In this guide
Quick answer
Linguaskill Business tests English at work and Linguaskill General tests English in daily life. The modules and timings are the same. Both report on the CEFR scale from B1 to C2. Take the version that the organisation asking for your result names. You can practise the same task types in a full test for free.
Cambridge offers two versions of the test. The choice is made by topic. A university or a language school usually asks for General. A company or a selection process may ask for Business. If nobody has told you which one, ask before you book.
What is the difference between Linguaskill Business and General?
The topics are the difference. Cambridge says Linguaskill General tests language used in daily life and suits university admission or exit and recruitment for roles that are not business-specific. Linguaskill Business tests English used in a business and corporate setting.
| Linguaskill General | Linguaskill Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Language tested | Daily life | Business and corporate settings |
| Topics Cambridge lists | Studying and working, making future plans, travel and technology | Buying and selling products or services, the office, business travel and human resources |
| Writing Part 2 | Essay | Report |
| Modules and timings | Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking | Same |
Cambridge describes Linguaskill Business as suited to graduates entering the workplace and to employees who need a certificate for development or promotion. The pages we read do not describe either version as easier or harder.
What changes in each module?
Only Writing changes its task type. Part 1 is an email in both versions, with at least 50 words. Part 2 is an essay in General and a report in Business, with at least 250 words. Part 1 is worth 25% of the Writing score and Part 2 is worth 75%.
Reading and Listening use the same adaptive format in both versions. The computer chooses each next question from your answers, so the number of questions is not fixed. The topics and the vocabulary in the texts and recordings come from the world of work in Business.
Speaking has the same five parts on Cambridge’s format page, with a presentation, a summary, follow-up questions, a recommendation and an argument. Cambridge lists a separate Business Speaking sample test, so the prompts use business situations. Our guide to the Linguaskill Speaking questions shows each part with examples.
Which version should you take?
Take the one that the person who will read your result asks for. Cambridge does not decide which version suits you. Neither do we. The organisation sets that, because it knows what the result is for.
- Ask who needs the result. A university, an employer or a school will know which version it accepts.
- Ask which modules count. You can take any module on its own, so confirm whether they want all four.
- Ask if both versions are accepted. If they accept either, pick the one closer to your daily English.
- Check the topics. Read the topic lists in the table above and see which feels more familiar.
If you are taking the test only to know your level, General is the natural start, because daily-life topics need no specialist terms. That is our opinion and not a rule from Cambridge.
How do you prepare for Linguaskill Business?
Start with Cambridge’s Business sample tests, which exist for Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. They show the screens and the report task. They give no result and no saved answers. Our guide to Linguaskill practice material lists each one.
The task types are the same in both versions, so general practice still trains your timing, your skimming in Reading and your planning in Writing. Our simulator is written around General topics today. It has Speaking practice with the five parts and Writing practice with the email and the essay. It has no Business-specific texts and no report task.
To add the Business side, read English about work for a few minutes a day. Emails, meeting notes and short company reports are all useful. You can practise summarising a meeting aloud in your own words.
Practise all four Linguaskill modules
All four modules at the official length. Free, no account needed.
Is Linguaskill Business harder than General?
The Cambridge pages we read do not say so. Both versions report B1 to C2 on the same scale. Business uses work topics, so the vocabulary may feel new if you have never worked in an office.
Can I take only one module of Linguaskill Business?
Yes. Cambridge says the test is modular, so you can choose which skills to take.
Does Linguaskill Business have a different Writing task?
Yes. Part 1 is an email in both versions. Part 2 is a report in Business and an essay in General. Our guide to Linguaskill Writing covers the email and the essay.
Is there a pass mark in Linguaskill Business?
No. Cambridge reports a score and a CEFR level for each module, with no pass or fail.
Sources
- Cambridge English, Linguaskill, Exam format and task types, https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/linguaskill/information-about-the-exam/exam-formats-and-task-types/, consulted on 25 October 2026.
- Cambridge English, Linguaskill Business, https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/linguaskill/information-about-the-exam/linguaskill-business/, consulted on 25 October 2026.
- Cambridge English, Linguaskill, How results are presented, https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/linguaskill/information-about-the-exam/how-results-are-presented/, consulted on 25 October 2026.