IELTS in detail

What is IELTS?

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. It is a standardized test lasting 2 hours 45 minutes, designed to assess your level of English for academic purposes (IELTS Academic) or for practical and professional purposes (IELTS General Training). For university studies, you’ll need to choose the Academic version of the test.

IELTS candidates undergo two types of assessment to evaluate their expression and comprehension of the language. Each of these skills is assessed both in writing and orally.

Students are graded on a scale from 1 to 9. The higher the score, the better the candidate’s level. The IELTS score is valid for two years.

How do I register for IELTS?

Taking IELTS comes at a price: €235.

The British Council allows you to register for IELTS directly on its website. We recommend that you book your IELTS session around two months before the actual exam date to ensure that you get the time you want.

Where in France can I take the IELTS exam?

In France, the number of IELTS sessions varies from city to city. In Paris, for example, around three exam dates are offered each month, compared with just one monthly session in Nice.

How do I prepare for IELTS?

The structure of the IELTS exam is made up of four papers designed to assess specific skills:

  • listening: oral comprehension (40 minutes) ;
  • reading : reading comprehension (1 hour) ;
  • writing : written expression (1 hour) ;
  • speaking : oral expression (between 10 and 15 minutes).

The amount of work to be done can seem very high in relation to the time available. The first two tests, oral and written comprehension, take the form of MCQs of 40 questions each.

We strongly recommend that you answer all the questions asked, even when in doubt, as incorrect answers are not penalized.

It’s essential to prepare well for the exam, so that you’re familiar with all the tests you’ll have to take on the big day. Understanding how the English test works and how it is administered will enable you to approach the tests with greater confidence, and maximize your chances of obtaining the best possible score.

Before you start preparing for IELTS, it’s vital to assess your level of English. We recommend that you take a full mock IELTS exam to do this. This will make it easier to estimate how far you still have to go to reach your goal. Remember that many universities abroad require a minimum score in IELTS or another English test, otherwise your application will not be accepted.

For example, an average score of 7.0 (and 7 in each sub-test) is required for the London School of Economics (LSE), 7.5 for Harvard University and 6.5 for McGill University. You can take the test as many times as necessary to reach the required score.

There are many ways to improve your English: private lessons or language exchanges, reading articles, novels and essays, watching English films with English subtitles, practicing your writing skills… It’s important to familiarize yourself with the language and its accent, because your ability to understand will be put to the test during the English test.

Your level of English is therefore crucial to your success in the IELTS exam. It’s important to understand the structure of the test, and to be aware of the IELTS scoring criteria, so as not to be caught off guard on the day of the exam.

Finally, once you’ve improved your English and know exactly how the test works, don’t hesitate to take one or more full IELTS simulations to make sure you’re ready to take the exam.

To be effective, your IELTS preparation must be methodical and structured.

To achieve the desired result, you’ll need to work regularly and conscientiously.

Here is some advice from our experts on how to pass IELTS:

  • revise your grammar: this is the basis for understanding, speaking and writing well in English. Revising the rules of grammar and syntax inherent to this language is therefore an essential step towards passing IELTS. You could, for example, consult a reference book such as Understanding and Using English Grammar by Betty S. Azar and Stacy A. Hagen, or the Grammars content on khanacademy.org. Paid online platforms such as Magoosh also offer IELTS courses with dedicated grammar videos. You can also find many IELTS courses on the Udemy platform;
  • get your ear used to English: to feel at ease in the IELTS listening and speaking tests, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the language and the (more British) accent,
  • Scottish, Australian). In the weeks leading up to the exam, don’t hesitate to listen to the radio in English, watch films or series in their original version, or chat in English with people who speak the language well. It’s important to be regular and to identify resources that really interest you and that you’ll want to listen to or watch every day;
  • Practice: to understand the structure of IELTS, we strongly recommend you take mock exams. Prepare yourself: sit down in a quiet place and time the tests. This way, you’ll know if you’re ready to take the test and can focus your practice on the areas where you still need to improve. You can find an official mock test on the British Council website at https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare/free-ielts-practice-tests ;
  • use reliable resources: although the Internet is full of IELTS practice tests, only certain paper or digital resources should be considered. The https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare/books website offers a number of IELTS preparation tools, including textbooks available for purchase. These include Cambridge English’s Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS and IELTS Trainer Six Practice Tests with Answers, as well as the numerous exercises and 10 official tests with corrections. But you can also rely on Cambridge (Cambridge Vocabulary for IELTS Advanced Band 6.5+ With Answers) and Barron’s (Essential Words for the IELTS: With Downloadable Audio by Lin Lougheed) to help you improve your vocabulary, as good IELTS practice material. The Magoosh online service also offers mock tests similar to the official exam. Given the limited number of official online tests available, this can be a real plus. There are a plethora of websites and YouTube channels on IELTS, produced by teachers: we recommend the content of the very friendly IELTS Liz. Studyrama also offers two books in French: 50 règles essentielles IELTS and Objectif IELTS by Thomas Alexander, to help you prepare for IELTS.

Would you like to take the IELTS exam to enter a foreign university? Take a look at our IELTS preparation packages and contact us to discuss your plans!