The IELTS exam is an English language proficiency test which assesses your English language skills and capabilities. The test is jointly owned by Cambridge ESOL, the British Council and IDP Education Australia and assesses candidates in 4 specific areas, i.e. listening, reading, speaking and writing. It is used as a guide by immigration authorities, higher-level learning institutes and many other organisations as to whether or not you will be able to adapt to being in an English speaking environment. Since the IELTS exam is a gateway to a better life and it’s also quite costly, many students don’t want to leave anything regarding their test preparation to chance. A great number of candidates opt for coaching of some kind in order to be fully prepared for the exam.
The main objective of this article is to help students make an informed decision about the fees (cost) of online IELTS preparation or coaching classes for both the Academic and General Training IELTS exam.
IELTS Preparation Coaching Fees vs One on One Tutor Fees
Most IELTS courses charge between 300 to 1000 dollars for a full intensive course. Hiring a quality private IELTS tutor with qualifications and prior experience can be even more costly, and the average student might not be able to afford it. Such tutors can charge up to 50 dollars per hour, which is quite pricey for most. The good news is that not all test takers have to go the private tutor route.
Who Should Opt For IELTS Preparation Private Lessons?
One on one IELTS tuitions are generally for students who have a short amount of time to prepare for the exam and require intensive training to improve their band scores in time.
The average IELTS test taker is usually between a band 5 or 7 level even before they begin their test preparation. Students who fall below this range have to improve their general English skills before they even consider taking the test. In such cases, personal lessons would be essential to help you focus on your weak areas. A skilled tutor can assess each candidate learning needs and set the pace necessary to achieve the desired results.
The Advantages Of Joining An Online IELTS Preparation Course/Class
Most IELTS classes are targeted towards students who are already at band 4.5 or above. These types of students might lack in certain areas of their language proficiency but more than that they need to familiarise themselves with the IELTS test format and content. This is best for students who want to focus on IELTS exam techniques in order to improve their score.
The most obvious advantage of going this route is that it is much cheaper. The class size rarely goes beyond 10 to 15 learners at a time in any good IELTS coaching class. This means that there will still be ample time for you to get individual teacher support. Learning about the IELTS exam in a group environment also grants you the opportunity to improve your listening and speaking skills in an interactive environment.
In my opinion, enrolling for an IELTS course which has a group class set up is the best way to move forward with your IELTS preparation. It offers the best of both worlds, with individual teacher support as well as ample opportunities to practically apply new language skills. On a more basic level, being apart of a class is far more exciting and engaging than hours long one on one tutor sessions.