Tests And Exams To Assess Your English Competence
There should be no dilemma that knowing more than two languages is vital in today’s world. This is essential when we are looking for career opportunties and livelihood security no matter where we are.
Business and technological enterprises go global. Consequently, there is a high demand for multilingual applicants. It’s at this point when you ask yourself which language you must set your sights on.
English is definitely on this list, among Mandarin Chinese, German, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Italian and Arabic. English is the language that will come in handy in any context, be it business, worldwide travel, computer technology or diplomatic affairs, as it is among the top 10 most spoken languages in the world in 2021, with its more than a billion non-native speakers around the world.
Being fluent in a third language, like English, is requisite. Besides, being able to certify your knowledge is a must by the time you graduate the university. This means that you need an accreditation of knowledge of a foreign language like English, or any third language, like French, German or Italian, before you finish your university career. In Spain, at least, this is a fact in degree study programmes.
There is no common legislation throughout Spain regarding the level of English to be certified when you finish the university, B1 or B2. However, the latest, B2, seems to be the level mostly required by giants in High Education, such as Universitat de Barcelona, UB, in Catalunya and Universitat Politecnica in Valencia. Notwithstanding that a B2 High Intermediate in English is required by universities, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency are the levels you need to reach in order to stand out from other candidates and consequently have more job prospects.
How can you certify your English level?
There are a lot of English official exams and tests. The exam to take must be the one which is internationally recognized by foreign universities or/and oversees companies.
Find below a list of the three most famous English Assessment methods:
- IELTS – the International English Language Test. You need the IELTS certificate if you are planning to study or live in an English-speaking country, like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English. This test assesses your ability to read, write, listen to and speak in English. Your level of English is determined by the score you get on a scale from 1 to 9.
- TOEFL – the Test of English as a Foreign Language. This test is mainly accepted in the USA and Canada. Many English universities require it as well. Similar to IELTS, TOEFL evaluates the four skills: Reading and Listening Comprehension, Speaking and Writing. Remember that its validity ends in 2 years.
- Cambridge English Language Assessment. These exams are processed by the renowned Cambridge University. The Cambridge English Qualifications are the perfect bet since they are recognized worldwide. Moreover, depending on your level of English, there is a wide range of Cambridge Assessments. Check out Cambridge English Qualifications. You will find detailed information about them.
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