Examination Courses at BBSI

International qualifications are a requirement for any student who wishes to enter a British university or find work in an English-speaking working environment.  BBSI encourages students to take as many examinations as possible during their time with us, and to acquire as many academic and professional qualifications as possible.

The majority of BBSI courses include the option to study for a variety of examinations as an integral part of our training programmes.  The key to success in examinations is thorough preparation, coupled with adequate practice and effective examination technique.  BBSI specialist tutors assist all prospective candidates to prepare comprehensively for examinations, monitor their progress and provide adequate examination practice and guidance. The following examinations are available at BBSI:
        
        
 University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. Cambridge ESOL provides the World´s leading range of certificates for learners of English.  Cambridge ESOL certificates are recognised at some level in most non-English-speaking countries in the world for both employment and study purposes.

 First Certificate in English. The First Certificate in English (FCE) is an Upper-Intermediate level examination that indicates sufficient proficiency in English to be of practical use in clerical, secretarial and managerial jobs for example, or in the tourist industry, where contact with English speakers is required. FCE is also useful preparation for students working towards higher-level examinations, such as the CAE, ICFE or ILEC.  The FCE examination can be taken 6 times per year in Bournemouth. Examination dates in 2010/11 are as follows:

FCE (Reading, Writing & Use of English)		Closing Date
Tuesday 7 December 2010		12 Ocotober 2010
Saturday 11 December 2010		12 October 2010
Saturday 12 March 2011		10 January 2011
Saturday 11 June 2011		19 March 2011
Tuesday 14 June 2011		19 March 2011
Thursday 25 August 2011		25 July 2011
Tuesday 6 December 2011		7 October 2011
Saturday 10 December 2011		7 October 2011

FCE (Speaking & Listening)

19 November - 12 December 2010

25 February - 13 March 2011

27 May - 19 June 2011 20 August - 28 August 2011

18 November - 11 December 2011

CAE (Reading, Writing & Use of English)		Closing Date
Wednesday 8 December 2010		12 October 2010
Friday 11 March 2011		10 January 2011
Wednesday 15 June 2011		19 March 2011
Thursday 25 August 2011		25 July 2011
Wednesday 7 December 2011		7 October 2011

CAE (Speaking & Listening)

19 November - 12 December 2010

25 February - 13 March 2011

27 May - 19 June 2011 20 August - 28 August 2011

18 November - 11 December 2011

 Business English Certificate. There are 3 levels of Business English Certificate (BEC) examination: the BEC Preliminary, BEC Vantage and BEC Higher. The BEC exams are linked to the Council of Europe´s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and to the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority´s National Standards for Literacy, within the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).  BBSI is an accredited BEC Examination Centre. All 3 examinations are ideal for students preparing for careers in the fields of international business and commerce, where a good knowledge of English is required to function effectively. BEC certificates are internationally recognised and demonstrate that the holder has acquired an appropriate standard in English in a professional context. The BEC examination can be sat 3 times and the examination dates in 2010/11 are as follows:

BEC Preliminary (Reading, Writing & Listening)		Closing Date
Saturday 27 November 2010		05 October 2010
Thursday 17 March 2011		24 January 2011
Saturday 14 May 2011		25 March 2011
Saturday 26 November 2011		3 October 2011

BEC Preliminary (Speaking)

5 - 29 November 2010

4 - 21 March 2011

29 April - 16 May 2011

4 - 28 November 2011

BEC Vantage (Reading, Writing & Listening)		Closing Date
Saturday 4 December 2010		05 October 2010
Friday 18 March 2011		24 January 2011
Saturday 28 May 2011		25 March 2011
Saturday 3 December 2011		3 October 2011

BEC Vantage (Speaking)

5 November - 6 December 2010

4 - 21 March 2011

29 April - 30 May 2011

4 November - 5 December 2011

BEC Higher (Reading, Writing & Listening)		Closing Date
Saturday 20 November 2010		28 September 2010
Wednesday 16 March 2011		24 January 2011
Satruday 21 May 2011		25 March 2011
Saturday 19 November 2011		3 October 2011

BEC Higher (Speaking)

5 - 22 November 2010

4 - 21 March 2011

29 April - 23 May 2011

4 - 21 November 2011

 Cambridge ESOL International Certificate in Financial English.  BBSI is an  Examination Centre for the Cambridge ESOL International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE).  The ICFE examination is prepared by Cambridge ESOL in conjunction with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to meet the demand in helping students of finance and finance professionals to demonstrate that they have the financial English skills needed to communicate and converse with other accounting and finance professionals within the international business community.  With the development of globally-recognised International Accounting Standards (IAS) and greater globalisation within the world of finance, successful candidates will have the opportunity to prove their linguistic ability, and to pursue international career opportunities. The ICFE examination can be sat twice per year at BBSI. Examination dates in 2010/11 are as follows:

ICFE (Reading, Writing & Listening)		Closing Date
Saturday 13 November 2010		13 September 2010
Saturday 14 May 2011		28 March 2011
Saturday 19 November 2011		3 October 2011

ICFE (Speaking)

5 - 15 November 2010

6 - 16 May 2011

11 - 21 November 2011

 University of Cambridge ESOL International Legal English Certificate. The International Legal English Certificate (ILEC) is a University of Cambridge ESOL examination produced and assessed by Cambridge ESOL Examinations in collaboration with TransLegal, Europe´s leading firm of lawyer-linguists.  BBSI is an accredited ILEC Examination Centre. English is an essential tool for any lawyer working with international matters, and employers need to know that the legal staff they appoint have a sufficient level of English to be able to communicate with clients and professionals in other countries. At the same time, law students and newly-qualified lawyers need to be able to show employers that they have the required language skills. The ILEC examination allows candidates to demonstrate their skills, and therefore to increase their employability. It is based on realistic texts, tasks and topics of the kind legal practitioners might meet in their daily working lives.  ILEC can be sat twice per year at BBSI. Examination dates in 2010/11 are as follows:

ILEC (Reading, Writing & Listening)		Closing Date
Saturday 13 November 2010		13 September 2010
Saturday 14 May 2011		28 March 2011
Saturday 19 November 2011		3 October 2011

ILEC (Speaking)

5 - 15 November 2010

6 - 16 May 2011

11 - 21 November 2011

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS). is recognised as the language entry requirement by colleges and universities in most English-speaking countries worldwide. The test is jointly administered by UCLES, the British Council and IDP Education Australia.  IELTS (Academic) is also accepted by many professional organisations, including the UK General Medical Council, the UK Ministry of Defence, the New Zealand Immigration Service, the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, and the Australian Medical Council.  IELTS tests the complete range of English-language skills and will be commonly encountered by students studying or training in the medium of English.  US academic institutions are increasingly accepting IELTS for admission purposes.  Examination sittings are monthly in Bournemouth.

IELTS EXAMINATION DATES FOR 2009/10
Exam		Test Date		Closing Date
Academic Only		10 Oct 09		01 Sep 09
Academic & General		07 Nov 09		29 Sep 09
Academic & General		05 Dec 09		27 Oct 09
Academic & General		23 Jan 10		15 Dec 09
Academic & General		20 Feb 10		12 Jan 10
Academic & General		20 Mar 10		09 Feb 10
Academic & General		17 Apr 10		09 Mar 10
Academic & General		15 May 10		06 Apr 10
Academic & General		19 Jun 10		11 May 10
Academic & General		17 Jul 10		08 Jun 10
Academic Only		14 Aug 10		06 Jul 10
Academic & General		11 Sep 10		03 Aug 10
Academic Only		09 Oct 10		31 Aug 10
Academic & General		06 Nov 10		28 Sep 10
Academic & General		04 Dec 10		26 Oct 10

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is the largest professional management institute in Europe.  BBSI is a CMI Approved Training Centre and offers 3 CMI qualifications in First-Line Management.  Depending on their selected BBSI study option, trainees can achieve either the CMI Certificate or the CMI Diploma, or where time is limited, they can achieve the CMI Award tfor those management modules successfully completed.  The CMI elements of our courses are externally accredited to the rigorous standards of the Chartered Institute and are assessed by means of course work standards, attendance and fortnightly assignments. The 8 CMI Management Modules required for the award of the CMI Certificate or the CMI Diploma are detailed on the Management & Business Administration section of the website http://www.bbsi.co.uk/courses/management_mba_pre-mba/diploma-course_english-language-college_study-english/.  All are incorporated within the BBSI Management course syllabus.  However, normally a minimum study period of 24 weeks is required to complete all 8 units.  CMI qualifications are widely accepted by employers internationally, and by major British universities.


 The International Computer Driving Licence® (ICDL) is an internationally-recognised qualification that verifies practical competence in computer skills in either a professional or personal capacity and is the fastest growing international IT user-qualification. It is designed specifically for those who wish to gain a benchmark qualification in computing to enable them to develop their IT skills and enhance their career prospects. No prior knowledge of IT or computer skills is needed. The ICDL raises an individual’s level of competency in IT & computing skills; and provides individual’s with an internationally-recognised qualification. Examinations can be arranged in Bournemouth by appointment.

ICAO Aviation English-Language Proficiency. Testing and certification to meet ICAO Aviation English-Language Proficiency requirements can be conducted only by external, independent and approved examiners. BBSI utilises JAA-approved language testers and the test is conducted in separate 45-minute oral sessions.

NATO STANAG Military English-Language Proficiency.
Military English assessment, grading and certification is conducted at BBSI by Ministry of Defence Language Examining Board (MODLEB) examiners, in association with the University of Westminster.  Certification is issued by MODLEB in accordance with the NATO STANAG 6001 Military Language Descriptors and is wholly acceptable as a formal measure of the operational and administrative Military English language skills level of the holder.  The test is conducted in 4 separate sessions to assess the 4 language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing.  NATO STANAG testing is conducted on completion of each BBSI Military English course, or can be conducted separately by special arrangement.