IELTS Exam Preparation Course
Full-time IELTS Preparation Course in the UK
Do you want to improve your English language skills and succeed at the IELTS exam?
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is issued by the British Council and it is one of the most recognized language qualifications required for entry into British, Australian (and many American) universities and colleges of higher education. If you are planning to study at a University overseas or work permanently in a country where English is the first language, you may need to provide the IELTS qualification to demonstrate your level of English.
Our IELTS Preparation Course Content
During our intensive 4-week IELTS Preparation Course UK you’ll have plenty of opportunities to do focused practice and gain the confidence you need to achieve your IELTS goals.
What you will get:
- Learn different exam techniques through a range of activities.
- Learn English with dynamic lessons to keep you motivated and encourage maximum progress.
- All course books and materials that you need, as these are included in the fees (exam fees not included.)
- Regular practice exams measure your progress and identify areas for improvement.
- Complete daily homework to consolidate the lesson.
- Detailed feedback on your written work.
- Access to a wide range of materials in our Study Centre to help you progress quickly.
Did you know?
Our maximum class size of 12 is smaller
than the UK Average – 14 or even 16 students.
Our courses are more intensive (22.5 hours per week)
than most UK schools.
Why study IELTS at LSI/IH Portsmouth?
- LSI/IH Portsmouth is ranked the joint number one English Language school in the UK. This ranking was given to us in part due to the excellent standard of our IELTS course and the dedication of our IELTS specialist teaching team.
- IELTS Authors
- UK IELTS Specialists
- You can take your IELTS test in our school
One of our Director of Studies, Lewis Richards, has written and co-written not one, but two IELTS textbooks! IELTS Advantage and Build Up to IELTS and are used by teachers and in schools internationally. Not only is Lewis a published IELTS author, but he is a highly demanded public speaker who attends many events throughout the year to give presentations on a variety of English language teaching related topics, from how to improve your IELTS score to teaching IELTS exam preparation skills to different levels.
We have a very experienced team of IELTS specialists at LSI/IH Portsmouth. Teachers who join LSI/IH Portsmouth must be highly qualified and experienced to earn a position here. In addition:
- There are weekly workshops for teachers to attend and improve their teaching skills.
- Teachers are regularly observed and assessed to guarantee the quality of teaching.
- Students have regular tutorials with teachers to discuss their progress.
- There are clear pathways of progression for students to move up to higher level groups as their skills improve.
LSI/IH Portsmouth was recently ranked the joint number one English Language school in the UK. This ranking was given to us in part due to the excellent standard of our IELTS course and the dedication of our IELTS specialist teaching team.
In addition, LSI/IH Portsmouth is one of the few private language schools to have been approved by the British Council as an official IELTS testing centre and our test certificates are recognised by more than 9,000 organisations around the world. You can take your exam with us if you will not need the certificate for UK visa purposes. We usually hold two examinations every month. At LSI/IH Portsmouth, students can be given their exam results on the 13th day after the test. We can also assist and give advice to students with their university applications.
Academic IELTS or General IELTS preparation?
The IELTS module consists of 4 sections. Each one related to the essential English language skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Both IELTS General English and IELTS Academic English share the same speaking and listening tests, but the Reading and writing sections for the General and Academic English exams are different.
Through dynamic lessons, we’ll focus on all the skills tested in the exam but also on those specific areas necessary for IELTS. You will have the opportunity to practice with a wide range of activities to improve your performance.
It lasts 11-14 minutes and it includes an individual interview with the IELTS examiner, divided into 3 parts:
Part one: You’ll have to talk about yourself and your life in general. For example: Where are you from? Do you do any sport?
Part two: You’ll have some time to prepare (about a minute) to talk about a specific topic the examiner will give you. You’ll need to talk for about 2 minutes on this topic. Example topic: Talk about a place of natural beauty in your country
Part three: Finally, you will have to answer questions related to the previous topic. Example question: What problems can tourism create?
IELTS Speaking tip!
In order to get better at IELTS speaking, first you need to identify the type of questions you’ll be asked and then practice specifically answering them. At the same time, try recording yourself doing it. Then, listen back to the audio taking into account aspects such as fluency, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary. While you listen to your own recording, try to identify your weak points so that you can work on them to improve your speaking.
It lasts approximately 40 minutes and it includes 40 questions which can be multiple choice, matching, note completion, etc. Most candidates will tell you that the difficulty of the listening test increases from start to end. This is probably because of the four parts it is separated into:
Part one: Typically, you’ll listen to a conversation about a typically ‘everyday english topic’. For example: A customer booking a hotel.
Part two: Typically, you’ll listen to a monologue about a general English topic. Example topic: A tour of a campsite.
Part three: This is when the listening becomes more academic. Usually, part three is a conversation on an academic topic which usually means that you’ll listen to students or students and a teacher discussing an academic issue. For example: Which modules a student wants to study next year at University.
Part four: Finally, there is a monologue on an academic topic. Probably given by a lecturer or someone similar. For example: A brief history of cave art.
The real challenge of this section of the test lies in the fact that you’ll have to listen for specific details and the recording will be played only once.
IELTS Listening tip!
Something that is really useful in your IELTS preparation is to focus on listening for specific content and connect it with a specific activity, such as identifying vocabulary. To keep you engaged and motivated in this process, we recommend choosing topics that you enjoy or are interested in.
The IELTS writing section takes 60 minutes and has 2 parts. For the first part, you’ll have to write at least 150 words. For the second part, you’ll be asked to write at least 250 words.
Academic Part 1 You’ll have to write 150 words in approximately 20 minutes describing some data. For example: Two pie charts comparing data.
Academic Part 2 This is a 250 word essay which needs to be written in approximately 40 minutes answering an essay question. For example: What are the advantages and disadvantages of shopping online?
The Academic paper includes topics that you might find in university studies.
General English Part 1 For this, you’ll need to write 150 words in about 20 minutes about a general ‘everyday English topic’. For example: A letter to a friend inviting her to come and visit you.
General English Part 2 This is almost exactly the same as the Academic essay, a 250 word essay which needs to be written in about 40 minutes answering an essay question. For example: What can be done to stop children eating so much junk food?
The General writing paper is supposed to reflect ‘real life’ English writing skills.
IELTS Writing tip!
Time management is key. Many test takers find it really challenging to be able to write 2 pieces of writing within the allocated time. The more you practice on the topics you’ll be assessed, the more familiar you’ll get with them and, as a result, you’ll become faster at writing.
Any IELTS Writing Preparation Course will also recommend that in order to get good writing, you need to do lots of reading as well, to acquire sentence structure and vocabulary.
In the IELTS Reading Comprehension test, you’ll have to answer 40 questions in 60 minutes. They can be in the form of multiple choice, matching parts of sentences or completing notes.
General English reading Consists of 3 reading texts, the first 2 are lighter / shorter texts. The third is a more detailed, longer, academic type text.
Academic English reading Is also made up of 3 reading texts. However, all 3 are detailed, academic type text.
IELTS Reading tip!
With 40 questions in 3 different texts with tricky vocabulary, chances are, your ability to focus might tend to fade. Make the intention of focusing on one question at a time and if you are having trouble with it, skip it and come back to it later.
To find out more about IELTS preparation course and some useful tips, please check out our blog here
IELTS Exam Fees
The cost of the IELTS exam is £190*. Please indicate on the Registration Form if you would like to take the IELTS test while you are at LSI/IH Portsmouth and choose the test date you would like as listed on this website https://ielts.britishcouncil.org/lsiportsmouth.
*IELTS price subject to change without notification
Get IELTS certified in Portsmouth
What better place to study than in the heart of a university area in a beautiful seaside city? With lots of cafés, shops, theatres, pubs, live music venues and social activities full of British and overseas students to meet and connect with.
Take the IELTS Preparation course today!
For more information about the IELTS exam and to see a list of frequently asked questions, please click here.
Talk to us
Would you like to know more about our prices or special offers?
Do you have special needs you’d like to discuss?
If you have any questions or want to know any more information about LSI/IH Portsmouth, please get in touch! E-mail us: admissions@lsi-portsmouth.co.uk.
Key Facts
- 22.5 hours (60 minutes) per week
- Start any Monday (except bank holidays)
- Minimum length 2 week
- Test centre in school
- Maximum students per class 12 (average 8)
- Minimum age 18 (average 23)
- Minimum level B1
- Available face-to-face
- Free 1 year access to online learning platform Sensations English
Accommodation
While studying IELTS in Portsmouth, we can help to find the best accommodation for you! Whether you want to live with a local homestay family, in one of our self-catering residences, or choose to find your own accommodation.
Find out how we can help!
Social Programme
Studying English doesn’t happen in a classroom! with our full, varied and exciting social programme you can have fun, meet other people with the same interests, and practise your English in a social setting! Find out more about our after-school activities and weekend trip!