Latest News
UPDATED FCE & CAE EXAMS FROM DECEMBER 2008
The First Certificate in English (FCE) and Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) have recently undergone a review, to ensure that they meet the needs of users.
Both examinations have been updated, and the first session of each will take place in December 2008. Please visit the Cambridge ESOL website for more details on the updated FCE exam http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/fce.htm and CAE exam http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/cae.htm.
TOP TIPS for FCE - New from Cambridge ESOL
Top Tips for FCE is a new revision guide from Cambridge ESOL giving some essential advice for each part of each of the five FCE papers (Reading, Writing, Use of English, Listening and Speaking).
The pocket guide (book + CD ROM) is available to purchase from the Cambridge Exams office for $29.95 (incl.GST and p+p within Australia). Please phone the office for more details on (02) 9555 9752.
PROFORMA TAX INVOICE - for schools entering Cambridge Candidates
If you are enrolling candidates from your school for a Cambridge ESOL exam, please use a Proforma Tax Invoice when calculating the fee. You can download the invoice from the Schools section of the website. Please print and complete it, keep a copy for your records, then include it when sending us the enrolment forms and payment.
CANDIDATE SUPPORT - a website for candidates from Cambridge ESOL
Cambridge Support is a website for students who are preparing to take a Cambridge ESOL exam. It contains detailed exam information, sample papers, descriptions of exam levels within the Common European Famework, and a database of organisations and institutions that recognise Cambridge ESOL exams. To visit the website, please go to http://www.candidates.cambridgeesol.org/cs/.
ICFE AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA
ICFE (International Certificate in Financial English) is an examination for accountants and finance professionals requiring English language skills to communicate effectively in international business communities. For more information on the exam please visit http://www.financialenglish.org/. Details of the dates and fees can be found on our Exam Dates and Fees schedules for 2008 and 2009.
ENTRIES FOR THE DECEMBER EXAM SESSION
CLOSING DATE FOR FCE/CAE/CPE ENTRIES: 19 SEPTEMBER 2008
CLOSING DATE FOR BEC ENTRIES: 19 SEPTEMBER 2008
CLOSING DATE FOR PET ENTRIES: 17 OCTOBER 2008
LATE ENTRIES: The final day for late entries is 17 OCTOBER 2008. Late entries should include an $80 late fee. There are no late entries for the PET, BEC or ICFE exams.
Please remember that entries should be sent to us in hard copy.
GET THE SPELLING RIGHT ....
Please try to get the candidate name order and spelling right on the enrolment form. When your entry has been processed, we will send you a list of candidate names to check for omissions and spelling errors; please do this
as quickly as possible, as we need to send the list to Cambridge for exam mark sheets to be printed. We will try to accommodate as many special characters (eg Umlauts, accents) as possible, but there are a few that aren't on the Cambridge system.
If possible, please type candidate names rather than writing them by hand. It is also helpful if a consistent system is used eg. all surnames written in capital letters, or all underlined. This will help us to get candidates names in the right order.
PAYING FEES ELECTRONICALLY
We are happy to accept a transfer of funds direct to our bank account by way of payment, as long as a receipt of the transfer is sent with the entries as proof of the transaction.
Our account details:
Account name: Cambridge Examinations
ANZ Bank, Darling Street, Balmain, NSW Australia
BSB: 012 227
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 4981 301 78
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS - APPLICATIONS
Some candidates require special arrangements for permanent and/or pre-existing disabilities such as dyslexia, profound hearing difficulties and blindness.
Schools must advise us of the disability and supply current documentation (no older that 2 years) at the time of enrolment, as we must in turn apply to Cambridge at this time and no later.
Please be aware that applications for Special Arrangements made with Late Enrolments may not be accepted, due to the time taken for applications to be processed.
By contrast, last minute special arrangements may be required in the case of accidents or unexpected illness. Provided we receive the necessary documentation, we will attempt to accommodate candidates in this situation.
TKT EXAM
Please go to the Cambridge ESOL website to see which Australian Centres offer the TKT exam www.cambridgeesol-centres.org/centres/index.do
ON-LINE RESULTS
Candidates can access their results online approximately 8 weeks after an exam, by going to www.CambridgeESOL-results.org. On the day of the written tests, we provide a letter containing a personalised ID number, secret number, full instructions, and the exact date of results publication. Schools will still receive hard copies of the results, and certificates for successful candidates, to forward to their students.
WANT TO REPLACE THAT LOST CERTIFICATE?
IT MAY NOT BE AS EASY AS YOU THINK.....
DESPATCH OF CERTIFICATES
It goes without saying that successful candidates want to receive their certificates but sometimes this final step in the process receives the least attention. Here is an overview of the procedure which needs to be followed:
STEP 1 All candidates are issued with a Statement of Results about eight weeks after sitting the exam. These come first to us, as the authorised centre, and we then forward them to the supplier schools, i.e. yourselves. The schools then forward them to the candidates.
STEP 2 The certificates for successful candidates are received by us approximately six weeks later. We then despatch them to the schools, by courier or by registered mail and we ask you to fax back a sheet to confirm their receipt.
STEP 3 You despatch the certificates to each of your students. Under the agreement on our block entry form, you undertake to do this by secure means (registered mail or courier). Students should confirm to you that they have received their certificate.
IMPORTANT
If a certificate is lost in the post, (and this needs to be supported by appropriate documentation showing how and when it was despatched) then Cambridge will replace the certificate, at no cost. They will not, however, replace a certificate until at least 6 months have passed after the posting of the original certificate. This is to allow for a full search to be made and is a precaution in case the original is found.
Certificates that have been lost in the post will be replaced free of charge if a written request is received through our office up to 12 months after the despatch, and the waiting period of 6 months has passed. However, certificates not received by the candidate will only be replaced up to 12 months after the despatch of the original. After this time, the candidate may only apply for a Certifying Statement.
Certificates damaged in transit to the candidate will be replaced free of charge, provided that the original is returned to Cambridge within 6 months of sitting the exam. This should be done through our office.
Certificates lost by the candidate will not be replaced. Candidates must apply direct to Cambridge for a Certifying Statement, for which there is a fee. Certificates damaged in fire or floods will be replaced for a fee, providing an incident report/copy of insurance document can be provided. In such cases, the student should apply direct to Cambridge.
PROCEDURES CHECKLIST
DO
• check with the students the week before the exams that the addresses held on file are correct
• tell your students when they should expect to receive their certificate
• tell your students to let you know if they don't receive their certificate by this time
• check that you have received the correct number of certificates from us for your successful students and fax back our letter
• send each certificate by registered mail to the student
• introduce a system for confirming that the student has received the certificate (Australia Post offers a 'signed for' service)
• inform your agents of the Cambridge regulations
DON'T
• send the certificates by ordinary mail
• send the certificates to your agents if you are not positive they can fulfill this secure despatch arrangement
• wait for months before contacting us if you know a certificate has been lost
• give the student the option to choose the means of despatch from Australia
• file the certificates away for 'safe keeping'
Understandably, there is a cost to doing this efficiently, but it is even more costly in the long run if the students do not receive their certificates. Currently an overseas registered C4 envelope is approximately AU$20 which represents a small component of the overall cost of a Cambridge program.
Many thanks!!
TEACHING RESOURCES
Useful teaching resources for Cambridge preparation can be downloaded from this section of the Cambridge ESOL website. If you submit your e-mail address when visiting the site, they will notify you of any updates to the section. Please visit www.CambridgeESOL.org/teach for further information.
back to the top
