| 1. | Why should I take a Cambridge Examination? |
| | Cambridge qualifications enjoy a very high level of international recognition both by universities and employers as evidence of the appropriate standards in English. All written papers are returned to the UK for marking to ensure worldwide standardisation and reliability. Questions and tasks are based on meaningful language and real-life activities so the language studied is useful outside the classroom. All four language skills are tested separately but averaged across the papers allowing strengths to balance weaknesses. There is an extensive range of publications, handbooks and exam preparation texts to support either the classroom teacher or candidates who are not studying at a school. All tests include a live paired interview with two examiners, all of whom are trained, standardised and experienced. Over 500,000 candidates each year worldwide. |
| 2. | Am I eligible? |
| Cambridge Examinations are specifically designed for speakers of languages other than English. |
| 3. | Do I have to attend a course to be able to sit a Cambridge Examination? |
| No. However it is a good idea to prepare thoroughly for the examinations and this may be best achieved by attending a preparation course. A list of schools in Australia offering accredited Cambridge preparation courses is available from the NEAS (National ELICOS Accreditation Scheme) website www.neas-accred.com or from the English Australia website www.englishaustralia.com.au (see also our Useful Links page) If preparing on your own, textbooks with practice tests and other materials are available from good language bookshops. (see our Bookstores page) |
| 4. | Which examination should I take? |
| The best way to decide is to talk to a language teacher at a school about your level of English. You can try doing some practice tests to see how you go. Go to our About the Exams page, with hyperlinks to the Cambridge website and more detailed information about each of the examinations. |
| 5. | Can I enrol for a language course at your centre? |
| No. We are only responsible for the enrolment and examination procedures. Check our Useful Links page for information on language schools in Australia and refer to question 3 on this page. |
| 6. | Can I enrol now and pay later?
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| No. Payment is required at the time of enrolment. We do not accept or process enrolments without proof of payment. |
| 7. | Can I enter for more than one exam at the same time? |
| Yes. However you must complete a separate entry form for each exam and pay a separate fee. N.B. The FCE and CAE exams are held on the same day in March, so you may not enter for both exams. |
| 8. | Can I transfer my entry from one session to a later one or to a different level, or to a different city in Australia? |
| No. |
| 9. | Can I withdraw or cancel my enrolment and receive a refund? |
| There is no provision for refunds once an entry has been made and a receipt issued. Your examination papers will be sent from Cambridge and back again even if you do not sit the examination. If you have an illness and a medical certificate to show this, you may be able to receive a partial refund. Refunds are at the discretion of the Local Secretary. |
| 10. | Can I give my place to someone else? |
| No. No candidate may be substituted for another. |
| 11. | Will all the examinations offered run every session? |
| If, after the closing date for enrolments, there are not enough candidates entered for the one examination, that examination may not run. If this is the case, you will receive a full refund. |
| 12. | If I do not pass can I sit the examination again at another time? |
| Yes. There is no limit to the number of times you can sit the same examination and a fail in any examination will not be recorded on any future Statements of Results. |
| 13. | How long do I have to wait for my results and certificate? |
| The results arrive at our office approximately 6 to 8 weeks after the examinations and the certificates follow about 4 weeks after the results. We then send the results and certificates to the language schools for their candidates or to a private address for individual candidates. See the Checklist for Students for more information. |
| 14. | What if I’m leaving Australia before I receive my results and certificate? |
| If you would like your results and certificate delivered to an overseas address, please give your details to your teacher or school. If you are an individual candidate, you will have to pay a small extra fee to cover the cost of the secure overseas delivery. You can do this through our office when you are enrolling for an examination. |
| 15. | What do I do if I don’t receive my certificate? |
| Please note that only candidates who pass their examination will receive a certificate. If you don’t receive your certificate within two months of receiving your results, please contact the school you were studying at, as they are responsible for sending them to you and should do so by some means of secure mail. For individual candidates, please contact Cambridge Examinations: cambridge@cambridgeexams.com.au or call us on (02) 9555 9752. |
| 16. | What do I do if I lose my certificate? |
| If you lose your certificate after you have received it, please contact Cambridge in the UK direct on: http://www.cambridgeesol.org/ You must pay a fee to have it replaced. If it has been more than 12 months since you sat the examination, you may not receive a certificate. In this case, you will receive a Certifying Statement of your grade. |
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