IELTS stands for “International English Language Testing System” and is an exam to judge English language ability. It is accepted by institutes of higher education and immigration authorities in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Universities in the UK will not be able to issue you a final offer without a valid IELTS score.

Over 10,000 organisations worldwide, including educational institutions, employers, governments, immigration authorities and professional bodies, accept IELTS.

The test has four parts; listening, reading, writing and speaking and lasts three hours. Listening takes place first and lasts 40 minutes, then reading and writing (one hour each) and speaking which last up to 15 minutes.

There are two versions of IELTS, General and Academic. If applying to a university, a student will need to take Academic lessons. If only taking IELTS for a citizenship application or to study at below degree level, the General test is suitable. If you are unsure, academic IELTS covers both study and immigration needs. The format for both exams is the same, with the reading and writing elements slightly easier in the General test.

For an undergraduate degree, a minimum IELTS score of 6 is generally required, while at postgraduate level, this rises to 6.5. For specialist courses such as medicine, students will need a score of 7.0. Each university and course is different though, so research what is needed or speak to an SI-UK consultant before applying.

When you should take the exam and how long you need to prepare depends on your current ability. It is advisable however that you begin preparation lessons two months before your exam date. To learn your current IELTS score, take an IELTS practice test.

This depends on your current level and the score you wish to achieve. To improve your IELTS score by 1 point, the average student will need to take ten lessons at SI-UK’s Language Centre, as well as complete homework assignments.

You will receive your results two weeks after you take the exam.