Preparatory Course for Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE)

Introduction

First Certificate in English (FCE) is one of the most widely taken Cambridge EFL examinations, with more than a quarter of a million candidates yearly.

An FCE certificate is widely recognized in the English-speaking world as proof that a person can do office work in English or take a course of study where English is the language of instruction. Learners at this level can be assumed to have sufficient ability to operate effectively in English in many posts.

Course Structure

Reading & Use of English 
Students will be taught to deal confidently with different types of text, such as fiction, newspapers and magazines. Practice includes the use of English with tasks that show how well students can control their grammar and vocabulary.

Writing 
Students will be trained to produce two different pieces of writing, such as letters, reports, reviews and essays.

Listening 
Listening practices ensures that students will be able to follow and understand a range of spoken materials, such as news programmes, presentations and everyday conversations.

Speaking 
Students will be given lots of practice to enable them to communicate effectively in face-to-face situations.

Edvantage Institute (Singapore) Curriculum Objectives

Proficiency in Oral Language 
Develop effective speaking skills for academic and social purposes including conversations, classroom discussions, short talks, formal discourse and oral presentations.

Proficiency in Listening Comprehension
Be able to listen to and understand the details in various listening contexts.

Proficiency in Reading (including Reading in the Content Areas)
Be able to apply appropriate techniques to read and analyze level texts.

Proficiency in Writing
Demonstrate competence in managing the writing process and producing effective written products.

Proficiency in Social and Cultural Adaptation
In addition to the objectives described above, the underlying objective of the course is the nurturing of self-pride and self-identity in each pupil’s linguistic and cultural heritage.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the module, students will be able to:

  • show understanding of specific information, text organization features, tone, and text structure.
  • use specific reading techniques to locate and distinguish answers.
  • write non-specialised text types such as an article, an essay, a review or a short story, with a focus on advising, apologizing, comparing, describing, explaining, expressing, opinions, justifying, persuading, recommending, and suggesting.
  • demonstrate the ability to apply their knowledge of the language system by completing a number of tasks.
  • show understanding of attitude, detail, function, genre, gist, main idea, opinion, place, purpose, situation, specific information, relationship, topic, agreement.

Delivery Mode

Classroom learning, lessons to be conducted at Edvantage Institute (Singapore).

Teachers

All our teachers are registered with the SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG).

Prerequisites

English at the advanced level or through a placement test conducted by Edvantage Institute (Singapore); or a pass in English or equivalent in your home country.

Age Requirements

7 years old and above.

Course Duration

6 months for both Full-time and Part-time.

Assessment and Examination

A test is conducted every 6 weeks, culminating in the final course examination. Your teacher will write a detailed course report which includes your grades in listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as an evaluation of your progress in the class.

Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive an in-house certificate within 21 days from the last day of the course.

Besides the two termly tests, students are also assessed based on:

  • Presentations: Each student is to do two presentations in a term, an individual presentation and a group presentation. Marks for these presentations will be considered under ‘ASSIGNMENTS’ which makes up 30% of the student’s final marks.
  • Essays: It is compulsory for students of EIS to write a minimum of 8 essays per term. Marks for the essays will be considered under ‘ASSIGNMENTS’ which makes up 30% of the student’s final marks.

 

The percentage breakdown for the final results is as follows:

Item Percentage
Mid-Term Test 20%
Final Term Test 40%
Assignments 30%
Class Participation 10%
TOTAL 100%

Graduation Requirements

  • Pass the overall grading
  • Keep attendance above 90% (for Student’s Pass holders)
  • Keep attendance above 75% (for non-Student’s Pass holders)

 

Award

Your performance grading will be as follows:

Grades Marks
Distinction 80 - 100
Credit 65 - 79
Pass 50 - 64
Fail 0 - 49
Absent Absent

External Examination

Please refer to https://www.britishcouncil.sg/sites/default/files/exam_process_for_fce_cae_and_cpe_version1.pdf for more information about the examinations.

External Grading and Certificate

Completed examination papers are sent to Cambridge for marking by specialists in the teaching of English at this level. Each paper is scored on a maximum of 40 marks, making a total of 40 x 5 = 200 marks. The results are shown as an overall letter grade, based on the total score in all the papers. A, B and C are passing grades. D and E are failing grades.

A statement of results is sent to each candidate eight weeks after the examination. This shows the candidate's overall grade and a graphical indication of how well the candidate has performed compared to other candidates in the examination. Successful candidates are issued certificates approximately three months after the examination.

Course Schedule and Fees

Details of course schedules and school fees can be found here.