What we do

We help you, the Cambridge exam candidate, prepare for your FCE, CAE or CPE exam.

At Flo-Joe we don’t go for meaningless Mission Statements. Our goal is quite simple: we want you to pass your exam! (And, if you’re an English language tutor, we want to make it easier for you to manage your exam preparation classes).

Preparing for an English Language qualification is a serious business. Our experience of working with exam students over the years has taught us that the biggest obstacles you face are:

1. Finding time to study outside the classroom
2. Staying motivated and in control of your learning
3. Organising your study time effectively for maximum results

How can Flo-Joe help you achieve “exam success”? We provide effective* exam-focused, self-study resources that

• teach and test you on the skills, vocabulary and grammar that you need for each English language exam
• help you study ‘little and often’ so that you stay in control
• demystify the exam requirements so you know exactly what the examiner is looking for and what you need to do to pass
• bring you together with other candidates for help and support

That’s not all. Because our resources are online you can slot in your learning from any computer – at home, school, work, in the library or internet café. Just 20 minutes a day brushing up on your English can make all the difference between a pass or a fail mark.

In short, we help you get organised, stay motivated and feel confident, right up until the day of your exam.

*It's easy for us to claim we're effective but check out our customer comments at the top of each page of the Flo-Joe website. We were also the winners of the British Council Innovation in ELT Award in 2003 and shortlisted again in 2007.

Winners 2003	Shortlisted 2007

History of Flo-Joe

Flo-Joe was formed in 2000 by Fiona Joseph and Peter Travis, two former English lecturers and textbook writers who, as teachers, had been frustrated by the lack of flexible yet authoritative online self-study resources for Cambridge exam candidates. We started from the belief that learning outside the classroom is just as important for exam success as learning in the classroom.

Now in our seventh year, our award-winning online resources are used by individuals, and in schools, libraries, learning centres and training departments all over the world.

In keeping with today’s changing world, we’re always developing new ways of learning to make your exam preparation both fun and effective.

Here's a snapshot history of how we've evolved. (And thank you to all those people who supported us right from the start!)

• 2000: First version of the Flo-Joe website goes live with resources for FCE and CAE.
• 2001: Flo-Joe adds the revised CPE to list of exams
• 2002: Flo-Joe launches Exam Success Plus series for FCE, CAE and CPE.
• 2003: The Flo-Joe website is honoured with the British Council's ELTON award in 2003 for Innovation in English Language Teaching.
• 2005: Launch of Flo-Joe Radio, a podcast for CAE students.
• 2006: Flo-Joe's sister website Splendid Speaking goes live, with more podcasts and two new products: the Splendid Speaking online course and Splendid Expressions. Flo-Joe moves to new offices.
• 2007: Shortlisted again for the British Council ELTON award. Set Texts podcast released.

Latest news! We're currently working on new resources for the revised FCE and CAE in December 2008, and we'll soon be launching our updated website.

About the Flo-Joe team

Flo-Joe is a privately-owned company based in a leafy suburb of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Fiona Joseph and Peter Travis are the two Founding Managers of Flo-Joe.

Fiona Joseph	Peter Travis

Please use the Contact Form to get in touch with either Fiona or Peter, or telephone us on +44 (0)121 702 1465.

FAQs about Flo-Joe

Here are some of the questions that people ask us.

Do I need to be preparing for the Cambridge FCE, CAE or CPE exam to use your resources?
Certainly not. Anyone who’s serious about improving their language is welcome to use our website, whether you’re taking FCE, CAE, CPE (or any other English language exam).

What’s behind the name, Flo-Joe?
We’re often asked what the significance of the company name is. There’s no real mystery – simply that Peter’s nickname for Fiona was Flo-Joe, and it seemed a good idea when we formed the company.

Why do you give away so much top-quality free stuff? Shouldn’t you be selling it all?
There are two answers to this. First, we like helping people (it gives us a buzz when you email us with your success stories); second, by trying our free stuff first you get to appreciate how learning online can be enjoyable and effective.