For the IELTS Exam and English learning, learners are using the old 80-year expertise of the British Council [AD] in teaching English. The platform is in use by over 80 million learners and counting.
The platform and its courses are accepted by eight-plus countries across the globe.
The learners have switched to online learning that enhances learning with innovations but also provides learners with flexibility in schedules.
In our British Council review will cover their history, payment schemes, and pros and cons.
Brief Information about the British Council
The British Government builds a cultural institution with a nationwide service. The platform launched the first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) in 2014.
It is a British organization that provides international cultural and educational opportunities through the British Council.
British Council is a platform for students to learn online with the world’s English experts. Students have interactive exercises with 24/7 live online classes. Students enrolling with the British Council will have international classmates in small group classes.
British Council helps candidates develop the confidence to participate in social and formal situations. It makes students more comfortable presenting their ideas by improving their soft skills. The platform allows you to explore for free.
Over 100 nations are actively involved in promoting a better understanding of the United Kingdom. The British Council has different mobility programs like Education UK and Erasmus+ that offer education, training, youth, and sports opportunities for young people in the UK.
The British Council also accelerates arts and culture learning programs. Study online English language and culture courses from the British Council with reliable results in minutes. The British Council courses provide tips and strategies to improve the learning process for learners. Being successful in the IELTS exam is an obvious requirement.
How will the British Council Course Help You Improve Your Test Score?
The British Council provides detailed courses to learners through which they can get an overall improvement in their academics and also in routine life. There are various options along with different prices for plans. The pricing of the courses depends on the number of lectures and the completion time of the course.
These courses offered by the British Council give effective and efficient strategies and tips, and they will help learners in achieving desired results.
The courses offered by the British Council focus on all four sections of the IELTS test. The platform may help the candidates to improve their test-related skills which include Reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
The learning pattern varies from learner to learner. Some learners need a private atmosphere, while others require a social atmosphere of learning. The British Council [AD] also offers private and group sessions for learners to choose among them, which suits them the most, according to their own choice.
Educators will provide detailed instructions on how to do a variety of structures and vocabulary. It gives learners a full advantage of materials, which helps learners improve and score well.
Teachers or educators teach in a friendly atmosphere, in such a way that this will help learners focus on those areas where learners lack their potential. With convenient teaching patterns and flexible schedules, learners can achieve their targets [AD] and gain powerful knowledge of the subject.
Even if some learners need extra help in what they are already learning, they can create a free account through which the candidate learns and scores better. The free course consists of:
- See the course 24/7 timetable offering group and private classes.
- Learn more about our IELTS preparation modules covering all four skills.
- Connect with IELTS expert teachers who are looking forward to helping learners.
- Once learners have explored this offer, choose your preferred course and get the IELTS score that you need with the ongoing courses at other institutions as well.
It is a 100 percent online course that is accessible through desktop or mobile that keeps the learners up to a flexible schedule for better management of time.
Time management should be a key focus area to be considered by all learners to help them achieve the desired result by staying boosted in the test. It also deals with the pressure situation of the test.
Instructors also help learners improve their understanding of concepts which makes the core concrete.
The platform builds a question bank that is based on factual questions with which the learner may interact within the exam. The learners will also have opportunities to interact in discussions to get helpful ideas from other learners in their preparation for the exam.
The maximum length of the video lectures is just 1 hour on average, along with a sense of determination and discipline. If the learners miss out on one of the classes, it marks the learner as absent. The course gives opportunities to other learners to earn credits.
That results in losing the credit, but if the learners inform about it twenty-four hours before the booking, it will not mark them as absent. The British Council uses modern British English. English Online learning offers themes varying from workplace to everyday English.
The British Council course is available at CEFR levels:
- Elementary (Level A1),
- Pre-Intermediate (Level A2),
- Intermediate (Level B1),
- Upper-Intermediate (Level B2),
- Advanced (Level C1).
The course helps learners to learn English as a subject, but not from the IELTS point of view.
This course policy mentions that it helps in improving overall English. The core of English resides in a good vocabulary that is difficult to build with just one course. In the British Council course, the learner can easily learn and apply new vocabulary skills. Live classes and sessions are scheduled throughout the day and on an everyday basis.
Thus, learners can choose to study what they want when they want. The student’s schedule, and since the candidate is free-minded, their grasping speed doubles.
The better scores allow the learner to stand out in the crowd with excellence in the language given. The council only solves half of the problem or fifty percent of it. The rest of the hard work depends on the learners.
Candidates manage things smartly. The Test-takers have pure dedication and a disciplined way to achieve the target with ease. It helps learners achieve self-esteem that builds with the process of improvement of marks.
British Council IELTS Prep Pros:
1. 100% Online Course
The courses offered by the British Council are available only on the Internet. Through desktops and mobile phones, or sitting in your own space. It allows learners to achieve their targets. Candidates wish to score better marks and have better skills. As this is 100 percent online learning, it never stops, and learners can maintain disciplined scheduling of lessons.
2. Interactive Course
Learners can join classmates across the globe to accomplish a sense of socialization. Expert teachers and educators make things easier by interacting with examples. Live classes are available throughout the day 24/7. The online practice material and testing materials enhance the learning experience of learners.
3. Personalized goals
These courses give learners many ways to adjust and switch out their schedules according to their design and pace of learning. It helps in creating a perfect course by choosing various themes of courses, setting your study goal, and creating lesson schedules in a personalized environment of online courses.
4. Flexible Pricing
Learners can choose from different ranges of subscription plans and can start learning with no problems. The courses offer monthly payments and plans.
The platform cancellation facility given to learners is available anytime during the subscription period. Learners can also take the course sessions by selecting the number of days learners want to study as per their needs.
5. Highly Experienced Faculty
As we know, the British Council has given services to learners for over eighty years in educating learners in English to develop it as a skill. Eighty-plus years of teaching expertise that helps learners achieve good marks and overall development of the English language.
6. Book Groups and Private Sessions
This course offers learners a facility or option for choosing between private or group. For this, learners need to redeem the credit earned by watching the session regularly.
Learners can book a class from the credit earned for special group and private classes. Live online classes: Group classes: 55 min / 1 credit, Private classes: 25 min / 2 credits.
7. Customized Curriculum
Depending on the learners’ level, it will give learners many themes from which learners have to choose. Later the candidates can change the schedule according to the change in theme.
The customized curriculum helps learners dynamically adjust to different styles and techniques of learning. So, learning not to get stagnant.
8. Chat support
The availability of chat support helps candidates to contact chat support for suggestions and problems faced by their users. Candidates can solve problems and doubts related to the platform and studies.
9. Helps in Building Social Relationships
It can be meeting new people or enjoying a meal with friends, exploring what makes them who they are. Building social relationships helps learners to feel more connected to the atmosphere of learning.
The learners can discuss with other learners the integration of study with discussions on different aspects and methods of learning.
10. Online learning materials
This course of the British Council is interactive along with the vast availability of study material. It helps in achieving higher scores because the maximum learning comes from books.
11. Free trial
The British Council offers a 7-day free trial from which learners can choose this course that is suitable for the students. Candidates can take a subscription to the course. The British Council platform gives the overall experience of the course.
12. Focus on stress management
Educators here help learners build excellent lessons to deal with stress levels. If not controlled it can cause a loss of marks in examination time. The lessons given by the educators help them deal with exam-like stress in the schedule. It results in a stress buster and pressure relief before the exam time management.
British Council IELTS Prep Cons:
1. Very Expensive
These courses of the British Council are expensive as compared to other platforms like Coursera. The expensive platform somehow ruins the overall experience of learning. Learners can avail themselves of more hours of learning at the same price from different platforms.
2. More Dependence on IELTS material
This course offered by the British Council uses more study and reading material than IELTS preparation. It deteriorates the learning experience. This is not interesting in reading and that might create boredom while learning.
3. Limited practice paper
Although this course provides learners with many practice papers. It is not enough course from an examination view; it is not enough. Because most of the improvement in marks comes only from practicing the test on the platform.
4. Third-party reliability
The lectures or sessions given by the educators are totally on Zoom. It can reduce the concentration in the long term of learning.
5. Online experience
The online experience of the course is not that great. The user interface is cumbersome to use. Though it is a hundred percent online, it does not give flexibility in learning. The learners might have some difficulties while learning on the go.
6. Too many options
There are too many options on the website. It distracts the learner from the course they are going to learn. The learner can choose a different session when trying to open it every time. Due to various classes on different topics.
7. Providing Visas and Passports
The British Council platform does not have easy access to providing visas to the users and the students after the results. The British Council either declines the request or proclaims that the passports are invalid.
Overview of British Council IELTS Preparation Course
The British Council and IDP conduct IELTS across the globe. So choosing courses offered by these institutions is used by many learners. It is a pretty easy course offered by The British Council. In various modes of subscriptions and topics, courses are also available.
The British Council is an online platform for learning English to improve skills. The user interference of the website is very plain. This course is not very interactive but is suitable for those learners to get expertise in the language. It is time-consuming.
As the British Council is an apex institution, it tracks all the records of learners. In an aspect of how many times the learner has completed the course? They also get information related to how many times learners have applied and how much the learner has scored. Thus, it helps in better evaluation.
Especially if any candidate is in case of a reappearance for the IELTS exam, and one meets with the British Council Course, others can outrage it. Compared to this, other online courses are more flexible and interactive.
The candidates proclaim that no proper classes are always happening. The courses are expensive and create a niche audience. It cannot affect all sections of the socio-economic system. The learners can also consider other platforms for learning because of the availability of courses free of cost or at a small fee in comparison with The British Council.
The faculty of educators at the British Council is very experienced. The option of choosing sessions as per learners’ needs helps some learners with improvement. It is cumbersome for some students. It depends upon whether this course meets their pattern of study.
The pricing is good for those learners who want to focus only on a particular section of the exam. But learners who wanted to pursue this course in a detailed manner. The British Council also gives a 7-day free trial that allows the learners to find out whether this suits them or if the candidates want some new platform.
This course helps learners in building their confidence through live sessions with faculty. They also guide learners on how to attempt exams, as well as being vigilant about keeping informed about their preferred exam timings. It also helps learners in developing practical communication skills. That helps in mastering everyday social interactions.
It focuses on all four sections of the exam: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The learners’ vocabulary also gets developed, along with grammar and pronunciation, and it helps in the expression of thoughts correctly and concisely.
The group size is just seven learners per batch on average. Also, educators take special sessions on time management and group discussion sessions. Practice materials are available online along with exercises.
Though the course is not well structured or in a specific order, the practice is very engaging through online structured exercises. The learners get instant feedback and track their progress, which helps them focus on their weaknesses.
The learners who want to clear the IELTS exam can consider options, but the learners who are interested in the overall development of skills should choose The British Council Courses.
Topics Covered in British Council Review
The British Council IELTS test formats are an advantage to students because it is a major organizer of the exam:
- The British Council is available for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.
- Listening skills designed in the course include main ideas and specific factual information.
- The IELTS coach has detailed and interactive online study activities, including grammar references.
- The Academic Training Module works on the band score to develop the ability to analyze data and visuals.
- The General Training Module works on the ability to write letters and essays.
- IELTS SpeakREADY provides a virtual environment with an IELTS assessment expert to conduct a 30-minute speaking test. An IELTS assessment expert will give a 10-minute qualitative feedback session after performing a 20-minute speaking mock test as a live test.
- The speaking test examines the candidates’ communication skills and opinions.
- The IELTS writing and reading style covered by the British Council included academic writing general training writing, and academic and general reading.
If you are a beginner or a test-taker, then definitely it won’t be that excellent because the platform maintains very high standards and charges accordingly.
Candidates can start with some normal classes nearby, and for intermediate and advanced levels, you can approach the British Council. It will be worth it then.
The platform has a rescheduling program for classes for any major reason.
Possibly, if one can use the knowledge and gain something, those programs pay in the long run.
When candidates enroll at the Pre-Intermediate level, the IELTS Coach course is not offered at this level. The test takers can join the myEnglish course to help you improve your overall English skills.
The British Council ensures each student has ample time to practice in class and gets individual attention from the teacher. The courses have a maximum of 20 students in a class. You will have the opportunity to meet and interact with your instructors and classmates during live online classes.
The British Council teaching team consists of a diverse group of English speakers. The team has the knowledge, skills, and experience to develop the course learning strategies for the students.
English is the native language of every British Council teacher and trainer.
Besides their first degrees, the staff holds international English language teaching certifications and teaching online diplomas with master’s degrees.
If you are taking this course to develop your English skills to take the IELTS exam, then some reviews of the users proclaim not to recommend it. It’s not worth it for people who want to improve their English. They work with people who know English up to the mark and help them to score good marks for examinations like IELTS and TOEFL.
Your satisfaction with the course content, methodologies, and results, as well as your affordability of the fees, may lead you to consider joining the British Council.
Is the British Council IELTS Prep For You?
The British Council is the host of the IELTS test exam, and people trust the platform undoubtedly. When candidates enroll at the Pre-Intermediate level, the IELTS Coach course is not offered at this level. The test takers can join the myEnglish course to help you improve your overall English skills.
The course helps learners to better expose themselves to study practice through speaking, listening, and reading skills. The platform develops the practical communication skills and confidence that a learner needs to master real-life situations.
During the course, candidates have the opportunity to submit two optional writing assignments to the teacher and receive feedback. Candidates and test-takers will get to attend live online classes in the course.
The British Council uses Zoom to deliver live online classes that allow you to interact with your teacher and classmates. The experience of the students is like being in any British Council class. It’s interactive, and there will be plenty of opportunities to practice.
The British Council ensures each student has ample time to practice in class and gets individual attention from the teacher. The courses have a maximum of 20 students in a class. You will have the opportunity to meet and interact with your instructors and classmates during live online classes.
The platform offers students powerful knowledge of the subject with convenient teaching patterns and flexible schedules. Candidates will learn about the IELTS exam topics after taking the British Council course and understanding IELTS.
The British Council teaching team consists of a diverse group of English speakers. The team has the knowledge, skills, and experience to develop the course learning strategies for the students.
This leads to a loss of credit, although if the students notify the instructor twenty-four hours before the booking, they will not be marked absent. The British Council communicates in current British English. Discussed in the following by English Online range from business to daily English.
English is the native language of every British Council teacher and trainer.
Besides their first degrees, the staff holds international English language teaching certifications and teaching online diplomas with master’s degrees.
Summary Table for Pros and Cons
A glance at the Pros and Cons of the British Council.
| PROS | CONS |
| Purely online access | Very Expensive |
| Interactive course | More Dependence on IELTS material |
| Allows personalizing the goals | Limited practice paper |
| Silgtly Flexible pricing | Third-party reliability |
| Highly experienced faculty | No great online experience |
| Facility to book group and private sessions | Distracting options on the website |
| Customized curriculum | More rejections in approving passwords |
| Chat Support | – |
| Helps in building social relationships | – |
| Online learning materials | – |
| Focus trials and stress management | – |
Final Thoughts
The British Council course suits learners who need to focus on English as a skill. As the apex institution had the learning data of learners. It helps those learners who are conceptually weak in English. However, the format of The British Council course is designed to be very cumbersome to use with a plain user interface.
So, some might not choose the course because it can create a lack of enthusiasm. Many other courses are interactive and less costly. So, it depends on the learner at which pace the study is required.
If someone is starting from the basics, the learner must choose the British Council Course. Other learners can choose other online courses. They also can consider self-study through books, if they have an intermediate level in English.
FAQs about British Council IELTS Prep
Why choose an IELTS Coach?
The British Council is a co-owner of IELTS. The platform is in a unique position to assist you in achieving the results you require. In group and private lessons, British Council IELTS specialist teachers will train you on how to use tactics and approaches to improve your IELTS score. Practice speaking tests and writing lessons to improve your test technique.
Are the British Council Courses worth it?
Several reviews are harsh and do not recommend students take the British Council course to improve their English for the IELTS exam. The platform deals with people who have an excellent command of the English language and assists them in achieving good results on exams such as the IELTS and TOEFL.
What are the technological requirements?
The British Council is fully internet-optimized. The website can be connected with a desktop or laptop computer and an Internet connection. Also, the students require a camera, a speaker, and a headset or headphones with a built-in microphone.
