A2 Key/B1 Preliminary 2020: Ideas and Strategies for the classroom

The A2 Key and B1 Preliminary exams will have large changes from 2020. It is worth knowing what these changes are so you can highlight useful strategies to help your students.

The Cambridge exams are regularly revised to stay relevant for the needs of learners. This is done to a) incorporate evolving approaches to assessment and learning; b) to address feedback from stakeholders (teachers, learners, parents and exam centre managers); and c) to align A2 Key/Key for Schools more closely with B1 Preliminary/Preliminary for Schools and higher levels exams to make the progression clearer and more coherent.

For A2 Key / Key for Schools Reading & Writing, the main changes are that in the 2020 exam there are now 7 parts where it had been 9; and what was previously 55 questions, next year will be shortened to 32. The duration of the exam has also been shortened by ten minutes to 1 hour.

In part 1, the multiple-choice task has been revised so that candidates now have to understand 6 short messages.

In part 4, the multiple-choice gap fill text has been revised to give a greater lexico-grammatical focus (in the current Parts 2 and 5).

In part 7, there is a new story task. Candidates are now required to write a story based on 3 pictures.

For the B1 Preliminary/ Preliminary for Schools Reading & Writing section, the old exam consisted of 5 reading parts and 3 writing parts but will now be 6 reading parts and 2 writing parts. What was 35 reading questions and 7 writing questions, will now be 32 reading questions and 2 writing questions.

The duration, which was 1 hour and 30 minutes, in 2020 will be 45 minutes for each paper.

Part 4 will have a new gapped text where candidates choose a correct sentence to test understanding of the gist and text structure.

Part 6 will have a new open cloze: candidates now have to read a text and write words in the gaps as a test of detailed understanding.

For more details, visit the website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMQkQn6Jy7s

Foreign graduates to get UK work visa extended

Good news for international students. They are to be offered a two-year work visa after graduating from a British university, overturning restrictive immigration policies.

Currently, graduates with a bachelor’s or master’s degree are allowed to look for work for only four months. From next year all international graduates can qualify for a two-year period to work in the UK, increasing their chances of finding long-term employment after studying.

It is a return to the policy that was scrapped by the government in 2012. The restriction was blamed for a drop in international student enrolments.

Under the new policy, the visas would have no cap on numbers and would allow graduates to apply for jobs regardless of their skills or the subject they studied. The government has said part of the aim was to recruit talented graduates in disciplines such as maths, engineering and technology.

Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, said: “The important contribution international students make to our country and universities is both cultural and economic. Their presence benefits Britain, which is why we’ve increased the period of time these students can remain in the UK after their studies.

“Our universities thrive on being open global institutions. Introducing the graduate route ensures our prestigious higher education sector will continue to attract the best talent from around the world to global Britain.”

The announcement was greeted with enthusiasm by Universities UK, which represents 130 institutions. Its members are braced for falling numbers of students from the EU in the event of Brexit.

The Department for Education (DfE) said the new immigration route would be available to international students “who have successfully completed a course in any subject at undergraduate level or higher at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance, and have tier 4 [visa] at the point the route is introduced,” starting from next year.

The DfE said the route would allow students to look for work at any level, and allow them to later apply for longer-term work visas. “Those on the route will be able to switch on to the skilled work route if they find a job which meets the skill requirement of the route,” the DfE said.

For more details, visit the website www.theguardian.com/education/2019/sep/10/uk-work-visas-for-foreign-graduates-to-be-extended-to-two-years

IB Diploma programme continues to grow worldwide

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma was founded in 1968. From small beginnings, there are now 3,352 schools offering the IB Diploma in 156 different countries, and the number of diploma programmes increased by 32 per cent between 2012 and 2017. But what is the IB Diploma, and what sets it apart from competitors such as the narrower international and standard A levels and the US’s Advance Placement tests?

An intensive two-year programme for 16- to 19-year-olds, the IB Diploma requires candidates to take six subjects, including at least three at higher level. These include a balance between science, arts, maths, languages and humanities subjects. Students must also complete three core requirements including theory of knowledge (TOK), creativity, activity and service (CAS) – including voluntary work – and a 4,000-word extended essay.

The aim is to create fully-rounded citizens prepared for the research and critical thinking required for university study; an idea that education providers are buying into.

The diploma’s sister programmes, including the primary and middle years programmes for younger students, and the career-related programme for older candidates, embrace this philosophy and all are growing.

The US is the leading IB country, and figures for all programmes are rising. A total of 947 largely state schools now offer the diploma there. The US and Canada account for 43 per cent of all schools worldwide that offer at least one of the IB programmes.

There has also been IB growth in the surging number of international schools. Figures from market analysts ISC Research show numbers of such schools have risen from 7,763 to 10,438 in the past five years, and all leading international curricula and exams are growing to mirror this.

But what do employers think of this broad-ranging qualification? In the UK at least, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) says it wants to see more of the skills the IB programmes promote in members’ young employees.John Cope, head of education and skills, said that IB programmes were specifically designed to boost knowledge, character and skills – three key areas valued by employers.

For more details, visit www.tes.com/news/international-baccalaureate-global-education