B2 Business Vantage (BEC Vantage) Reading
5 parts, 45 questions, one point for each question.
1 hour.
25% of the exam.
Introduction
The questions in the reading paper are of equal value, and you will receive one mark for each question. If you do not answer a question or if you answer incorrectly, you will receive zero points. You do not lose points if your answer is wrong. I always remind my students that it is important to write an answer to all the questions, even if you are not sure of the answer or if you have no idea at all. However, if you write multiple answers then to a multiple-choice question, then you will receive zero marks.
I also recommend that you make sure you go on to the next question if you find a question difficult and cannot find the answer. It is important to manage your time well during the reading exam, so do not waste it on one specific question which only has one mark. Go on to the next question and try again later if you have time.
It is important to use different techniques for each part of the paper. With some parts, you don’t need to read everything or even to start with the reading text. You are not reading an email or a report which you need to read from beginning to end. You are doing an exam and your objective is to find the answers to the questions. In fact, you don’t need to do the test in the normal order, starting with Part One and continuing to Part Five.
You can find out more about choosing the order to answer the reading paper questions in the B2 Business Vantage Preparation Guide, available here.