Which English exam is right for me?

So you’re studying English. You might have been studying since you were at school; maybe you’ve realised recently that you need to improve your English skills for work; possibly you want to continue your studies in an English-speaking university; or perhaps you love travelling and just want to be able to communicate better.

But whatever your reasons, it is a great idea to back up your studies with an exam. In education, just as in life, if you have a piece of paper proving your position, you will probably be taken more seriously.

Depending on your reasons for studying, there are a number of exams that might suit your needs. At the London Exam Centre, you can take a wide range of exams, and at Wimbledon School of English, you can do preparation courses to help you. But how do you know which one to take?

So let’s have a look at some of the most popular exams and why you might want to take them...

Cambridge ‘Main Suite’ Exams: These are probably the most well-known of the English exams, and they’ve been around for a long time. We might even say they’ve been around for ‘donkey’s years’ (that’s an idiom that might be tested in the CAE exam!). These exams are based on different levels of English. Let’s look at them in more detail. You may know them as FCE, CAE etc, but they have changed names recently.

Was called

Now called

Level

KET – Key English Test

Cambridge English: Key

A2

PET – Preliminary English Test

Cambridge English: Preliminary

B1

FCE – First Certificate in English

Cambridge English: First

B2

CAE – Certificate in Advanced English

Cambridge English: Advanced

C1

CPE – Certificate of Proficiency in English

Cambridge English: Proficiency

C2

 

So what’s so special about these exams? How come they are the most famous? Why do many people think that these are the best English exams to take?

Well, there are a few reasons...

1 – Cambridge University is seen as one of the most important institutions for English language learning and teaching, so any exam with their name on it sounds pretty impressive!

2 - These exams cover all aspects of English. They test your grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, speaking and listening, and both formal and informal style. So when you study for these exams, your overall English level should improve. They are also not designed for one particular purpose, unlike the other exams we are going to look at, so if you are not sure exactly what you might need a certificate for, then these are the exams for you.

3 – They don’t go out of date, so even when you are 95 years old, you can still use them to prove your level of English! (of course you might have forgotten some of it by then!)

4 – Many schools run preparation courses for these exams, including Wimbledon School of English, which also has an exam centre where students can take the exams.

 

IELTS:

The next most popular exam is probably IELTS. This is the International English Language Testing System, and it is used for quite specific reasons, like visas or study. Unlike the ‘main suite’, IELTS covers all levels, and you get a grade from 1 to 9. 1 is A1 level and 9 is C2. So it’s not a pass/fail exam; anyone can take it, and your score tells you your level. But it focuses on Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; there is no grammar or vocabulary test. You have to read 3 texts and answer questions on them, listen to 4 extracts and answer questions, write an essay and either a letter or a statistical report, and have an interview with an examiner.

Why do so many people want to take IELTS?

IELTS is used for two main purposes, and there are two different versions depending on what your need is. But it is only valid for 2 years, so it is a good idea to take it only when you know you will need it.

Do you want to do a university course in English? Even if it is not in an English-speaking country, many universities now teach all or some of their programmes in English, and you may need IELTS to prove your level. In this case, you will need to take the Academic module.

Do you want to emigrate to Canada or Australia for work? You may need IELTS to prove your English level, and to gain migration points to help your application. In that case, you should probably take the General Training module.

Profession-specific exams

Are you a teacher, a lawyer, a pilot, a doctor, a nurse or a businessperson? If so, you may want to take an industry-specific exam. At the London Exam Centre you can take any of the following, which will mean it is easier for you to work in an English-speaking environment.

Industry field

Exam

Abbreviation

Education

Cambridge Teaching Knowledge Test

TKT

Law

Test Of Legal English Skills

TOLES

Aviation

Test of English for Aviation

TEA

Medicine

Occupational English Test

OET

Business

Cambridge Business English Certificate

BEC

 

People often prefer to take these tests over IELTS, as they focus on language and situations that are typical for the profession. For example, for the OET exam, the writing test is a referral letter that any medical professional might need to write. So people often feel more comfortable preparing for these exams.