BEC Vantage - Diagnostic test

This test gauges the level of preparedness of candidates for the BEC Vantage exam. Allow 45 minutes.
READING (2 parts - allow 15 minutes)
Part One
Read the article about business meetings. Choose the correct word (A, B, C or D) to fill each gap.
What are meetings really for?
We have all come out of a meeting thinking, What was that all about? or What a (0) ______ of time that
was! Worse than that, many of us often have these thoughts during the meeting, in which (1) _________
we either start daydreaming or we start thinking about other jobs that we have to do. Some companies
have even (2) __________ laptops and Blackberries from meetings so that participants wont be tempted
to (3) _______ with other work.
So whats the answer? How do we ensure that meetings are useful and (4) __________ ? The first thing
is to have very clear (5) __________. Is the aim of the meeting to collect ideas? Is it to present new
information? Is it to (6) _________ a decision on something? Or is it, as is often the case, to get people
to support a decision that has already been taken?
The next (7) ________ is to ask yourself if a meeting is the best way to achieve this aim. It could be just
as effective, and probably a lot cheaper, to communicate the message by e-mail or just by calling the
various people (8) __________ .
If you do decide to call people together for a meeting, make sure of two more things: first, that, before
the meeting, you circulate the (9) __________ , so that everyone can be prepared; and secondly that
during the meeting people speak (10) __________ and in clear, plain language.
0

A loss

e.g. B waste C lack

D occupation

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

A case
A cancelled
A going on
A producing
A objectives
A arrive
A pace
A implied
A menu
A briefly

B way
B stopped
B get on
B produced
B objects
B gain
B step
B relevant
B discussion
B shortly

D time
D prevented
D take on
D productive
D points
D reach
D period
D including
D agenda
D slightly

C example
C banned
C hold on
C productivity
C meanings
C agree
C phase
C concerned
C list
C rapidly

Part Two
Read the article about organisations. In most of the lines 11 15 there is one extra word. It is either
grammatically incorrect or does not fit in with the meaning of the text. Some lines, however, are correct.
If a line is correct, write CORRECT next to it.
If it is incorrect, write the unnecessary word next to it.

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00
0
11
12
13
14
15

Correct
out
______
______
______
______
______

Organisations are rather like families. Some have leaders (parents) who are very
well suited to the job of getting the best out from their employees (children). In
other cases those responsible have no idea how to manage a group of people,
because their own leaders did not never provide a good model for them to follow.
So bad habits and practices can be passed on from one generation to the another.
That is why the board of directors, if a company is not performing well, it will
replace all of senior management in an attempt to change the culture of the
organisation.

WRITING (allow 10 minutes)

Read the question and then look at the candidates answer below. It is too formal and too long.
Change the underlined phrases to make it shorter and more informal. (Use the spaces provided.)
Question One
You are on a sales trip for your company, a furniture manufacturer. A customer has asked for a
quotation for 100 tables. You do not know the price for this type of table, because it is very new.
Write an e-mail to Sylvia Young, your colleague at the head office:
explaining the situation
asking her to send the quotation to the customer.
Write 40 50 words.
Dear Ms Young,
e.g._Dear Sylvia___ (0)
A customer with whom I had a meeting yesterday has requested that we supply a quotation for 100
___________________________________________________________________________ (1)
of the new Svardik tables.
Unfortunately, the information I need, namely the new price list, is on my desk at the office, not with me.
___________________________________________________________________________ (2)
Would you be so kind as to send him a quotation directly?
___________________________________________________________________________ (3)
The name of the customer in question is Gerald Amor and he can be contacted on the following e-mail
address: gamor@dv8.com.
___________________________________________________________________________ (4)
I am most grateful to you for your help.
___________________________________________________________________________ (5)
SPEAKING (allow 10 minutes)
Study the question from Part Three of the Speaking test. Then complete the conversation
between the candidates. Use ONE word per space.
Your company has been invited to participate in a careers fair at a university. It is an opportunity to
present the company to graduates who are looking for a job. Discuss together:
- what information you should present to these young graduates
- how you can make the company attractive to them.

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Summertown Publishing is an imprint of Marshall Cavendish Education

Candidate A: OK. So, (0) _as__ you know, the company has been invited to participate in the Careers
Fair at the university. We (1) ______ to decide what information to present. What do you
(2) _______?
Candidate B: (3) _____ me, the important (4) _______ is to have a really colourful and interesting
display so that we attract people to the stand in the first (5) _______ .
Candidate A: Yes, I know. But before (6) ______ about that, we should discuss what information these
graduates want.
Candidate B: OK. I think they want to know what its like to work in a big company (7) ______ ours. (8)
_____ example, do people do the same job for years and years? Or do they have
opportunities to change job and even location?
Candidate A: I (9) ________ with you. If we could present to them one employees personal story, that
(10) _______ be really helpful.

LISTENING (allow 10 minutes)

You will hear TWO telephone conversations or messages.
Write one or two words or a number in the numbered spaces on the notes or forms below.
You will hear the recording twice.
MEDICARE SUPPLIES
Internal Message
From:
To:
Re:

Sarah Brown
Jimmy White
Next weeks Trade Fair

- Opening times for exhibitors are Sunday, 3 (1) _______ pm and (2) _____________ , 6 9 am.
- There is an (3) ___________ car park on the corner of (4) _____________ Street and Eden Drive.
- From there, you can take the (5) ______________ to the main exhibition hall.

Telephone Message
From:
To:
Re:

Carrie
Bill Srebotnik
Customer order

Mr John (1) _____ received his hi-fi (2) ________ late. He says there is no (3) _________ with the unit.
The model is a (4) _______ 3760. I said you would call him again (5) ___________ .

Marshall Cavendish Ltd.

Summertown Publishing is an imprint of Marshall Cavendish Education