English is the language of business worldwide. It is used as a lingua franca or common language when people from different countries need to communicate, and it’s the first language of many global powers. Essentially English proficiency is vital to building your contacts. 

What does English proficiency mean? 

Proficiency is defined as being able to confidently, concisely, and skillfully do something, whether in professional settings or life. It’s being able to do something with ease and competency. 

When it comes to English proficiency testing, it’s about showcasing your skills and expertise within the English language and having a command in writing, reading, speaking, and listening. Now there are many ways you can show this, but testing is vital to be able to prove this. 

One of the many frameworks describing language proficiency levels is the Common European Framework of Reference For Language or CEFR. The scale spans over 6 levels and is highly regarded as an authentic, accurate, and fair framework.  

While the CEFR levels are European and designed for European languages, they are starting to be used worldwide to test many language abilities. It is not associated with any language test in particular, but most standardized testing companies work alongside the framework and develop programs accordingly.

The 6 CEFR levels are as follows:

As you can see, these 6 levels are thoroughly detailed to enable English learners to fully understand what level they have and what level they may want to achieve. 

It is clearly outlined to enable even the most basic use of the target language and has been translated into about 40 different languages. 

How can English proficiency testing help me?

There are many ways that incorporating English proficiency testing can help your business, and we’re going to delve into the top 5 here!

1. Hiring with purpose 

Many companies spend hours carefully selecting candidates based on interviews, curriculums, and credentials. However, if you could screen possible employees based on English proficiency before hiring, you could save a lot of this time to focus on your business. 

2. Company growth 

With English being the primary language of the internet, in meetings, and in business, it’s essential to focus on this skill within your company. No matter your company or what you are setting out to do, it’s vital to authentically test your employees’ ability to communicate with customers and colleagues in English to grow your company.

Now, we’ve all been there where you’ve taken a test but haven’t felt any increase in confidence after. 

That’s why we’ve created our Bright Standard Learning test. Our test highlights honest communication and meaningful content, applicable to many different situations that the candidate will face. Meaning you can be sure that once the candidate has completed it, they will be ready to put it into practice.

Proven English skills can also add growth to your company by giving what you offer value and therefore more opportunity for what you can provide. 

3. Boosting employee skills 

Every company wants to make its employees succeed because success translates to success in the business. By testing an employee’s skills and giving them a certificate to use, you’re increasing their prospects and, in turn, yours. At BSET, our tests are designed to be on-the-spot demand, meaning we guarantee results within 72 hours of completion, no longer waiting weeks and weeks. Please take a look at our website here.

4. Across the world communication 

Success comes in the form of many things, but to go beyond country lines, we need to be able to communicate with companies, customers, and colleagues worldwide. Like it or not, English is a global language. With over 1.5 billion native and non-native speakers of the language, it’s now vitally important to communicate in English. Growing your team and your company by checking English proficiency is key to building global partnerships, which we will discuss below.

5. Building global partnerships

Similar to hiring, companies want to make sure they are collaborating with partners that help not hinder their business. With a wealth of opportunities out there for the taking, many companies are improving their skills, mindset, and language proficiency. However, with these many opportunities come conditions, and often English proficiency is one of them. As a common working language, lack of English proficiency can affect growth as many companies, when working with others, will use English for effective and clear communication. By using English proficiency tests for your business, you can increase the chance of opportunity and growth.

At BSET, we are dedicated professionals who want to help you succeed. Please get in touch with us, and we can start working together to achieve your goals!