IELTS Preparation

IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is a world proven English language test which is recognised in thousands of institutions and over a hundred countries.

If you are considering studying at University or studying for degree level courses at an institution abroad, then you will need to do an IELTS test as proof of your competence of the English language. We offer IELTS preparation classes to help you succeed in the test. The test will be booked when you are ready for it. The test will be taken at the nearest IELTS test centre which is Aston University.

In the preparation classes you will be taught all the four skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.  IELTS course books will be used as well as authentic materials and resources. You will have plenty of opportunities to go through past IELTS papers and authentic questions which relate to the core topics relevant to the test. This will familiarise you with the question types and give you tips on how to look for and answer questions. You will also be given extra support with grammar and vocabulary.

The IELTS test itself comprises of four papers covering the four skills.

Reading
The reading paper lasts for 1 hour and consists of 3 sections. In each section you have to read a passage and answer questions related to that passage. Answers are then transferred on to an answer sheet. The level of difficulty of reading increases with each passage.

Writing
The writing paper lasts for 1 hour and consists of 2 sections. The first section lasts for 20 minutes in which you have to write a 150 word report based on visual information.  This could be a diagram, graph, chart or table. The second task is forty minutes long you have to write 250 words based on discussion of the topic given to you.

Speaking
The test lasts between 11-14 minutes and comprises of 3 parts. For the first part of the test is a conversation between you and the examiner. In the second part you will need to give a short talk for two minutes based on a general topic given to you by the examiner.  The third part consists of a discussion between you and the examiner based on the topic in section 2. This lasts between 3-4 minutes.

Listening
There are four sections to this paper with each section having 10 questions. For each section you will a recording of conversations. These will be played once only and you will need to put your answers on the listening paper. At the end of the test you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet.

English language tests approved for Tier 4

If you are an international student and come from a country where English is not the main language spoken, you need to prove that you are competent in the English language.

The following tests are recognized and approved by UKBA to show that you have the required level of English language to study on a course in the UK. The information also shows the minimum mark required for each test.