What is IELTS?
The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an English proficiency test for people looking to work, study or live in English speaking countries. It is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, European, Irish and New Zealand academic institutions, by over 3,000 academic institutions in the United States, and by various professional organisations across the world.
I’ve heard that there are 2 types of IELTS examinations… Is that correct?
Absolutely! There are 2 types of IELTS tests – Academic and General Training – and you need to choose the right one based on what your purpose to move abroad is.
- IELTS Academic The IELTS Academic, as is clear by its name, is suited to those who wish to study in an English-speaking environment, especially those who want to pursue a graduate degree of higher.
- IELTS General Training The IELTS General Training test is suitable for those applying to study below a graduate degree. It can also be taken for work experience or other employment training. The IELTS General Training is also required for migration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.
Why should I prepare for the IELTS at CILA?
That’s a good question! Here are 5 reasons why:
- We are endorsed by IDP IELTS. CILA has had a long-standing relationship with IDP IELTS; we are an official referral agent and have been an official IELTS examination preparation and registration centre for IDP since 2013. This means we are caught up with any changes or updates in the system and receive all the latest training and practice materials from the source itself!
- Our trainers are highly-qualified. We employ only the best because we want to give you the best. All our teachers have a certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Trinity College London or a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) from the University of Cambridge, both highly regarded and internationally recognised certifications. You can get to know them better here.
- Because of our unique approach to training. At CILA we do not believe in simply preparing you for the IELTS, but facilitating the development of your communication skills to face the real English-speaking world as well, be it at university, work or in your personal or social life. We aim to inculcate skills that stay with you for a lifetime.
- Because we take care of everything from A to Z. From the moment you enrol at CILA, you do not have to worry about anything except getting here on time for your sessions everyday. From all the resources you need – IELTS approved coursebooks, practice worksheets, notebooks and even stationery – all the way to assistance booking your test and going abroad after you’ve achieved your desired scores, we cover it all.
- We are certified partners of Cambridge University Press. For the past 5 years, CILA has been one of the largest consumers of authentic training materials from the Cambridge University Press in the country. We provide you only the best, be it the Empower series for general English improvement or our IELTS and OET training materials.
If I do the IELTS preparation course at CILA, which modules will I be covering?
The IELTS, as any other language proficiency examination tests 4 skills in a candidate – reading, listening, speaking and writing. While the Listening, Reading and Writing sections of all IELTS tests are completed on the same day, the Speaking section, can be completed up to a week before or after the other tests. At CILA we will be covering all 4 modules, along with one extra module – Objective IELTS.
| Module | Time Taken + Raw Score | Description | |
| Reading | Academic | Total Time = 60 min Raw Score = 40 |
The test consists of 3 long descriptive, factual, discursive or analytical texts taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. Candidates are expected to read and answer 40 questions in total based on these texts. These 40 questions are a mix of different types of questions including multiple choice, identifying information, identifying the writer’s views/claims, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion and short-answer questions. You can find out more about the IELTS Academic Reading Test here. |
| General Training | Total Time = 60 min Raw Score = 40 |
The test consists of 3 sections and 40 questions in total. These 40 questions are a mix of different types of questions including multiple choice, identifying information, identifying writer’s views/claims, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions. The 3 sections are as follows: Section 1 – This section contains 2-3 short texts pertaining to social survival in an English-speaking country and generally includes texts like notices, timetables, advertisements, etc. Section 2 – This section comprises 2 texts pertaining to workplace survival in an English-speaking country and generally includes texts like job descriptions, contracts and staff development and training materials Section 3 – This section consists of 1 long text for general reading usually from newspapers, magazines and fictional and non-fictional book extracts. | |
| Listening | Listening time = 30 min approx. Writing/Transfer time = 10 min Total = 40 min approx. Raw Score = 40 |
This is the same for both Academic and General Training IELTS. The test consists of 4 audios and 10 adjoining questions for each audio, bringing it to a total of 40 questions. These questions are a mix of multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary completion, sentence completion
The audios are presented to candidates in the following manner:
|
|
| Speaking | Part 1 = 4 to 5 min Part 2 = 3 to 4 min (including 1 min to prepare) Part 3 = 4 to 5 min Total = 11 to 14 min Raw Score (NA) (Students are simply marked on a band-9 scale on 4 different criteria – Fluency and Coherence, Grammar, Vocabulary and Pronunciation) |
This is the same for both Academic and General Training IELTS. The test consists of 3 parts:
|
|
| Writing | Academic | Task 1 = 20 min Task 2 = 40 min Total = 60 min Raw Score (NA) Students are simply marked on a band-9 scale on 4 different criteria for each task) |
There are 2 parts to the Writing Test of the IELTS, which are as follows:
|
| General Training | Task 1 = 20 min Task 2 = 40 min Total = 60 min Raw Score (NA) (Students are simply marked on a band-9 scale on 4 different criteria for each task) |
There are 2 parts to the Writing Test of the IELTS, which are as follows:
|
|
How is the IELTS course structured at CILA?
The IELTS Preparation course at CILA is an 8-week course. However, if you wish to do a crash course focusing only on specific modules, this is possible as well. You can also attend extra exam practice batches if you feel you need more practice before the exam! The complete IELTS course at CILA is structured as follows; please note, they will not necessarily run in the same order; however, for each student taking up the complete course, all 5 modules will be covered in no particular order before they begin the exam batch.
| Course Duration: 8 weeks |
Modules or skills covered | Description of the course |
| 4 weeks | Mindset for IELTS Level 2 & 3 covering Listening Skills, Reading Skills, Speaking Skills and Writing Skills in detail. | The Mindset for IELTS classes focus on introducing listening, reading, writing and speaking skills in depth which they can use when practising these skills over the next 3 weeks. Students also work on basic grammar topics like the Parts of Speech, Tenses, the Voice, Determiners, Types of Sentences, etc. It also focuses on honing a student’s general vocabulary and pronunciation skills in preparation for the other modules. This is attended by both Academic and General Training IELTS students. Students will also practice several practice tests during these weeks. At the end of this course students will be acquainted with all the skills pertaining to IELTS exams along with ample practice and correction feedback. |
| 1 week (For General Students) | Intensive 1 week Writing Task 1(General) and Writing Task 2 Classes (Common) | General Training: Task 1 - Students learn how to write personal, semi-personal and formal letters in this module, while covering all the criteria students are scored on for the General Training Writing Task 1 of the IELTS. Task 2: This module aims guiding students to write essays that can provide general factual information about the topic, outline and/or present a solution, justify an opinion or evaluate evidence and ideas, while covering all the criteria students are scored on for the Academic and General Training Writing Task 2 of the IELTS. As the Writing Task 2 for both Academic and General Training IELTS is the same, this is attended by both Academic and General Training IELTS students. Students will practice essays during this week. |
| 1 week (For Academic Students) | Intensive 1 week Writing Task 1(Academic) and Writing Task 2 Classes (Common) | Academic Task 1 – Students learn how to interpret and describe one or two different types of charts or diagrams every day, namely process diagrams, bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs, tables, maps and combinations of these, while covering all the criteria students are scored on for the Academic Writing Task 1 of the IELTS. They will also practise Writing Task exercises in this week. Writing Task 2 - This module aims guiding students to write essays that can provide general factual information about the topic, outline and/or present a solution, justify an opinion or evaluate evidence and ideas, while covering all the criteria students are scored on for the Academic and General Training Writing Task 2 of the IELTS. As the Writing Task 2 for both Academic and General Training IELTS is the similar, this is attended by both Academic and General Training IELTS students. Students will practice a number of essays during this week. |
| 3 weeks | Exam Batch – Practicing all modules with individual correction for Writing and Speaking skills | Exam Batch Students practice all four modules every day to get students accustomed to performing all the 4 skill-based tasks in a single day. They also receive personal feedback based on their performance in the Writing and Speaking modules. Should they choose to, they can also do extra Reading and Listening Practice tests between 3:30 and 5 pm. |
| All Saturdays | Mock Exam Practice | Every Saturday, we hold mock exam practice sessions which allow students who wish to attend these a chance to experience exactly how the IELTS test environment is. Attendance for this is optional however recommended for those whose exams are around the corner. |
| Everyday from 3.30 pm to 5.00 pm | Extra Listening and Reading Tests | Students can choose to practice either a Listening test or a Reading Test every day, irrespective of the fact that they are attending other classes. This means, they can practice one Listening task or a Reading task everyday while attending classes for the other skills, thereby honing the listening and reading skills simultaneously with regular practice. This can be done between 3:30 and 5 pm, not during class hours. |
How much would I have to pay?
| Course Type | Description | Fee |
| Complete Course (8 Weeks) |
The complete 8-week course covering all modules and 3 weeks of exam practice. | 14,000 INR including textbooks, notebooks, practice materials, stationery etc. |
| Crash Course (6 Weeks) |
A 6-week course covering 2 weeks Writing, 1 week Speaking and 1 week Reading classes followed by 2 weeks of exam practice with individual correction and feedback. | 11,000 INR including textbooks, notebooks, practice materials, stationery etc. |
| Crash Course (4 Weeks) |
A 4-week course covering skill development sessions and exam practice with individual correction and feedback. | 8,000 INR including textbooks, notebooks, practice materials, stationery etc. |
| Complete Course (Online) | The complete 8-week course covering all modules and 3 weeks of exam practice, generally conducted via Zoom in the evening. | 14,000 INR including textbooks, notebooks, practice materials, stationery etc. |
| Customised | 1 or more modules of your choice and/or exam practice weeks. | 2,000 INR per week |
| Extra Exam Practice | Extra exam practice beyond the initial 3 weeks for previously enrolled students who completed the 8-week course. | An additional 1,500 INR per week |
I would like to apply… where do I turn in my application? – Right here!
If you’d like to turn in your application physically you can visit us
INKEL Tower 1, Near TELK, Angamaly South, Ernakulam District, Kerala, India, 683573
Apply for the IELTS here
Apply NowDo you have any further questions? Here are some FAQs!
About the IELTS
Your performance on the IELTS is scores on a 9-band scale, with 1 being the lowest and 9 being the highest. A candidate is scored on each module and the four individual scores are then averaged to produce an overall band score. The descriptions of the band scores are as follows:
The score that you need to secure in the IELTS depends on the university or organisation you wish to study/work at. Every institution that necessitates you to take the IELTS has its own requirements and as such we recommend you look into this before you begin your IELTS journey. You can find more information about this here: How IELTS is Scored and here: Entry Requirements for Organisations that accept IELTS.
The score that you need to secure in the IELTS depends on the university or organisation you wish to study/work at. Every institution that necessitates you to take the IELTS has its own requirements and as such we recommend you look into this before you begin your IELTS journey. You can find more information about this here: How IELTS is Scored and here: Entry Requirements for Organisations that accept IELTS.
You can do this at CILA. CILA will take care of the entire procedure for you! All you have to do is pay the exam fee and provide us a copy of your passport and we will book your exam to your preferred date and venue.
The IELTS can be taken by anyone who wishes to, even if you do not wish to go abroad and simply want to assess your English language proficiency; however, it is not recommended for those below the age of 16.
Now this is a tricky question! But we have an answer – prior to joining the IELTS course at CILA, you will be required to take a short assessment to check your proficiency in the English language. Based on your results, we will choose to place you directly in the IELTS course or in our English Language Empowerment program which will help you polish your English to the level required by the IELTS.
Right here on their official website.
And if you’d like to check out a few sample tests for each module, you can find them here: IELTS Sample Tests.
About the IELTS at CILA
Classes at generally held from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Students are given a short break between 11:00 and 11:30 and a lunch break from 1 pm to 2 pm. However, the break timings are flexible and may be adjusted by 5-10 minutes by the teacher’s and students’ discretion.
CILA is easily accessible by any mode of public transport:
- Cabs can easily be booked via Ola and Uber to drop you to the location; it is easy to find on the map and generally well known in the area in case you have trouble navigating.
- There is also a bus stand right outside the main gate of INKEL Business Park and a rickshaw stand right opposite. Once you get to the main gate, a we run a bus service in the morning and the evening that you can peruse to get to the institution.
- If you fancy a walk from the main gate, it’s about a 10-minute walk to the institute. As long as the scorching Kerala heat isn’t boring down your neck, it is a quiet and serene walk cutting through lush greenery, allowing you to experience a slice of God’s own Country every morning.
Yes, CILA has a bus service that will pick you up from the main gate of INKEL Business Park and drop you to the entrance of the building. We run multiple bus rounds depending on how many students require the service during fixed timings in the morning and the evening. We understand it is a long walk and do not want any of our students to suffer in the sun! You can catch our bus here. The timings for the bus are as follows:
| Morning | Between 9:00 to 9:25 |
| Evening | Between 3:15 to 5:30 |
Currently we provide offline classes for the IELTS. CILA also provides IELTS online evening classes from 6.00 pm to 8.30 pm.
Yes! You can choose to attend training for only 1, 2, 3 or all 4 modules at CILA. You can also choose only to attend the exam batch, should you wish too. You can also attend the exam batch for as many weeks as you like! Details regarding this can be found here: Course Structure and here: Fee Structure.
No, there is nothing you need to do, apart from show up to class! However, it is recommended that you look through the official IELTS website and do a little reading before you come to class so that you have an idea of what you are getting into. You can look up some things here: Read up on the IELTS!
Yes, we can! We have our very own sister company at Vostek Global which provides consultancy services to guide you through your IELTS journey right from the moment you step into CILA till the day you settle in your dream country! Vostek Global will help you with Counselling, Admission, Scholarships, Education Loan, Visa, Travel, Accommodation and Post Landing Services. Find out more about Vostek Global here.
Course Date
Every Monday
Jesvin Joseph
Evelyn Maria Martin
Mary Mathew
Juliya Varghese
Limiya Moideen
Arun Varghese
Krishna Kumar T.K
Megha Maria Mathew
Apply for IELTS