Why take IELTS?

With so many different exams available, it can be difficult to decide which one is best to suit your needs and ambitions. However, there is one exam which covers almost everything – IELTS. Whether your ambitions are academic, for immigration or for employment purposes, an IELTS certificate can serve as a key to open those seemingly locked doors.

The reason IELTS is so universally accepted is because the results are only valid for 2 years. This guarantees to admissions, immigration and employment offices that it is an accurate depiction of your level of English at the time of application.

Depending on your needs, you can take either Academic or General Training. Academic IELTS is generally used for admissions into university or study programmes as well as for some employment opportunities like working for the NHS. General Training is mostly used for immigration purposes; however, depending on your field of work, you can use it for employment purposes as well.

What does IELTS test?

The IELTS exam focuses on testing your language skills. The exam is divided into 4 papers: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.

The reading paper consists of 3 texts with accompanying questions. For Academic IELTS, the texts are academic in nature and are usually scholarly articles. For General Training IELTS, the articles are more in the style of something you would see in everyday life.

The writing paper has 2 parts. For Academic IELTS there is a data description task and an essay. For General Training, task 1 is a letter and task 2 is an opinion essay.

The listening and speaking papers are the same for both types of exams. The listening paper comprises of 4 tasks and the speaking has three.

The exam is marked on a scale from 1-9, with 9 being the highest (C2 level). Depending on your needs the score you require will be different – academic programmes can require anywhere from a 4.5-8, immigration can range anywhere from a 4-8 and employment generally ranges from a 5.5-8.5.

Why study IELTS with ELA-Edinburgh?

At ELA-Edinburgh we can offer you personalised attention and feedback that you can’t get at larger schools.

Whether you need a 4.5 or an 8.5 we can guide you towards your goal and give you the tools you need to succeed.

We offer a wide range of courses to suit your schedule. You can study with us at the school or even via Skype. Check our course catalogue for more details.