Cambridge Exams at BBELS: Amazing results in 2019

Posted on by

Cambridge Advanced English (C1) exam results

If you are thinking about studying one of the Cambridge English exams then consider studying here at Byron Bay English Language School. Yes it’s true that we offer a beautiful place to study but more importantly our Cambridge students receive amazingly good success rates.

Looking at the two graphs you can see that in 2019 our Cambridge Advanced (CAE) exam students and our First Certificate (FCE) students achieved results that were higher than the national and international average. Furthermore, our students were higher than average in each component of the exam: listening, reading, speaking, use of English, and writing.

 

Cambridge First Certificate in English (B2) exam results

We are so happy for the students who studied so hard to achieve these results. We are also so proud of our Cambridge teachers who plan and deliver lessons that are obviously so well suited to the needs of the individual students and the challenges of the exams.

Well done to our students and teachers from 2019. We are sure that this success will continue in 2020.

If you would like to know any more information about our exam courses please contact us at info@bbels.com.au or visit our website.

 

 

Fantastic Cambridge Exam Results at BBELS

Posted on by

We are very happy to tell you that our June Cambridge exam students got really great results. 100% of our Cambridge Advanced in English (CAE) students passed their exam, and 90% of our First Certificate in English (FCE) students passed their exam.

These are fantastic results and we hope that the students are pleased with their success. They worked very hard during their 12-week preparation course here at Byron Bay English Language School. Their teachers also worked hard, doing many hours of overtime to help the students succeed.

Here at BBELS our Cambridge students always receive excellent preparation in the CPE, CAE, ad FCE exams. Our teachers are extremely experienced and attend to each of the students’ academic needs to help them pass the exam.

Our next Cambridge preparation courses start on 4th September. If you would like more information about the course please email us at info@bbels.com.au or visit our website.

 

Good luck Cambridge students, welcome new students

Posted on by

Camb

Graduation Day for our Cambridge preparation course class

It’s amazing to think that 10-weeks have passed since our latest group of students arrived to prepare for the Cambridge exams. We wish them luck in their exams and future careers and hope that they enjoy their trips around Australia.

The students left very positive feedback relating to the course and their teacher. One student said I am sad but happy at the same time but above all I am grateful to you guys and our wonderful Cambridge teacher. A thank you is not enough.

P1020430

BBELS continues to be busy. This week we had students arrive from South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Spain, and Japan. It is a great time of year to study at BBELS – Byron Bay has less tourists than usual and the surfing conditions are great.

We hope to see you here soon 🙂

BBELS: Cambridge Results and student testimonials

Posted on by

CPE

Results for our CPE students

The results from the March Cambridge exams have just been released and we are very proud of our students’ achievements. As you can see from the above graph our students did very well in the Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) exam. Congratulations to them and their hard-working teacher.

Below you can read some messages of gratitude written by the students to their CPE teacher:

Thank you very much for everything you did for me and our class. You were an amazing teacher and I am sure that you’re one of the main reasons why I passed the CPE. I remember doubting even trying to pass it, and now I nearly got a B-Grade! Thank you so much for believing in me. Just today, I sent in my application for uni and I’ve decided to become a secondary school teacher instead of teaching at a primaryschool. This gives me the opportunity to choose English as my main subject 🙂

And another:

I passed CPE ! With 214 points (B). Thank you for all your support. And for pushing me!

 

CAE

Results for our CAE students

Results for our Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) students were also fantastic! Every student passed. Those 10-weeks of preparation with their teacher really helped our students reach their goals. Here are some more testimonials from our appreciative students:

I don’t know how but I got an A in writing and passed with 191. This wouldn’t have been possible without you! Big thanks to you again!

And one more:

I passed with 196! 🙂 I’m so glad about it, I think I’d have never passed with such a score without the help of your really good Cambridge course! Thank you so much for it 🙂

FCE image

Results for our FCE students

Finally a big congratulations to our Cambridge English: First (FCE) students. At the beginning of the 10-week course many students doubted they would pass the exam but with their determination and teacher’s guidance they achieved some great results.

These results show that Byron Bay English Language School is a great place to prepare for the Cambridge English exams. Our students get the chance to study with Cambridge teachers who have over 10 years experience in teaching English as a Second Language. One of the Cambridge teachers is a qualified Cambridge speaking examiner and so she can help our students considerably in this part of the exam.

Byron Bay is a beautiful town to live in and it is the perfect place to study. We hope to see you here for our next Cambridge Preparation Course start date on the 13th June.

Why study the IELTS and Cambridge courses at BBELS

Posted on by

Group for FB

Taking one of our test preparation courses at BBELS is a perfect way to pass the Cambridge and IELTS exam. Each of the teachers chosen to teach the courses have had years of experience in preparing students for the exams and therefore our students have a high pass rate.

Before allowing students into our testing courses we ask each student to complete a test which checks their levels. This 1 ½ hour test focuses on speaking, listening, grammar and writing. Students are then put into class depending on their test result. Students need to have completed studies at an Intermediate level in order to be accepted into our IELTS and FCE courses, and potential CAE students need to have completed an Upper-intermediate course. Our careful testing of all students at this early stage means that our classes flow smoothly throughout the duration of the course.

BBELS teachers have regular Professional Development sessions where they share ideas on teaching methodologies related to the various areas of the exams. These professional development sessions always result in the teachers creating new resources for the testing courses. In doing so, the teachers provide their students with lessons that are specifically tailored to the requirements of the exams and our students .

Each week students in the testing classes focus on individual points of grammar and vocabulary that allow them to successfully answer different parts of the exam. Classes are tested each week as a way to check individual student progress. This helps the teacher identify any weaknesses in the students’ comprehension of what has been studied. These tests also familiarise the students with the format of the Cambridge and IELTS exam.

Our testing courses run for 12 weeks with the exception of one 10-week course per year. We believe this is enough time for students to develop their skills in all areas of the exams. As we are an authorised Cambridge testing centre we are able to test our Cambridge students here at the school, this includes the paper-based exams and the speaking exam (this is subject to student numbers). This means our students can take the exam in a familiar environment allowing them to feel relaxed.

Our regular IELTS teacher is also an IELTS examiner so she knows exactly what the students need to know before they take the test. Because of this our IELTS students always do particularly well, with many of them continuing to study at universities in Australia and overseas.

Studying one of our testing courses at BBELS is also a great way for our students to make friends both in and out of the classroom. Students can study in a multicultural classroom with students from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Outside of the classroom students can live in student-houses provided by the school. Here they can live with students from differentschool-classes and countries, expanding their circle of friends in Byron Bay.

BBELS holds regular Friday night parties at the school so that students can meet more people outside their classroom and share-house environment. This is a great way for students to unwind and recharge after a week of study and tests. Activities are also organised by the school each weekend which students can participate in, allowing the students to balance the demands of an exam course with a more relaxed lifestyle.

As Byron Bay is a small town everything is easily accessible by bike or on foot. Students often talk about the friendliness of the townspeople and so they make friends with locals quickly (if they are not too shy). It is common to see students and locals together at cafes and pubs, or surfing at one of our quiet beautiful beaches. Communicating with the locals builds the students’ confidence, something that is very important when they take the exam.

So on both academic and social levels students who choose to study a testing course at BBELS have the potential to do very well. We provide the framework for student success; the rest is up to the hard work and discipline of each individual student.

 

 

 

 

Finding Love at BBELS

Posted on by

IMG_0107¨b

Nadine and Michi on Graduation Day at BBELS

Holiday romances are quite common here in Byron Bay however this next story is especially heart-warming.

In 2010 two students from Switzerland arrived in Byron Bay to study at BBELS. Nadine took the FCE course while Michi took the CAE course. It was love at first sight for these two Swiss nationals (having met at the school cafe). The romance that started here has continued. In fact they have just got married!

The recently contacted us to share their story, writing “We fell in love from the first moment … we are so happy and can’t express the luck that we had in your school. BBELS turned out to be the best decision of our whole life and we really had the best time ever!”

nadine_michi-561

So, could you also find love and happiness at BBELS? Who knows what adventures await you.

Congratulations to our Cambridge Exam Students

Posted on by

cambridge

Image courtesy of Cambridge English

Byron Bay English Language School has had fantastic news regarding the results of our June Cambridge exam students. We are proud of the students who studied so enthusiastically in both the CAE and FCE classes. We are also very proud of our Cambridge teachers who guided the students through the 12 week course.

Every student in the FCE class passed the exam with some exceptional results in all areas of the test. This is now the second time this year that we have had a 100% pass rate for each student taking the FCE exam.

The CAE class also had an extremely high success rate. In fact 30% of the students received a grade A or grade B. Well done!

The results show that Byron Bay English Language School is a place where students who are serious about passing exams will have the professional guidance to achieve their goals. Our school perfectly balances academia with healthy lifestyle experiences such as surfing, swimming, yoga outside of the classroom.

Congratulations to our Cambridge Students

Posted on by

Cambridge 2014

The results have arrived for the students who sat the Cambridge English tests in December. Thanks to the students’ hard work and the dedication of our teachers BBELS has received some fantastic results.

We would firstly like to congratulate Zora Naef for her excellent result in the Cambridge Proficiency Exam. Zora’s Use of English, Reading and Writing tests were graded as “Exceptional” Well done Zora!

Secondly we would like to congratulate the students in our Cambridge Advanced classes. There were some very high results including Gijs Propper and Caterina Schumacher who both received an “A” as their final grade. Congratulations should also go to the 5 other students who recived a “B” and the 14 students who received a “C” grade.

Finally a big congratulations to the students in the First Certificate Classes with 8 students receiving a “B” and 7 students receiving a final grade of “C”.

These students managed to study hard throughout the day and enjoy Byron Bay’s natural environment and relaxed lifestyle after class. We hope that their certificates help them in their future careers and educational pursuits.

 

Choosing between the IELTS and Cambridge Courses

Posted on by

Cambridge_FCE,_CAE,_CPE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students at BBELS often ask us to describe the difference between the IELTS and Cambridge Mainsuite exams (FCE, CAE, CPE).

Choosing between the different courses is important, especially if your objective is related to future academic studies, sponsorhip or national citizenship.

Following is a guide to help you select the course which will provide you with the best outcome.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System):

Why is IELTS useful:

IELTS is important for students who are interested in entering TAFE colleges and Australian and international universities. IELTS is essential for students who wish to immigrate to Australia, Canada and New Zealand. If you want to work in a professional job in Australia, the USA or British commonwealth countries it is also neccessary to do the IELTS exam.

It is generally advised that academic institutions do not accept an IELTS report that is more than 2 years old.

What is the structure of the exam:

Students can elect to sit either the General IELTS exam or the Academic IELTS exam. The General IELTS exam is useful for immigration purposes and to enter non-academic training contexts. The Academic IELTS exam is suited for students who wish to enter universities and professions that use English in the workplace.

The IELTS exam tests 4 skills: speaking, listening, reading, writing. The Academic IELTS exam tests students’ reading and writing ability at a higher level than the General IELTS exam.

Speaking: is divided into General Topics, One Prepared Topic and a Discussion with the examiner.

Listening: consists of a variety of question styles. Using correct spelling is important.

Reading: consists of 3 passages. Question styles include include multiple choice, writing words, matching and summarizing.

Writing: Students will be expected to write papers which Present and Support an Opinion; Discuss Problems/Solutions; balance Two Arguments

Who can study the IELTS preparation course:

The course is open to full-time students in the Upper-intermediate-Advanced levels. Depending on the time of year the course runs for 10-12 weeks. It is a requirement that students commence in the first week of the course for a minimum of 8 weeks. Students must also sit a pre-entry test before commencing the course.

The IELTS test can be taken at the Gold Coast, approximately one hour from Byron Bay.

Cambridge 3
Graduation Day for one of our First Certificate in English classes.

The Cambridge Mainsuite Exams:

Why are the Cambridge exams useful:

The Cambridge exams are useful for work and acdemic purposes.

A pass in the First Certificate in English exam (equivalent to level B2 of the CEFR) indicates an everyday written and spoken ability in English. This is recognised by many international companies and educational institutions.

The Certificate in Advanced English is recognised by over 10,000 employers and colleges worldwide. Furthermore it is approved by the Australian government for student visas.

The Certificate of Proficiency in English is recognised by prestigious universities around the world as evidence of a high level in academic and social English.

The CAE and CPE exams are extremely difficult to pass without studying in a preparation course beforehand.

What is the structure of the exams:
There are 5 sections to the tests: Reading, Writing, Use of English, Listening, and Speaking.

Reading: There are long and short passages with different types of questions. Texts range from newspapers, fiction stories, interviews, advertisements and other media.

Writing: Two different types of writing are required. Possible formats include letters, reports, reviews, essays or short stories.

Use of English: Tasks that show grammar and vocabulary control are tested in this section.

Listening: Questions are asked about a range of recordings including news programs, presentations and conversations.

Speaking: This involves direct answers to an examiner, descriptions of pictures, pair work.

There is no expiry limit to the Cambridge reports.

Who can study the Cambridge preparation course:

The Cambridge courses are open to full-time students in the Upper-intermediate to Advanced levels. Depending on the time of year the courses run for 10-12 weeks. It is a requirement that students commence in the first week of the course. Students must also sit a pre-entry test before commencing the course.

Students are either tested here at BBELS or at the Gold Coast (approximately one hour from Byron Bay).

Our IELTS and Cambridge students always report that their vocabulary and grammatical accuracy improves dramatically throughout the preparation courses. The skills learned in the courses make our students much more employable both here in Australia and in their home country. Students also comment about the sincere friendships that are formed during the 3 months spent studying together.

If you would like to know more about our testing courses please contact today!