Spoken English for Industry and Commerce (SEFIC) - an assessment consisting of practical tasks to examine oral skills, conducted by an interview with an external examiner.  SEFIC is available at five levels from Preliminary to Fourth level.  The format at each level varies and in general terms the emphasis shifts from accuracy of form and an ability to understand or produce discrete linguistic items at the lower levels to broader fluency of speech and interaction at the higher levels.  In addition, the length of the interviews increases from 20 minutes at Preliminary level to 40 minutes at fourth level in order to reflect the range of skills and linguistic content being tested.

The aims of each level are listed below.

Preliminary level

• Understand basic and highly predictable work or business-related information and/or instructions in order to act upon these or respond appropriately when required
• Produce basic formulaic speech of a predictable nature which is sufficiently accurate and clear to be understood by a sympathetic listener

First level

• Understand simple work or business-related information and/or instructions and to act upon these or respond appropriately when required
• Produce a restricted range of simple language, which is sufficiently accurate and clear to be understood by a listener

Second level

• Understand routine work or business-related information and/or instructions and to act upon these or respond appropriately when required
• Produce a range of language when responding which will be clearly understood by a listener

Third level

• Understand a range of work or business related information and/or instructions and to respond appropriately
• Produce a range of language when responding which will be clearly understood by a listener

Fourth level

• Understand an extensive range of work or business related information and /or instructions
• Respond using language which will be fully understood by a listener and provide evidence of clarity, variety and appropriacy