Now that you have verified that you are indeed eligible for Express Entry, it’s time to get ready for step 1: IELTS General Exam

Study:

There are plenty of online resources to study for IELTS, both paid and free. The free resources tend to be scattered around, and are a little difficult to work with. If you can afford it, some of the paid resources are extremely detailed and can get you well prepared for the exam. Below are a few resources we recommend:

Free:

  • British Council- Once you sign up for the test and pay the fees, British Council themselves provide 30 hours of free preparation material- it’s great for people who are almost ready for the test! If you don’t feel completely confident- keep reading 🙂
  • IELTSEssentials: is an online location to get plenty of free tests. It’s a great resource to understand your readiness for the test. The tests are offline (like the actual exam) so make sure to try and simulate the exam environment and timing
  • DCIELTS: is a great free resource to study for the IELTS. It’s a set of pre-planned lessons to help you improve your English. They have a free newsletter for regular updated

Paid:

  • Teachable: is a great resource to learn online, and not just for IELTS. You can work on actually improving your English overall, or focus your effort on IELTS. This is also a great way to keep improving your English while preparing for the IELTS exam.
  • IELTSTestOnline: is a great resource to really practice your English before the exam. The fully detailed courses provide great insight and understanding of the exam, with plenty of test material for practice at the same convenient location.

Register:

Registration is online here– remember to pick a location and the test date

Examination:

The examination is offline using pencil and paper (may vary) with 4 sections: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. Remember to read through the details of the test here.

That’s it! Once you appear for the test, results usually get delivered to your address in 2-3 weeks. Remember to check your CLB based on the below- the higher your CLB, the more points you get.

CLB Level Reading Writing Listening Speaking
10 8.0 7.5 8.5 7.5
9 7.0 7.0 8.0 7.0
8 6.5 6.5 7.5 6.5
7 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0
6 5.0 5.5 5.5 5.5
5 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0
4 3.5 4.0 4.5 4.0

Once you have completed your IELTS, go back to the CIC calculator to see what your new score is. If you’re satisfied, it’s time to go through the rest of the process.

Remember to tell us your IELTS score in the comments so we can celebrate with you!

Regards,

The Eagles