LCCI International Qualifications

English for Business

Level 3

Annual Qualification Review

2010

For further Tel. +44 (0) 8707 202909

information Email. enquiries@ediplc.com
contact us: www.lcci.org.uk
CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Pass Rate Statistics 1

General Strengths and Weaknesses 1- 2

Teaching Points by Syllabus Topic 3

Further Guidance 5

Examples of Candidate Responses 6 - 12

2
INTRODUCTION

The annual qualification review provides qualification-specific support and guidance to centres.
This information is designed to help teachers preparing to teach the subject and to help
candidates preparing to take the examination.

The reviews are published in September and take into account candidate performance,
demonstrated in both on demand and series examinations, over the 12 months. Global pass
rates are published so you can measure the performance of your centre against these.

The review identifies candidate strengths and weaknesses by syllabus topic area and provides
examples of good and poorer candidate responses. It should therefore be read in conjunction
with details of the structure and learning objectives contained within the syllabus for this
qualification found on the website.

The review also identifies any actual or proposed changes to the syllabus or question types
together with their implications.

PASS RATE STATISTICS

The following statistics are based on the performance of candidates who took this qualification
between 1 January 2010 and 30 September 2010.

Global pass rate 80.43%

Grade distributions

Pass 24.80%
Credit 58.87%
Distinction 16.33%

GENERAL STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Stronger candidates

 demonstrated a high level of proficiency in written English

 adopted an appropriate examination technique; they spent the time allocated sensibly by
spending time reading the material given to ensure there was a full understanding before
they attempted all questions, and they then allowed time for a final proof reading of their
answers
 selected information from that given, made a selection from this and reordered the
material to fit the requirements of the questions
 adopted a tone and style appropriate to the needs of the recipients of the documents
produced
 were able to use an appropriate layout for the business documents produced.
 understanding the buying and selling process
 application of I.T. to aid selling
 many answers to question 1 in correct format

1
Weaker candidates

 demonstrated little or no understanding of the material in the examination paper

 made many errors in English, particularly in spelling, punctuation, grammar and syntax
 did not use “own words” but copied large sections of the original text verbatim
 used inappropriate layout for the business documents, particularly in the report
 demonstrated a poor examination technique by allocating a disproportionate time to some
questions whilst not attempting others
 showed little appreciation of the communicative English aspects of the questions and did
not adopt an appropriate tone or style
 added irrelevant and inappropriate material when producing business documents.

2
TEACHING POINTS BY SYLLABUS TOPIC

There are eight syllabus topics.

1 Comprising a business letter

2 Drafting an internal report
3 Business-related text comprehension
4 Business-related text and data conversion and reformulation
5-8 Linguistic competence

Topics 5-8 are tested in each question. The other topics are tested in turn by 4 questions. All
questions are compulsory.

Syllabus Topic l: Letter

Candidates are given a role and a context. They must then produce a business letter which
could initiate communication with someone or could respond to a communication already
received. It is always assumed that headed notepaper is used so candidates do not have to
design letterheads, but all other components of the layout of a business letter should be used.

The teaching points for candidates are:

 in a business letter, the opening (salutation) and close must be in agreement, the name
and job title of the writer of the letter should be given after the signature and the letter
should be dated and given a heading
 candidates must give consideration to the appropriate style and tone of the letter
 the instructions on how to complete the letter will include asides, confidential remarks or
repetition; only relevant points should be included in the letter
 it is important that the recipient of the letter should be clear as to what will now happen,
eg if a further response is needed.

Syllabus Topic 2: Internal report

Responses to this question vary. A significant factor is the adoption of an appropriate layout.
At this level, there is not a prescribed format but all reports must include headings and
subheadings, if necessary, under which the selected and gathered information is grouped.
What is most important is that the recipient or reader can access the information and refer to
relevant sections when necessary.

Candidates must also ensure that the headings are appropriate. Sometimes the candidate is
not required to make recommendations; the report could assist someone else to do so, eg a
Board of Directors. However, when recommendations are required, these should be clearly
stated and specific. A recommendation such as “photocopying costs should be reduced” is not
helpful, but “staff should be given a specific photocopying allocation” is clear and specific.

The teaching points are:

 the key point is that the report should be fit for the purpose for which it was intended
 a report is never written in an essay style in continuous prose; it should always be
structured using headings, paragraphs and, if necessary, sub headings, “bullets” etc
 it is never appropriate to copy large amounts of the information given; information should
always be summarised and put into the candidate’s own words, as far as this is possible
 the traditional headings (ie Terms of Reference, Procedure, Findings, Conclusions and
Recommendations) should not always be used automatically, particularly in an informal
report; an appropriate structure that satisfies the needs of the recipient is required
3
 there should be a consistent style throughout the report, it is acceptable to use full
sentences or short points but there should not be a mixture of the two.

Syllabus Topic 3: Comprehension

Candidates with weak English Skills find this the most testing question. They are required to
read some complex text and then produce answers to question on this. The text contains
information of a business or commercial nature but candidates with no previous knowledge of
the topic are not at a disadvantage. All information required is included in the text, although
there is often one question in which candidates are asked to give an opinion or judgement on
one of the issues raised in the text.

The teaching points for candidates are:

 candidates must read the text very carefully, more than once if necessary, to ensure that
there is a complete understanding of the questions and what is required to answer them
 the responses should be in the candidates’ own words as far as possible, with the
exception of specific points that cannot be paraphrased (eg proper nouns, names,
numbers, etc)
 the mark allocation for each question will vary and this should be taken into consideration
when candidates are deciding how long or complex an answer should be
 on occasions, one question might ask the candidates to express their own point of view;
for such questions there are no “right” or “wrong” answers and the candidates should not
be afraid to express a personal view.

Syllabus Topic 4: Reformulation

In this question, information is produced from a variety of sources and the candidates must
consider the information given and convert it (making an appropriate selection of what is
relevant) into a document used for a different purpose. For example, someone’s informal ideas
might be converted into a memo giving specific instructions to staff.

The teaching points for candidates are:

 this question more than any other requires a careful consideration of the style and tone of
the communication, which takes into account the position and needs of the recipient
candidates should be prepared to receive information from many different sources
 there will always be clear instructions on what form the document being produced should
be, eg a memo, a notice, notes etc
 it is possible that two documents must be produced; if this is the case, the allocation of
marks per document should be taken into account when decisions are made about the
length of each.

4
FURTHER GUIDANCE

 Successful candidates will have the ability to read and understand a range of information
given in different formats and use this to select and reorder the information to produce
accurate business documents that could be used in the real world. Whilst some
weakness in one syllabus area can be compensated by a strength in another, most
successful candidates achieve all the objectives of the subjects in a consistent manner.
 It is accepted that there can be cultural differences in various parts of the world, eg in the
level of politeness and extended courtesy of a letter. As long as a consistent approach is
adopted, this is acceptable.
 Candidates are allowed to produce answers by means of a word processor. However,
any typographical errors made are penalised.

5
EXAMPLES OF CANDIDATE RESPONSES

The examples are taken from the Series 3 2010 paper. Question 2 was as follows:

QUESTION 2

Situation

You are employed as an administrator at a large company, Western Parts, a heavy engineering
company based at the coastal town of Seaville. The company uses a large amount of
electricity in its produced process and it has been approached by an organisation that produces
wind turbines, suggesting that if one was erected on the sea shore it could produce a high
proportion of its electricity.

The Manager of Western Parts (Mr Mehmet Aksoy), says this to you.

“It’s very early days, but the directors would like to know if the idea of installing our own wind
turbine is worth considering. I’d like you to make some preliminary investigations and produce
a report so we can decide if this is worth following up.

“You’d better check with the local council so see if we could get planning permission and see
what you can find out about costs and savings – the company seems reluctant to say anything
definite. I don’t know how big these turbines are and what maintenance is required. I do know
that the local newspaper heard about this and did a survey of what local inhabitants think, so
you could add this in to your investigations.

“When you’ve done the research, please put a report together. Please don’t make any
recommendations – that’s the job of the Board of Directors – but you can summarise the main
points for my consideration.”

The notes of your investigation are as follows:

The turbines

Various possibilities – most efficient – 70 metres high – need strong foundations (26 metres) –
minimal maintenance needed once installed – no noise generated when working.

Operations

The wind turbines operate when there is any wind at all. It is estimated that Seaville has 293
days per year when there is sufficient wind to operate turbines. This will be sufficient to supply
85% of electricity requirements of Western Parts. At certain times of year, electricity will have
to be purchased from the national grid, but during windy seasons, excess electricity generated
can be sold to the national grid.

6
Environmental considerations

Produces no noise or atmospheric pollution

Clean, green form of generation
Effect on landscape- would be tallest structure in area
Needs planning permission from local council
Cost implications – Interview with Finance Officer

“Well, there are lots of things to balance here. At the moment, because of the initial investment
needed, electricity generated by wind is quite a bit more expensive than power generated in
other ways. It’s difficult to estimate the cost of one turbine – it depends on what we find when
we survey the land – but it is up $500,000! That sounds a lot, doesn’t it? But it’s the top-end
estimate and it could be cheaper. At the moment it could take us up to 30 years before we can
say it has covered our investment, but who knows? I’m told there are government grants
available as well, and banks with ethical policies are sympathetic to offering loans at
reasonable rates. So really, I don’t have strong feelings either way.”

From “Seaville Gazette” (local newspaper)

When readers were asked, “Would you be in favour of a wind turbine being erected by Western
Parts on the sea shore?”

31% said “Yes”

59% said “No”
10% said “Don’t know”

Typical reactions of readers were:

“Come on - we’re supposed to be attracting visitors to our sea-side town – what will this look
like?”
“Well, we are supposed to be looking for cleaner ways of generating energy. What’s cleaner
than a wind turbine?”
“What about the colonies of seabirds in the area? Will they fly into it?”
“I don’t see what the fuss is about. It’s just a big windmill. What’s wrong with that?”

From an interview with Seaville Council Planning Department

Proper planning applications would have to be made – local residents’ views taken into account
– but council sympathetic – fits its “green” agenda.

Task

Write the report as requested using any appropriate style (25 marks)

The following answers show three varying responses to this question

Answer (a) shows a distinction response

Answer (b) shows a pass response
Answer (c) shows a fail response

7
Answer (a)

To: Mr Mehmet Askoy Date: 7 June 2010

From: A candidate

Possible Purchase of Wind Turbine

Wind Turbine operation

 it operates when there is any wind
 in Seaville, 293 days per year
 could generate 85% of company’s electricity requirements over year
 additional power could be purchased from National
Grid and surplus power sold to it

The Turbines
 suggested model – 70 metres high with up to 26 metres foundations
 minimal maintenance required

Cost
 could cost up to $5000,000 per turbine
 electricity generated by wind power more expensive than traditionally generated power
 payback could be 30 years
 but electricity prices could rise – shorter payback
 government grant – bank loans available

Local Council view

 planning permission required
 local residents’ views taken into account
 generally supported by Council as part of “green” agenda

Environmental impact
 no noise or pollution produced
 possible effect on landscape
 effect on seabirds to be investigated

Local reaction
 local newspaper survey – in favour of turbine 31%, of readers, against 59%, don’t know 10%
 some concerns about appearance of turbine in tourist area
 some support “green aspect”

The answer is excellent in many respects.

 It does not use the traditional report headings; it uses an appropriate structure for this
purpose.
 The use of headings and “bullets” is consistent throughout.
 It extracts the main points and expresses them in a concise manner.
 No recommendations are given as none were required.
 No value judgements were made but the information is given in a clear manner.
 The material is structured in a logical way.
 There is no repetition of any points which appear more than once in the material.

8
Answer (b)

Terms of Reference

I was asked by Mr Mehmet Askoy, the Manager of Western Parts, to produce a report on the
possibility of using wind power. Western Parts uses a large amount of electricity in its
processes.

Procedures

I investigated how the turbines could be built and how the operate. I looked at environment
considerations and spoke to Finance Officer about cost implications. I conduced an interview
with the Council Planning Department and looked at the local newspaper, the “Seaville
Gazette”.

Findings

The turbines are tall, up to 70 metres with deep foundations (26 metres). The need little
maintenance and make no noises.

Turbines operate when their is any wind. In Seaville this could be 293 days per year. Can
supply 85% of electricity for “Western Parts”. At some times electricity will have to be bought
from National Grid but excess electricity generated can be sold to National Grid.

Turbines do not produce any noise or makes any pollution., They would be the tallest buildings
in the area and would needs planning permission from council.

Electricity produced by wind power is quite a bit more expensive than power generated in other
ways. One one turbine could cost up to $500,000, but it could be cheaper. It could take 30
years to cover the investment., There could be government grants and banks might give us
loans.

When residents were asked if they liked idea of wind turbine 31% said “Yes”, 59% said “No”
and 10% said “Don’t know”. Some residents did not like impact on environment and some
worried about seabirds flying into it.

There would have to be a proper planning application made to Council and the views of
residents would be considered. The council has a “green” policy.

There are some faults with this report, but, in general, there were some strengths. The
strengths were as follows.

 The candidate resisted the temptation to produce “conclusions” which would probably
only have repeated what has already been stated, and did not produce any
recommendations, which were not requested.
 Mr Askoy would find this helpful as the main information he required was given.
 A consistent use of full sentences was made with only an occasional lapse into note form.
 The English was reasonably accurate although there were careless errors (such as “the”
being given for “they”) some spelling errors (eg “goverment”, “conduced”) and a few
errors in grammar.

However, there were various faults.

 The traditional headings were used correctly but it was not necessary to go into such
detail in “Terms of Reference”. The Manager has asked you to produce the report so he
knows why it was requested and what type of company it is.
 There were some careless errors (please see above)
9
 There was little reordering of the material supplied and on some occasions, phrases were
copied directly eg “Electricity produced by wind power is quite a bit more expensive
…..etc”. This is a colloquial expression which required to be rephrased.
 There was no indication of who produced the report and when it was produced.

10
Answer (c)

To: Board of Directors Date: 7 June

From:

Introduction

Western Parts is a large company, a heavy engineering company, based at the coastal town of
Seaville. The company uses a large amount of electricity in its production process and it has
been approached by an organisation that produced wind turbines, suggesting that if one was
erected on the sea shore it could produce a high proportion of its electricity.

Advantages

1, Turbines 70 metres high – strong foundations (26 metres).

2, No noise is generated minimal maitainancing.
3. Needs wind
4 85% of electricity
5, Sold to National Gird
6. Produces no noise atmospheric
7, Needs planning permission.
8 Can costs $500,000
9 31% of readers said yes
10 Propper planning application given

Disadvantages

1, 293 days per year

2. Green form of electricity
3 have to purchase electricity from Notional Gird
4 could take 30 years to cover investment
5, 59% said no.
6 like a big windmill
7. Could be damaged by seabirds

Conclusion

Many good points for and against.

Recommendation’s

We should use turbine for 30 years to cover investments. Will attract visitors to our sea-side
town

This report would be of no value and could not be used.

 Using an “Advantages” and “Disadvantages” format is not entirely inappropriate, but there
is no logic as to why items should appear under these headings.
 Whilst note-form could be used, the items under each headings must be clear and logical
(eg It is not clear what “293 days” means and why it is a “Disadvantage”).
 The report is produced to the Board of Directors. It was requested by Mr Aksoy.
 The introduction is copied verbatim from the question. Much of it is irrelevant; there is no
need to describe the company in an internal report.
 On the rare occasions when the candidate uses own words, there are many errors in
grammar and spelling.
 The punctuation in the lists is totally inconsistent, particularly the use of commas and full
stops.
11
 The conclusion is not helpful or necessary.
 It was specifically stated that there should be no recommendations.
 The second part of the recommendations is illogical.

12
Answer (c)
EDI
To: Board ofInternational
Directors House Date: 7 June
From:
Siskin Parkway East
Introduction Middlemarch Business Park
Coventry CV3 4PE
Western Parts isUKa large company, a heavy engineering company, based at the coastal town of
Seaville. The company uses a large amount of electricity in its production process and it has
been approached by an organisation that produced wind turbines, suggesting that if one was
Tel.shore
erected on the sea +44 (0) 8707produce
it could 202909a high proportion of its electricity.
Fax. +44 (0) 2476 516505
Advantages Email. enquiries@ediplc.com
www.ediplc.com
1, Turbines 70 metres high – strong foundations (26 metres).
2, No noise is generated minimal maitainancing.
3. Needs wind
4 85% of electricity
5, Sold to National Gird
6. Produces no noise atmospheric
7, Needs planning permission.
8 Can costs $500,000
9 31% of readers said yes
10 Propper planning application given

Disadvantages

1, 293 days per year

2. Green form of electricity
3 have to purchase electricity from Notional Gird
4 could take 30 years to cover investment
5, 59% said no.
6 like a big windmill
7. Could be damaged by seabirds

Conclusion

Many good points for and against.

Recommendation’s

We should use turbine for 30 years to cover investments. Will attract visitors to our sea-side
town

The introduction is copied verbatim from the question. Much of it is irrelevant; there is no need
to describe the company in an internal report.
 On the rare occasions when the candidate uses own words, there are many errors in
grammar and spelling.
 The punctuation in the lists is totally inconsistent, particularly the use of commas and full
stops.
 The conclusion is not helpful or necessary.
 It was specifically stated that there should be no recommendations.
 The second part of the recommendations is illogical. © Education Development International Plc 2009.
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