Linguaskill Business has been developed by Cambridge and it represents an advanced replacement to BEC (Cambridge English Qualifications for Business). This exam benefits from our unparalleled expertise in computer-adaptive testing and offers accuracy, speed, reliability and security.

The main use cases are either students entering the workplace at graduate level, or employees using the test for professional development or promotion.
The aim of the test is to assess whether a candidate’s language ability is at a level where they are ready to engage in professional activities and operate successfully in workplace environments. 
Certificated Linguaskill will focus on language proficiency from B2 to C1, but will be accessible to and report from B1 to C2 (140 to 210 on the Cambridge English Scale). It will have a test design and a validity argument to support its use for professional or employability purposes.

•    Four skills test – tests ability in all language skills: Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking
•    Secure exam delivery – an extensive range of anti-malpractice features; a certificated test, it can be used with confidence for high stakes purposes
•    Online – a fully online exam experience
•    On demand – tests can be run at any venue, at any time
•    Multi-level – one test for all learner abilities between B1 and C2.
•    Uses adaptive testing technology – sophisticated algorithms find the test takers ability level
•    Fast results – quick results within three to five working days
•    Certificate & in-depth reporting – learners receive a certificate and in-depth reporting on their scores

 The Reading and Listening modules of Linguaskill Business are computer-adaptive tests. The level of difficulty changes in response to whether candidates are answering questions correctly or incorrectly. This provides a personalised and motivating test experience, and allows the test to be administered to mixed ability groups.

The Speaking and Writing tests are linear tests, accessible to B level candidates, but are able to elicit C level responses, enabling candidates to provide their best possible performance.

Multilevel, adaptive testing also provides the following benefits:
•    Highly motivating for students – they only see questions around their ability level
•    Secure, no two tests are ever the same
•    Better reflection of how we communicate in the real world
•    Also caters to students with special needs
 

Linguaskill Business, like BEC, will be suitable for those who are aspiring to study business courses or are already in the workplace. 

The Linguaskill Listening and Reading Tests use task types that will be very familiar to teachers preparing students for BEC.
Read and Select read a notice or short prompt and choose the best description
Gapped Sentences and Multiple-Choice Gap Fill choose the best word for a missing gap from 3-4 choices
Open Gap Fill Write in the missing words from short texts
Extended Reading Read longer texts and answer a series of multiple-choice questions
Listen and Select Short audio followed by multiple-choice question
Extended Listening Longer audio with a series of multiple-choice questions
Writing is also similar, but with one longer piece of written work, a report, to create rather than one short and one long
Speaking is a different format as candidates react to onscreen prompts. It is the same length as the current BEC Speaking Test

 Linguaskill Business is designed for high stakes uses where a test taker requires certification, for graduation, admissions or employment reasons. It tests all four language skills to a high level of accuracy, is online, on-demand and adaptive. Cambridge English Placement Test (or CEPT) is a fast and reliable way to group learners by their English level. This means you can place them on the right courses, in the right classes, or enter them for the right English exams. You could use CEPT to determine if your learners are ready to take Linguaskill Business.

The new Linguaskill Business comes with a range of integrated security features which are designed to prevent cheating.

• Cambridge Qualification standard policies and regulations for enhanced Test Day security will apply
• Secure exam browser lock down the test to prevent malpractice
• Enhanced mandatory test day ID checks and a candidate photo on their certificate
• Pre-Release Results Checks (PRRCs) will run automatically and will include statistical and automarker checks
• Imposter detection through voice recognition & AI-powered facial recognition identity checks
• Human invigilators will continue to be present as with paper-based BEC
• Results Verification Service
• Integrated RP with live proctors only for remote testing. AI RP even with in-centre testing - Available from July 2024
• Increased security responsibilities for agents, institutions and clients

Results for Linguaskill Business are provided very quickly for Reading and Listening, and results for all other skills will be released as soon as they come available, within three to five working days.

As the certificate is provided digitally, there is no need to wait for a printed certificate. The certificate will therefore be available at the same time that results are ready, within three to five days of taking the test. At that point, the certificate will be available to the candidate via the Metrica platform.

There is no set expiration for a Linguaskill Business certificate. Organisations who accept Linguaskill as part of their admissions processes, recruitment policies or other purposes can choose how recently the test must have been taken. 

You can use Cambridge’s Result Verification Service (RVS) to check whether a result is authentic. This can be done instantly and securely through our portal. Find out more here. Candidates can also share their results with Recognising Organisations through the RVS. The Recognising Organisations will then be able to view details for each test component the candidate chose to share, including:

• Candidate full name, DOB and Photo
• Test results & test date
• Cambridge English Scale (CES) score and CEFR level

Candidates do not receive a score if they have not reached B1 (140 Cambridge English Score) in any module of the test. This result will be seen on screen as ‘Below B1’ Results Below B1 will not appear on the certificate

Linguaskill Business is course agnostic and can be used alongside a range of learning courses.

The Linguaskill Online Course will be able from April 2024. This is a fully online preparation course that gets learners ready to take Linguaskill and helps them improve their level of English.

A Linguaskill Trainer will be available from January 2025. This book includes six practice tests plus access to one online practice test. It is designed to prepare learners to sit the Linguaskill exam.

In addition to the online course and the trainer with practice tests the following support materials are available to help candidates prepare for the exam:

Writing: 

• https://www.metritests.com/metricatestdelivery_QA/Assessment/?test=CLS_Business_Writing_sample1_2023
• https://www.metritests.com/metricatestdelivery_QA/Assessment/Assignment?test=CLS_Business_Writing_sample2_2023 

Reading:

•  https://www.metritests.com/metricatestdelivery_QA/Assessment/Assignment?test=CLS_Business_Reading_sample2023 

Listening:

•  https://www.metritests.com/metricatestdelivery_QA/Assessment/Assignment?test=CLS_Business_Listening_sample2023 

Speaking: 

• https://www.metritests.com/metricatestdelivery/Assessment/Assignment?test=2023Trial_CLSS_B_Sample 

 Assessment Criteria for Speaking and Writing. (pending)

A set of top tips documents for each skill (pending)

A set of videos for each skill on how to prepare for that module. (pending)

Lesson plans, one per skill and level from June 2024

Write & Improve and Speak & Improve are both available now.

Linguaskill is recognised by organisations across Switzerland and around the world. You can find a full list of recognising organisations here.

We have a dedicated support site and a helpdesk available 24/7. Our Metrica platform delivers millions of test experiences a year and can process many tens of thousands of candidates taking the test simultaneously. Metrica has processed over 33,000 concurrent tests in one day, but can cope with significantly more.

Should a candidate not be able to complete their test​:

- Exams can be restarted with no loss of time to the student

- Tests can be taken securely at a slightly different time, should the internet connection become overloaded ​

- No issues with malpractice, as every individual test experience is unique

Our helpdesk is available 24/7. Agents who administer the test will also be able to provide support.

You can read Cambridge’s privacy notice here.

Yes, as with all Cambridge exams, there are special arrangements available for candidates with special requirements. Details can be found on our support site.

Please discuss fees with your local agent. Contact details below.

If you are a higher education institution or employer who would like to use Linguaskill Business with prospective or existing students or employees, please complete the contact form on our website and a member of our team will contact you to find out more about your needs.

If you are a student, learner or employee who wishes to take the test, you can use the Find a Centre service on our website to find your nearest centre. Click here to find your nearest centre. 

No, Linguaskill Business is a computer-based exam that is taken online.

No, after the following dates the BEC exams will no longer be offered in Switzerland :

• BEC Preliminary     Sat 23rd March 2024
• BEC Vantage           Sat 16th March 2024
• BEC Preliminary       Sat 1st June 2024
• BEC Vantage             Thurs 6th June 2024
• BEC Higher               Sat 15th June 2024

We have three agents in Switzerland who can provide you with Linguaskill Business.

• Cambridge Examinations Basel – GMBH - management@cambridgeenglish-basel.ch
• Cambridge Examinations Geneva – GMBH - info@cambridgeenglish-geneva.ch
• CEL-Cambridge English Languages – GMBH – info@cambridgetesting.ch
• Swiss Exams - p.kaithan@swiss-exams.ch