The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination is held every month in Bournemouth.
The level you need to reach is often the level required by your place of work, your university or an official body.
We need to know your current level of English and your target level in order to advise you on how long it will take you to prepare for the examination.
The following information is about the examination itself.
We can then tell you how long you should spend studying.
You should be in a General English or Examination class appropriate to your level, then when you have learnt enough, you practise for the exam itself.
The exam consists of four parts: Listening (approximately 30 minutes), Reading (60 minutes), Writing (60 minutes) and Speaking (11-14 minutes).
For the Reading and the Writing, students can take the Academic or the General Training modules, depending on what they need the exam for.
The Listening, Reading and Writing all take place on the same day. The Speaking part takes place a few days before or after that.
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What the results mean:
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Band 9
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Expert User
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Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.
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Band 8
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Very Good User
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Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well.
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Band 7
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Good User
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Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.
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Band 6
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Competent User
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Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.
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Band 5
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Modest User
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Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field.
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Band 4
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Limited User
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Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language
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IELTS exam. 2009
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Closing Date For Applications
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17 January
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10 December 2008
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7 February
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31 December 2008
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7 March
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28 January
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18 April
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11 March
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9 May
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1 April
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13 June
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6 May
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11 July
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3 June
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8 August
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1 July
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5 September
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29 July
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10 October
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2 September
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7 November
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30 September
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5 December
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28 October
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