English Language Centre Bristol

EXAMINATION PREPARATION

Cambridge Exams

At ELC Bristol you can prepare for the Cambridge First Certificate, Advanced and Proficiency exams.

We are one of the very few schools in the UK which regularly prepares students for the Proficiency exam

Students who are preparing for one of the Cambridge exams will follow a course book in the morning classes which will cover the Cambridge syllabus. On two afternoons a week, students get additional practice for the writing paper and on the other two afternoons they can choose one of the elective classes.

Mock exams are held 3 weeks before the exams take place.

Cambridge preparation courses are not 'closed', which means that students can join the course at a later date if they are not able to attend for the full period.  For more information about the Cambridge courses, please click here.

2012

FCE, CPE: 3 January - 9 March  2012 (10 weeks)

CAE: 3 January - 16 March 2012 (11 weeks)

FCE, CAE, CPE: 19 March - 8 June  2012 (12 weeks*)

FCE, CAE: 11 June - 24 August 2012 (11 weeks)

FCE, CAE, CPE 17 September - 7 December  2012 (12 weeks)

Minimum period of enrolment: 4 weeks

* In June the exams are held in the week after the end of the course, so students should book an extra week's accommodation (if required).

Meet Jorien from Holland and Rodolfo from Brazil - 2 Proficiency students

The good news is that they both passed!

IELTS PREPARATION /ACADEMIC ENGLISH

Minimum period of enrolment: 4 weeks.

Students should be at least at Upper-Intermediate level (B2) before joining the IELTS classes.

If you wish to join the IELTS course, before confirming your enrolment, we will always send you a specific IELTS pre-test to make sure you are at the right level.

21 hours per week - includes 18 hours of IELTS preparation/Academic English and 3 hours of electives.

Suitable specifically for students preparing for the IELTS exam and also for students going on to study in English in Further Education either in the UK or in their own countries.

This is an intensive, demanding course and students should be aware that they should be fully committed to the study required.  The course includes:

• Grammar.
• Preparation and practice in the basic writing skills required to complete academic assignments at university level (IELTS task 2) including vocabulary, planning, logical organisation of ideas as well as the more specialised demands of describing more technical subjects such as charts, graphs, processes or locations (IELTS task 1)
• Practice in Reading Skills (eg Skimming and Scanning techniques to increase reading speed; inference of meaning) and Listening Skills, with particular emphasis on IELTS Reading and Listening tasks.
• Speaking activities to develop both accuracy and fluency as well as preparation for the IELTS speaking Test.
• Regular timed exam practice and one to one tutorials.

Many students come to ELC Bristol before going to study in colleges and universities in the UK. You generally need an IELTS score of 6.5 before going to University or 5.5 if you wish to take a foundation course or a vocational programme.

It is important that you have realistic expectations, so look at the chart and calculate how long it will take you to reach your goal.   It generally takes around 12 weeks to complete each level and improve your IELTS score by one point.

Students usually take the IELTS exam in IH Bristol which is conveniently located around the corner from our school. To check on exam dates and availability, click here.

To book the IELTS test

Test dates fill up quickly so it’s best to book as soon as you can.

• Download an application form at www.ielts.org
• Complete it. Please note that in the address section on page 1 you should put the school address as the test centre will send test information to this address. You should put your home address on page 3 so that they send your results there.
• Attach 2 photos – check the website as there are strict rules (no glasses, hats, smiling etc). Sign the back of the photos.
• Attach a copy of your passport
• The test fee is £130. We will issue a bill for this fee. Please note the test centre doesn’t usually make refunds for test cancellations.
• Send the form, photos and passport copy to us, we will forward to the exam centre.
• Once here we will give you the test information (time, address etc).

BULATS (Buiness Language Testing Service)

ELC Bristol now offers the BULATS test which can be taken by students of any level on request at the school.

BULATS is an on-line, widely recognised, user-friendly English test used by companies and individuals looking for a fast, reliable and cost effective way of assessing language skills.  The computer based test assesses communication skills that are needed in real business situations.

BULATS preparation is available for students who are upper-intermediate and above who take our business elective class.