THE SPANISH FOR BUSINESS CERTIFICATE OF
MALAGA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Spanish for Business Certificates are designed to test the level of Spanish used in business, services and administration.
Candidates who wish to sit these exams do not need to have any specific business knowledge as the exams mainly test their ability to communicate in a business context.
These exams are suitable for people who are already in employment and need to communicate with their foreign partners, and also for those who are preparing for a career in business and would like to improve their chances on the job market
As we said earlier, there are two levels of difficulty:

1. The Basic Certificate, an examination for intermediate level candidates already working or preparing to work in a range of business-related jobs, from general office work to production and financial services. This level is equivalent to DELE Intermediate.
2. The Higher Certificate, aimed at students who have already acquired or are acquiring business and/or office skills. Learners at this level are expected to be able to handle complex structures and demonstrate their knowledge of a wide range of vocabulary. This examination is at an advanced level similar to DELE Superior /Higher.

In both levels, the exam consists of five sections:

1. Reading comprehension, lasting 30 minutes in the basic exam and 40 in the higher exam.
   The reading paper comprises the following tasks: multiple choice, matching, sentence gap-filling, multiple choice gap-filling and error identification.
2. Written expression, lasting 50 minutes in the basic exam and 60 minutes in the higher exam. (Tasks may involve writing short texts in the form of memos, warning notes, e-mails, etc., as well as answering letters in the terms specified).
3. Listening comprehension, lasting 30 minutes in the basic exam and 40 minutes in the higher exam.
   The listening section consists of four tasks of the following types: multiple choice, gap-filling and form-filling. The texts used are monologues and dialogues, including interviews, discussions, telephone conversations and messages.
4. Grammar and vocabulary, lasting 40 minutes in both levels.
   (The tasks involved include sentence completion, writing definitions and error detection).
5. Oral expression, lasting 10 minutes in the basic exam and 15 minutes in the higher exam.
   (This test serves to detect the level of spoken ability required in the different situations outlined earlier).
   The Oral Test is conducted by two external examiners and candidates are tested in pairs.
   There are four tasks in which each candidate responds to questions, gives a 'mini-presentation' lasting approximately one minute, takes part in a collaborative task with the other candidate and takes part in a discussion with the other candidate and the examiner.