Exam Guide

There are so many English language exams available these days that it can be hard to know which exam is best for you.

In today's world it is not enough any more just to say you speak English, you need to prove it. It is becoming more and more important to have a recognised international English qualification. Churchill House is the perfect place to study for and take one of these exams. We have 40 years experience of teaching exams and we have skilled and highly experienced exam teachers. So, the question should be not "will I take an exam" but "which one shall I take".

Are you thinking of taking Cambridge First Certificate? If so, what level do you need? And how should you prepare for it? Or perhaps First Certificate is not the best exam for you at all. If you are in business, would a business-orientated exam be better?

At Churchill House we are used to advising learners of English on what exam to take. Of the 110,000 students who have passed through our doors, many thousands have managed to get an exam certificate before they leave!

Start the guide by choosing the most appropriate level from this list.

Elementary level exams

There are not many exams that you can do as an elementary learner of English. However we can recommend three options:

Intermediate level exams

Intermediate is one of the biggest levels in English! It covers such a wide variety of abilities that it is often sub-divided (low intermediate, upper intermediate, post-intermediate...) but for the purposes of simplicity we have left it as one, broad level here.

Advanced level exams

At this level there are quite a few options open to you . You need to think carefully about how you intend to use English in the future and choose the most appropriate exam accordingly.

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.