A2 Key and B1 Preliminary

At Assumption College Bangrak, the Bell curriculum is designed to incorporate A2 Key and B1 Preliminary exam skills at the appropriate CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) level.

Preparation for international exams is done by teachers with extensive experience preparing learners for international exams in order to make sure that learners can achieve their full potential.

The Common European Framework of Reference (click to enlarge)

An example PET certificate (click to enlarge)

An example KET certificate (click to enlarge)

Students who prepare for their B1 exams will be able to do the following by the end of their studies:

Reading
Part	Type of Task	What do students have to do?
1	3-option multiple choice	Read five real-world notices, messages, and other short texts for the main message.
2	Matching	Match five descriptions of people to eight short texts on a particular topic, showing detailed comprehension.
3	4-option multiple choice	Read a longer text for detailed comprehension, gist, inference, and global meaning, as well as the writer’s attitude and opinion.
4	Gapped Text	Read a longer text from which five sentences have been removed. Show understanding of how coherent and well-structured text is formed.
5	4-option multiple choice cloze	Read a shorter text and choose the correct vocabulary items to compete gaps. Grammar may also be tested.
6	Open cloze	Read a shorter text and complete six gaps using one word for each gap. Show knowledge of grammatical structures, phrasal verbs, and fixed phrases.

Writing
Part	Type of Task	What do students have to do?
1	An email	Write about 100 words, answering the email and notes provided. Candidates are assessed using four criteria: Content (did they answer the question fully?), Communicative Achievement (does the email have the correct features? Would the reader by happy to read it?) Organisation (Is the email well-organized into sentences and paragraphs? Is it clear and easy to follow) Language (Does the student show an appropriate level of grammar and vocabulary for the exam?)
2	Choice between an article or a story	Write about 100 words, answering the question of their choosing. Candidates are assessed using four criteria: Content (did they answer the question fully?), Communicative Achievement (does the email have the correct features? Would the reader by happy to read it?) Organisation (Is the email well-organized into sentences and paragraphs? Is it clear and easy to follow) Language (Does the student show an appropriate level of grammar and vocabulary for the exam?)

Listening
Part	Type of Task	What do students have to do?
1	3-option multiple choice	Listen to seven short dialogues and identify key information or choose the correct visual to represent the conversation.
2	3-option multiple choice	Listen to six short conversations in everyday situations and understand the main idea of each.
3	Gap fill	Listen to a longer monologue, such as a lecture or a talk giving important information, and complete notes with important details from the monologue.
4	3-option multiple choice	Listen to an interview, for example a radio interview or podcast, for detailed understanding of meaning and to identify attitudes and opinions of the speakers.

Speaking
Speaking on Cambridge exams is done in the following format: Students complete the speaking exam with a partner. However, their partner does not affect their marks in any way. There are two examiners in the room – one who will speak to the students and one who will sit quietly and give marks. In some parts of the exam, the students will speak to an examiner. In some parts, the students will speak to each other.
Part	Type of Task	What do students have to do?
1	Answering personal questions	In this part, the examiner will ask each of the students personal questions about their lives, including what they like/don’t like, what they usually do at school or in their free time, or what they do with their friends.
2	Extended turn	In this part, the examiner will ask each of the students to describe a colour photograph for about one minute and answer a question about it.
3	Discussion task with a visual	In this part, the students speak to each other and discuss the visual as well as a question or topic. Learners practice making suggestions and responding to their partner’s ideas.
4	General conversation	In this part, the examiner will ask the candidates more questions about their lives, opinions, and habits.