Is it worth getting a degree in English just to include in your resume?

It's the eternal debate: does one need a title to prove one can speak English or not? Neither the question has an unequivocal answer, nor are official language certificates the only irrefutable proof that one is fluent in what has become a lingua franca. But they haven't become wet paper either. In addition to being a passport necessary for a few official procedures: study abroad, access to certain competitive examinations, apply for scholarships and visas ...

"Language certification has evolved considerably in recent years. The main driver has been international mobility for academic, professional and personal reasons," says John Kear, head of examinations for Spain at the British Council. But what's the point of having a degree? And which one to choose from among so many different tests? Six experts in English teaching, certifications and the labour market answer the main questions generated by official language qualifications.

What is the point of having an official English qualification?

"The titles serve to demonstrate in an independent and objective way what you have achieved, the level that you have", summarizes David Bradshaw, head of evaluation of Cambridge Assessment English for Spain and Portugal. The certificates are mainly for academic and professional purposes. In terms of studies, they may be necessary to obtain a bachelor's degree - since many universities require a minimum level of English in order to graduate -, to participate in exchange programmes, to access a master's degree... In terms of employment, it is required in some competitive examinations, to apply for visas if you want to work abroad or simply to improve your curriculum.

"In general, certification is required in important processes where people have a lot at stake," says Lee Golding, head of language assessment at Oxford University Press Spain. There are those who use them, however, as an excuse for learning. "Some students simply want to learn and have something concrete at the end of the course. It's a learning journey and they like to have something physical, a piece of paper, at the end," says Debbie Rimmer, director of examinations at the International House Madrid academy.

Is it worth getting a degree just to improve the curriculum?

One in three job offers requires a foreign language and in 92% of cases that language is English, according to a study by Adecco. But it is not the same to fill in the "languages" field of your curriculum with the well-known "medium-high level" than to refine your shot, to be able to say that you have a B2 and also to be able to accredit it with a certificate from the University of Cambridge or the University of Oxford, for example, two of the most prestigious examination institutions.

Having a certificate is a first proof that you know English, as well as an indication of other values, such as effort or the desire to improve. But it is equally true that, if you pass the initial filter of the curriculum and reach the interview stage, you will most likely be given an oral test. And the title will be of little use if you are not able to demonstrate your mastery at that moment. "It's worth including the degree in the curriculum, but keep in mind that in the interview they're going to want you to prove that you have that level," says Salvador Sicart, director in Spain of the human resources consulting firm Hays Response.

Be careful about how long your degree is valid: anything over two or three years old can lose a lot of validity in a selection process. "Even so, the key is the subsequent reality, it depends on the use you have made of the language afterwards," says Lucas Varela, an expert in talent development at the human resources consultancy PageGroup. "The certificates are clues that we are having, but in the end everything ends in a direct verification of the level of the candidate.
3. What are the main exams?

To navigate the tangle of English titles, Lee Golding points out a first key: "There is no universal exam that opens all the doors. The important thing is that the student is always informed of the exam that is going to be required: to study, to compete, to work...".

The catalogue of certifications is divided into two basic categories: single-level and multilevel exams. The former evaluate at a specific level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which is the reference scale for language learning and teaching throughout Europe. For example, Cambridge First examines you in the four basic skills when communicating in a language - speaking, listening, writing and reading - and measures whether or not you have a B2, understood as an "advanced" level according to the Framework. In order to get the degree, you need to pass the exam (although if you stay below or even above it, Cambridge certifies the level you have, whatever it is).