English Speaking Board (International) Ltd

Category: Important Announcements

  • Notice to Centres: revised specifications for ESB Level 3 Certificate in Speech (Grades 6 & 8)

    Notice for all ESB Speech UK and International centres:

    Following a review of our Level 3 Speech qualifications, we have made some changes to the grade descriptors at Grade 6 and Grade 8. It is no longer necessary for learners to memorise their texts for the Literature Interpretation at Grade 6 or the literary recommendation at Grade 8.

    Furthermore, the wording of seven grade descriptors at Grade 8 have been amended to make them clearer, more consistent and fairer for learners. This is following feedback from tutors, learners and assessors and reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and ensuring that our learners gain the vital communication skills that will enable them to thrive in education and work.

    These changes apply for all assessments from October 2024. Please see the specifications and the teacher resources on our website https://esbuk.org/web/our-teacher-resources/speech-resources/teacher-resources-for-graded-examinations-in-speech-advanced/ .

  • Important Centre Notice – Refreshed Centre Handbooks

    ESB introduces new handbooks for each of its centres – available to download today.

    Designed to streamline the ESB journey for our centres and to enable them to find information more easily, our master Centre Handbook has been split into three new individual Centre Handbooks.

    ESOL Skills for Life centres

    New ESB Handbook for Skills for Life centres:

    • Learner preparation 
    • Step-by-step booking process 
    • Plan your assessment day by creating an efficient running order
    • Planning your Reading and Writing assessments including instructions for your invigilators 

    Speech centres

    New ESB Handbook for Speech Centres based in the UK. For Speech Centres operating outside of the UK, we already have a Handbook for your centre here.

    • Step-by-step booking process 
    • Links to useful videos  
    • Assessment rules and regulations poster for you to display 
    • Guidance for assessment timings and recommended learner numbers per day

    Centres offering ICE qualifications

    Our centres delivering ESB ICE qualifications can also access detailed guidance regarding centre-assessed components within our brand new ESB Handbook for Centre Assessed Qualifications. The following items are discussed in this Handbook but please ensure that it is used in tandem with your Speech Handbook. 

    • Centre staff requirements 
    • Internal quality assurance 
    • Moderation process and feedback 

    If you are an existing ESB centre, please start consulting the new Centre Handbooks immediately. They are available to download on our Policies and Procedures page.

    If you have any questions about our new Centre Handbooks, please contact our Quality Assurance Department.