Spoken English for Industry and Commerce (SEFIC)

What is "Spoken English for Industry and Commerce"?

"Spoken English for Industry and Commerce" (SEFIC) examinations are
designed to meet the spoken business language requirements of candidates
whose mother-tongue is not English.
SEFIC examinations are highly practical one-to-one interviews that assess
a candidate’s ability to communicate in both a social and work environment.
The exam is offered at 5 levels; Preliminary Level, First Level, Second Level,
Third Level and Fourth Level.

Where can I take the SEFIC?

The LCCIEB has over 180 Registered Examinations Centres throughout
Germany. To find your nearest Centre go to the "Exam Centres" page and
look for the Centre nearest your postcode.

When can I take SEFIC?

Spoken english for Industry and Commerce is offered On Demand (contact
your local Centre - see "Exam Centres" page)

How much does SEFIC cost?

All exam prices are listed on the "Exam Prices" page.

How can I prepare for SEFIC?

The LCCIEB have a range of support material available including
" How to Pass" books, syllabus, video, and sample papers. Go to
the "Request Info" page and ask for an information pack. This
includes a sample paper, recommended reading lists, list of
support material available and any other relevant information.

Tell me more about SEFIC...

Below is an overview of the tasks at each level followed by a
detailed description of the examination format and tasks.

Overview of the Structure and Tasks (SEFIC)

Preliminary Level

The Preliminary Level examination takes 20 minutes and is an ideal
target for beginners and a test of a candidate’s ability to ‘survive’
in business English. The examination consists of 4 sections:

• Section A (5 minutes)
  general conversation eg personal history, work, interests.
  
• Section B (5 minutes)
  listening comprehension eg responding to instructions
  and directions given by the examiner.
  
• Section C (5 minutes)
  picture description eg describing an unseen, drawn picture
  (with a business context) supplied by the examiner.
  
• Section D (5 minutes)
  brief, structured dialogue continuing within the business
  context established in Section C. The dialogue will be led
  by the examiner and the candidate will be given a cue card.

First Level

The First Level examination takes 25 minutes. This level is a test of a
candidate’s ability to perform basic tasks and discuss routine work matters
in business English. The examination consists of 5 sections:

• Section A (5 minutes)
  introductory conversation eg general work-related topics.
  
• Section B (5 minutes)
  listening comprehension eg responding to spoken
  instructions/questions given by the examiner.
  
• Section C (5 minutes)
  will deal with the world of work eg the candidate will
  provide information about his/her job and place of work. For
  candidates not in employment a drawn picture (supplied by
  the examiner) depicting characters in a range of fields of
  work will be used. The candidate will choose one of the characters
  and be asked to talk about their job and place of work.
  
• Section D (5 minutes)
  picture description eg the candidate will answer questions
  on a previously unseen, drawn picture (within a business
  setting).
  
• Section E (5 minutes)
  role play, building on the situation depicted in the picture
  for Section D. The candidate will be given a cue card
  outlining the task.

Second Level (Threshold)

The Second Level (or Threshold Level) examination takes 30 minutes. This level
is a test of a candidate’s ability to discuss a variety of common work-related
topics in business English. The examination consists of 5 sections:

• Section A (5 minutes)
  introductory conversation, including work-related topics.
  
• Section B (5 minutes)
  describing a sequence of drawn pictures (supplied by
  the examiner) depicting ‘a problem’.
  
• Section C (10 minutes)
  listening comprehension eg listening to a recorded
  announcement and relating the information to a given map
  or diagram.
  
• Section D (5 minutes)
  reading comprehension eg an advertisement or a short
  article.
  
• Section E (5 minutes)
  discussion, based on the document for Section D,
  eg expressing preferences, opinions, agreement/disagreement
  and evaluation.

Third Level (Intermediate)

The Third Level (or Intermediate Level) examination takes 35 minutes. This level
is a test of a candidate’s ability to discuss familiar business or professional
topics in depth. The examination consists of 5 sections:

• Section A (5 minutes)
  introductory conversation, eg work-related topics.
  
• Section B (5 minutes)
  comprehension exercise based on an item of work-related
  information or realia. The candidate will be asked to study
  this briefly and then answer questions.
  
• Section C (10 minutes)
  listening comprehension task, eg the candidate will listen
  once to a taped dialogue, take notes, relate the main points
  and suggest remedies or predict outcomes for the situation
  outlined in the dialogue.
  
• Section D (10 minutes)
  reading comprehension eg the candidate will study a
  business letter or report, relate the main points and explain
  certain expressions selected by the examiner.
  
• Section E (5 minutes)
  role play eg a business problem outlined on a cue card
  supplied by the examiner.

Fourth Level (Advanced)

The Fourth Level (or Advanced Level) examination takes 40 minutes. This level
is a test of a candidate’s ability to display a high degree of fluency in
discussing a range of business issues in English. The examination consists
of 4 sections:

• Section A (5 minutes)
  introductory conversation eg business-related topics including one
  of current interest. (The candidate’s special topic will be excluded).
  
• Section B (15 minutes: the discussion will be a minimum of 5 minutes)
  business presentation on the candidate’s prepared topic. The
  candidate will provide the examiner with a written synopsis
  (about 200 words). The examiner will ask follow-up questions
  leading into the discussion phase.
  
• Section C (10 minutes)
  listening comprehension task eg the candidate will listen once to a
  taped dialogue, take notes, relate the main points and suggest a
  solution to the situation outlined in the dialogue.
  
• Section D (10 minutes)
  reading comprehension eg the candidate will study two or more
  sources of information (a report, a graph or a chart) and answer
  questions posed by the examiner.

Extra Options

Special Topic (10 minutes)
Candidates may elect to speak on a Special Topic of their own choice at
Third Level. This option provides candidates with an opportunity to practise
the language of their specialism or range of interests and thus reinforce
the professional or business element in the examination.

Telephone Test (5-7 minutes)
Optional Telephone Tests are available at Second, Third and Fourth Levels.
This option is designed to test the ability of candidates to convey
telephoned information within a specified role and scenario and to
understand the replies received, negotiating details where necessary.

Liaison Interpreting (5-7 minutes)
A Liaison Interpreting option is offered at Fourth Level which is designed to
test the ability of candidates to interpret and mediate a business conversation
between 2 speakers using their respective languages.