This document provides guidance on using a speaking test to assess a student's English proficiency level and determine which book from the Business Result series to use. It outlines questions and role-play tasks at different levels from elementary to advanced to test a student's speaking abilities. Examiners should start with the elementary level questions and progress to higher levels until the student struggles, indicating their proficiency level. The test assesses speaking only and should be used alongside a written placement test.

1. Business Result | Speaking test
How to use the Speaking test
Begin by asking the student questions at elementary level. If the student answers confidently,
move onto the questions or the role-play task at pre-intermediate level (you will need to
participate in the role-play tasks). Continue in this way until the student noticeably finds the
questions or the role-play difficult – whichever level this is indicates which book the student
should be using, based on their spoken English.
Level What a student can do at this level Questions / role-play tasks for this level
Elementary A student at this level can
• answer questions about personal
and work-related information
(name, company, nationality, job-
title, department, products, services)
• meet and greet a visitor
• talk about basic topics (work, free-
time activities)
• talk about events in the past and
future such as basic career history
and plans for future
• deal with and share details related
to information on schedules,
projects, timetables, and
correspondence.
• What’s your name?
• Which country / Where are you
from?
• What’s your job?
• What does your company produce /
provide?
• What time do you start work? Tell
me about your typical day.
• When did you join the company?
• What project are you working on at
the moment?
• When is your next holiday? Where
are you going to go?
• What do you do in your free time?
Tell me about your family / home /
interests.
Pre-
intermediate
A student at this level can
• ask and answer questions about
personal and work-related
information
• talk about a range of topics
including customers, products,
services, and competition
• present key information about his /
her company or area of business
• ask a visitor information and make
general conversation
• deal with basic telephone calls,
especially when initiating the call.
• What’s your job title? What are your
responsibilities?
• Tell me about your products /
services (price, quality). Who buys
them? Who are your competitors?
• How big is your company? Tell me
about the company’s history and
future plans.
Role-play task
I’m a visitor at your company.
Introduce yourself to me and ask me
three questions.
Intermediate A student at this level can
• explain and ask about recent events
and changes
• talk about a range of topics
including technology, processes, and
performance
• participate in meetings and give
reasons, opinions, and plans
• make quite formal as well as
informal presentations and deal
with straight-forward questions
• deal with a variety of situations on
the telephone, including answering
questions or dealing with problems.
• Give a short presentation about
your company. For example, its
history, products, locations, etc.
• What have been some of the big
changes at your company recently?
What have been the results? What’s
your opinion on the changes?
• How has technology changed your
life in recent years (at work and at
home)? Do you think it’s a good
thing?
Role-play task
I’m a customer and I telephone you to
complain about a late delivery. I want
you to deal with my complaint.
Use this test to establish which
level of Business Result to use
with your student(s). Note that
this test only indicates the
level of speaking and should
be administered in conjunction
with the written placement
test available on the teacher’s
website.
© Oxford University Press 2009 Business Result

2. Business Result | Speaking test
Level What a student can do at this level Questions / role-play tasks for this level
Upper-
intermediate
A student at this level can
• interact quite fluently and
spontaneously on a variety of
topics, e.g. ethics in business,
motivation, outsourcing, etc.
• participate in meetings and
discussions where he / she will
give views, is able to state both
advantages and disadvantages, and
make recommendations
• present complex information and
handle difficult questions
• summarize key points based on
texts or documentation.
• How important are teams where
you work? What are some ways to
motivate a team?
• How much do you deal with
people from other countries (give
examples)? Do different cultures do
business in different ways?
• Think of a problem you had to deal
with recently. What happened?
How did you solve it? Do you
think you could have approached it
differently?
Role-play task
Imagine I’m a new customer.
Convince me to use your products
or services instead of your main
competitor’s.
Advanced A student at this level can
• easily interact with both native and
non-native speakers on all topics
of conversation including quite
abstract topics
• initiate repair strategies where
misunderstanding occurs
• express him / herself fluently
without much searching for
expressions
• formally negotiate aspects of
business, such as contracts
• implement managerial initiatives
and leadership in English through
presentations or in meetings.
Note to examiner:
If a student has successfully answered
the questions and completed the tasks
at all previous levels with no difficulty,
then they can be placed at this level
for speaking.
© Oxford University Press 2009 Business Result