IELTS Preparation

This course is preparation, not the test. IELTS is booked and paid for separately with the British Council or IDP, and no institute can promise a band score — what is taught here is technique, and the rest is your own practice.

Scoring before studying.

• Academic against General Training
  Choosing correctly; the wrong one is an expensive mistake.
• How each section is scored hands on
  The band descriptors, read properly - most candidates never look at them.
• Where marks are actually lost hands on
  Diagnosed from a first full mock sat in week one.
• Building a study plan hands on
  Honest about the hours required between classes.

Technique as much as ability.

• Question types and their traps hands on
  Predicting the answer before it is spoken.
• Following signposts and distractors hands on
  The speaker who corrects themselves mid-sentence.
• Spelling and number accuracy hands on
  Marks lost on correct answers written wrongly.
• Timed practice hands on
  Full sections under exam conditions.

Speed with accuracy.

• Skimming and scanning hands on
  Locating rather than reading everything.
• True / False / Not Given hands on
  The question type that costs candidates most, taught until the distinction is reliable.
• Matching and headings hands on
  Method, not guesswork.
• Time management hands on
  Three passages, sixty minutes, no extra transfer time.

The section most candidates score lowest.

• Task 1: describing data hands on
  Overview first, then the notable features - not every number.
• Task 1 General: letters
  Tone and purpose.
• Task 2: the essay hands on
  Position, structure, development and a conclusion that is not a repetition.
• Marked practice hands on
  Written to time, marked against the band descriptors, rewritten.

Three parts, eleven to fourteen minutes.

• Part 1: familiar topics hands on
  Extending answers without rambling.
• Part 2: the long turn hands on
  Using the minute of preparation properly.
• Part 3: discussion hands on
  Abstract questions and opinions with reasons.
• Fluency against accuracy hands on
  What the examiner is actually listening for.

The last fortnight.

• Full mock tests hands on
  Complete, timed, under conditions.
• Reviewing a mock properly hands on
  Every wrong answer categorised by cause.
• Test-day logistics
  Booking, identification, timings and what to expect.
• Deciding when you are ready
  Sitting too early is the most common and most expensive error.

Before you start

• Intermediate English
  IELTS preparation is technique on top of existing English. If speaking is the gap, take Spoken English first.

Where it leads

• Spoken English
  If the speaking band is the weak one.

Roles this prepares you for

• Study abroad applications
  The most common reason students take this.
• Immigration and visa requirements
  General Training, usually.
• Professional registration
  Some employers and bodies require a band score.

Interested in this programme?

Try the subject free first — there is no reason to pay before you know you like it.