What is the Cambridge International Legal English Certificate (ILEC)
Cambridge ILEC is a high-level language qualification for lawyers. English is the common language of the legal profession, and of business in general, so employers need legal staff who can:
- communicate with clients and professionals in other countries
- deal effectively with material written in English
ILEC tests your English language ability at the Level B2 and C1 in the Common European Framework of Reference.
Who is ILEC for?
Cambridge ILEC was created to meet the needs of employers and lawyers. If you’re planning to study law and your course has a lot of English language content, you’ll benefit from ILEC too.
Why take ILEC with the British Council?
Get an internationally recognized UK qualification - We help nearly a million people every year achieve their life goals. In Spain, we have many years experience working with specialist English exams like ILEC. Let our professional team help you on the road to success.
What’s in the exam?
Cambridge ILEC consists of four separate papers testing reading, writing, listening and speaking. The exam is based on the tasks and topics that legal practitioners can expect to encounter in their daily working lives. We offer the ILEC every month throughout the years - you will get your results approximately 6 weeks after taking the exam. Find out more about the exam and how to prepare for ILEC.
How to Register
Registering is quick, easy and flexible. Register for your ILEC exam.
Useful Links
ILEC – official Cambridge exam site.
Register for your Cambridge ILEC Exam
Registering for your exam is simple:
- Check exam dates and locations in the table below.
- Download and complete the registration form and instructions for your exam.
You’ll find all the information you need on the exam registration form for your centre.
- Registration forms are only available during the registration periods shown in the table below.
- The registration forms below are for individual candidates only.
- If you are a school, academy or other organisation and want to register multiple candidates, please visit our exams for schools and academies page.
About the ILEC
The exam tests four skills:
- reading
- writing
- listening
- speaking
Reading and listening
It assesses your ability to understand spoken and written English in a number of realistic contexts of the kind legal practitioners are likely to encounter in their daily working lives:
- spoken texts including legal presentations, lectures, discussions and interviews
- written texts such as contract clauses, corporate documentation, commercial statutes and legal opinions
Writing and speaking
The writing and speaking tasks are based on the kinds of skills needed in the legal workplace:
- the ability to write letters, memoranda, and proposals in a legal context
- speaking skills in relation to the legal workplace - these will be conducted by trained oral examiners
How to prepare for ILEC
As with all Cambridge ESOL certificates, there is a wide range of support available which will help you prepare for the exam.
The Cambridge University Press International Legal English course book authored by TransLegal forms the basis of many of the preparation courses offered by private language schools and universities and also provides the option of self-study, including online research tasks by TransLegal, for advanced learners.
Find out more about ILEC and the preparation materials available.
Your Cambridge ILEC results
You will receive detailed results for the ILEC in a “Statement of Results” document. You will also be awarded a certificate if your performance is above a certain level - between the Common European Framework of Reference Levels B2 and C1.
What is the Statement of Results?
It contains:
- Your candidate result. This result is based on your total score in all four papers.
- A graphical display of your performance in each paper (shown against the scale Exceptional – Good – Borderline – Weak).
- A standardised score out of 100 which allows you to see exactly how you performed.
Find out more at Understanding your Statement of Results – Cambridge ILEC (PDF).
Can I get my results online?
You can access your results online through the Cambridge ESOL Results Online website. Please note that you are required to register to receive this service.