: 14 minutes The Speaking test is conducted by two external examiners and you will be tested in pairs of candidates. At centres with an uneven number of candidates, the last single candidate is examined with the last pair in a group of three. The Speaking test is worth 25% of the total marks. Part One In the first part of the test, one of the examiners addresses each of you in turn and asks first general, then more businessrelated questions. The purpose of this is to test your ability to talk briefly about yourself, to provide concise information on your home, interests and jobs, and to show that you can agree/disagree, express preferences, etc. Part Two The second part of the test is a ‘minipresentation’. In this part, the examiner will give each of you a choice of three topics (A, B or C) and you have 1 minute to prepare a speech lasting approximately 1 minute. After each of you has spoken, the examiner invites your partner to ask a question about what you have said. Part Three The third part of the test is a conversation between both of you. The examiner gives you a topic to discuss and you have to speak with your partner for about 3 minutes. The examiner will support the conversation if appropriate and then ask further questions related to the main theme. Next steps We wish you every success in taking BEC Vantage and we hope that you will take other Cambridge ESOL exams in future. BEC Higher is the next level of the BEC suite of businessoriented exams (see ) or, if you prefer a general English qualification, you should consider the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) as the next step. You can find out more information about CAE on our website at: What people have said about BEC BEC has helped develop crosscultural munication skills and overall development of the students. It has had an impact on confidence levels through international certification. Laura Cirello, Head of Learning and Development, JP Man Treasury and Security Services At our school we prepare our students for BEC Preliminary because it is a realistic goal for a 3year course. We encourage them to attend the BEC Vantage course on a voluntary basis. … It is a good opportunity for them to g et in addition an international language certificate during their mercial training. Margrit WalterWettstein, Berufsbildungszentrum Weinfelden, Switzerland In order for our students to pick up a successful professional career we felt that they must hone their skill in munication and the Cambridge BEC programme seemed to us to offer an excellent opportunity for our students. Dr Ashoke R Thakur, Vice Chancellor, West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata Companies who recognize Cambridge ESOL exams