Who is this programme for?
Professionals who use English with colleagues or customers and want more confidence in meetings, emails and international collaboration. The course provides a structured introduction to Business English.
Curriculum & Assessment Programme
General Business English – Curriculum and Final Check
Business English for real workplace situations: introduce yourself and your role, contribute to meetings, write clear emails and give short updates. Four e-learning modules and four live sessions form a connected learning pathway.
Academy-owned programmes are offered in German and English. Hungarian instruction is available for PECB courses only.
Audience and entry requirements
What are the entry requirements?
English at approximately B1 is recommended. An external language certificate is not a stated entry requirement. At the start of the learning pathway, an ungraded initial assessment explores your workplace situations, self-assessment and learning goals.
Scope and learning format
Planned learning time: four 60-minute self-study units and four 60-minute live sessions over eight weeks. Time spent on exercises and checks varies individually. Specific dates are agreed with you.
Which competencies will you demonstrate?
- Introduce yourself, your role and your company clearly in English.
- Ask questions, clarify statements and summarise next steps in meetings and calls.
- Structure business emails, requests, confirmations and follow-ups appropriately.
- Prepare short updates, mini-presentations and professional small talk.
- Select suitable language for agreement, disagreement and criticism.
- Reflect on your own further practice needs.
The curriculum
Getting started and orientation
Course welcome, guidance on effective learning and an initial assessment. Six choice questions and three written-response tasks explore workplace context, self-assessment and personal learning goals.
Scope / allocation
At the start of the learning pathway, before Module 1.
Evidence and output
Completed, ungraded initial assessment.
Module 1 – Foundations
Introduce yourself, your role and your company; refresh workplace vocabulary and basic grammar. Optional Translation Exercise and Reading Comprehension activities extend the practice.
Scope / allocation
First e-learning module with its associated Live Session 1.
Evidence and output
Module 1 Check with five single-choice questions; translation and reading-comprehension exercises.
Module 2 – Meetings & Calls
Contribute to meetings, ask for clarification, agree and disagree; handle calls and follow-up language. An optional discussion task addresses artificial intelligence in the workplace.
Scope / allocation
Second e-learning module with its associated Live Session 2.
Evidence and output
Module 2 Check with five single-choice questions; a discussion task on AI at work.
Module 3 – Business Writing
Email structure and tone, requests, confirmations, attachments and follow-ups; recognise common mistakes and communicate more clearly.
Scope / allocation
Third e-learning module with its associated Live Session 3.
Evidence and output
Module 3 Check with five single-choice questions and a four-to-six-sentence follow-up email.
Module 4 – Speaking & Confidence
Short updates and mini-presentations, small talk, and language for disagreement and criticism.
Scope / allocation
Fourth e-learning module with its associated Live Session 4.
Evidence and output
Module 4 Check with five single-choice questions; application of the content in the live session.
Completion and your next step
The Final Business English Check brings together the core topics from all four modules. A reflection question and the “Your next course” lesson support further learning.
Scope / allocation
After the four subject modules.
Evidence and output
Final Check with ten single-choice questions and one written reflection on further practice needs.
How your work is assessed
Weighting: Ungraded orientation
Initial assessment
Six choice questions and three written-response tasks covering workplace context, self-assessment, a short introduction and learning goals.
No fixed time limit in the online check.
- Identify workplace situations
- Describe learning goals and support needs
Weighting: A separate check for each module
Four module checks
Modules 1, 2 and 4 each contain five single-choice questions. Module 3 contains five single-choice questions and a short follow-up email of four to six sentences.
No fixed time limit in the online check.
- Recognise appropriate workplace expressions
- Apply grammar and communication strategies in the module context
- Write a short follow-up message in the writing module
Weighting: A separate final check
Final Business English Check
Ten single-choice questions on the core course topics and one multiline written reflection on further learning needs.
No fixed time limit in the online check.
- Professional introductions and role descriptions
- Meeting interaction, clarification and follow-up
- Business email language
- Presentations, small talk and clear expression
Pass requirements
The four module checks and the Final Check each have a configured pass score of 70%. The initial assessment is ungraded. This existing course does not include an additional oral final examination, a 40/60 weighting or a separate minimum score for written and spoken components. Completing the Final Check alone does not automatically issue a certificate; the requirements agreed for the booking must be met before an Academy course certificate is awarded.
Choice questions are evaluated using the scoring configured in the course. Written-response tasks support application or personal reflection. No additional language-performance rubric or retrospective weighting is represented as part of this existing course.
Permitted resources and AI
The instructions communicated in the booked course apply. This description introduces no additional restrictions on aids or assessment conditions for existing bookings.
Identity and independent work
Learning evidence is associated with the relevant course access. This description introduces no additional invigilated oral examination or new identity-check procedure for existing bookings.
For General Business English, the module checks and Final Check described here each use a 70% pass score. There is no additional oral final examination or 60% minimum for separate written and spoken components. General Academy rules apply only as a supplement where relevant to this course and agreed for the booking.
Assessment and Certificate RulesWhat your certificate demonstrates
Academy Course Certificate in General Business English
- Scope of the credential
- Records course completion and fulfilment of the requirements agreed for the booking. The Academy reviews eligibility for issue separately. The Final Check supports course completion; passing it alone does not issue the course certificate.
- How to interpret the qualification
- Not a Cambridge, IELTS or other external language qualification and not an automatic CEFR level award. The choice-question check alone is not evidence of a standardised spoken-language examination. The agreed completion conditions continue to apply to existing bookings.
- Assessment date and currency
- Under Academy policy, this certificate is valid for a maximum of three years from its date of issue. It is issued only after all programme and assessment requirements have been met and the award decision has been documented. The validity period does not start on enrolment or at the beginning of the course. The actual validity period and expiry date are stated on the certificate; a shorter period applies only when expressly specified in the relevant course or assessment programme. There is no automatic extension. Renewal requires a documented review of current knowledge and application appropriate to the programme, using recent evidence and/or a suitable update or competence assessment. Repurchasing the entire course is not a blanket requirement. A renewed Academy certificate is also valid for no more than three years from its issue date. Attendance and passing an assessment remain verifiable historical facts tied to their dates; they do not provide indefinite validity as evidence of current competence.
This programme applies to deliveries whose agreed course and assessment plan explicitly references this revision. Existing bookings retain their agreed terms.
Programme questions
Is the entire course live?
No. The learning pathway combines four e-learning modules with four live sessions over eight weeks. The plan comprises four 60-minute self-study units and four hours of live tuition in total; individual time spent on exercises and checks can vary.
Do I need a language certificate?
An external language certificate is not a stated requirement. English at approximately B1 is recommended. The ungraded initial assessment explores your starting point and learning goals.
What does the Final Check contain?
Ten single-choice questions covering the four modules and one written reflection on further practice needs. The configured pass score is 70%. No additional oral final examination forms part of this existing check.
Will I receive a B2 or C1 qualification?
No. An Academy course certificate is issued after the requirements agreed for the booking have been met. It is not an external language examination and does not automatically establish a CEFR level.
Does this change the requirements of my existing booking?
No. This overview describes the existing learning pathway. It introduces no retrospective oral examination, new component weighting or additional assessment conditions.
Does this course alone meet the KOMPASS minimum duration?
The planned eight hours alone do not meet the 20-hour minimum. Potential funding must be discussed with an official advisory centre before booking.
Advice & course planning
Solo self-employed in Germany? Discuss potential KOMPASS support with an official advisory centre before booking. We can help you select a suitable programme in a consultation.
An Academy course certificate is awarded after completion of the stated course requirements and a passed knowledge check. It is not an external language certificate and does not establish a particular CEFR level.