Oxford | IELTS Preparation Factsheet

Section 1: Who is the IELTS Preparation course for?

This course is aimed at students who need to improve the key language skills needed to score as high as possible in all part of the IELTS exam.
It combines general English with dedicated IELTS exam preparation lessons.

Key Facts

Start dates:

Every Monday
View our school calendar for exceptions

Available in

Bournemouth
Brighton
London
Oxford

Entry level:

Lower Intermediate (Kings Level 4)

Age:

Duration:

Minimum 2 weeks

Class size:

Maximum 14

Lessons per week:

28 lessons per week total (21 hours). 20 lessons (15 hours) General English + 8 lessons (6 hours) IELTS preparation

IELTS Test fees

These are not included in the course price and should be booked separately. 2025 fees for the IELTS Test are £240 but vary depending on location.

Included in the price:

28 lessons per week (21 hours)
Welcome Information Pack
Access to multi-format course materials
Placement test on arrival, weekly assignments, group participation and progress tests
Free Wi-fi at school
Full access to Kings social programme, with at least two free activities per week
Full access to join Kings' school clubs and societies
Optional weekly lecture programme
End-of-course certificate (90% or higher attendance required)
Please note: IELTS exam fee is not included in the course price and should be booked separately. 2025 fees for the IELTS Test range from £200 to £225 depending on location.

Section 2: Course structure and content

20 lessons (15 hours) per week of General English
8 lessons (6 hours) per week IELTS preparation

A wide range of areas are covered in the course, focusing on the four parts of the exam: speaking, reading, writing and listening. In addition to exam-specific training, the course also helps students to develop their broader communication and English language skills.

General English lessons

Your general English lessons will be designed to improve your reading, writing, speaking and listening at a consistent rate. Each week, lessons will focus on a different topic.

Key areas covered include:

Communication skills

Conversational language skills
Listening and accents
Reading and interpretation
Writing and presenting

Linguistic resources

Building your vocabulary bank
Fine tuning your pronunciation
Interpretation of texts
Grammar and syntax

Study skills

Note taking and revision
Research skills
Time management and planning
Dictionary work
Learner autonomy

Cultural and personal development

Understanding cultural difference and similarity
Team work and leadership
Presenting an argument
Discussion skills

IELTS preparation lessons

Students will be given training in exam techniques and strategies, such as:

working under exam conditions
understanding the requirements of each section of the exam
understanding what the examiner is looking for
planning and reviewing your answers
preparing mentally for exam day
time management
practice completing four parts of the exam under exam conditions (mock exams)

Students can also combine the course with additional one-to-one lessons of IELTS preparation (supplement applies). Additional one-to-one lessons should be booked in advance where possible and may not be available during high season.

Section 3: About the IELTS exam

IELTS is the 'International English Language Testing System' which tests English proficiency across the globe.
It is one of the world's most popular English-language tests for study, work and migration, conducting 2 million tests in the past year.

The IELTS exam is available in two test formats: Academic or General Training. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking tests but different Reading and Writing tests.

Academic test is for those who want to study at a tertiary level in an English-speaking country.
General Training test is for those who want to do work experience or training programs, secondary school or migrate to an English-speaking country.

IELTS Testing Centre

Kings Oxford has been the Official Test Centre for the Oxford region since 1996, and today is one of the busiest IELTS Test Centres in the UK.
We currently test over 3,500 candidates per year — a number that continues to grow.
With Kings, your IELTS preparation will be thorough, relevant, and expert, which will ultimately give you the best chance of success.

Test Report Forms

We will issue your Test Report Form (TRF) ten working days after the date of your test.
If you need to prove your test result (for example to a university or employer), we can send a duplicate of your TRF directly to them.

Further information

Full details about IELTS testing at Kings Oxford are available on our website. Here, you can apply for your test online, view available test dates, and view your results.

Kings IELTS Test Centre factsheet

Sample timetable

Please note:

Sample timetable subject to change. General English lessons may take place in mornings or afternoons in summer.
Placement test, induction, locality walk and ice breaker activities, which take place on the students' first day at Kings, are an essential part of the teaching programme, included in the weekly hours of lessons.

	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri
09:15 – 10:45 (Lessons 1 & 2) General English	Progress test including listening and writing Individual and group feedback on test	Grammar Using 'will' and 'shall' in polite requests Pronunciation Open and closed questions (intonation) Professional skills Interviews.	Vocabulary Common idioms and phrasal verbs used to describe behaviour Reading, listening and writing Giving tips on how to behave in different situations	Listening Understanding how technology works Functional language Giving instructions Task-based learning (leadership and team work) Building a bridge	Grammar review 'Will', 'shall' and relative clauses Video Ted Talk: How to lead a conversation between people who disagree Discussion Beyond right and wrong?
10:45 – 11:15	Break	Break	Break	Break	Break
11:15 – 12:45 (Lessons 3 & 4) General English	Vocabulary Social behavior: Talking about norms and customs Discussion Understanding cultural differences	Video Phone addiction. Role-play Asking for and offering help Study skills Making effective notes	Real English People in the newspapers today Grammar Defining relative clauses Vocabulary Adjectives of character	Writing An email describing a new invention. Presentations A future without cars.	Vocabulary Diplomatic language Professional skills Giving and receiving feedback Discussion — Beyond right and wrong?
12:45 – 13:45	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
13:45 – 15:15 IELTS Preparation	Task 1 Writing types; processes Task 2 Introductions and conclusions; differences in question focus	Reading techniques Locating information in the text, dealing with True/False/Not Given questions and unknown vocabulary	Writing skills Urban problems, describing places and writing about advantages and disadvantages	Listening and speaking skills Listening to and talking about personal interests, eating habits, and comparing and contrasting places of interest	Free time