VTest Business English

VTest Business English exam is a CEFR-aligned assessment designed to measure English proficiency in workplace contexts. It evaluates Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing through real-world tasks that reflect professional communication in today’s business environment. 

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Test Modules

The Burlington VTest Business English exam is intended for adults who use or plan to use English in a professional setting. This includes university students preparing to enter the workforce, working professionals, and individuals seeking to certify their business English level for employment, promotion, or academic purposes. The exam is modular, and can be taken in different combinations of one, two, three, or four skills. 

Format

Candidates progress through sets of passages and questions based on their ability. Candidates’ performance on earlier passages determines which passage they will hear next; subsequent passages are similarly based on candidates’ performance.
Candidates listen to 8-12 passages and answer 12-26 questions based on their level. Candidates have 30 seconds to review questions before each passage and another 30 seconds to respond after listening; a countdown timer shows the time remaining. When time is up, candidates auto-advance to the next passage, but can also self-advance using the NEXT button if they finish sooner.
Listening section duration varies by level: Pre-A1 and A1 candidates may finish in about 12 minutes, while those at C2 level may take up to 25 minutes. 

Assessment

Candidates receive a CEFR score for the Listening section based on their overall performance.

Try our Listening sample items

Familiarize yourself with the question types.

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Module format

*Each question has a time limit.

8-12

Passages

15-25

Minutes*

12-26

Questions

01

Read and answer

5 Questions

This task type requires you to read a text and answer the questions.

For this question, you will need to select the correct answer based on information in the text.

You will have between 45-120 seconds to read the text and between 45-75 seconds to respond.

02

Listen and answer

5 Questions

Format

Candidates progress through sets of texts and questions based on their ability. Candidates’ performance on earlier passages determines which passage they will see next; subsequent passages are similarly based on candidates’ performance. Candidates read 9 texts and answer 12-26 questions in total, depending on their level. Each text has a time limit of up to five minutes, with a countdown timer showing the remaining time. When time is up, candidates auto-advance to the next text, but can also self-advance using the NEXT button if they finish sooner. Reading section duration varies by level: Pre-A1 and A1 candidates may finish in about 12 minutes, while those at C2 level may take up to 35 minutes.

Assessment

Candidates receive a CEFR score for the Reading section based on their overall performance.
Try our Reading sample items

Familiarize yourself with the question types.

Start practicing
Module format

*Each question has a time limit.

9

Texts

15-35

Minutes*

12-26

Questions

01

Read and answer

5 Questions

This task type requires you to read a text and answer the questions.

For this question, you will need to select the correct answer based on information in the text.

You will have between 45-120 seconds to read the text and between 45-75 seconds to respond.

02

Listen and answer

5 Questions

Format

Part 1

Part 1 is a pre-writing task. Candidates read a set of 9 scrambled sentences and must reorder the words to form grammatically correct sentences. Performance on Part 1 determines the difficulty of the prompt presented in Part 2. This task is not scored.

Part 2

In Part 2, candidates write an essay based on a short business-related prompt. Each prompt includes 3–4 bullet points to guide the response. The required word count varies by CEFR level:

  • A1 and A2: 80+ words
  • B1 and B2: 100+ words
  • C1 and C2: 120+ words

Candidates have one minute to prepare and 20 minutes to write their response. The task is scored by the VTest automated scoring system.

Try our Writing sample items

Familiarize yourself with the question types.

Start practicing
Module format

*Each question has a time limit.

2

Parts

27

Minutes*

2

Questions

Format & Timings

Part 1 is used only to determine appropriate task difficulty in Part 2 and does not contribute to the final score. The final Writing score is based solely on performance in Part 2.

01

Scrambled Sentences (Pre-Writing)

7 min

Description:

  • 9 scrambled sentences
  • Used to determine levels for Parts 2-3

02

Task - Essay

16 min
Description:
  • 1 prompt
  • Candidates write 80–200 words

Format

The Speaking section is semi-adaptive and consists of three parts.

Part 1

Part 1 is a pre-speaking task. Candidates hear 9 statements or questions, followed by three possible responses. They choose the best response, which is presented both audibly and in writing. Performance on Part 1 determines what candidates will see in Parts 2 and 3.

Part 2

In Part 2, candidates are presented with a text, which they read aloud. Afterward, they answer two questions: one that assesses their understanding of the text and another that prompts them to give a personal opinion. The task is scored by the VTest automated scoring system.

Part 3

In Part 3, candidates respond to four open-ended prompts related to business (e.g., remote work, leadership, first jobs). They have 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak for each prompt. This part is also scored automatically.
Try our Speaking sample items

Familiarize yourself with the question types.

Start practicing
Module format

*Each question has a time limit.

2

Parts

18

Minutes*

7

Questions

Format & Timings

Scores from Part 1 are used only to determine prompt levels for Parts 2 and 3, and are not part of the final Speaking score. The final Speaking score is an average of scores from Parts 2 and 3. 

01

(Pre-Speaking): Rejoinders

7 min

Description:

  • 9 multiple-choice items
  • Used to determine levels for Parts 2-3

02

Read Aloud & Discuss

4 min

Description:

  • 1 text to read aloud followed by two questions about the text

03

Discuss Topics

7 min

Description:

  • 4 prompts
  • Candidates speak up to 60 seconds for each prompt 

Format

Candidates progress through sets of passages and questions based on their ability. Candidates’ performance on earlier passages determines which passage they will hear next; subsequent passages are similarly based on candidates’ performance.
Candidates listen to 8-12 passages and answer 12-26 questions based on their level. Candidates have 30 seconds to review questions before each passage and another 30 seconds to respond after listening; a countdown timer shows the time remaining. When time is up, candidates auto-advance to the next passage, but can also self-advance using the NEXT button if they finish sooner.
Listening section duration varies by level: Pre-A1 and A1 candidates may finish in about 12 minutes, while those at C2 level may take up to 25 minutes. 

Assessment

Candidates receive a CEFR score for the Listening section based on their overall performance.

Try our Listening sample items

Familiarize yourself with the question types.

Start practicing
Module format

*Each question has a time limit.

8-12

Passages

15-25

Minutes*

12-26

Questions

01

Read and answer

5 Questions

This task type requires you to read a text and answer the questions.

For this question, you will need to select the correct answer based on information in the text.

You will have between 45-120 seconds to read the text and between 45-75 seconds to respond.

02

Listen and answer

5 Questions

Format

Candidates progress through sets of texts and questions based on their ability. Candidates’ performance on earlier passages determines which passage they will see next; subsequent passages are similarly based on candidates’ performance. Candidates read 9 texts and answer 12-26 questions in total, depending on their level. Each text has a time limit of up to five minutes, with a countdown timer showing the remaining time. When time is up, candidates auto-advance to the next text, but can also self-advance using the NEXT button if they finish sooner. Reading section duration varies by level: Pre-A1 and A1 candidates may finish in about 12 minutes, while those at C2 level may take up to 35 minutes.

Assessment

Candidates receive a CEFR score for the Reading section based on their overall performance.
Try our Reading sample items

Familiarize yourself with the question types.

Start practicing
Module format

*Each question has a time limit.

9

Texts

15-35

Minutes*

12-26

Questions

01

Read and answer

5 Questions

This task type requires you to read a text and answer the questions.

For this question, you will need to select the correct answer based on information in the text.

You will have between 45-120 seconds to read the text and between 45-75 seconds to respond.

02

Listen and answer

5 Questions

Format

Part 1

Part 1 is a pre-writing task. Candidates read a set of 9 scrambled sentences and must reorder the words to form grammatically correct sentences. Performance on Part 1 determines the difficulty of the prompt presented in Part 2. This task is not scored.

Part 2

In Part 2, candidates write an essay based on a short business-related prompt. Each prompt includes 3–4 bullet points to guide the response. The required word count varies by CEFR level:

  • A1 and A2: 80+ words
  • B1 and B2: 100+ words
  • C1 and C2: 120+ words

Candidates have one minute to prepare and 20 minutes to write their response. The task is scored by the VTest automated scoring system.

Try our Writing sample items

Familiarize yourself with the question types.

Start practicing
Module format

*Each question has a time limit.

2

Parts

27

Minutes*

2

Questions

Format & Timings

Part 1 is used only to determine appropriate task difficulty in Part 2 and does not contribute to the final score. The final Writing score is based solely on performance in Part 2.

01

Scrambled Sentences (Pre-Writing)

7 min

Description:

  • 9 scrambled sentences
  • Used to determine levels for Parts 2-3

02

Task - Essay

16 min
Description:
  • 1 prompt
  • Candidates write 80–200 words

Format

The Speaking section is semi-adaptive and consists of three parts.

Part 1

Part 1 is a pre-speaking task. Candidates hear 9 statements or questions, followed by three possible responses. They choose the best response, which is presented both audibly and in writing. Performance on Part 1 determines what candidates will see in Parts 2 and 3.

Part 2

In Part 2, candidates are presented with a text, which they read aloud. Afterward, they answer two questions: one that assesses their understanding of the text and another that prompts them to give a personal opinion. The task is scored by the VTest automated scoring system.

Part 3

In Part 3, candidates respond to four open-ended prompts related to business (e.g., remote work, leadership, first jobs). They have 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak for each prompt. This part is also scored automatically.
Try our Speaking sample items

Familiarize yourself with the question types.

Start practicing
Module format

*Each question has a time limit.

2

Parts

18

Minutes*

7

Questions

Format & Timings

Scores from Part 1 are used only to determine prompt levels for Parts 2 and 3, and are not part of the final Speaking score. The final Speaking score is an average of scores from Parts 2 and 3. 

01

(Pre-Speaking): Rejoinders

7 min

Description:

  • 9 multiple-choice items
  • Used to determine levels for Parts 2-3

02

Read Aloud & Discuss

4 min

Description:

  • 1 text to read aloud followed by two questions about the text

03

Discuss Topics

7 min

Description:

  • 4 prompts
  • Candidates speak up to 60 seconds for each prompt 

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