International English Qualifications
- What are International English Qualifications?
- What kind of International English Qualifications do we offer?
- Which exams are useful if the learners want to study general English?
- What's the difference between International ESOL and International Spoken ESOL?
- Can the learners take the International ESOL & International Spoken ESOL exams separately?
- What's the difference between the old Pitman ESOL and the new City & Guilds IESOL exams?
- Which exams are useful if the learners need English for the workplace?
- What exam do the learners need if they want to teach English?
- What levels of language exam does City & Guilds offer?
- Are there any qualifications for young learners?
- How do the City & Guilds exams compare to other English language qualifications?
- Are the qualifications recognised by colleges and universities?
What are International English Qualifications?
International English Qualifications are aimed at students who need English to work, study or travel in an international arena. Perhaps they work for an international company and need English to communicate with the overseas branches or maybe they need certification of their level of English in order to attend university. Whatever the aim, these qualifications are recognised by employers, educational institutions and professional bodies worldwide. They will give your learners the opportunity to prove and improve their English.
What kind of International English Qualifications do we offer?
We offer three suites of international English qualifications for work, study, teaching and travel.
International ESOL and Spoken ESOL - with general exams at six levels (beginner to advanced) for reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
International Business English - a range of exams from beginner to advanced, focussing on the specific use of English in an international business environment.
International Teaching Qualifications - a certificate in English language teaching for candidates who are new to the field or are looking to improve their English teaching knowledge and skills.
Which exams are useful if the learners want to study general English?
To improve their general level of English for the workplace or to study or travel abroad candidates can choose from the exams in our International English for Speakers of Other Languages (International ESOL) suite.
There are two exams that can be taken separately or together:
International ESOL - which assesses learners' reading writing and listening skills at six levels.
International Spoken ESOL - which assesses learners' speaking skills at six levels. The exams focus on assessing the learners' general level of English and are not entirely specific to an academic or business environment.
What's the difference between International ESOL and International Spoken ESOL?
The examinations test different skills. The International ESOL exam tests reading, writing and listening skills and the International Spoken ESOL exam tests speaking skills. Both focus on real life use of English however, and they are both set at six levels (Preliminary to Mastery).
Can the learners take the International ESOL & International Spoken ESOL exams separately?
They can take the exams separately or together. It's up to each student! They may want to have proof of their level over the four skills, or they may want to concentrate on specific skills.
What's the difference between the old Pitman ESOL and the new City & Guilds IESOL exams?
The new exams are set at six levels and are linked to the Common European Framework. They also employ more modern methods of assessment and are more communicative, ie they concentrate on real life use of English.
Which exams are useful if the learners need English for the workplace?
If they need to improve their English for the workplace they can choose from our suite of general English exams, ie International ESOL and International Spoken ESOL mentioned above, or from our suite of specific Business English exams. We offer three different examinations in our suite of Business English exams:
Spoken English Tests for Business (SETB) - which assesses learners' speaking skills for a business environment (eg presentations / phone calls / meetings).
English for Business Communications (EBC) - which assesses learners' ability to read and write the complete range of business communications (from email to memo).
English For Office Skills (EOS) - which assesses learners' ability to proofread and produce accurate and effective communications in English (from reports to minutes).
What exam do the learners need if they want to teach English?
If they want to teach English they can take our ACE certificate - Access to English Language Teaching. It is not necessary to be a native speaker of English to do the course. It is not even necessary to have prior experience in teaching. They just need to follow the assessed practical course, which teaches them language awareness, teaching techniques and learning methodology, and also complete the multiple choice exam.
What levels of language exam does City & Guilds offer?
All our exams are set at a wide range of levels often from beginner to advanced (although you should check our website www.cityandguilds.com/ieq for specific details on each examination). This allows learners to start at the right level and then progress at the correct pace. Many of the exams are linked to the Common European Framework (CEF) which facilitates a clear understanding of how our levels compare to the levels offered by other awarding bodies.
Are there any qualifications for young learners?
There are two exams for young learners:
ESOL for Young Learners (two levels: basic and elementary) testing reading, writing and listening
Spoken ESOL for Young Learners (two levels: basic and elementary) testing speaking skills. The test tasks are lively and interesting and cover topics and contexts that most children at these ages find interesting.
How do the City & Guilds exams compare to other English language qualifications?
The table below shows the levels that are broadly equivalent:
City & Guilds IESOL & ISESOL |
City & Guilds SETB |
Common European Framework |
Cambridge main suite |
Cambridge IELTS |
Mastery |
Stage C |
C2 |
CPE |
+7.5 |
Expert |
C1 |
CAE |
6.5/7.0 |
|
Communicator |
Stage B |
B2 |
FCE |
5.0/5.5/6.0 |
Achiever |
B1 |
PET |
3.5/4.0/4.5 |
|
Access |
Stage A |
A2 |
KET |
3.0 |
Preliminary |
A1 |
Please see the section on the Common European Framework for further details on equivalencies.
Are the qualifications recognised by colleges and universities?
Our qualifications are recognised by a wide range of universities, professional bodies and employers worldwide.
For full details, see our the section on recognitions.