English

What stands before us is a nation with a remarkable history and long tradition, boasting everything that symbolizes a modern monarchy worthy of respect. Strong in terms of both economy and culture, Britain is instantly recognizable on the global level. Everyone knows what its flag looks like. Everyone knows who its Queen is. Everyone is familiar with its love of tea, with London rain, Big Ben, red phone booths and Shakespeare.

This is where you will also find the BBC, the world’s oldest radio and television broadcasting corporation, double-decker buses, and a rich theatrical scene at the highest level.

It is precisely due to the fact that Britain was a safe haven throughout history for pioneering artists and thinkers, like Charles Darwin, David Hume, Russell, and Britten, that this country, along with its language, has grown into a symbol of prosperity, and has become a factor of stability that has managed to preserve the dignity, form and hard-won status of its language.

Some of the most influential authors of all time have written in English, like Shakespeare, the Bronte sisters, Virginia Woolf, Orwell. As many as 29 Nobel Prize winners for the domain of literature hail from English speaking countries, and the prize itself is frequently awarded to authors creating in English. English is not only a language of the past and present, but also of the future (for example, in the area of IT), which makes it a must-learn language.

It isn’t necessary to propound at length about the necessity of taking an English language course. Fortunately, the Hi5 educational center also offers numerous courses adapted to your specific needs, with certified and highly motivated tutors providing English language lessons.

This is a language which currently includes vocabulary from over 350 other languages.

It is spoken by over 1.5 billion people worldwide, only one fourth of whom are native speakers. Some studies place it right after Mandarin and Spanish, in third place according to the number of native speakers. However, the number is far greater when we add to this the various varieties of English spoken around the world, such as:

Australian English,

New Zealand English,

Canadian English,

Indian English,

Caribbean English,

South-African English,

US English.

What more needs to be said about the language whose roots date back as far as 500BC. This is when London and the Thames were named, although it was Celtic languages that were predominantly spoken throughout what is today Britain up until the retreat of the Romans. Nevertheless, the history of the language begins in 410AD. Nowadays it bears similarities with Latin, Old English and German. During French rule, some 10,000 French words entered English.

This language also boasts a long history in the academe. To take but one example, the Oxford University was founded in 1096. UK universities remain leaders in the field of law and are highly ranked globally in the domain of economy, business, trade, marketing, information technology, and many other disciplines.

Ubiquitous in everyday communication, English is also a language to which children worldwide grow up. You need it in order to enroll in universities not only in Britain, but nearly everywhere. No CV is complete without a segment on being able to speak English. Unless you are proficient in English, your options for building a career in nearly any area become limited.

When you want to apply to a university or a business post in the country or abroad, remember to read carefully the segment addressing the required language proficiency. Universities and companies frequently prescribe quite clearly the type of certificate, as well as the proficiency level required.

There truly is a multitude of English language examinations that are internationally recognized. After all, this is an official language of the EU and of other most significant global institutions.

You are guaranteed to find such examinations with ease, but, on the other hand, you might be unclear about which specific test you should take. The Hi5 online educational platform makes sure that you resolve any such dilemmas efficiently.

We provide daily learning assistance, providing not only lessons but also advice and guidance that can prove invaluable when taking a test. Seeing as how it is quite difficult to encompass all the options at your disposal, we provide here a brief outline of the internationally recognized examinations available, along with a few important tips and notes.

For all further information you might require, feel free to get in touch so that we can make sure to select together the English language course that best suits your goals and needs.

Cambridge international examinations in English

Every year, over five million people decide to take one of the Cambridge examinations, in accordance with the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, from beginner level A1 to the highest, C2 level.

Cambridge English: Young Learners (YLE) are exams, which can be taken by younger students attending elementary school.

Examination title	Level	Student age	Description
Pre A1 Starters (YLE Starters)	Below A1	7 – 8	Letters, numbers, basic sentences
A1 Movers (YLE Movers)	A1	8 – 11	Short stories, conversation, writing simple sentences based on words provided
A2 Flyers (YLE Flyers)	A2	9 – 12	Longer texts and conversation in English on everyday topics, writing brief postcards and emails

A2 Key (KET), B1 Preliminary (PET) i B2 First (FCE) are examinations intended for everyone who needs English for school, travel or jobs of lesser complexity. There are two variants of the tests, for adults and for high-school students. Each type is entirely adapted to the test-taker’s age, not only in terms of difficulty but also in terms of the subject matter it deals with.

What used to be KET tests has been renamed as A2 Key, intended for all those who wish to get a good start in learning English.

The former PET is a knowledge assessment designed as a logical continuation of the A2 Key. It is also known as the B1 Preliminary, and can be found as such on official Cambridge pages.

The former FCE, nowadays B2 First, is the first in a series of tests enabling you to obtain a certificate of a level of knowledge necessary for using language independently both for study and for work. It is also the most popular Cambridge test.

Examination	Level	Description
A2 Key (KET)	A2	Simple, practical English at the elementary level
B1 Preliminary (PET)	B1	Everyday, practical English at the intermediate level
B2 First (FCE)	B2	English for everyday life situations and for school at the upper intermediate level

C1 Advanced (CAE) i C2 Proficiency (CPE) are used for the assessment of English language proficiency for the purpose of studying, obtaining employment, immigration or professional development.

Examination	Level	Description
C1 Advanced (CAE)	C1	Used for the assessment of English language proficiency required for study or continuing education, as well as for work in an English speaking professional environment. This examination serves as proof of achieving a high level of competence in the English language.
C2 Proficiency (CPE)	C2	This is an examination at the highest level and demonstrates that the person has excellent mastery of the English language.

BEC examinations

B1 Business Preliminary (previously Cambridge English: Business Preliminary – BEC Preliminary),

B2 Business Vantage (previously Cambridge English: Business Vantage – BEC Vantage),

C1 Business Higher (previously Cambridge English: Business Higher – BEC Higher),

BULATS are tests used to assess English language proficiency in realistic, everyday, and professional environments.

Examination	Level	Description
B1 Business Preliminary (BEC Preliminary) B2 Business Vantage (BEC Vantage) C1 Business Higher (BEC Higher)	B1, B2, C1	Examinations used for the assessment of language proficiency required for working in an international business environment. They demonstrate the extent to which one has mastered the basics of business English (B1), aid in the job application process, as well as the process of getting a promotion and progressing in one’s career (B2), and indicate practical linguistic skills needed by those wishing to assume the highest positions in a company (C1).
BULATS	A1 – C2	This online examination assesses a candidate’s ability to work and manage in an international professional environment, and is therefore used by employers in determining the level of their employees’ linguistic skills. Test results are valid for 2 years.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) was designed to assess the English language competence of those who wish to study at institutions where the main language of communication is English. This test is recognized by over 10,000 universities, companies and government bodies. The results are valid for a period of two years from the date of taking the test. There are three types of this test:

IELTS Academic – aimed at everyone who wants to continue their studies or academic development, and requires English to do so.

IELTS General Training – aimed at all those intending to emigrate into Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

IELTS Life Skills – an examination taken by those requiring a certificate attesting to their English language proficiency, and testing their speaking and listening ability. It can be taken at A1, A2 and B1 levels, when applying for a visa in order to immigrate into the United Kingdom.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a standardized test recognized by numerous academic and professional institutions. It is taken by about 25 million people annually, and is recognized by nearly all universities worldwide, and well as by different organizations in over 100 countries. It is used for the assessment of the English language competence of a person who is not a native English speaker but wants to enroll in an English speaking university.

TOEFL is nowadays mostly taken online, in one of the many licensed centers (TOEFL iBT), although there is still also the traditional, paper-based test (TOEFL PBT).

There are also:

TOEFL ITP – for the assessment of English language knowledge at colleges and universities,

TOEFL Junior – aimed at children at least 11 years of age, and

TOEFL Primary – aimed at children aged 8 or more.

A new TOEFL iBT was introduced in 2005, now available in nearly all countries worldwide. This form of testing is based on the principle that, once a new mode of testing is introduced into the territory of a certain country, in this case the TOEFL iBT, all authorized centers are obliged to cease with the previously available modes of testing.

Test	Duration	Description
Reading	60 – 80 min	Consists of 3 – 5 paragraphs dealing with academic topics, and 12 – 14 questions pertaining to each.
Listening	60 – 90 min	Consists of 6 – 9 excerpts, and 5 – 6 questions on each.
Speaking	20 min	Comprises 6 tasks, two on a general topic (giving one’s opinion on a familiar topic) and four combined (reading a brief paragraph, listening to an academic talk or discussion, and linking the two in order to answer a question; listening to an academic lecture or a discussion regarding life on campus, and retelling what was said).
Writing	50 min	Two tasks are provided, one combined (reading an excerpt on an academic topic and listening to someone speak about this topic, and then, based on this, writing a summary on how the two are connected), and one where you are given free reign, so to speak (writing an essay to express an opinion or choice, and providing support for this opinion).

TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication)

TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) is a standardized test at the international level, used for the assessment of English language proficiency in people for whom it is not a mother tongue, yet who need it in order to work in an international environment in which it is used.

There are 3 formats:

TOEIC Listening and Reading test,

TOEIC Speaking and Writing test, as well as

a test for beginners and students at an intermediate proficiency level (TOEIC Bridge).

Administration of this test is supervised by ETS (Educational Testing Service), the world’s largest non-profit organization for testing and assessment.

The world’s most profitable companies also rely on TOEIC when it comes to business communication. They include, among many others: the Coca-Cola Company, Swiss Air, World Bank, and others.

Test	Duration	Description
TOEIC Listening and Reading	120 min (45 + 75)	Comprises 200 multiple-choice questions (100 + 100), aimed at the assessment of listening and reading.
TOEIC Speaking and Writing	oko 80 min (20 + 60)	Comprises 19 questions, 11 of which test speaking and 8 assessing writing skills.
TOEIC Bridge	60 min (25 + 35)	Comprises 100 multiple-choice questions, 50 of which test comprehension via listening, and the other 50 assessing comprehension of what was read.

College Board tests

SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test)

SAT is a standardized test used for enrollment into US colleges. It comprises four parts: text comprehension (Reading), Writing and Language, mathematics (without the use of a calculator), and mathematics (with a calculator). Essay writing is the fifth, optional part. The total score can range between 400 – 1600 points.

Test	Duration	Number of questions	Description
Text comprehension	65 min	52	Comprises multiple-choice questions, related to five paragraphs provided. One paragraph comes from US or world literature; one is from historically significant texts on the founding of the US or similar documents; one from sociology, psychology, economy, or another humanities, and two from the sciences.
Writing and Language	35 min	44	Consists of multiple-choice questions pertaining to paragraphs in the domain of social sciences, history and science, which may contain graphs, tables, and diagrams. The excerpts contain deliberate errors, thus the questions serve to assess one’s skill in reading the content, but also in identifying and correcting the errors.
Mathematics without calculator / with calculator	80 min (25 + 55)	58 (45 multiple-choice + 13 where the student needs to provide the solution) 20 (15 + 5) / 38 (30 + 8)	Comprises linear equations and inequations, systems of linear equations, linear function, statistics, exponentials, calculus.

LCCI | London Chamber of Commerce and Industry

If you wish to complement your professional portfolio with English language proficiency, you may find the ever more popular LCCI document. Around half a million people take this test every year, and it assesses specialized English for particular professional domains. It is issued by the British Chamber of Commerce.

The LCCI enables everyone to acquire a certificate, including the young (via the JET SET ESOL examination) and business people for whom an advanced level of English is a necessity (via the English for Business and Practical Business English tests).

You can thus acquire specializations in numerous domains, seeing as how the British Chamber of Commerce has made great strides in recent years concerning the expansion of domains included. We will mention the following:

English for Tourism,

English for Accounting,

English for Commerce,

Business English for International Managers,

Teaching English as a Foreign Language,

First Certificate for Teachers of Business English.

In the contemporary business world, companies who are global leaders tend not only to rate highly but also to require a proficiency in English comparable to that in one’s native language. It is precisely for this reason that this and similar examinations can prove to have manifold benefits to your career.

We would like to emphasize that these examinations are in accordance with the CEFR, i.e., the Common European Framework of Reference. While certain levels may be named differently by the LCCI, the levels of knowledge will correspond with this classification.

When it comes to English, it might make more sense to ask—is there anything about the English language that you have not seen, heard or read? This is currently one of the most researched languages, and proficiency in it is considered a must in the worlds of business and academe.

Learning English can be infinitely interesting, especially when it includes the famed British wit, American sitcom, or one of the many interesting facts and anecdotes related to it. For example:

English is the language of the sky. Namely, all pilots are required to speak this language in international flights, regardless of their country of origin.

The longest word in English is “pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis”, and it refers to a lung disease.

Anglo-Saxon influence is noticeable in many everyday words, with certain days of the week being named in honor of Anglo-Saxon deities, for example: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

“Pad kid poured curd pulled cod” has been named one of the most difficult tongue twisters in English. We’re sure, though, that, if you’ve taken one of the English language courses offered by the Hi5 educational center, you’ll make short work of it!

We could go on listing the various curiosities related to English until we’re blue in the face. This is something learners of English should take advantage of, and to make sure that, while they’re learning the English language online, they also watch movies without subtitles, use one of the widely available phone apps, talk to friends who are fluent in English, and so on.

If you wish to check your level of proficiency in English, answer the questions in the Hi5 online educational platform’s placement test with a few simple clicks.

You can see the correct answers and your results immediately after completing the test, an efficient and free way for you to find out what your starting level of knowledge is, as you embark on your journey of learning English and select just the right course for you. You can take the test multiple times, but bear in mind that usually the original result is the most relevant. We will keep your test result data in our database, and use them in assessing your proficiency level.