Ordinary level 2026 professional English syllabus
Ordinary level 2026 professional English syllabus
3.4. 5105 – Professional English
3.4.1. Introduction
English is the major language of international business. From this standpoint, there is an urgent need for
the ambitious learners to not only maintain a good standard of English, but also to increase fluency and
overall competence in their day-to-day interaction, in order to communicate effectively. With the
implementation of the new structure of the Technical and Vocational Education Examination (TVEE), the
new syllabus is designed to improve the candidate’s ability and confidence in speaking, writing, reading
and listening, in a business context. In this regard, it is incumbent on the learner to acquire vocabulary skills
that are relevant, not only in a general context, but also in the context of their specific trade areas. By so
doing, learners will acquaint and empower themselves with vocabulary items that will lay the foundations
for their future in their respective specialties at the Advanced Level. Furthermore, studying a specialized
vocabulary will offer a golden opportunity for learners to cope with the communication skills required in
the competitive job market.
Therefore, the major difference between English 530, and Professional English 5105, lies at the level of
vocabulary and specific trade needs.
The Examination shall comprise the following:
Paper One
Listening Comprehension: There shall be a listening comprehension text of about 400-500 words with
questions based on it. The text type may either be a speech, a talk, a lecture, an interview, a commentary,
news item or a radio announcement, and so on, based on a topical issue. There shall be a total of 10
questions for this section. All the questions shall be of the multiple-choice type and shall carry 01 mark
each, giving a total of 10 marks for the section.
Reading Comprehension: The examination shall be based on a text of between 500 – 750 words. The
text shall reflect innovations in the world of business, science and technology, and other text types related
to the different trades and professions. There shall be a total of 10 multiple-choice questions for a total of
10 marks.
Grammar: There shall be 15 MCQ questions for this section for a total of 15 marks.
Vocabulary: There shall be a total of 15 MCQ questions for this section for a total of 15 marks.
Oral Communication: The examination shall offer an opportunity for learners to interact with examiners
through conversation. The examiner will provide lead questions in a variety of topics for conversation or
dialogues. The questions are meant to provoke candidates to express themselves orally, but if the
candidate is not familiar with a given topic, the examiner may switch to another topic, since the purpose
of the examination is not only to test knowledge but also to test candidates’ ability to articulate,
pronounce, and follow a logical sequence with fluency. Candidates will be examined individually, in pairs
or in groups of not more than five (05), depending on the questions chosen from the examination. Each
candidate will be given 05-10 minutes. The test shall carry 20 marks.
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT FOR THE SUBJECT: Oral Work (Oral Interaction between the
candidates and the examiner(s))
