Communication Skills for Business
Digital badges
The full pathway solution to CSB certification
Success is led by the power of communication
The Communication Skills for Business (CSB) program is one of the newest certification programs offered through Certiport and now includes the Professional Communication certification and the English for IT certification. Whether verbal (oral or written) communication or nonverbal communication the ability to communicate effectively is a critical skill that all candidates should possess. In every industry, there is a gap between the English skills required and the English language skills that employees have. Also, in today’s workplace, communication skills are consistently one of the top skills employers are looking for and developing these skills can give candidates a big edge on the competition.1
The CSB certifications are built to validate that candidates entering the workforce understand key communication principles and possess the skills that are necessary to be effective in a work environment.
Professional Communication Exam
The Communication Skills for Business (CSB) Professional Communication exam validate that candidates entering the workforce understand key communication principles and skills that are necessary to be effective in a work environment. While the key skill being measured is communication, the nature of this exam will also help students with the other 3 of “the 4 C’s”:
- Critical Thinking – which will happen as they think through how to effectively communicate
- Collaboration – which will stem from effectively communicating with others
- Creativity – which is required to present appealing communications
The CSB Professional Communication exam is a box exam with innovative selected response options. The core concepts include professional communication skills; effective verbal, nonverbal and listening skills; creating business deliverables; effectively delivering a message; receiving communications; and analyzing communication scenarios. When a question deals with visual communications, there are corresponding visuals to illustrate. Same for written communications.
It is a 50-minute exam with approximately 35-50 questions. An individual preparing to take this exam should have approximately 150 hours of instruction and hands-on experience in formal communication theory and practice.
The proficiency level expected for the exam can be attained through learning and practice tests. This level of knowledge required to pass the exam is outlined in the Exam Objectives. The Exam Objectives are the basis for all the learning materials, practice tests, and certification exams.
English for IT
The Communication Skills for Business (CSB) English for IT exam validates a candidate’s ability to work in an IT setting or in an entry-level IT job using English. It tests knowledge of English competence in an IT-related environment, and also measures:
- Listening – A skilled listener can hear between the lines and help people work through questions, issues and problems related to information technology projects.
- Reading – Whether it’s understanding a client’s specifications, or searching for a solution to a problem online, it is essential to be able to read in English at a high level.
- Use of English – Use of English refers to the conventional ways in which words or phrases are used, spoken or written in an IT-related environment.
The CSB English for IT exam uses scenario-based reading, selected-response, and audio questions. This is a 90-minute exam with approximately 60 questions. An individual preparing to take this exam should have approximately 150 hours of instruction and/or hands-on experience in English competence in an IT-related environment.
The English for IT exam is a great tool for a wide range of candidates, not just those with an interest in the fields of information technology. In fact, any person who needs to work with the IT, either with IT specialists such as programmers or network administrators, needs to be able to communicate effectively with those people. Even a person who simply uses a computer in their work will benefit from increased versatility in their English proficiency and IT terminology. The exam is geared toward the following non-native English speaking target audiences:
- late-stage K12 and Higher Education students and IT professionals early in their careers
- software developers, network engineers, security engineers, product managers and IT support who want to work in an international, multicultural environment
- IT specialists who want to start working in multinational or English-speaking companies
- non-IT employees working in the IT sector
The targeted proficiency level for candidates taking this exam is B2 in the CEFR and 59-75 in the Global Scale of English. To prepare for the English for IT certification, candidates have access to practice tests, as well as an entire learning course dedicated to the English for IT certification, which covers everything in the exam. The Exam Objectives form the basis for the learning materials, practice tests and the certification exam, and they outline the level of knowledge a candidate needs in order to pass the English for IT exam.