English for Business Preliminary Level

Syllabus
Effective from January 2006
ISBN: 9781446932728
All the material in this publication is copyright
© Pearson Education Limited 2017

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INTRODUCTION

Pearson is a leading international awarding body that was formed through the merger of the
London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Examinations Board (LCCI) and GOAL, a leading
online assessment provider. Pearson now delivers LCCI International qualifications (LCCI IQ)
through a network of over 5000 registered centres in more than 120 countries worldwide. Our
range of business-related qualifications is trusted and valued by employers worldwide and
recognised by universities and professional bodies.

English for Business Preliminary Level

Aims

The aims of this syllabus are to enable candidates to develop their basic linguistic ability, in a
predictable business English context, to:

 identify basic data, facts and instructions

 produce basic, formulaic text

 listen and understand short, basic, business-related English conversations and

announcements

 understand basic, spoken and recorded business English

 participate in short conversations in routine contexts.

Target Audience and Candidate Progression

This qualification is intended for candidates who wish to

 Gain a recognised English qualification at the equivalent of Council of Europe A1

(Breakthrough) level

 Progress to LCCI IQ Level 1 in English for Business at the equivalent of Council of

Europe A2 (Waystage) level.

Further progress can be made up to Level 4 of this qualification. Each of these levels builds on
the previous one and provides a consistent extension to the levels of skill and knowledge
developed at the previous level.

Level of English Required

This qualification is intended for candidates who have achieved a fundamental understanding
of English is a business context and who have the ability to use the language in a practical way
at a very basic level.

Note: The equivalences shown above are specific to a pass grade at the respective EFB level.
A Merit or distinction is considered to be equivalent of one Council of Europe Framework (CEF)
level higher than that of a pass (e.g. a preliminary merit/distinction = CEF A2).

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Structure of the qualification

This qualification has three parts, one part is compulsory, the other two parts are optional.
The LCCI IQ Preliminary Level Certificate in English for Business will be awarded to candidates
who successfully complete the learning outcomes and assessments for the following part:

 Reading and Writing (compulsory)

An additional certificate will be awarded to candidates who successfully complete the learning
outcomes and assessments either one or both of the following parts:

 Speaking (optional) – formally referred to as EFB oral test

 Listening (optional)

Syllabus Topics

Reading and Writing

1 Basic office or place of work descriptions

2 Basic jobs and roles in a work context

3 Basic social language within a business context

4 Basic work or business-related instructions and directions

5 Simple numerical information

6 Standard business or work-related messages

For a full breakdown of these topics, refer to syllabus topics 1 to 6 and the associated learning
outcomes that are shown on pages 8 – 9 of this document.

Speaking

The English for Business Speaking Test is a test of English with a commercial and business
focus, so candidates will be tested for their competence in English within a general business
and/or commercial context. The topics for the oral test are as follows:

1 Earning a living
2 Production and sale of goods
3 Trade
4 Money
5 Transport
6 Communications
7 Education
8 Travel and tourism

Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a level of linguistic competence as outlined in

syllabus topics 7 to 10 and the associated learning outcomes that shown on pages 9 – 16 of
this document.

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Listening

The English for Business Listening test is a test for English with a commercial and business
focus, so candidates will be tested for their competence in a general business and/or
commercial context. The topics for the listening test are as follows:

1 Personal information
2 Travel information
3 Work information
4 Business transactions
5 Instructions
6 Arrangements

Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a level of listening competence as outlined in

syllabus topic 11 and associated learning outcomes shown on page 16 of this document

Guided Learning Hours

Pearson recommends that 60-70 Guided Learning Hours (GLHs) provide a suitable course
duration for an ‘average’ candidate at this level. This figure includes direct contact hours as well
as other time when candidates’ work is being supervised by teachers. Ultimately, however, it is
the responsibility of training centres to determine the appropriate course duration based on their
candidates’ ability and level of existing knowledge. Pearson experience indicates that the
number of GLHs can vary significantly from one training centre to another

ASSESSMENT
Assessment Objectives

The examination will assess the candidate’s ability to:

Reading and Writing

 identify relevant data, facts, and instructions appropriately from simple texts

 take any action necessary from the stimulus material

 refer to a dictionary or other reference material to clarify and confirm meaning

 produce basic and formulaic text reasonably accurately using basic structures and
conventions

 convey the meaning of the written material to enable the reader to understand the
message.

Speaking

 provide appropriate oral responses to questions on familiar, personal matters

 answer appropriate questions based on a series of pictures.

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Listening

 demonstrate understanding of simple business-related enquiries, conversations, and

announcements.

Coverage of Syllabus Topics in Examinations

Reading and Writing – Compulsory

Candidates will be assessed by means of a 90 minute examination paper consisting of 3

sections. Section A will concentrate on syllabus topics 1 and 2 above, Section B on syllabus
topics 3 and 4, and Section C will involve tasks related to syllabus topics 5 and 6. Sections A
and B both carry 35 marks, and Section C carries 30 marks.

 Section A will contain a picture of an office or other workplace setting and candidates will
be given 15 ‘tick box’ type questions carrying 1 mark each and 10 short answer questions
carrying 2 marks each, on what is happening in the picture, to demonstrate use of key
structures and concepts

 Section B will contain a 2-person dialogue of about 10 exchanges to provide a reading

comprehension exercise. Candidates will be given 11 questions carrying 1 mark each,
with true or false answers, and 8 questions carrying 3 marks each requiring longer
answers in full sentences.

 Section C will use the dialogue in Section B as a basis for a piece of productive writing.
This will be the completion of a document provided (e.g. a telephone message or memo)
which candidates will use to present selected information to a third party mentioned in the
dialogue. Candidates will also be provided with some additional numerical data which
they will be expected to consult in order to complete the exercise (e.g. a price list or
timetable).

Speaking - Optional

Candidates will be assessed by an 11 minute examination including 5 minutes preparation

time. The examination consists of 2 parts. There are four criteria – fluency, lexis, grammar and
pronunciation – and candidates will be assessed on their performance in both parts. The
assessment tasks are as follows:

 Part 1 consists of a warm up conversation during which the candidate will be asked
about, e.g. study, work ambitions for the future.

 Part 2 requires the candidate to participate in a discussion of the topic selected by the
examiner.

Listening - Optional

Candidates will be assessed via a listening test lasting about 20 minutes. The test comprises
25 short listening tasks, each with a multiple-choice question. There is one mark for each
question.

There are 2 types of tasks:

Task 1 (13 questions). Candidates listen to same question three times, with three different
answers to that question. They have to choose the correct answer (A or B or C).

Task 2 (12 questions). Candidates listen to a short conversation or announcement. They then
read a question about what they have heard, with 4 possible answers marked A, B, C or D.
They have to choose the correct answer.
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Answer Formats

Reading and Writing Test

Unless otherwise requested, candidates will be asked to provide answers in the following
formats:

 multiple choice ‘tick box’ responses

 one-word answers
 True/False answers
 simple sentence answers
 completion of a document such as a telephone message or a memo.

When completing the short answers in Section B and the message in Section C, candidates
should pay attention to good handwriting and layout, correct spelling and punctuation, and
clarity of phrasing.

Mark Allocation

Reading and Writing

Pass 50%
Merit 60%
Distinction 75%

In Section C, marks are awarded for: accuracy in spelling, punctuation, grammar; appropriacy
of content, length, format; clarity of communication.

A typical weighting of the 30 allocated marks would be:

 correct details (names, dates, times, etc) 6 marks

 correct content of message (facts, actions, etc) 12 marks

 clarity of communication of message 6 marks

 accuracy of grammar, spelling etc 6 marks

TOTAL 30 marks

Speaking

Marks are awarded for: fluency, lexis, grammar and pronunciation with 4 possible marks
available for each criterion (i.e. 1 = Fail, 2 = Pass, 3 = Merit, 4 = Distinction).

Fail two or more criteria scored at fail level.

Pass minimum of three criteria scored at pass level (or higher) but failing to meet
merit/distinction requirements.

Merit minimum of three criteria scored at merit level + one at pass (or higher) but
failing to meet distinction requirements.

Distinction minimum of three criteria scored at distinction level + one at merit.

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The weighting of marks for a complete oral examination is:

 fluency 25%

 lexical range and accuracy 25%

 grammatical range and accuracy 25%

 pronunciation 25%

TOTAL 100%

Listening

One mark is awarded for each correct answer.

Pass 12 – 14 marks
Merit 15 – 18 marks
Distinction 19 > marks

Varieties of English

Pearson will accept any of the main varieties of English (British, North American, and
Australasian) in candidates’ answers as long as candidates are consistent in the variety they
use.
Certification

Successful candidates will be awarded the English for Business Preliminary Level on the
achievement of the percentages and grades below:

Pass 50%
Merit 60%
Distinction 75%

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 Support Material

Candidates are allowed to take one dictionary into this examination which may be either
English or foreign language/English; the Pearson cannot undertake to advise on which
dictionaries to choose and candidates make the choice entirely at their own risk. Poor quality
dictionaries may be misleading and, if they frequently have recourse to them, candidates will
lose time looking up words.

For advice on the layout and presentation of the reading and writing test, candidates are
recommended to refer to the past question papers and corresponding model answers which
are available from Pearson. For the listening and speaking tests, candidates are
recommended to refer to the Guidance Document for English for Business Optional Tests.
Sample items for the listening test and sample topic sheets for the speaking test can be found
within the appendices of this document. In addition, a listening test sample questions CD and
a speaking test tutorial CD are available from Pearson. The speaking test tutorial CD has
been developed to be used in conjunction with the speaking test sample topic sheets.

How To Offer This Qualification

To offer this qualification you must be an LCCI IQ registered examination centre. To gain centre
approval please contact Customer Support on 08700 818008 between the hours of 0830 and
1700 (GMT) Monday to Friday or by email on [email protected]

Alternatively you may contact your Regional LCCI Office or Co-ordinating Authority.

Page 8 of 19
Syllabus Topic Learning outcomes

1 Basic office or place of work Candidates must be able to:

descriptions

1.1 Describe basic office

furniture and equipment

1.2 Describe basic office or

place of work layout

2 Basic jobs and roles in a work Candidates must be able to:

context

2.1 Describe basic job titles

and work relationships

2.2 Explain basic work tasks

3 Basic social language within a Candidates must be able to:

business context

3.1 Exchange basic greetings

and goodbyes in a business context

3.2 Elicit and provide basic

personal information

3.3 Make and respond

appropriately to invitations

3.4 Express gratitude in a business context

4 Basic work- or business-related Candidates must be able to:

instructions and directions

4.1 Explain basic and

common work tasks

4.2 Give basic directions to a

destination

4.3 Give basic directions

within a building

5 Simple numerical information Candidates must be able to:

5.1 Understand a basic timetable or

schedule

5.2 Understand a basic price

list, bill, or invoice

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6 Standard business- or work- Candidates must be able to:
related messages

6.1 Compose a basic memo or note relaying

simple information within a business
context

7 Linguistic competence Candidates must be able to:

(structures)

7.1 Recognise and use the following verb

forms:

7.1.1 the simple present and present

continuous tenses (e.g. I work/I am
working)

7.1.2 the simple past tense (e.g. I

worked)

7.1.3 the simple future tense expressed

by use of the present continuous
tense and a time marker (e.g. I’m
working next week)

7.1.4 simple imperatives (e.g. open the

door)

7.2 Recognise the following verb forms:

7.2.1 the present perfect tense (e.g. I

have worked)

7.2.2 the future expressed with will and

going to

7.2.3 more complex imperatives (e.g.

bring me that file)

7.2.4 the modals can, may, would, must,

and will

7.3 Recognise and use the following types of

adjectives:

7.3.1 possessive adjectives (e.g. my, his,

her)

7.3.2 demonstrative adjectives (e.g. this,

those)

7.3.3 the descriptive adjective very

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 7.4 Recognise a limited range of descriptive,
comparative and superlative adjectives
(e.g. a little, much better, big, small, high,
tall, (-er), (-est))

7.5 Recognise and use the locative adverbs

here and there

7.6 Recognise a limited range of further

locative adverbs (e.g. inside, outside, near,
far)

7.7 Recognise and use the following pronoun

forms:

7.7.1 possessive pronouns mine, yours,

his, hers, ours, theirs

7.7.2 indefinite pronouns something,

anything, nothing, everything

7.7.3 relative pronouns who, which, that

7.8 Recognise and use the following

determiners:

7.8.1 singular demonstratives this, that

7.8.2 simple quantifiers many, some

7.8.3 basic count words (e.g. a bottle of,

a piece of, a cup of)

7.9 Recognise the following determiners:

7.9.1 the definite and indefinite articles

7.9.2 plural demonstratives these, those

7.9.3 a range of quantifiers (e.g. a bit of,

a few, any, more, most, no, half)

7.10 Ask and respond to yes/no questions

7.11 Recognise and use the interrogatives

when, where, why, what, who

7.12 Recognise a further range of interrogatives

(e.g. how far/much/long, which, whose)

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8 Linguistic competence Candidates must be able to:
(concepts)

8.1 Recognise and use the following ways of

expressing existence:

8.1.1 simplest forms of existence (e.g.

there is/is there?)

8.1.2 simplest forms of presence and

absence (e.g. (not) here/(not)
there)

8.2 Recognise the simplest forms of non-

existence (e.g. There isn’t any ...)

8.3 Recognise and use the following ways of

expressing space:

8.3.1 geographical location north, south,

east, west

8.3.2 simple directions left, right

8.3.3 basic prepositions (e.g. up, down,

in, out, to, from, into)

8.4 Recognise the following ways of

expressing space:

8.4.1 distance (e.g. near, far)

8.4.2 a further range of directions

(e.g. straight on, back)

8.4.3 more complex prepositions (e.g.

past)

8.4.4 a further range of verbs (e.g. bring,

follow, send, turn)

8.5 Express present, past and future time

within the limits of the given verb range
(see Section 7.1)

8.6 Recognise and use the following ways of

expressing time:

8.6.1 time divisions including days of the

week and the term weekend

8.6.2 months of the year

8.6.3 seasons of the year

8.6.4 times of day (e.g. morning,

afternoon, evening)

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 8.6.5 use of the term from to express
starting and finishing (e.g. I work
from nine to five)

8.6.6 the simplest forms of frequency

(e.g. always, never)

8.7 Tell the time using the o’clock form

8.8 Recognise the following ways of

expressing time:

8.8.1 late, early

8.8.2 the am and pm forms

8.8.3 the term holidays

8.8.4 sequence (e.g. first, then)

8.8.5 more complex expressions of

frequency (e.g. sometime, often,
not often, on Mondays, every
Monday,
times per week, again)

8.9 Recognise and use the following ways of

expressing number and quantity:

8.9.1 the singular and plural form of

countable nouns (e.g. computers,
desks)

8.9.2 cardinal numbers of up to 4 digits

8.10 Recognise the following ways of

expressing number and quantity:

8.10.1 the singular and plural nature of

uncountable nouns (e.g. money,
weight)

8.10.2 ordinal numbers up to 2 digits

8.10.3 approximations (e.g. it’s about …)

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 8.11 Recognise and use the following ways of
expressing quality:

8.11.1 basic shapes (e.g. square, round)

8.11.2 a range of adjectives concerning

size (e.g. big, small, high, low)

8.11.3 a limited range of weights and

measures:

8.11.3.1 centimetre, metre,

kilometre
8.11.3.2 gram, kilo, ton
8.11.3.3 litre

8.11.4 basic adjectives concerning

temperature hot, cold, warm

8.11.5 the names of basic colours (e.g.

colours of the spectrum, plus black,
white, grey, light, dark)

8.11.6 the names of basic materials

(e.g. gold, silver, leather, wood,
paper, plastic)

8.11.7 the adjectives new and old

8.12 Recognise and use a limited range of

adjectives for expressing evaluation and
opinion (e.g. cheap/expensive, good/bad,
right/wrong, easy/difficult)

8.13 Recognise the comparative forms of better

and worse when an opinion is expressed

9 Linguistic competence Candidates must be able to:

(vocabulary)

9.1 Recognise and use the following personal

and biographical details:

9.1.1 the basic forms of titles used before

names Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms

9.1.2 the basic terms used in an address

(e.g. number, street, road, park,
square, postcode)

9.1.3 the forms of a telephone number

and terms connected with
telephoning (see 10.4)

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 9.1.4 statements of nationality and
means of expressing these (e.g. I
am from….)

9.1.5 simple expressions for gender (e.g.

man, woman, boy, girl)

9.1.6 statements of marital status (e.g. I

am (not) married)

9.1.7 names of immediate family

members (e.g. father, mother,
husband, wife, child, son, daughter,
brother, sister)

9.2 Recognise and use the following basic

terms used in socialising:

9.2.1 forms of greeting (e.g. Hello, Good

morning/afternoon/evening, How
are you?)

9.2.2 the main formal and informal

means of addressing others (e.g.
title and surname/first
name/Sir/Madam)

9.2.3 the basic forms of introduction (e.g.

This is…)

9.2.4 the main forms of taking leave (e.g.

Goodbye/Goodnight)

9.2.5 the main forms of inviting (e.g.

Would you like to…?/Will you…?)

9.2.6 the main forms of accepting and

declining (e.g. Yes please/No thank
you)

9.3 Recognise and use the following terms

connected with accommodation:

9.3.1 types of accommodation (e.g.

house, flat, apartment, room)

9.3.2 basic names of rooms (e.g. living

room, bedroom, kitchen, toilet)

9.3.3 types of furniture (e.g. chair, table,

bed)

9.3.4 names of services (e.g. telephone,

water, gas, electricity)

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 9.4 Recognise and use the main terms
connected with travel (e.g. by air/train/taxi
etc, suitcase, passport, visa)

9.5 Recognise and use the following terms

connected with food and drink:

9.5.1 names of main meals (e.g.

breakfast, lunch, dinner)

9.5.2 names of main categories of

foodstuffs (e.g. meat, vegetables,
fruit, drinks)

9.5.3 the main forms of requesting and

refusing food and drink (e.g. I
would (not) like a/some)

9.5.4 basic terms connected with eating

out (e.g. restaurant, café, bar,
menu, bill)

9.6 Recognise and use the following basic

vocabulary of the workplace:

9.6.1 names of organisations (e.g.

company, college)

9.6.2 places of work (e.g. office, factory,

department)

9.6.3 job titles (e.g. manager, officer,

director, secretary, assistant)

9.6.4 relationships (e.g. colleague, boss)

9.6.5 names of office furniture (e.g. chair,

table, desk, clock)

9.6.6 names of architectural features

(e.g. window, door, lift, stairs)

9.6.7 terms connected with transactions

(e.g. buy, sell, money, tax, price)

9.6.8 names of main national currencies

9.6.9 names of office items (e.g. pen,

notepad, briefcase, calculator,
report, file)

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 9.6.10 correspondence salutation and
close (e.g. Dear…, Yours sincerely,
Best wishes)

9.6.11 terms connected with routines (e.g.

I come to work at…, I go home
at…, I have lunch/coffee at…, I
work from… to …)

10 Linguistic competence Candidates must be able to:

(functions)

10.1 Recognise and use the social conventions

of arriving, departing and greeting (see
3.1)

10.2 Recognise and use basic expressions of

gratitude thanks, thank you (very much)
and apology (I’m (very) sorry)

10.3 Recognise and use the main forms of

communication repair (e.g. (sorry) Could
you say that again please? What is…?
Could you spell that please? Please could
you speak more slowly?)

10.4 Recognise and use the main telephone

expressions (e.g. This is… speaking, I’d
like to speak to… please)

11 Listening competence Candidates must be able to demonstrate their

ability to:

11.1 Follow speech which is slow and carefully

articulated, with long pauses for him/her to
assimilate meaning.

11.2 Understand everyday expressions aimed

at the satisfaction of simple needs of a
concrete type, delivered directly to him/her
in clear, slow and repeated speech.

11.3 Understand questions and instructions

addressed carefully and slowly to him/her
and follow short simple directions.

11.4 Understand numbers, prices and times.

11.5 Understand the alphabet when used to

spell words.

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