The BEC Business English Test and the TOEIC Test are currently the most authoritative and recognized for the Business English Proficiency Test. Therefore, many companies use this as a standard for recruitment or internal promotion. So the question is, what is the difference between BEC and TOEIC? Which one has the highest gold content? Want to know?
background and introduction
BEC: It belongs to the same institution as [IELTS], the Foreign Language Examination Department of Cambridge University.
TOEIC: It belongs to the same organization as [TOEFL] and comes from the US ETS.
BEC Cambridge Business English is an international business English qualification certificate test for professionals. It mainly examines the test taker’s English communication level in a real working environment.
The TOEIC test is produced by the most famous language testing organization in the United States, and its professionalism is beyond doubt. It mainly examines people’s ability to use English in an international working environment.
Recognition and popularity
BEC Cambridge Business English Test: It is an international business English qualification certificate test specially provided for learners in the Cambridge series of exams. It is recognized by many educational institutions and enterprises in Europe and even the world.
More and more companies use BEC to assess the language skills of employees, employees and applicants. These include world-renowned companies such as IBM, Citibank, International Health Organization, World Bank, United Nations, Coca-Cola, Siemens, etc.
TOEIC: Its performance analysis theory is popular in more than 60 countries and is widely used in more than 5,300 large multinational companies and colleges.
In China, government departments, many state-owned enterprises, some multinational enterprises and institutions, (Ministry of Commerce, Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, State Grid, Sinopec, China National Offshore Oil, China Mobile, China Unicom, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Aviation, IBM, Procter & Gamble, FAW Group, Shanghai Volkswagen, Volvo, Ford, Schneider, Mars, Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Canon, Panasonic, Lenovo, Huawei, etc.), all use the TOEIC test for employee recruitment, overseas dispatch, Staff training and internal selection.
Examination content and scope
The content of the BEC exam involves fixed collocations, English grammar, and test-taking ability. In addition, expandability abilities such as language communication and scenario application are also within the scope of the exam requirements.
Listening, speaking, reading and writing are all covered. The test is conducted in two stages: the first stage is a written test, including reading, writing and listening; the second stage is an oral test. Depending on the exam level, the length of each part of the exam is also different.
BEC exam will also have some characteristic questions, such as: business English writing, business English document reading, workplace group discussions, etc., which are all designed according to the real workplace environment.
The TOEIC test scope includes listening + reading (total score of 990), speaking + writing (total score of 400); general candidates will take listening + reading, and speaking + writing are optional.
is concentrated in the workplace and business fields. Common exam topics include: business meetings, contracts, negotiations, marketing, product sales, planning, meetings, manufacturing, factory management, finance, budgeting, banking, investment, board meetings, job hunting, customer communication, etc.
examination time
There are only two BEC exams in the first half and the second half of a year.
BEC official website:
//Bec.neea.cn/
The TOEIC test takes place every month.
TOEIC Official Website:
//Www.toeic.cn/
The exact test time can be found on the official website.
Certificate and Level
The BEC exam is divided into three levels: Preliminary Level, Vantage Level, and Higher Level. Depending on the score, there will be A, B, C, B1/B2, not reported levels. A\B\C is qualified.
Candidates can choose the exam level that suits their own level to apply for. Generally, it is recommended to start from the intermediate level.
There is no so-called score line for TOEIC. Each company has different score standards. Generally speaking, a score of 800 or more is considered a high score.
Test classification: ①Reading + listening (the choice of most domestic candidates); ②Speaking + writing
Examination characteristics: The questions are not difficult, but the amount of questions is large and the time is short, it is not easy to think about high scores.
Certificate validity period
Generally speaking, the validity period of TOEIC scores is 2 years, and the BEC certificate is valid for life.
However, some companies will recognize the TOEIC score within 3 years, depending on the specific circumstances.
Difficulty and characteristics
BEC: BEC is based on elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. The difficulty is equivalent to the level of junior four to junior eight, and the question types are diverse. High gold content, is synonymous with “workplace English, business English”. Theory and synthesis are only more demanding.
TOEIC: The difficulty of TOEIC’s questions is close to the standard of 4-6 levels. It seems that there are no particularly difficult questions. However, the test time is short and the amount of questions is large. It is difficult to get a high score. More emphasis on practicality and application.
Which one should I test?
In fact, in addition to the extremely professional skills in English, this kind of language proficiency test, the test scope will not have too much skill span. There is no conflict between taking the exam first and then taking the exam. If you have plenty of time, I suggest you all try it. If there is not enough time, you can choose the appropriate exam according to your industry and business needs. Wait for time to take another test. And if you are still studying temporarily, you can consider preparing for the BEC first, and then taking the TOEIC when you need it or when you are about to graduate. After all, TOEIC still has a certain validity period, and TOEIC has an exam every month. The main problem is not the difficulty but the amount of questions; and BEC only has twice a year, so you need to plan ahead and prepare carefully.
Sometimes, English ability not only allows us to stand out in some opportunities, but also brings some tangible benefits. Whether it is the BEC Business English Test or the TOEIC Test, as long as you decide to apply for the test, you must use your full strength and go all out. The editor of Hujiang hopes that everyone can pass the exam and realize their dreams.
