What is IELTS?
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is the most popular exam to assess an applicant’s English level for entry to a UK university course. The IELTS exam tests all four language skills - speaking, listening, reading and writing.
The IELTS exam has a unique scoring system, called ‘Band Scores’. The results range from 0 - 9 (9 is the best score). For most British university courses, a 6.0 IELTS band score of is the minimum enrollment requirement, but more popular and prestigious courses will require higher.
Academic IELTS or General?
There are 2 versions of the IELTS exam - Academic or General.
● Academic IELTS - for higher education entry or work purposes
● General IELTS - to support a visa application to live in a country permanently.
IELTS Courses at SGI London
IELTS exam preparation courses at SGI London...
● Run every week of the year. Start lessons on any Monday, for good intermediate level or higher students.
● Are focussed exam preparation lessons that aim to improve your all-round academic English ability.
● Teach students vital exam tactics to maximise their IELTS Band scores, e.g. using an appropriate, formal, academic style.
● Have a full, mock IELTS exam for students every Thursday morning. Results are given on Fridays.
Improving English skills
The IELTS course key objective is for students to gain the highest possible IELTS Band Score in writing, speaking, reading and listening sections of the exam.
IELTS Course Key Objectives
● Improve writing - IELTS Academic version has 2 different writing tasks requiring an academic register/style of written work. Students learn how to write formal English
● Improve reading - The reading section of the IELTS test has several articles and different question types. It is essential to practise how to complete the different questions, as the majority of students taking the exam find that there is not enough time to complete the reading section.
● Improve speaking - To award the highest IELTS band scores, the examiners are looking for students’ broad vocabulary and confident use of complex English grammar. On the SGI IELTS Course, you will learn how to impress the examiner with a perfect spoken answer.
● Improve listening - Many students find this section the easiest part of the IELTS test. However, the SGI IELTS teachers can show you how to approach the listening, so that you choose the correct answers, and not opt for the incorrect ‘distraction’ answers that would confuse a lower-level IELTS candidate.
IELTS courses to suit your study needs
SGI English School in Central London school has different types of IELTS exam preparation courses so that you can choose how intensively you would like to study. You can choose to study only in small group classes, or to combine that with private one-to-one tuition. Our IELTS course study option is based on morning group classes that are hIghly focussed classes on IELTS exam preparation tactics and improving academic English
| IELTS COURSE OPTION | IELTS FOCUS LESSONS (9.15 - 12.45) | WEEKLY IELTS MOCK EXAM | GENERAL ENGLISH LESSONS (13.30 - 15.00) | PRIVATE ONE-TO-ONE LESSONS (13.30 onwards) |
|---|
| STANDARD IELTS | YES | YES | NO | NO |
|---|
| INTENSIVE IELTS | YES | YES | YES | NO |
|---|
| COMBINATION IELTS | YES | YES | NO | YES |
|---|
IELTS STANDARD COURSE
The Standard IELTS exam preparation course option only has morning group classes from 9.15 - 12.45. There are no further lessons in the afternoon. Every morning you will study 4 classes with a 100% focus on preparing for the IELTS exam. Every Thursday morning, all students sit a full IELTS mock examination, including a speaking test with a teacher. Your results are given on Fridays.
IELTS INTENSIVE COURSE
The Intensive IELTS exam preparation course has the standard IELTS course every morning, plus additional afternoon classes (13.30 - 15.00). After lunch you will attend General English mini-group lessons. These are English conversation classes, not exam preparation lessons. However, you will have a great opportunity to perfect your English skills, especially speaking, in a relaxed atmosphere where you can put into practice the vocabulary and grammar from the morning lessons.
IELTS COMBINATION COURSE LONDON
The Combination IELTS exam preparation course has the standard IELTS group classes in the morning, plus one-to-one classes in the afternoons (from 13.30 onwards). In your individual classes, your own private tutor will work on improving your English weaknesses to maximise your IELTS skills, helping you reach the highest possible band score.
You can choose how many private lessons you will study each week:
Combo 5 - 1 private lesson every afternoon
Combo 10 - 2 private lessons every afternoon
Combo 15 - 3 private lessons every afternoon
IELTS Exam Summary
The IELTS exam has four different sections, testing all four language skills of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The Listening, Reading and Writing are all taken together in one exam in an IELTS test centre. The Speaking exam is taken separately. It may take place on the same day or it may be offered by your test centre up to a week before, or after the other test modules.
| IELTS Section | Time | Summary |
| Listening | 30 mins | 4 recordings: each recording played one time only |
| Reading | 60 mins | 40 questions to answer from 3 long authentic texts |
| Writing | 60 mins | Task 1 - describe a graph/diagram (150 words) Task 2 - an essay question (220 words) |
| Speaking | 11 to 14 mins | Part 1 - Interview: simple, common questions from the examiner (About 4 mins) Part 2 - Long Turn: speak by yourself on a given subject (About 3 mins, with 1 min preparation time) Part 3 - Discussion: talk further with the examiner about the subject from Part 2 (About 4-5 mins) |
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