Description

Written (Listening, Reading, Writing) and Spoken (Speaking) exams in English, aligned to the B2 level of the CEFR*. Exams are delivered through our Test Center in Zvolen or online.

About LanguageCert International ESOL B2:
- Leads to two separate certificates: Written and Spoken
- Both exams can be taken together or independently of each other
Written exam:
- Paper-based/computer-based at approved Test Centres or Online with remote, live invigilation
- Duration 2 hours 40 minutes
Spoken exam:
- Face-to-face or Online with an interlocutor
- Duration 13 minutes
At B2 level, candidates can:
- communicate in detail, travel, live and work independently in an English-speaking country
- spontaneously interact with a degree of fluency without much strain on either party
- follow the news, TV and radio channels
- write emails, texts, letters, reports and stories etc.
*Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), developed by the Council of Europe, is widely used to describe levels of language proficiency.

Key features – WRITTEN

EXAM LEVEL	B2
FORMAT	Paper-based, computer-based or Online with remote, live invigilation
PASS MARK	50% (75/150)
SKILLS	Written (Listening, Reading, Writing)
GRADE BOUNDARIES	Candidates are awarded High Pass, Pass or Fail High Pass 101-150 / 150 Pass 75-100 / 150 Fail 0-74 / 150

For more detailed information, download the LanguageCert Qualification Handbook for International ESOL (Listening, Reading, Writing).

Key features – SPOKEN

EXAM LEVEL	B2
FORMAT	Face-to-face or Online with a live interlocutor
PASS MARK	50% (25/50)
SKILLS	Spoken (Speaking)
GRADE BOUNDARIES	Candidates are awarded High Pass, Pass or Fail High Pass 38-50 / 50 Pass 25-37 /50 Fail 0-24 / 50

For more detailed information, download the LanguageCert Qualification Handbook for International ESOL Speaking.

Exam format – WRITTEN

Listening – 30 minutes

Reading & Writing – 2 hours & 40 mins

Listening

Part 1: 7 multiple choice questions (each with 3 options)
Task: • Listen twice to 7 unfinished conversations between 2 speakers

1 conversation is formal

Part 2: 6 multiple choice questions (each with 3 options)
Task: • Listen twice to 3 conversations each consisting of 2 speakers to identify: topic, purpose, context, speakers, gist, relationship between speakers, roles, functions, attitudes, feeling and opinions

Choose the appropriate response to complete or continue each question

Part 3: 7 questions (write notes on the message pad based on information in the recording)
Task: • Listen twice to a radio broadcast, narrative, presentation, etc to identify specific information

Jot down answers of 1 to 5 words

Part 4: 6 multiple choice questions (each with 3 options)
Task: • Listen twice to a discussion to identify gist, examples, fact, opinion, contrast, purpose, key ideas, attitude, cause and effect

Choose the appropriate response for each question

Reading

Part 1: 6 multiple choice questions (each with 3 options)
Task: • 1 long text: news story, article, review or proposal

Choose the appropriate response for each question

Part 2: 6 multiple choice options to fill in an incomplete text (1 is a distractor)
Task: • A text with 6 sentences removed, e.g. topic sentence, summarising sentence, developing idea, emphasising a point, opinion, contrast, sequence, forward and back reference, transition to new idea

Choose the appropriate sentence for each gap in the text

Part 3: 7 questions (4 texts provide the answers to each question)
Task: • Read the 4 short texts, e.g. email, article, advert etc. and choose which text answers which question

Part 4: 7 questions (requiring short answers of up to 5 words)
Task: • A continuous text: narrative, descriptive, explanatory, expository, biographical, instructive

Writing

Part 1: 100 – 150 words (produce a formal response for an intended public audience)
Task: • Respond appropriately to the intended reader using a clearly defined number of content points

Part 2: 150 – 200 words (produce a personal letter, a narrative composition/ story or a descriptive composition)
Task: • Produce an informal piece of writing for a specified reader on a general subject that does not require specialist knowledge but addresses a clearly defined number of content points

Exam format – SPOKEN

Speaking – 13 mins

Speaking

Part 1
Task: • Give and spell name
• State country of origin
• Answer 5 questions

Part 2
Task:

2 or 3 situations are presented by the interlocutor
Candidates are expected to respond to questions and initiate interactions

Part 3
Task:

Hold a short discussion to make a plan, arrange or decide something using written text as the prompt

Part 4
Task: • Candidates are given 30 seconds preparation time
• Talk about a topic provided by the interlocutor for 2 minutes
• Answer follow-up questions

Results, certificates and digital badges

Statement of Result (SoR) & e-certificate sent by email or through the Test Centre;

3 business days for Online exams with remote, live invigilation
5 business days for computer-based exams (in our Test Center in Zvolen)
10 business days for paper-based exams

Digital badges are available in 10 business days and sent by email.

Hard-copy certificates are sent either to the candidate or to the Test Centre shortly after results are released.

Official preparation material – WRITTEN

Download:

Official preparation material – SPOKEN

Download:

Re-sit an exam with Take2

Candidates, Test Centres and LanguageCert Online Examinations Partners have the option to purchase, Take², our straightforward and affordable solution to re-sit LanguageCert International ESOL exams at levels A2- C2. All re-sits are conducted online with remote, live invigilation. This provides candidates with the flexibility to take their exam when they feel ready, anytime 24/7, up to 6 months after the initial exam online, at a location of their choosing.

Future-proof against potential set-backs

Convenient: Schedule a re-sit up to 6 months after the initial exam, giving time to prepare more fully.

Affordable: Enjoy attractive, fixed pricing at a greatly discounted rate.

Straightforward: Organising a re-sit is a quick and simple process.

Validity of Take2

The Take² re-sit service can only be activated if a candidate fails their LanguageCert exam. In the case of exam failure, the re-sit option is automatically enabled and the candidate receives an email containing a new voucher to re-sit their exam.
Please note that all Take² re-sits are offered online with remote, live invigilation, providing candidates with the flexibility to take their exam online anytime 24/7/365, at their preferred location.

Take² is non-transferable, non-refundable and cannot under any circumstances be redeemed for cash or credit. Candidates must schedule and re-sit the exam within 6 months of the original exam date. Take² is exam-specific; it cannot be used for any other offering and is only valid for the exam originally purchased. Failing to show up or reschedule a Take² exam prior to the arranged time slot forfeits the candidate’s ability to use the Take² voucher. Take² is not available for purchase after a failed exam and must be bought up to 15 minutes before the original exam.

LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator