British Council - English - Preparing for IELTS


		''On the preparation day, the IELTS Administrator showed us in a perfect and very sympathetic way what the IELTS test is about. My husband and I were thankful for this possibility because like this we were well-prepared for the test.'' Read more

IELTS

Information for Teachers

	How do I prepare for the IELTS test?

What options are there for preparation in Switzerland

Christmas closure
Please note that the Examinations Department will be closed from 21/12/2012-06/01/2013. We will reply to enquiries as soon as possible after we reopen.

New Road to IELTS Online

What does New Road to IELTS give you?

New Road to IELTS is an online resource for both the Academic and General Training modules of IELTS.
Practice zones with e-books to help you prepare for each of the 4 components of the test: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
Sample videos with tips from candidates and teacher tutorials, highlighting what to do and what not to do on your test
Timed practice tests to measure your progress
A My Progress section to help you compare yourself with other students worldwide
A My Profile section to remind you of your test date

There are now 3 different versions of Road to IELTS:

Road to IELTS Test Drive - a free 10-hour online course for everybody, to give you an idea of what the IELTS test is.

Road to IELTS Last Minute - for all registered British Council IELTS candidates. 20 additional hours of online self study materials for free. When your payment for the IELTS test is confirmed you will be sent access codes to the materials. You will be able to access the materials as many times as you wish until 1 week after the date of your written exam.

Road to IELTS Full Version - 120 hours worth of material available for candidates wanting more practice material. Full access can be purchased online.


	Preparation Materials
	The easiest way for you to prepare for the test on your own is by working through our preparation books: Official IELTS Practice Materials Volume 1 or 2, Fr. 25.- Top Tips for IELTS - Academic (A) or General Training (GT), Fr. 25.- Vocabulary for IELTS or Vocabulary for IELTS Advanced, Fr 40.- Grammar for IELTS, Fr. 40.- Special offer: For an order of Fr. 65.- and over, please deduct Fr. 5.- For an order of Fr. 100.- and over, the discount is Fr. 10.- For orders of above Fr. 500.- please contact us for a special discount. You can order the books from our office by sending us this material order form together with proof of your payment.

You can also find some sample tests on the British Council official IELTS webpage, however, without the solutions.
IELTS interview skills - a series of videos to help you prepare for the speaking module of the IELTS test.

Preparation Days

The Preparation Day is designed to familiarise you with the type of questions you will encounter in the IELTS test and to help you practice the skills you need to perform confidently and effectively in the various components of the test.

			The trainer will cover aspects such as content of IELTS, Listening, Reading and Writing, and Interview Techniques.
			The sessions take a practical approach and the students will work in groups.
			The course is usually held at our centre in Bern and is run seven times a year on a Saturday from 10.00 to 17.00, with a one hour lunch break.
			The dates of the next courses are 29 September and 10 November 2012, 20 April, 29 June, 31 August, 5 October and 2 November 2013.
			The course fee is CHF 175. This price includes a copy of the Top Tips for IELTS book (worth CHF 30).
			To enrol, please complete and send the application form by mail as soon as possible and at the latest one week before the course. We can only accept applications which include a complete address and proof of payment (either a postal payment slip or copy of e-banking, sample payment slip). Please note that these courses will only be held if there are more than 10 applications.

IELTS Dos and Don'ts

Read the IELTS Dos and Don'ts to improve your IELTS performance.

Preparation Classes

We offer tailor-made courses at the British Council offices in Bern. Depending on the candidate's learning requirement we can offer 1 to 1 private classes, small private group classes or open group classes. For more information and prices, please click here.

English Tuition

If you want to improve your English before sitting the test, we advise that you contact a local language school and enquire whether they offer any preparation courses.