General

The E - KU Institute of Language and Intercultural Communication in Nitra is an accredited test centre for the City and Guilds Examinations.

The City and Guilds language exams are internationally recognised English language exams which are designed by the largest British educational institution of the same name. The exams are recognised by many institutions, universities and governments in Great Britain, the USA and Europe. (Detailed information as well as a list of universities is available at www.cityandguilds.sk, in the ESOL Recognition List section).

The expansion of these exams in Central and Eastern Europe is quite remarkable. They are comparable to and can compete with the British Cambridge exams. This is reflected in the fact that both types of exams have been included in the new National Curriculum bill as substitutions for the Slovak secondary school leaving examination (= the so-called “maturita”, specifically designed exams divided according to the level of difficulty). At the same time, the network of universities recognising these exams, in lieu of university entrance exams, is extending.

We recommend studying the following table in which all the City and Guilds exams are listed in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The table also provides an overview of the Slovak universities which recognise these exams, as well as the recommended types of the exams for different classes at E-KU.