Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

You will probably have queries about the exams- we have tried to answer as many of these as possible in this section.

Click on the headings below to reveal the FAQ for that area.

• ELIGIBILITY – ENROLMENT / REGISTRATION / ENTRY – PAYMENT
• ATTENDANCE TIMETABLES – EXAM LOCATION
• SPEAKING TEST
• WITHDRAWAL / REFUND
• RESULTS – CERTIFICATES
• PREPARATION – OPTIONAL BOOKS / SET TEXTS
• EXAM DAY TIPS

Am I eligible to take an exam?
Although Cambridge ESOL examinations are designed for speakers of other languages, they may be taken by people of any age, gender, race, nationality or religion.

Do I have to take a lower Cambridge ESOL level of exam before I take a higher exam?
No. It is not necessary to take a lower level before a higher. You can enrol for any exam of your choice, as often as you choose.

Do I have to take an English course before enrolling for an exam?
No. It is not necessary to take a course but it is recommended. Any person can enrol for the examination of their choice.

How many times can I re-sit an exam?
As many times as you wish providing you re-enrol and pay the examination fee each time. In this context, it may be noted that evidence from the results of re-sit candidates indicates that their performance in some cases declines overall and in other cases declines in some papers while improving in others.

Can I enrol now and pay later?
No. Payment is required at the time of entry. IMPORTANT - Proof of payment needs to be attached to the registration form and reach Cambridge ESOL Examination Centre Bern before the closing date for candidates who make their payment via postal payment or by bank transfer. Those registered candidates who paid via PayPal with credit card do not need to send in anything into the examination centre.

Can I enrol after the closing date?
No. The closing date is the final date of entry. For information about future sessions click here

How do I know that I have been enrolled?
Upon successful online registration, you will receive an automatic email confirmation. To complete your enrolment, it is necessary to send in your registration and proof of payment documents to the office in Bern.

Why must I have my photo taken?
This new regulation is one of a series of measures that have been introduced by Cambridge ESOL in order to further enhance the security and integrity of the Cambridge ESOL exams. Each candidate who takes a Cambridge ESOL exam will be photographed on the day of the speaking test or the written exams after November 2011 for CAE and after July 2012 for PET, FCE, CPE, BEC P, BEC V, BEC H, ILEC and ICFE (but not for the ‘for schools’ versions of these exams).

The photos will be taken using special software provided by Cambridge ESOL, and at all times the files and photos will be stored securely and will only be accessible by authorised centre staff using a login. For additional security, all files will be encrypted. Once the photos have been transferred to Cambridge ESOL’s secure Online Results Verification site, all local copies of the encrypted files will be deleted.

Your photo, as well as your results will be available on the secure Online Results Verification website for use by organisations wishing to verify a result. You will be able to control who can access your results and view your photo. As your need to use your qualifications for purposes such as immigration, access to work and higher education continues to increase, you will find this service immeasurable.

Can I choose the date, time or partner for my Speaking Test?
No. There is no possibility to choose a date, time or partner, as these are assigned by Cambridge ESOL Examination Centre Bern. Candidates should only enter for the Examination if they are free to attend on all Speaking Test dates given for the level of Examination chosen. These dates are found on the Examination Calendar.

What are the dates and fees for the current Session?
For complete information about the current examination session click here

Can I transfer my entry from one Examination Session to a later one or from one Examination Level to
another?
No. Neither of these is possible.

I wish to cancel my Examination. Can I transfer my fee to another Session?
No. It is not possible to cancel and transfer to another Examination Session. Refunds are not given for a withdrawal from the Examination. The candidate's place remains open in both Written and Speaking Papers
.

Can I take part of the exam now and take the rest at a later Session?
No. All Papers for level of exam must be taken during the same Examination Session in the same Examination Centre.

Can a candidate with visual difficulties take the Examination?
Yes. Visual difficulties may range from a minor condition to total blindness. Contact this local Cambridge ESOL Examination Centre for further information on large print and Braille examination papers. Please ensure that the Centre is informed of candidate's needs at least six months before the examination. A medical certificate must be provided. The earlier the centre is informed of the candidate's individual requirements, the more likely it is that the most appropriate arrangements can be made. For more information please see Cambridge ESOL Special Circumstances.

Can I take the exam if I suffer from a medical disability?
Prior to enrolling, the candidate or teacher have a responsibility to contact Cambridge ESOL Examination Centre Bern to determine the candidate's eligibility for special arrangements. The earlier the centre is informed of the candidate's individual requirements, the more likely it is that the most appropriate arrangements can be made. Later notification, after entry, will result in refusal of request for special arrangements. If, on refusal, the candidate then chooses to withdraw from the examination, upon presentation of a medical certificate, 1/3 refund of the examination fee will be granted. For additional information on what type of special arrangements can be made please see Cambridge ESOL Special Circumstances.

How do I enrol/register?
For complete details of how to enrol click here

If I make a payment only, am I enrolled for the exam?
No. Payment alone is NOT enrolment. Copy of payment details must accompany registration form and reach the Cambridge ESOL Examination Centre Bern before the closing date.

How much does the Examination cost?
For full details on the current Session please see our Examinations page.

How do I pay the Examination Fee?
Payment can be made by either postal payment slip, electronic banking, in cash or for private individual entries by credit card (via PayPal) at the time of registration. For complete bank details see Conditions and Regulations for Entry on the Registration page.

I have lost my Proof of Payment. What must I do?
Attach a short message together with your registration documents giving full payment details: date, amount, Centre, method of payment.

When do I know the exact venue, time and Speaking Test date for my examination?
Attendance Timetables giving full details of venue, time and date of the Examination, are despatched to the school of entry or to the individual candidate approximately 3 weeks prior to the first scheduled exam of the session.

Do I need my Attendance Timetable for the exams?
Yes. Your Attendance Timetable and proof of identity must be presented at EVERY exam session. For proof of identity the best documents are those that are issued by an official authority, cannot be easily forged, and include a photograph. Examples of this include: a state identity card, a current signed passport, or a current drivers licence.

Why haven't I received an Attendance Timetable?
If you have not received an Attendance Timetable within the above time frame please contact the Bern office: 031 398 02 70.

I have lost my Timetable. What do I do?
Contact Bern office immediately 031 398 02 70. Your Attendance Timetable and proof of identity must be presented at every exam session.

I have missed my Written Exam. What do I do?
It is not possible to take the Written exam on another date. No refund is issued for missed exam

Where do I take my examination?
Full details of date, time and location are given on the Attendance Timetable.

How do I find the Examination venue?
From the venue addresses given on your Attendance Timetable, consult an area map or an online directory such as local.ch At all times we recommend you use public transport, as parking is minimal or unavailable.

Can I take my exam elsewhere in Switzerland?
Yes. Regional information for Examinations in Switzerland is given on the Swiss national website www.cambridgeESOL.ch Payment and entry must be made at the Centre of your choice. No transfer from one Centre to another is possible.

Can I choose my preferred exam venue?
No. A choice of venue is not a possibility.

Can I change my venue for a preferred venue?
No. A choice of venue is not possible. A 'no-show' or attempt to sit exam in preferred venue could result in a 'no-place' and marked as absent or late start. No refund of fee is given.

How early must I arrive?
For the Written exams, know the date, time and place of your examination and arrive 5 to 10 minutes before the time given on the Attendance Timetable.

Can I choose the date, time or partner for my Speaking Test?
No. There is no possibility to choose a date, time or partner, as these are assigned by Cambridge ESOL Examination Centre Bern. Candidates should only enter for the Examination if they are free to attend on all Speaking Test dates given for the level of Examination chosen. These dates are found on the Examination Calendar.

How early must I arrive?
For the Speaking Test know the date, time and place of your examination and arrive at the time given on the Attendance Timetable. The time shown on your Attendance Timetable is a registration time, not the actual time of your speaking test.

How long should I allow for the Speaking Test?
Expect to be present maximum one hour at the Speaking Test venue.

I have missed my Speaking Test. What do I do?
If you have missed your exam for reasons other than negligence, contact Bern office immediately 031 398 02 70. We will try to assist you but there is no guarantee you can be re-scheduled. No refund is issued for missed exams.

Can I cancel my entry and benefit from a refund?
No. Refunds are not given for cancellation of Examination. The candidate's place remains open in both Written and Speaking Test.

I was ill and missed my exam. Do I get a refund?
Yes. Requests for a refund must be made to the Centre Exams Manager of the Centre within 5 days after the exam. This should include a doctor's certificate stating why the candidate was unable to be present on the day of the examination and also include complete and correct bank details or a personalised payment slip. Once confirmation is received from Cambridge ESOL United Kingdom that the request has been accepted, Cambridge ESOL Examination Centre Bern will make a refund of 1/3 of the fee only. (Experience shows that this can take up to 8 weeks after the end of the exams session).

Why do I not receive a full refund on medical grounds?
Cambridge ESOL United Kingdom will make a full refund of the university fee portion of the total fee only. The remaining portion of the fee, which covers all costs surrounding the examination, is not refunded.

I wish to cancel my Examination.
Can I transfer my fee to another Session?
Can I change my Examination level to another, lower or higher?
For the answer to these questions, see: enrolment

Do I get a refund if I do not attend all or part of my Examination?
No. Refunds are not given for a 'no show' at Examination.

How and when will I receive my results?
The exam results are now issued on-line. Candidates will be sent a personalised access code letter together with instructions. This will enable them to register and log in on the www.CambridgeESOL-results.org website in order to view and print out their Statement of Results as soon as it is released from Cambridge. The result release date will be noted on the letter and on the Examinations page of our website. As the access code letter will be issued only once it is extremely important that it is not lost.

Understanding your Statement of Results and certificate
Your Statement of Results gives you three pieces of information:

1. Your result,
2. Your score,
3. Your candidate profile.

For more information see the Results tab under the exam level of your choice.

How can I give schools/employers access to my results?
Results Verification Service
Cambridge ESOL has developed a user-friendly online Results Verification Service to give authorised users free access to candidates’ Cambridge ESOL examination results anytime, anywhere. You can control who can access your results and view your photo (taken on the speaking test date) by giving your

• unique Candidate’s ID number
• Candidate’s secret number

to universities, employers and other organisations that want to be able to verify your results. The above information is supplied to each candidate to also enable you to access your own results online and therefore should be retained and stored. For further information visit: http://verification.CambridgeESOLonline.org

If I am absent for one or more papers of my exam can I still receive results for the part(s) I completed?
No. Cambridge ESOL does not provide individual paper performance to those candidates who missed part or all of the examination.

How do I understand my result?
Each Statement of Result includes a graphical (profile) display of the candidate's performance in each exam component. These are shown against the scale Exceptional - Good - Borderline - Weak and show the candidate's relative performance in each paper. Candidates are NOT required to reach a specific level in any component, i.e. there are NO pass/fail levels in individual components. Different strengths and weaknesses may add up to the same overall result.

Can I receive further feedback about my results?
No. All available information is already on the candidate's Statement of Result. There is no additional feedback possible.

Are my examination papers returned to me?
No. Papers remain the property of Cambridge ESOL, United Kingdom and under no circumstances are these released to candidates, schools or centres.

Can I appeal against my grade?
Yes. We require a written substantiated request, within 1 month of despatch of the result, from the teacher giving unreserved backing to the request for a “clerical re- check”. It should be noted that a clerical re-check is NOT a re-mark of the exam papers and that it is extremely rare for such enquiries to lead to a change in the result for the following reasons:

• the majority of papers in Cambridge ESOL examinations are either machine-marked or clerically marked with DOUBLE checking.
• examiner-marked papers are typically double marked and, in borderline or disputed cases, marked three or four times.

Hence an enquiry about a result is generally limited to checking that marks have been correctly calculated and recorded.

A clerical re-check consists of the following:

• a re-check that all parts of the script have been marked
• a re-check that the marks on the scripts have been correctly totalled
• a re-check that the total mark for each component has been correctly recorded in the computer system
• a re-check that any examiner adjustments, if applicable, have been correctly applied
• a re-check on the application of grade thresholds
• a re-check as to whether any allowances, e.g. special consideration, have been applied.

Please note that there is an administrative fee payable for this service.

If I fail an exam or want to improve my grade can I take the exam again?
Yes. You can take it as many times as you wish providing you re-enrol and pay the examination fee each time. In this context, it may be noted that evidence from the results of re-sit candidates indicates that their performance in some cases declines overall and in other cases declines in some papers while improving in others.

What is extended certification?
Cambridge ESOL has made an important enhancement in the way candidate’s results are presented. Extended Certification is designed to give a clearer picture of how candidates’ performance in each exam aligns to the CEFR and allows for a broader range of results. For more information please see this FACTSHEET that Cambridge ESOL has produced to clarify this new enhancement.

When will I receive my certificate?
Certificates are issued by Cambridge ESOL (U.K.). They are sent by registered mail to the school of entry or individual candidate approximatively 3 months after the exam session.

Why haven't I received my certificate?
Please check with your school of entry. If a individual registration candidate's certificate is returned to Cambridge Examinations Centre Bern due to not being picked up by the candidate or change of address, it remains in the Centre until the candidate contacts the Centre and pays a fee of CHF 15.- whereupon the certificate is posted again.

Can I get a replacement for a damaged certificate?
Yes. The damaged certificate must be returned to Cambridge Examinations Centre Bern.

• Damaged certificates will be replaced against a small fee (when returned within 6 months of the examination) if they have been damaged in transit to the candidate.
• A larger fee is required for replacement of damaged certificates in transit if the request is made more than 6 months after the examination.
• Certificates damaged in fire or floods will be replaced for a fee providing an incident report/proof of the event/copy of insurance document can be provided. If the required documentation is not available, the candidate must apply for a Certifying Statement of Results.

For details contact the Centre.

Can I get a replacement for a lost certificate?
No. It is Cambridge ESOL's policy not to issue duplicate certificates when the original has been lost. However, Canbridge ESOL U.K. will provide a Certifying Statement of Results for candidates that is equivalent to a certificate. To apply for the Certifying Statement of Results download the guidelines and application form. On the application form you must indicate the name of the Centre where you sat your exam ( Bern, Aargau or Luzern).

For further questions and help contact the Centre.

If my name is spelled incorrectly on my certificate can I have it changed?
Yes. At the time of the exams candidates are either asked to sign that their name is correct on their personalised exam papers, or to complete an amendment form. Certificates then feature the candidate’s name as it appears on the statement of results. For ths service:

• Up to 6 months after the date that the original certificate was posted an administrative fee of CHF 50.- will be charged.
• If a request is made 6 months or more after the original certificate was posted, an administrative fee of CHF 50.- plus a Cambridge ESOL U.K. fee will be charged.

In both cases a duplicate certificate will be printed, providing the original certificate is returned.

However,

• Any request for name amendments received more than two years after the original certificates were despatched from Cambridge will not be accepted. Instead the candidate will need to apply for a certifying statement.
• Production of a new certificate is at Cambridge ESOL’s discretion
  
  

I have changed my name can I change my certificate?
No. The centre must be informed of name changes latest at the written exam. Certificates are issued in the name of the candidate at the time the award was made. Replacement certificates will not be provided to accommodate a subsequent change of name.

Who recognizes Cambridge ESOL certificates?
Many corporate users and institutions of higher and further education throughout Switzerland and the world recognize Cambridge certificates. To find out more visit the Recognition page.

How long is my certificate valid?
Certificates are valid for life and do not expire. They show that on a particular date the holder demonstrated that they had attained the specified level of language skills. For most candidates, the certificate is the result of a specific preparation course and serves as a mark of achievement in completing the course successfully. Of course, people do forget things, and language skills can become rusty. In deciding whether to rely on a certificate obtained some years ago, educational institutions and employers need to take into account a number of factors, most importantly whether the holder has kept up his or her use of the language and whether the level of the certificate is significantly higher than that required for the job or course in question.
For further detailed information on Cambridge ESOL qualifications as evidence of language ability over time:
click here to download information "LanguageAbility"

How do I know which level of exam I should take?
Detailed information in English about each level of the examinations can be found on the Examinations page.
To test your english online and for additional self-assessment information see our Support page.

Do I have to take a course before entering for an examination?
No. It is not necessary to take a course but it is recommended. Any person can enrol for the examination of their choice.

Can I take an English Language Course through Cambridge ESOL Examination Centre?
No. We are an Examinations Centre only. We do not hold or run language courses for students or teachers.

Can you recommend Language schools?
The Cambridge ESOL Examination Centre is unable to give information of this kind. Please contact your local schools.

Can I use practice tests for exam preparation?
Yes. Cambridge ESOL can only endorse the level of difficulty of questions provided in practice tests produced by Cambridge University Press. These papers are the only ones which have been pre-tested and then actually used in live administrations.

Where can I get sample Past Paper materials?
Go to the Support page on our website to find candidate and teacher support and resources material. Support material can be purchased via eShop or ESOL Publications Price List & Order Form

Can you recommend course books or study material for the examinations?
We cannot recommend any specific material.
Please contact your local bookshop or:

• Cambridge University Press
• Stäheli Books
  
  

I am visually handicaped, where can I get Braille Examination Papers?
Contact Cambridge ESOL Examination Centre Bern for further information on Braille examination papers.
Please ensure that the Centre is informed of candidate's special needs at least six months before the examination. A medical certificate must be provided.

On exam day what must I bring along with me to the exam?
Along with your Attendance Timetable and proof of identity, take into the examination room only the pens, pencils and rubbers that you need for the examination. You may not lend anything to, or borrow anything from another candidate during the examination. Further advice is supplied on the "Summary Regulations for Candidates and Notice to Candidates".

Do you run any Teacher Training Seminars?
Yes. A Teacher Training Resource is available for state schools from our Examination Centre. We offer teacher trainers to schools in the state sector for their own internal teacher development needs. The presenters are available to put together workshops according to the school's specific needs. We also hold an annual Teacher Training Seminar in Bern giving news and information on up and coming Examination Revisions and useful classroom tips to enhance your teaching skills. News of our current September Seminar can be found on our News/Events page as from end March.

How can I get hold of Teacher Resource materials?
See SUPPORT page on our website.

What are the texts I can read as background preparation for optional tasks in Paper 2 (Writing) of the FCE for Schools, FCE, CAE and CPE exams?
One or more of the following texts may be chosen for exams in:

FCE for Schools

• William Shakespeare: Macbeth (The ELT Graphic Novel, Heinle Cengage Learning)
• Joe Simpson: Touching the Void (Macmillan or any edition)

The texts are Graded Readers which have been adapted to the level and are suitable for FCE for Schools candidates. Other editions of these books may be available. However, teachers and candidates should be aware that the language level in other editions may be less accessible.

FCE

• William Thackeray: Vanity Fair (Black Cat or any edition)
• Mary Stewart: This Rough Magic (OUP)

The texts are Graded Readers which have been adapted to the level and are suitable for FCE candidates. Other editions of these books may be available. However, teachers and candidates should be aware that the language level in other editions may be less accessible.

CAE

• William Golding: Lord of the Flies

Teachers may choose to prepare candidates for questions on this set text by studying a film version as well as, or instead of, the novel.

• P.D. James: The Lighthouse

(There is currently no film version of this book.)

Candidates should be made aware that they should not attempt the set text question unless they have the necessary vocabulary and understanding of the text to answer the task set. Teachers are best placed to make a judgement as to which, if any, of the set texts and/or film versions may be appropriate and stimulating for a given teaching situation.

CPE

• Sue Monk Kidd: The Secret Life of Bees (2002); film directed by Gina Prince-Byrewood (2008)

Teachers may choose to prepare candidates for questions on this set text by studying the film as well as, or instead of, the novel.

• Harold Pinter: The Birthday Party (1958)