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What’s in the Reading paper?
The Cambridge English: Business Higher Reading paper has six parts with different types of texts and questions. For each part, you have to read one long text or two or more shorter, related texts.
Summary
| Time allowed: |
1 hour |
| Number of parts: |
6 |
| Number of questions: |
52 |
| Marks: |
25% of total |
| Length of texts: |
150–600 words per text |
Parts 1–6
Part 1 (Matching)
| What's in Part 1? |
Either a single text which is divided into sections or five short, related texts and a series of statements. You have to match each statement to the section or text where you can find the information. |
| What do I have to practise? |
Reading for gist and global meaning. |
| How many questions are there? |
8 |
| How many marks do I get? |
One mark for each correct answer. |
Practise Part 1
Now try Part 1 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Reading paper.
Part 2 (Matching)
| What's in Part 2? |
A text with six numbered gaps, each of which represents a missing sentence, followed by some sentences (A–H). You have to read the text and the sentences and decide which sentence best fits each gap. |
| What do I have to practise? |
Understanding structure and reading for detail. |
| How many questions are there? |
6 |
| How many marks do I get? |
One mark for each correct answer. |
Practise Part 2
Now try Part 2 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Reading paper.
Part 3 (Multiple choice)
| What's in Part 3? |
A text followed by some multiple-choice questions. These may be either whole questions or incomplete sentences. For each one, there are four options and you have to choose A, B, C or D. |
| What do I have to practise? |
Understanding general points and specific details. |
| How many questions are there? |
6 |
| How many marks do I get? |
One mark for each correct answer. |
Practise Part 3
Now try Part 3 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Reading paper.
Part 4 (Multiple-choice cloze)
| What's in Part 4? |
A text with some numbered gaps, each of which represents a missing word. You have to choose the right word for each gap from four options (A, B, C or D). |
| What do I have to practise? |
Reading – vocabulary and structure. |
| How many questions are there? |
10 |
| How many marks do I get? |
One mark for each correct answer. |
Practise Part 4
Now try Part 4 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Reading paper.
Part 5 (Open cloze)
| What's in Part 5? |
A text with some numbered gaps, each of which represents a missing word. You have to identify the right word for each gap. |
| What do I have to practise? |
Reading – text structure and discourse features. |
| How many questions are there? |
10 |
| How many marks do I get? |
One mark for each correct answer. |
Practise Part 5
Now try Part 5 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Reading paper.
Part 6 (Proofreading)
| What's in Part 6? |
A text in which some lines are correct and some lines have an extra, unnecessary word. If the line is correct, you write 'CORRECT' on your answer sheet. If the line is not correct, you have to write the extra word down. |
| What do I have to practise? |
Reading – understanding sentence structure, error identification. |
| How many questions are there? |
12 |
| How many marks do I get? |
One mark for each correct answer. |
Practise Part 6
Now try Part 6 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Reading paper.
Available as a paper-based test
Available as a computer-based test
Download a free pack of sample papers (zip file)
What’s in the Writing paper?
In the two parts of the Cambridge English: Business Higher Writing paper, you have to show that you can write different types of text in English.
Summary
| Time allowed: |
1 hour 10 minutes |
| Number of parts: |
2 |
| Number of questions: |
Part 1: one compulsory question
Part 2: one question from a choice of three |
| Marks: |
25% of total |
Parts 1–2
Part 1
| What's in Part 1? |
A guided writing task. You have to write a short report (memo or email) based on some input in the form of graphs, bar charts or pie charts. |
| What do I have to practise? |
Analysing graphic information and expressing it in words: describing or comparing figures, making inferences. |
| How many questions are there? |
One compulsory question. |
| How much do I have to write? |
120–140 words |
| How many marks do I get? |
This question has a total of 10 marks. |
Practise Part 1
Now try Part 1 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Writing paper.
Part 2
| What's in Part 2? |
A choice of three questions (2–4): a piece of business correspondence (letter, fax or email), a report (memo or email), or a proposal (memo or email). For the question you choose, you have to read some input material which describes a situation and write the specified response. |
| What do I have to practise? |
Writing a report (describing, summarising), correspondence (explaining, apologising, reassuring, complaining) or a proposal (describing, summarising, recommending, persuading). |
| How many questions are there? |
One question from a choice of three. |
| How much do I have to write? |
200–250 words |
| How many marks do I get? |
This question has a total of 20 marks. |
Practise Part 2
Now try Part 2 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Writing paper.
Available as a paper-based test
Available as a computer-based test
Download a free pack of sample papers (zip file)
What’s in the Listening paper?
The Cambridge English: Business Higher Listening paper has three parts. For each part, you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice.
Summary
| Time allowed: |
About 40 minutes, including time to transfer your answers onto the answer sheet |
| Number of parts: |
3 |
| Number of questions: |
30 |
| Marks: |
25% of total |
Parts 1–3
Part 1 (Note completion)
| What's in Part 1? |
A monologue of 2–3 minutes which contains some information. To answer the questions, you have to take notes or complete sentences using a word or a short phrase (up to three words). |
| What do I have to practise? |
Listening for and noting specific information. |
| How many questions are there? |
12 |
| How many marks do I get? |
One mark for each correct answer. |
Practise Part 1
Now try Part 1 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Listening paper.
Part 2 (Matching)
| What's in Part 2? |
Five short monologues linked by theme or topic, by five different speakers, followed by two tasks which relate to the content and purpose of the monologues. You listen to the recordings and you then have to match each speaker to one of the items (A–H) in Task 1 and one of the items (A–H) in Task 2. |
| What do I have to practise? |
Listening to identify topic, context, function, speaker’s opinion, etc. |
| How many questions are there? |
10 |
| How many marks do I get? |
One mark for each correct answer. |
Practise Part 2
Now try Part 2 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Listening paper.
Part 3 (Multiple choice)
| What's in Part 3? |
A conversation/interview/discussion between two or more people and some multiple-choice questions. You listen to the recording and then choose the correct answer from three options (A, B or C). |
| What do I have to practise? |
Listening for gist, specific information, attitudes, etc. |
| How many questions are there? |
8 |
| How many marks do I get? |
One mark for each correct answer. |
Practise Part 3
Now try Part 3 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Listening paper.
Face-to-face Speaking test
Download a free pack of sample papers (zip file)
What’s in the Speaking paper?
The Cambridge English: Business Higher Speaking test has three parts and you take it together with another candidate. There are two examiners. One of the examiners (the interlocutor) conducts the test and the other examiner (the assessor) listens to what you say and takes notes.
Summary
| Time allowed: |
16 minutes per pair of candidates |
| Number of parts: |
3 |
| Marks: |
25% of total |
| You have to talk: |
with the examiner
with the other candidate
on your own |
Parts 1–3
Part 1 (Interview)
| What's in Part 1? |
Conversation with the interlocutor. The interlocutor asks you questions on a number of personal or work-related subjects. |
| What do I have to practise? |
Giving personal information and expressing opinions. |
| How long do we have to speak? |
About 3 minutes |
Practise Part 1
Now try Part 1 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Speaking paper.
Part 2 (Long turn)
| What's in Part 2? |
A 'mini-presentation' on a business theme. The examiner gives you a choice of three topics (A, B or C). You have 1 minute to prepare to give a speech lasting approximately 1 minute. Listen carefully when your partner speaks as you have to ask a question when they have finished. |
| What do I have to practise? |
Talking on your own about something: giving information, and expressing and justifying opinions. |
| How long do we have to speak? |
About 6 minutes |
Practise Part 2
Now try Part 2 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Speaking paper.
Part 3 (Collaborative task)
| What's in Part 3? |
A discussion with the other candidate. The examiner gives you a business-related situation with two discussion points to talk about. You have to talk to the other candidate about the situation and decide together what to do. The examiner will then extend the discussion. |
| What do I have to practise? |
Turn-taking, negotiating, collaborating, exchanging information, expressing and justifying opinions, speculating, comparing and contrasting, agreeing and/or disagreeing, etc. |
| How long do we have to speak? |
About 7 minutes |
Practise Part 3
Now try Part 3 from the sample Cambridge English: Business Higher Speaking paper.