5 Reasons why a Cambridge Exam is a Great Choice!
Progress and change have become a part of daily life and it feels like the world is becoming a little “smaller” every day. Over the last few decades, the rise of cheap air travel, the internet and a need for skilled workers in various countries has seen our planet metaphorically shrink. As such, today’s younger generations have some amazing opportunities open to them, be they career based, educational or just for fun and to have life-changing experiences. The reality is that the only way to be eligible to take part in this modern phenomenon is to be able to communicate when you reach your destination. For the vast majority of people, that will mean having, or gaining, a high level of fluency in English.
If you’d like to know why learning English is so important, even if you may not want to visit a country where English is the first language, please take a look at some of our previous blogs.
5 divertidas razones de porque necesitas hablar inglés / 5 Fun Reasons Why You Need to Speak English
Before we continue, we’d like to say that this blog is intended to highlight why we (Advance - Centro de Inglés) trust and prefer Cambridge ESOL and IELTS exams, and not to be a critic of any other testing system. With every opportunity, it is always best to check with the organisation you are applying to first to see which English tests are accepted and the grades needed. Then, and only then, should you make an informed decision based on your own research and possibly preferences.
Why do we recommend Cambridge ESOL and IELTS?
1. Trust
Probably the main reason we choose Cambridge and IELTS is trust. We feel confident that we will be supported as a school, our students will be evaluated fairly and professionally, and that quality and consistency come as standard with the Cambridge name. As one of the top educational establishments in the world, with over a century of experience in the field of language teaching and testing, and whose exams correlate to the CEFR*, it’s easy to feel safe when working with Cambridge.
2. Recognition
Unlike some other exams, which may only be accepted in a few countries, Cambridge exams are accepted by over 20,000 universities, employers and governments (for immigration) from all over the world. (If there was a city on the Moon or Mars, they would probably be accepted there as well!) Over 5 million people take one of these exams each year at one of 52,000 registered preparation centres, and hence millions of people, businesses and families have benefitted as a result.
- If you want to see if an establishment you’re interested in accepts Cambridge exams, try the following link.
3. Resources
When it comes to preparing students for exams, one of the most important decisions that needs to be made is about the materials that will be used. At Advance we use a combination of textbooks, our own materials, plus online resources. As a private school, we would love to prepare as many students as possible and for every exam they want to do; however, the quality of our courses is central to our identity, which basically means getting the best supporting materials we can.
By a long way, CUP (Cambridge University Press) offers the widest range of published and free materials for their exams. These are presented in a clear and easy to follow format, are extremely high-quality and importantly are written by the same people who write the exams. When you see an exam based activity in a CUP book, you know that is what you will see on the day of your exam. This allows us to focus on teaching and our students on learning.
4. Variety of Quality Exams
Cambridge isn’t a “one trick pony” nor a “jack of all trades but a master of none”. Unlike other exam boards, they offer a variety of high-quality exams, not just one or two. Now, if your choice is between IELTS, TOEFL and TOEIC, which are all a similar style of exam, this point probably won’t concern you. However, the point of this blog is to give some direction to people that may not be aware of the options available to them. In this case, click the following link to check out the unparalleled variety Cambridge offers you, your kids, your employees, etc. for every stage/level of the learning process.
5. They are Leaders in Research, Teaching and Training
Finally, no one can match Cambridge’s commitment to research, and if you look at a timeline of their exams you can see a constant evolution. Whether it’s a new exam for a specific sector, online assessment or improvements to existing exams, Cambridge is always working to address learners’ needs and to provide the best English language exams you could hope to find. A lot of this is possible due to the fact that Cambridge University is one of, if not the leading research centre for language teaching and training in the world.
For all of you who are interested in taking one of these exams, there are two main options you can choose, an “open” exam or one aimed at a specific level of speaker. (Both types of exam test you on the four main language skills: Speaking, listening, reading and writing.)
IELTS - jointly owned by Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council, IDP and IELTS Australia - is an “open” exam as it is open to candidates of any level. So, whether you are a complete beginner or a proficiency level speaker, you’ll do the exact same exam and get a mark from 0 to 9 for each skill. This has the advantage that you cannot fail this exam, although not achieving the grade you need is basically the same as failing. If you are much stronger in some areas of your English than others, this will also show in your results, rather than you being limited by the test, but on the other hand it will also show where you are weak. IELTS is valid for two years.
Cambridge ESOL exams, such as PET, FCE and CAE, are all aimed at a specific level of language ability. You get an overall mark (A, B, C, etc.) and you can fail. The main advantage of these exams is that candidates tend to produce more consistent results as the exam is purely focused on one English level, plus they are valid forever (as long as you show you have continued to practice your English). The disadvantage compared to IELTS is that they are more complicated, due to them having more varied styles of questions, and require more preparation, in our opinion.
Whichever you decide to choose, good luck and stay safe in your future travels!
* Common European Framework of References for Languages
