The English language assessment certification is a compulsory requirement to apply for a bachelor’s or master’s degree program in the United Kingdom. The university needs to be sure that you can follow the courses taught in English and communicate efficiently with classmates, teachers, university personnel and just live comfortably.

Disclaimer

You must know which English certificates are recognized by your university of choice, plus the minimum score accepted. Search “name of your university” + English language requirements on Google to find out.

IELTS Academic 

There’re different types of tests that certify your level of English, but the most recognized by British universities is undoubtedly the IELTS Academic exam. IELTS Academic, International English Language Testing System, is the most popular and trusted English certification in the world. It tests your English level from multiple points of view, providing a complete and accurate assessment. There are four parts to the test: speaking (conversation), listening (listening), reading (reading and comprehension), writing (written production). Test duration is fixed at 2 hours 45 minutes in total and you can choose between IELTS paper or computer-based.

Scores and results

IELTS Academic is a multi-level test. You get a score between 1 and 9. Half scores such as 6.5 are possible. Universities often demand a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 for undergraduates or 7.0 for masters – but check what yours does require!

Training

Each part of the test needs its training. Yep, it’s about training, not studying. Why? Because you’ll be aware of the exam exercises before taking them, you’ll practice on those to prepare for the test. There isn’t any secret on the exam structure, and that’s a valuable point in your favor. Schools offer specific courses to prepare for English assessment certification, but they are often extremely expensive and could be very demanding both time and money. For this reason, Studey wanted to break down this barrier and make preparation and training accessible to everyone. We have created our IELTS preparation course, where we guide you through a complete IELTS training program. It’s based on very practical tips, advice, and most strategies on successfully taking the test. Our British Council certified Advisers have prepared “ad hoc” lessons for each phase of the test, revealing secrets and tricks that will be useful for you to successfully and safely overcome this challenge.