ICFE assesses the level of English of finance professionals and is internationally
recognised by many institutions in the financial and accounting industry. It is
set at levels B2 and C1 of the Common European Framework for Languages
(CEFR) and is a great asset for finance professionals wishing to work in an
international context.
Who is Cambridge ICFE (Cambridge International Certificate in Financial
English) for?
ICFE is suitable for finance professionals and anyone thinking of pursuing a
career in accountancy or finance. It can be used to validate the financial English
language skills of professionals wishing to pursue a career abroad. If you are
intending to study abroad, ICFE can also be used to certify that you have the
required level to follow a course of study related to finance at university level.
Level required?
To sit for ICFE, students need to achieve a B2 level in English and are expected
to be familiar with some finance and accountancy concepts and terminology.
Your level of English must allow you to:
Operate in English in an international financial environment
Communicate in English with clients
Express yourself clearly and fluently in English
Understand and produce texts in general and financial English
What does ICFE (Cambridge International Certificate in Financial English)
involve?
ICFE assesses the candidate’s ability to understand, analyse, and react to a
number of practical situations of the kind accounting and finance professionals
would expect to encounter in their daily working lives. The exam consists of
four papers and lasts for 3h30:
1- Reading
This paper assesses your ability to read and understand finance-related texts in
English.
2- Writing
This paper assesses your ability towrite texts related to finance on a specific
topic for a target reader.
3- Listening
The listening paper assesses your ability to understand spoken English in a
number of realistic contexts that finance professionals are likely to encounter
in their working lives.
4- Speaking
The speaking test assesses your ability to speak clearly and with fluency in
English in a professional context.
Official recognition
ICFE is recognised around the world by accountancy firms, educational
organisations, government agencies, immigration authorities and professional
bodies in the finance and accounting industry.