English Exam Requirements

Every student of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics is obliged to pass the departmental final English exam. Students register for the exam under code NJAZ091 at the Study Department. The final exam is the same for students of all levels. Students usually sit for the exam in the fourth semester of their bachelor study programme.

Students should register for the exam through SIS (code NJAZ091) for the dates scheduled by the Department of Language Education. The number of students accepted for each exam is limited. The terms for students with certificates will not be accepted without an accredited certificate. (Carefully read the notes for individual dates).

THE WRITTEN PART (duration: 145 minutes)

1. Listening Comprehension (duration: 20 minutes; 20 points)
2. Written Production (approx. 190 words ±10) (duration: 30 minutes; 15 points)
   English-English dictionary available; 3 topics are offered, one to be chosen by the student.
3. Reading Comprehension (duration: 30 minutes; 35 points)
4. Use of English (duration: 30 minutes; 35 points)
5. English for Special Purposes (duration: 35 minutes; 35 points)

The maximum score in the written part is 140 points. The minimum score to pass is 98 points provided that the student has reached at least 21 points in the ESP Test. Only students who pass the written part of the examination will be permitted to continue to the oral part.

THE ORAL PART

• Interpretation of a professional (technical, scientific) text originally written in English (examples of good and bad texts can be found here) from the student's field of study that is to be prepared at home (30 standard pages, i.e. 1800 characters per page). For the oral test you need to bring the printed text (electronic material won't be accepted). Note: Your materials will be returned to you right after the exam.
• Analysis of grammatical, lexical and stylistic features of the text
• Conversation

Examiners assess fluency and accuracy as well as the quality of the text analysis.

POINTS EARNED DURING PREVIOUS SEMESTERS

The number of points earned during previous semesters at MFF UK can have an impact on both the assessment of the written part and the final classification. A total of 20 points (for 4 successfully passed courses) is possible.

FINAL ASSESSMENT

The final classification of the examination is based on the following criteria:

• assessment of the written part
• assessment of the oral part
• number of points earned during previous semesters at MFF UK – verified before the exam based on information in SIS.

Each student can register for one regular and two retake exams. The same rules are applied to all registrations.

Should a student fail to sit for an exam that he/she has registered for, without any excuse, they will be credited with one failed attempt in SIS.

Requirements for the exam

The level of the examination approaches B2-C1 level in compliance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. A list of essential languages that can be tested is described by the Council of Europe’s document for the Vantage level (B2).

It is recommended to study textbooks and workbooks at the B2-C1 level for the general part of the exam. For the specialized English section, it is recommended to study the textbook Křepinská A., Bubeníková M., Mikuláš M.: Angličtina pro studenty MFF UK. Praha: Matfyzpress, 2013, or the amended edition Angličtina (nejen) pro studenty MFF UK (2019).