Gringoes.com: Is CELPE-Bras worth the effort?

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joey
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Topic: Is CELPE-Bras worth the effort?
Posted: 27 August 2008 at 17:19

Hello all,

Can anyone advise please?...I´m trying to find out if doing the CELPE-Bras exam would give me a significant advantage in getting a job in Brazil as an engineer. Needless to say it would help - but I wonder if I could do just as well with a good level of Portuguese and without having to pass this difficult exam.

Thanks in advance.

Edited by joey - 27 August 2008 at 17:25

All is well that ends well.

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sven
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Posted: 27 August 2008 at 17:42

Finding a job is mostly based on who you know. If you're profficient in Portuguese they will find that out in an exam.

If you want a job as an engineer, you should have a CREA which is the regulatory organisation for the engineering profession. In order to obtain this, you must have your university diploma certified by a federal university. Without a CREA you may not work as an engineer in Brazil.

As for CELPE, I doubt that many brazilians have heard of this exam.

Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

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DUNGA
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Posted: 27 August 2008 at 18:17

zecapagodinho was trying to get his CREA and it involved passing the highest level of the Celpe-Bras ( I think) but then he ended up getting a job without it. He posted all about it ... maybe he will respond ...

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tokyogirl
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Posted: 28 August 2008 at 06:15

Is the Celpe-Bras a Brazilian-Portuguese language proficiency test? Sorry, I am curious to know as I have never heard it. Any information you have would be grand.

Cheers

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Victoria2005
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Posted: 02 September 2008 at 00:09

hey Tokyogirl, yes it is the Brazilian Protuguese proficiency test.

I'm going to be doing it this semester too. .. time to break out the books.

so, who has done the CELPE-Bras test? is it difficult to get Advanced/Advanced Superior?

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Mineiro_Alemão
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Posted: 03 September 2008 at 18:05

Originally posted by tokyogirl

Is the Celpe-Bras a Brazilian-Portuguese language proficiency test? Sorry, I am curious to know as I have never heard it. Any information you have would be grand.

Cheers

YES it is. It´s administrated by the Brazilian Education Dept. (MEC)
you can take the exam twice a year, in April and October, if I´m not wrong. You can take the test in various cities in Brazil and abroad. The application fee is something like R$ 80,- payable when enroling.
Be aware that the timeframe to enrole ends already a month BEFORE the exam. The next exam will be on 22nd and 23 October 2008, you can enroll untill 7th of September

The exam is in two parts on two days. The first day there is an 2,5 hour written exam, wich may include video tape sequences or tape sequences.
The following day there is a 20 min. oral exam infornt of two pelople.

There are some professions, like doctors, nurses and like it seems engeneers, who need to be recognized by the locat professional associations like CONSELHO REGIONAL DE MEDICINA, ENFERMARGEN or CREA, that during this process a CELPE-Bras certificate is required.

But nowadays there are about 4 diferent levels a certificate can be obtained. To me it seemed quiet hard to adchive the highest level. About half of the particepants just make the first level. The highest just a hand full. I saw many how participated already the second or third time, in order to get a more advanced certificate.

If it´s not really required, there is no advantage having the CELPE-Bras, because most companies will see during the hireing process if your skills are good enought or not, be it written or oral. So they normaly don´t ask for it. Most probably don´t know it anyway.

Here is the official site:

http://portal.mec.gov.br/sesu/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=436&Itemid=303

Edited by Mineiro_Alemão - 03 September 2008 at 18:06

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Mineiro_Alemão
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Posted: 03 September 2008 at 18:17

Originally posted by Victoria2005

so, who has done the CELPE-Bras test? is it difficult to get Advanced/Advanced Superior?

I would say YES.

You should study quiet a lot. I did the exam twice and didn´t manage to improove in the second one.

Be prepared to write a short text (REDAÇÃO), interpret a given text, be prepared to listen to a tape in Portugese from Protugal or even in african Portugese slang. Or to watch a video tape and then have to answer question in multiple choice or with your own words.

For the oral exam it´s important to maintain a fluent conversation. In the beginning they probably ask you some questions about yourself and what brought you to Brazil. Then the official part starts, you´ll get a photo or maybe a newspaper article to read and the you have to tell them something about the image or the aricle you read.

Don´t be afraid to make mistakes, just avoid repeating the same mistake several times, especially if they corrected you the first time and the other important thing is to keep the conversation fluent. It´s not an interview where you answer questions, YOU have to talk most part and keep it going.

GOOD LUCK!

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Victoria2005
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Posted: 22 October 2008 at 22:06

So who sat CELPE-Bras today?

I had my first bash at it. It was made up of Four Essay/text type questions.

I doubt i did too well as i didn't study for it. Luckily i had no obligation to take the test, so there was any pressure on me (maybe if i had been under pressure i would have studied).

i was looking on the MEC site a little while ago, and according the the Semester A test, only 14 people whi took the test inside of Brazil managed to get Advanced Superior (the highest grade).... seems like it's marked with quite an iron fist.

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Mineiro_Alemão
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Posted: 23 October 2008 at 09:13

Originally posted by Victoria2005

I doubt i did too well as i didn't study for it. Luckily i had no obligation to take the test, so there was any pressure on me (maybe if i had been under pressure i would have studied).

That´s true! Even if you are still taking Portugese classes, it´s not easy to adchiev one of the certificates. Not to mention the highest one AVANÇADO SUPERIOR. If you have to or want to adchieve this certificate you´ll probably need one year of intensive classes or a private teacher.

If you are lucky you´ll see your name published on the MEC website in about 3 months when the exams have been checked. But it will take at least another 3 months (or more) before you can pick up the certificate at the scholl/institution where you took the exam.

Wink

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Victoria2005
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Posted: 23 October 2008 at 17:20

Originally posted by Mineiro_Alemão

That´s true! Even if you are still taking Portugese classes, it´s not easy to adchiev one of the certificates. Not to mention the highest one AVANÇADO SUPERIOR. If you have to or want to adchieve this certificate you´ll probably need one year of intensive classes or a private teacher.

Hmmm, thanks for killing my little ray of hope of having passed!

Well, there is always next year ... and the year after.... and the year after that... and the year after that.....

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