SAMPLE PAPERS

Recommended Study Resources for the Oral Spelling Exam

We have prepared a carefully selected list of resources to help candidates effectively prepare for the different stages of the Spelling Bee examination.

The recommended books provide valuable practice in spelling, vocabulary development, and word recognition. In particular, the word lists and vocabulary banks included at the end of these books are extremely useful tools for building a strong foundation and expanding vocabulary.

However, students should not rely only on these books. They are encouraged to continue learning new words from the vocabulary banks found in different English coursebooks commonly used in schools. These vocabulary lists are usually developed based on the CEFR levels by publishers such as Cambridge, Oxford, Macmillan, and other reputable publishers.

Candidates are encouraged to make full use of these resources as part of their preparation for the competition.

Both British and American spellings are accepted.

Bee LevelCEFR LevelExamples of suitable resources – please note that this list is not exhaustive
Bee 1 (grade 1-2)A1

Macmillan Education: Tiger Time 3; Insights 1; Gateway A1+; Beyond A1+; Tiger Time 4; Insights 2;

CUP: Fun Skills Level 3; Life Adventures 1;Power Up 2; Fun Skills Level 4; Life Adventures 2; Power Up 3;

Express Publishing: Right On 1; Enterprise 1; Upstream A1+; On Screen 1;

Bee 2 (grade 3-4)A2

Macmillan Education: Optimise A2; Tiger Time 5; Insights 3; English World A2+; Tiger Time 6; Insights 4
CUP: Fun Skills Level 5 and 6; Life Adventures 3 and 4; Power Up 4 and 5; Interactive 1;
Express Publishing: Upstream A2; On Screen 2; Right On 2; Enterprise 2; On Screen 3;

Bee 3 (grade 5-6)B1

Macmillan Education: Insights 5 and 6; Gateway B1 and B1+; English World 8 and 9; Laser B1 and B1+;
CUP: Life Adventures 5 and 6; Power Up 6; Interactive 2 and 3;
Express Publishing: Enterprise 3; Upstream B1 and B1+; On Screen B1 and B1+;
OUP: Navigate B1 and B1+; Insight Intermediate

Bee 4 (grade 7-8)B2

Macmillan Education: Gateway B2 and B2+; English World 10; Laser B2; Global 5; Straightforward Upper Intermediate;
CUP: Interactive 4;
Express Publishing: Upstream B2 and B2+; On Screen B2 and B2+; Enterprise 4;
OUP: Navigate B2; Headway Upper Intermediate; Insight Upper-Intermediate

Bee 5 (grade 9-10C1

Macmillan Education: Gateway C1; Global 6; Straightforward Advanced;
Express Publishing: New Enterprise; Upstream C1; On Screen C1;
OUP: Navigate C1; Insight Advanced ; Headway Advanced ; English File C1

Bee 6 (grade 11-12)C2

Express Publishing: Upstream C2;
OUP: Objective Proficiency; Proficiency Masterclass;
Hillside Press: The New On The Move C2;
Pearson: Proficiency Expert Coursebook;
Academic and Business English: Any publications specific to Academic and / or Business English at advanced levels.