Economics & Business and English each play a distinct role on the BBE entrance exam. This guide covers what WU tests, what to study, and how to practice without wasting time.
Economics & Business appears as 10 questions on the most recent exam, with approximately 40% score weighting. Content is assessed through the same multi-statement multiple-choice format as the rest of the paper.
Preparation means independent literature study of a single required text, not an open-ended “read anything about business” brief.
Study Chapters 1 to 6. These chapters cover the fundamentals of business and economics: basic economic concepts and market mechanisms, types and forms of businesses, ownership structures, sources of finance, marketing fundamentals, and interpreting short business scenarios and terminology.
Stems may present a short scenario or claim and then offer several statements. You decide independently whether each statement is consistent with the book’s definitions and logic. The underlying ideas are often manageable; the difficulty is wording accuracy under time pressure.
With strong approximate weighting relative to question count, this section rewards moving quickly once you are fluent with phrasing. Many applicants aim to finish Economics in roughly 10 to 20 minutes after enough practice volume.
Timing ranges above are BBE School preparation advice, not official WU rules.
English appears as 11 questions on the most recent exam, with approximately 20% score weighting. It examines general command of English rather than a fixed chapter syllabus.
Texts relate to contemporary social issues. You must understand main ideas, implications, and carefully worded claims, then evaluate statements under the shared stem.
Expect precise lexical choices in academic/business-adjacent contexts. Building business-relevant vocabulary over time is more effective than last-minute word lists alone.
Grammar and language control are tested at an expected B2 level, alongside reading and vocabulary. The section is not an isolated “fill in the blank only” paper.
WU recommends practicing with resources such as:
and reading business-focused outlets such as:
Treat English as a long-horizon skill. Short daily reading plus BBE-style practice stems beats cramming. Use practice sets to learn how statements try to mislead through near-synonyms and scope words.
For learning, yes. Economics has a bounded book; English is proficiency-building. Mixing them too early can feel busy without building real depth in either.
For exam readiness, combine them. Once definitions and reading fluency improve, practice mixed timed blocks so you can clear these sections efficiently and protect time for Mathematics.
Read our complete BBE preparation guide →