Euroexam Genereal English and Business English Level B2
Suitable for those at a higher intermediate level who want to prove their level and/or undertake a degree course at university. Success in the exam shows that the learner can communicate and understand most messages in the target language and can interact in the language.
At this level, Euroexam measures candidates' ability to:
- understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics,
- interact with native speakers without strain for either party.
- produce clear, detailed texts on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
All Euroexams consist of four tests focused on one of the main language skills. First, check the Overview of Tasks, Time Limits and Marks section, then read more about each task in each paper in the 4 tabs below. The tasks are virtually identical in the General English and Business English exams, while in each task of the latter, everything is based on business and professional contexts. The minor task differences are clearly highlighted in the description of the individual tasks below.
Click here for Euroexam's Level B2 Marking Criteria for the Writing and Speaking tests.
The Reading test consists of 3 tasks and takes a total of 50 minutes.
Task 1 – Paragraph Headings
The task tests the candidate’s ability to understand the overall meaning of a paragraph.
Candidates receive a text which can be a narrative, a description or some correspondence consisting of seven paragraphs (one is used as an example), and nine paragraph titles or headlines. The task is to match each heading to the appropriate paragraph (while two headings will not be needed).
Task 2 – Scan Reading
The task tests the candidate's ability to find specific information within a text.
Candidates receive four texts on a single topic and eight statements (one is an example). Each statement contains some specific information from one of the four texts. The task is to decide which text each statement is true for.
Task 3 – Multiple-Choice Reading
The task tests detailed comprehension, overall understanding and interpretation of purpose of text.
This task uses a single text, normally an online article or a blog post, followed by seven multiple-choice comprehension questions or unfinished statements with 4 answer options (A-D).
The Writing test consists of 2 tasks, and takes a total of 70 minutes.
Task 1 – Transactional Writing
The task tests writing abilities in the genre of a purposeful, formal email.
Candidates receive some background information about a situation which requires them to write a formal email in order to achieve a specific purpose: to complain, enquire or apply. The key information is provided in bullet points in the My notes section. Candidates are asked to focus on these points when writing their response in a formal email of approximately 150 words.
EuroPro B2:
Candidates will write an email in a professional or business context and are required to show their awareness of the specific setting and a knowledge of general Business English lexis.
Task 2 – Discursive Writing
The task tests the candidate's ability to present in writing a number of logically connected arguments, opinions in the style appropriate to the chosen genre.
Candidates are given a choice of three topics and write approximately 150 words within the genre given for each topic. The text type could be an essay, a review or an online comment.
EuroPro B2
At the Level B2 business and professional exam, the genre report appears as one of the 4 options (instead of the review).
The Listening test consists of 3 tasks, and takes a total of approximately 35 minutes.
Task 1 – Short Conversations
The task tests the candidate's ability to understand the overall idea.
Candidates hear six short conversations twice. Each one is ralated to the same overall theme (e.g. shopping, entertainment, household etc.). The task is to decide what each dialogue is about. So, candidates have to select six correct answers out of eight options, which best describes the theme of a conversation.
Task 2 – Making Notes
The task tests the candidate's ability to pick out important specific information in a longer text.
Candidates hear an extended monologue, a description, a story or an explanation of a process. The task consists of notes presenting some ideas from the monologue written down on the Question Paper. The sentences contain altogether nine gaps, where specific pieces of information are missing. Candidates have to fill each gap with maximum 3 words which should contain the missing information.
Task 3 – Radio Programme
This task tests understanding the main points, listening selectively for details and identifying features of attitudes from the conversation.
This longer conversation is taken from a talk-show like radio programme, where there is a host and one or two guests (at EuroPro exams, the context is a professional meeting). The task consists of ten multiple-choice questions or unfinished statements, each including three options (A-C).
EuroPro B2: Meeting
The context is an extract from a business or professional meeting of about 2-3 minutes in length with 2 or 3 participants. The candidate answers eight multiple-choice questions (with A-C options) while listening to the recording twice.
The Speaking Test consists of four tasks, and takes approximately 20 minutes, with an additional ten minutes beforehand for preparation for Task 2 when candidates may use printed dictionaries. Candidates are examined in pairs with two examiners present, one acting as an interlocutor, the other as an assessor.
Task 1 – Lead-In and Interview
This task tests candidates' abilties to state opinions, describe experiences, places and people, while warming up for the more complex speaking tasks.
Candidates are first asked two fixed questions about their experience in language learning. The intention is to help them relax and get used to speaking English. The next two questions encourage candidates to give their opinions, explanations, express preferences, and describe people and places. Some possible topics include travel, family, hobbies, education, and relationships.
Task 2 – Picture Story
This task tests the ability to sequence events, describing cause and effect, comparing, describing experiences.
Each candidate receives a picture story, in other words a set of 10-12 images describing a story. The task is to tell the story in 2 minutes. Before meeting the examiners, the candidate has ten minutes to prepare, to take notes (but they should not read aloud from these notes). The opening line of the story is given and the candidate must tell the continuation of the story in past tense. The stories are everyday incidents, with minimal complications, conflicts to explain, so they are relatively simple sequences of events to talk about.
EuroPro B2: Presentation
This task tests the ability to present business processes, arguments and recommendations in a logical structure with the right language and communication tools to a professional audience.
The candidate is expected to imagine a formal business or professional meeting where they are going to give a 2-minute presentation. The situation, some basic data, information to use during the 10-minute preparation stage and then in the presentation are given to the candidate on an Info Sheet.
Task 3 – Transactional Dialogues
This task tests functional expressions like requesting or giving information, asking for clarification, booking some service, confirming or denying, arranging to pay for something.
Each candidate receives three-three role cards, each of which describes an everyday situation: 1) a context (e.g. a café, railway station, public transport etc.) and 2) a communicative purpose (to complain, ask for or give direction, apologise etc.). The interlocutor will also inform the candidate what role they are going to take in the dialogue (e.g. neighbour, shop assistant, friend etc.). With all this knowledge, the candidate will produce an appropriate utterance, then the interlocutor replies in line with the context, and finally the candidate then responds.
Task 4 – Discussion
The task tests the use of a range of skills to argue, provide opinion, while responding to each other's viewpoints.
Candidates receive a topic card with a sentence or question raising a problem or situation. After thinking of and brainstorming a few ideas, the candidates discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various options before coming to an agreement about the most suitable solution or option.
- Can understand extended speech and lectures and follow even complex lines of argument provided the topic is reasonably familiar.
- Can understand most TV news and current affairs programmes.
- Can understand the majority of films in standard dialect.
- Can read articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems in which the writers adopt particular attitudes or viewpoints.
- Can understand contemporary literary prose.
- Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible.
- Can take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts, accounting for and sustaining my views.
- Can present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects related to his/her field of interest.
- Can explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
- Can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects related to his/her interests.
- Can write an essay or report, passing on information or giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view.
- Can write letters highlighting the personal significance of events and experiences.