• What is the BEC Vantage test like?

 

• The test has five sections:

 

1. Reading - 60 minutes, 45 questions

1. part 1 - matching 7 sentences to four short texts
2. part 2 - text with sentences missing
3. part 3 - text with multiple choice questions
4. part 4 - text with multiple choice gaps
5. part 5 - Identification of additional unnecessary words in text

 

1. Writing - 2 tasks , 45 minutes

 

1. Listening - 40 minutes, 30 questions1. part 1 - note completion, 3 short passages2. part 2 - matching3. part 3 - multiple choice

 

1. Speaking - interview, normally with another candidate, 15 minutes

 

 

 

 

READING:

 

 

Part 1 - matching 7 sentences to four short texts
 

 

In this section, you read four short texts, such as adverts, product descriptions, etc.

Then you match different sentences with each of those texts.

 

Read the sentences below and the extracts from a text about branding.

 

For questions 1-7, choose which extract each sentence refers to.

 

The extracts may be chosen more than once.

 

 

 

A

Having a good brand identity is critical. It can not only position a company above its competitors, but it also communicates to your customers the reason why they should choose you instead of your competitors. But developing a strong brand image takes time, money and effort, and it involves much more than redesigning a logo or developing a new tagline. Your new brand identity should evolve from your previous identity. Be careful not to start from scratch and come up with something completely new, as you may end up losing loyal customers who have forged emotion ties with your product.

B

It’s important to understand that changing the visual aspects of your company, your logo, your packaging and so forth, you are not actually changing your brand identity. Your brand identity is the promise a company makes to its customers – its features, quality, values and service support. Just modernising visual image does not entail a change in brand values.  Many companies, sadly, are led to believe by branding agencies that visual changes will alter customer’s perception of their products. But such changes only inform consumers that a company is concerned about how it looks. At best, they will assume the company is modern; at worst they will accuse the company of unnecessary extravagance.

C

Successful branding may not be actually connected with the product at all, but may represent a greater sense of purpose or a more satisfying experience. They may affirm that drinking a cup of coffee can really make a difference, or that exercising may bring about a sense of challenge and personal achievement. Many successful brands study emerging societal ideals and trends, so that they can take advantage of how customers wish they could be. Then they push forward the message that by using their product, their dreams can be fulfilled, and the customer can gain the lifestyle he or she is looking for, be it a sense of glamour, freedom, popularity or self-satisfaction.

D

Lack of consistency is probably the most common pitfall when it comes to designing an image for your brand.  You need to provide a consistent message in your proposals and presentations so that your company develops credibility and gets noticed and remembered. To ensure that your branding ins consistent, gather all the information that leaves your company, be it faxes, emails, advertisements, invoices or packages. Examine them for discrepancies in your company’s image. Doing so will also give you the chance to evaluate the image you are trying portray.

 

Which section, A, B, C or D, does each statement 1-7 refer to?

1. a list of some items which should display your brand identity

2. the difference between brand identity and logo design

3. brands which do not reflect the product itself

• 4. how companies are fooled by companies offering branding services

5. what is involved in creating an image for your brand

 

6. why companies study current social trends to develop a brand
 

7. a warning about redesigning your brand

 

 

 

Part 2 - text with sentences missing

 

 

In this section, you read a text followed by 5 questions that need matching to parts of the text.

 

Look at the list of articles below. It shows the titles of articles on a business website.

 

 

The Essential Business Site

Up-to-date articles about every area of business

 

A Managing your Supply Chain.

B Keep your Data Secure on the Road

C The Ten Most Important Leadership Traits

 
D Five Easy Steps to Increasing Your Web Traffic

E Privacy rules for IT Companies

F Unusual Venues for Corporate Events

G Creating a Safe Computer Database

H Managing Conflicts in the Workplace

 

For questions 1-5, decide which article (A-H) would be suitable for each person to read. Do not use any letter more than once.

1.Greta Engels wants to know if she has the right qualities to become a manager.

2. Violetta Martinez needs to choose the location for her firm’s Christmas Party.

3. Dave Butler needs to make sure that nobody can access the work on his laptop while he’s travelling.

4. Tony Henderson has a new role at work, ordering materials for his factory.
5. Theodor Kaplinski wants more people to visit his online store.
 

 

 

Part 3 - text with multiple choice questions
 

 

Read the text and then answer questions 1-6.

 

 

The idea that a sales team can learn something from Girl Scouts will come as a surprise to many.  What has this out-dated organisation got to do with the fast-moving, corporate world of today? But in the girl scouts’ annual cookie drive, two hundred million units are sold per year, and their revenues exceed $700 million. And these figures are achieved only in a three-month period in the spring.

True, the organization has changed greatly in latter years, ever since the appointment of CEO Kathy Cloninger in 2003. Her mission was to revitalize a 95-year tradition-bound icon, famous only for camping, crafts and cookies. She has worked on instilling leadership qualities in the girls, developing new funding opportunities, creating an efficient organisational structure and developing a reinvigorated brand which is relevant to the modern world.

And nowhere are these changes more noticeable than in the annual cookie sale.  No longer relying on neighbourhood door-to-door sales to obtain a meagre revenue, the organisation now utilises a wide range of savvy, modern methods which businesses worldwide can learn from.

Firstly, the girl scouts organization focuses on providing the girls with life skills.  By investing in the girls, the organization creates a team with strong leadership and communication skills.  ‘Cookie College’ training courses develop the scouts’ business acumen, providing them with presentation, marketing and money management skills; skills which will be invaluable in their future lives.  Through role-playing, case studies and tasks, the girls become inspired and passionate about their role as a salesperson.

And the proof of the pudding – or should I say cookie – is in the eating. These well-trained salesgirls can turn out exceptional results. Scout Markita Andrews sold over $80,000 dollars worth of cookies in the twelve years she was a girl scout.  Her success is for the most part due to the incentive. By selling the greatest number of cookies, Markita won a trip around the world.  Rewards are not only given to the lucky winners, however.  Scouts earn reward points as they sell more cookies. 1,500 cookies gets the scout a Wii game system.

But Girl scouts are not only training and motivating their workforce, but they are also changing their tactics.  Gone are the days when girls went door-to-door around the neighbourhood selling to family and friends.  They now go in for the bulk sales strategy.  They sell to large organisations and businesses, where cookies can be offered as sales incentives or part of corporate gift baskets. This way, girls are able to shift a greater number of cookies and maximise their sales time.

 

1  

When do the Girl Scouts sell cookies?

 a) all year round
 b) for three months per year
 c) Every three years
 d) Every spring since 2003

 

2  

What was the view of the girls scout organisation before Kathy Cloninger became CEO?

 a) not well-known
 b) old-fashioned
 C) efficient
 d) surprising

 

3  

Which of the following is not taught at ‘Cookie College’?

 a) how to look after finances
 b) how to promote your products
 c) how to bake cookies
 d) how to speak in front of other people

 

4  

A girl scout can get a trip round the world if she...

 a) gets a certain number of reward points
 b) sells cookies for twelve years in a row
 c) sells $80,000 worth of cookies
 d) sells more cookies than anyone else

 

5  

A new selling strategy used by girl scouts is...

 a) Selling cookies outside local businesses
 b) Giving scouts free cookies as an incentive
 c) Selling from door to door
 d) Selling large amounts of cookies at once

 

6  

Which of the following sales techniques is NOT mentioned in the passage?

 a) motivating the sales team
 b) finding new avenues for sales
 c) offering discounts for bulk orders
 d) training the sales team

 

 

Part 4 - text with multiple choice gaps

 

 

 

In this part you complete a text with 15 gaps.

 

Read the advice below about stress at work. Choose the best word to fill the spaces.

 

 

Stress at Work

 

A small amount of pressure at work is often seen as a good thing. But excessive pressure can lead to stress, and this in (1) can result in bad performance. Stressed staff are more (2) to misuse their work hours or quit their job. Stress (3) not only morale, but also a company’s bottom line.

(4) that a company has a calm, productive atmosphere is the role of the HR department.  Even though the management and employees are often responsible for the stressful environment in (5) they work, the human resources department can (6) a critical role in managing behaviour within the workplace. HR can (7) programmes that encourage positive attitudes, build good working relationships and (8) healthy lifestyles.

One common problem is that managers are (9) overworked that they neglect their staff.  Staff are (10) with nothing to do, and so they become underutilized or inefficient. This is an opportunity for the HR department to (11) in and help the department to work (12) a team. Managers can be taught how to (13) work to staff, in order to reduce their workload. Meanwhile, staff can be advised about how (14) to approach their managers, and when it is appropriate to (15) the initiative.