Very advanced level exams

The more advanced your level, the fewer language exam options there are open to you!

As a very advanced "learner" of English, you may in fact be better obtaining an appropriate professional qualification in English (eg an MBA, MA in a relevant discipline, etc) rather than an English exam itself.

However if you want the satisfaction of a top level English language exam, try one (or more!) of the following:

For teachers of English

• Cambridge Examination in English Language for Teachers (CEELT)
• Teacher Development Courses

For general purposes

• Cambridge Proficiency

CPE

The Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency (CPE) is the highest level general English exam offered by the University of Cambridge. It has been around for a long time and is still regarded by many as the benchmark level for advanced English. A CPE pass (C or above) is also widely accepted as the English language requirement by British and many international universities.

Proficiency takes place in June and December only each year. There are 5 papers (Reading Comprehension, Composition, Use of English, Listening Comprehension and Interview). The Listening paper carries 12% of the marks; the others carry 22% each.

Proficiency is quite a popular exam - over 60,000 people sit it each year. Be warned however! It is the sort of exam that some native English speakers could never pass. It demands a precise, academic and analytical approach to language and is probably best suited to those who want to use English academically - for example as teachers, lecturers or translators.

Even at this level, if you are thinking of taking Proficiency you should certainly consider an exam preparation course first.

For more information on the Proficiency exam in general: www.cambridge-efl.org.uk

CEELT

The Cambridge Examination in English for Language Teachers (CEELT) was introduced in 1987 and is designed to assess the competence of teachers and trainee teachers of English whose mother tongue is not English. CEELT is designed to test the language skills most relevant to the classroom environment and to the study of language teaching methodology. The most advanced level - level II - is comparable to the level of Proficiency.

In the exam itself you are tested in three papers - Speaking (Reading Aloud and Oral Interaction), Reading & Writing (one error correction and one writing task related to an English language teacher's work) and Listening (three extracts related to English language teaching).

The exam is held four times a year (March/April, May/June, July/August and November/December).

For more information on the CEELT exam: www.cambridge-efl.org.uk

Teacher Development Courses

Training and qualifications are important in our society, and even more so if we want to reassure our customers that we are offering an excellent product. Churchill House being recognised by the British Council and a member of ARELS is regularly inspected, and it is well-known in the industry for its excellence. Home Tuition schemes are now being inspected more rigorously and we are happy to say that Churchill House English Home Tuition Scheme has just passed the British Council accreditation inspection with flying colours. This means, among other things, that our teachers need recognised qualifications.