English for life - An Introduction to Cambridge ESOL Exams

Every year around 1.5 million people take Cambridge exams in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) to improve their employment prospects, to seek further education to prepare themselves to travel or live abroad, or because they want an internationally recognised certificate showing the level they have attained in English.

Cambridge exams are known all over the world and are recognised by universities, employers and national education authorities in many countries. They are run by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL) - one of the world's leading providers of exams for learners of English.

Cambridge ESOL exams can be taken by anyone whose first language is not English. They are suitable for learners of all nationalities, whatever their first language and cultural background.

The exams cover all the four language skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing. They include a range of tasks which assess candidates' ability to use English, so that in preparing for the exams, candidates develop the skills they need to make practical use of the language in a variety of contexts. Above all, the Cambridge exams assess the candidates' ability to communicate effectively in English.