About BEC Preliminary

BEC Preliminary is the 'Business English Certificate' at the B-1 level, the first level Cambridge business English exam.

What is the BEC Preliminary test like? The test has five sections:

1. Reading & Writing- 90 minutes, 45 reading questions, 2 writing questions
   1. part 1 - 5 short texts each followed by a multiple-choice question
   2. part 2 - match questions to parts of a text
   3. part 3 - match questions to parts of a graphic
   4. part 4 - text and questions: Right/Wrong/Doesn’t say.
   5. part 5 - text and multiple choice questions
   6. part 6 - text with multiple choice gaps
   7. part 7 - note completion
   8. writing part 1: internal communciation such as email or memo
   9. writing part 2: business correspondence
2. Listening - 40 minutes, 30 questions
   1. part 1 - multiple choice
   1. part 2 - note completion, numbers and letters
   2. part 3 - note completion
   3. part 4 - multiple choice
3. Speaking - interview, normally with another candidate, 12 minutes