BULATS
An Introduction
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What is BULATS?
BULATS stands for the Business Language
Testing Service.
• Designed to help companies find out the
level of language skills among
 their staff,
trainees or
job applicants.
• Assesses language skills which are needed for
the workplace and for students and employees on
language courses
• Helps professional/business courses where
foreign language ability is an important element of the
course.
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BULATS is a multilingual test
Offers parallel tests in English, French, German
and Spanish.
 Tests of English are produced by the University
of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
 French - by the Alliance Françoise,
 German by the Goethe-Institute
 Spanish by the Universidad de Salamanca.
The service is co-ordinated by Cambridge
ESOL, which has been producing language
examinations since 1913 and delivers over a
million assessments a year in 130 countries.
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Why use BULATS?
• Evaluating the language skills of staff
within a company
A company decides it wants a complete
language profile of its staff. BULATS can be
used to test some or all employees. The service
can also be used at regular intervals to monitor
the company's language profile.
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Why use BULATS?
• Evaluating the language skills of job
applicants
A company is recruiting staff to work in its
international sales department. BULATS
provides a simple way of testing prospective
employees and providing the company with an
up-to-date and accurate assessment of
language ability.
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Why use BULATS?
• Placing learners on suitable courses
for language training
A business college provides language
training courses for its students and needs
to place them in courses at the right level.
BULATS can be used to place the
students on suitable courses.
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Why use BULATS?
• Screening learners who are unsuitable
for the training courses provided
A company wants to concentrate its language
training on employees who are already close to
the level of language required. BULATS can
provide a test to screen off unsuitable
candidates and so help make best use of
resources available.
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Why use BULATS?
• Evaluating language training given
The training division of a company needs to
assess the quality of language training being
provided by an external training organisation.
BULATS can be used to test people at the
beginning and end of the course to monitor
progress.
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Why use BULATS ?
• Pre-testing
BULATS can be used as a pre-test before
other exams
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The range of BULATS
BULATS provides a range of tests to meet different
needs:
1. The Computer Test - a fast, accurate test of
listening, reading and language knowledge
(Grammar & Vocabulary) – length depends on
the ability of the candidate
2. The Standard Test - a paper-based alternative
to the computer test (110 min)
3. The Speaking Test - face-to-face evaluation of
speaking skills (12 min)
4. The Writing Test- thorough evaluation of writing
skills in a business context (45 min)
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The range of BULATS

1.
2.
3.
4.
All 4 tests:
Computer Test
Standard Test
Speaking Test
Writing Test
can be used independently or in various
combinations. This principle of flexibility
allows BULATS to customize the service
for different situations.
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What level is BULATS?
• BULATS assesses candidates across the
whole spectrum of levels
• The majority of tasks are at intermediate
and upper intermediate level
• Candidates at elementary and lowerintermediate levels will find parts of the
test difficult
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What level is BULATS?
ALTE
Levels
Level 5
Level 4
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Level 0
(CEF) BULATS
Levels scores
C2
C1
B2
B1
A2
A1
Level
ESOL
at these
levels
90–100 Up Advanced CPE
75–89 Advanced
CAE,BEC H
60–74 Upper Interm FCE,BEC V
40–59 Intermediate PET,BEC P
20–39 Elementary
KET
–
0–19
Beginner
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What level is BULATS?
BULATS
scores
Cambridge
ESOL exams
IELTS
level
90-100
CPE
7.5
CAE
7.0
6.5
250
232
6.0
213
5.5
196
5.0
173
75-89
60-74
FCE
40-59
PET
4
20-39
KET
3
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TOEFL
Computer
What is in the Computer Test?
• There are eight types of questions and
they assess
listening,
reading and language knowledge
(grammar/vocabulary) skills.
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Listening Tasks
• Listen and Select
Candidates listen to a short recording and answer a
short multiple choice question.
•
Listen and Select (Graphic)
The choice is between three pictures or images.
• Extended Listening
Candidates listen to a longer recording and answer a
series of multiple choice questions based on it.
The questions are presented in the same order as the
information in the text.
• You can hear the listening recordings twice.
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Reading and Language Knowledge
Tasks
• Read and Select
Candidates are presented with a notice, diagram, label, memo or letter containing
a short text.They choose a phrase that most closely matches the meaning of the
text.
• Extended Reading
Candidates read a longer text and answer a series of multiple choice questions
based on it.The questions are presented in the same order as the information in
the text.
• Multiple Choice gap-fill
Candidates choose the best word or phrase to fill gaps in a text. Four choices for
each gap.
• Open gap-fill
Candidates complete blanks in a text by typing in the missing word.
• Gapped sentences
Candidates complete gaps in a sentence by choosing the correct word or phrase.
There are four choices for each gap.
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Key features of BULATS?
• Flexibility in its delivery
Tests available on demand
Tests suit clients’ needs
Tests can be administered on site
Fast turn-around of results
Range of 4 Tests on offer
administered independently or in
combination
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What level is BULATS ?
• Upper-Advanced - Fully operational of the language in most
business and work situations, e.g. in the workplace can argue a
case confidently justifying and making points persuasively.
• Advanced - Good operational command of the language in a range
of business and work situations, e.g. can participate effectively in
discussions and meetings.
• Upper-Intermediate - Generally effective command of the language
in a range of familiar situations, e.g. can make a contribution to
meetings on practical matters, but is unlikely to follow a complex
argument.
• Intermediate - Limited but effective command of the language in
familiar situations, e.g, can take part in a routine meeting on familiar
topics, particularly in an exchange of simple factual information.
• Elementary - Very limited command of the language in a range of
familiar situations, e.g. can understand and pass simple messages.
• Beginner - Very limited command of the language. Candidates аt
this level may know some phrases but cannot communicate in the
language.
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Who is BULATS suitable for?
• The test is carefully designed to be
suitable for a wide range of people at work –
technicians, secretaries or managers, in
banking, in education or in manufacturing, in
administration, research or marketing.
• BULATS does not require any previous business
experience, and so it is also suitable for students
who may need to use the foreign language in
the future.
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Users of BULATS
• Testimonials
BULATS is used by a wide range of companies
and organisations in different sectors. These
companies include well known international
companies as well as small and medium sized
businesses.
• Airbus
Emirates Group
Hitachi
Italia Lavoro
UNDP
Wipro
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Agents
• BULATS is administered
through a network of authorised BULATS
agents. Agents are approved to sell the full
range of BULATS tests to customers.
Agents have information about BULATS
including prices and availability of tests. Agents
can also offer a demonstration of the computer
test.
• CenterCom has become an Agent since 08.2006
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Examples of Corporate
Recognition in Russia
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Promix - BEC Preliminary
Axmor Software - PET
• Russky Alyuminy (RusAl) BEC Preliminary
Canon
- PET
• Sonic Duo - FCE
Caterpillar
- FCE
Edmins Group - BEC Higher • Star Software Corporation –
FCE
Hydroproject Institute - FCE
• TNK-BP PET, BEC Vantage
International Moscow Bank
(IMB)
- BEC Vantage • Volskcemen – PET
• Waterhill Recruitment
Marine Agent Ltd - BEC
Services BEC
Vantage
Vantage
Millennium Distribution - PET
Novosoft LLC - BEC Vantage • World Bank - BEC Higher
• Yukos Oil Company - FCE,
Philip Morris Management
Services Ltd
- BEC
CAE
Preliminary
• Zao Smarts - FCE
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Assessment of language skills
• BULATS provides a rapid, accurate assessment
of language skills in English, French, German
and Spanish and is linked to the five-level scale
for language assessment established by the
Council of Europe.
• It involves a computer-based test, backed up by optional
tests of writing and speaking skills in a business context.
It is provided by four members of the ALTE - the
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate,
Alliance Française, Goethe-Institut and Universidad de
Salamanca It is already in use by businesses and
training organizations in Europe, the Far East and Latin
America.
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price
•
•
•
•
•
10-50
Computer test
Standard test
Speaking test
Writing test
1850
1700
1000
1150
25
51-300
1600
1550
900
1050
301-1000
1400
1300
800
850
Web site
• http://www.bulats.org/
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