Thinking about starting an IELTS course?

The IELTS exam is a real challenge, even for fluent speakers of English. I would recommend that you think carefully about taking the exam before you commit yourself to the process. Think about the following questions:

1. Do you need to take the exam?

If you are applying to a British university or college to do a degree, in many cases you will need to have passed the IELTS exam (the university will specify what grade you need). Remember that some universities, colleges and employers might prefer a more relevant qualification like OET (Occupational English Test), or even a government certified test like SELT. Check out the blog and vlog pages for more information on these.

2. What kinds of IELTS exams are available?

There are two types of IELTS exams: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. In IELTS Academic, the reading and writing sections are different. The reading texts are close to what you might read at university, and you will write essays. In IELTS General Training, the reading and writing sections are based on everyday English and general interest topics. The listening and speaking sections of these two exams are the same.

“Ok, thanks for your advice, but I need to do the IELTS exam”.

No problem. I’ll now move on to a few tips about what comes next.

3. Make sure you are at the right level

Taking an IELTS preparation course (and exam) is not recommended to students who haven’t passed Upper Intermediate or B2. This is because you will need to be strong enough in the four receptive skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) and have sufficient vocabulary and grammar to keep up. IELTS courses are very intensive as even a B2 and above student will need to practise many different types of exam questions.

*All pictures from a stock images database