Every year, with the exception of the last couple, over 200,000 international students choose to study in Victoria, many of whom end up living in or near the capital city, Melbourne. There are many reasons for this. One is that Melbourne goes out of its way to welcome the global student community with a number of free events throughout the year and provides support through the Study Melbourne Student Centre.
Other factors that make Melbourne a desirable place to study, for overseas students as well as Australian ones, include the cost of living, ease of transport (particularly around the CBD), safety, shopping, food, climate and general culture.
As an international student, if English is your first language, there are relatively few problems obtaining a student visa and applying to enrol in an Australian university. However, if it's not your first language, when you apply you must also prove you have a certain level of proficiency in all four skills — speaking, listening, reading and writing — as all of your tertiary studies will be conducted in English.
How do you demonstrate your language proficiency?
To apply to enter the country on a student visa, applicants must achieve a minimum level on one of the accepted proficiency tests. One of these is the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam.
Do not let this put you off, though. If one or more of your language skills are not quite good enough, you can still enter Australia and apply for a tertiary institution in Melbourne as long as you demonstrate the intent to study for the IELTS test with a view to enrolling in a uni or TAFE.
Let's find out a bit more about this exam and the best way to prepare for it.
What Does the International English Language Testing System Involve?
The IELTS test is considered to be one of the best assessments to ascertain whether the applicant's level of English is sufficient to operate independently in an education setting or work environment where English is the main, or only, mode of communication.
All four language skills — speaking, listening, reading and writing — are covered in the test and applicants are ranked according to each section and then assigned a band level ranging from zero (no use) to nine (expert user).
While the test is based on four separate sections, three of these — listening, reading and writing — must be completed in one session without breaks.
The speaking task in the IELTS test can be taken up to a week before or a week after the listening, reading and writing component and takes only around 20 minutes to complete. Applicants have a little over 2 hours to complete the listening, reading and writing task sections.
Applicants can book to sit the test in any of the fifty testing centres throughout the country. There is no requirement to sit IELTS in Melbourne if you want to work or study there; it is perfectly acceptable to book your test in Adelaide, Brisbane or even Perth if that's where you happen to be at the time. The test can be taken online (computer-delivered) or in-person (paper-based), although options may be limited to one of these depending on the testing centre.
Variations in the IELTS Exam and Required Scores
There are different versions of the IELTS assessment:
- academic
- general training
- life skills.
The academic IELTS tests for reading and writing are more rigorous than those for general training and life skills as the ability to read and write fluently at an academic level, is essential for university. The speaking task and listening task is the same for all three tests.
Our focus here is on the academic test.
The minimum IELTS score required to obtain an Australian student visa is Band 6. However, it is important to realise that each institution will set its own minimum requirements for general entry and different courses.
Let's compare a few of the requirements for minimum IELTS in Melbourne.
- Melbourne Institute of Technology (MIT)
Overseas students who intend to apply for an undergraduate course at MIT must achieve a minimum score of 6 on the academic IELTS assessment, with no band score lower than 5.5. Results from the general training and life skills tests are not accepted.
- RMIT and University of Melbourne
To apply for general entry into RMIT or the University of Melbourne, a minimum score of 6.5 in the academic test (with no individual band lower than 6) for undergraduate courses and a minimum score of 7 (no band lower than 6.5) for postgraduate degrees are required. General training and life skills test results are not accepted.
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- Deakin University
Depending on their chosen course, a student from non-English speaking backgrounds must achieve a minimum IELTS score of anywhere from 6 to 7, with individual results the same. The university only accepts results from the academic test.
These variations when it comes to IELTS minimum scores also apply at universities in Canberra, Sydney and throughout Australia so it is always best to check the requirements at your preferred university as well as for the course you want to apply for.
Most importantly, when you go to book your test dates, make sure you book for the academic test, not the general training test. No Australian tertiary education institution will accept the general training results.
The other important factor to note is that preparation is key to passing IELTS. But it's okay — you won't be left on your own.
Where Can I Get Help for my IELTS Test Preparation in Melbourne?
Nobody can go (successfully) into any exam situation without preparing — and this includes the exam for IELTS. In fact, given that your future could be impacted by lack of preparation, it may be even more critical.
So, how do you go about it?
You have a range of options, including:
- studying independently
- enrolling in one of the many IELTS preparation courses
- engaging a private tutor.
Of course, you may choose to combine two or all of the above options, depending on your needs.
Independent study
Should a student choose to work independently to prepare for their IELTS in Melbourne, it is recommended they at least download the free sample questions and online information about the testing process that can be found on the official IELTS website.
In addition, purchasing the preparation materials can be a great help as they include past tests, answers and comments and teacher and assessor feedback.
Preparation courses
There are a number of IELTS training courses in Melbourne. These are, in general, comprehensive and classes focus on all four skills required for the tests. Classes may run for several weeks to six months and are offered both as in-person classes and online classes. Often, classes are run by native English-speaking teachers although they can be run by teachers who have personal experience with taking the exam and achieved a high band score.
Here are a few classes and courses you may wish to consider.
- Melbourne Language Centre
Located in the Melbourne City CBC, the preparation course offered at this centre runs for 20 weeks although they emphasise that there is no standard course length; a student can stay on for extra weeks, or exit the course early. The number of weeks spent in the course is subject to discussion with the Course Coordinator and dependent on the current level of the student, their time and availability and the score they aim to achieve. Students may participate in the course in person or via live online classes.
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- AMES Australia
At the moment, the AMES Australia preparation course is only offered online. It is aimed at students wishing to take the academic IELTS test, either to apply to an Australian university or TAFE, or to support recognition of overseas qualifications.
- SACE Melbourne College of English
As with AMES Australia, the SACE preparation course is currently only available online with live classes via Zoom. SACE offers two course levels — Acceleration and Standard. The latter is for students who wish to improve their overall English for the general training test, while the former is for applicants who need to sit the academic tests.
Private tuition
If you prefer to work with a private tutor, make sure you look for a teacher who specialises in IELTS as they will have access to the preparation materials and practice tests. On the Superprof platform, there are over 9,000 teachers listed who offer IELTS preparation tutoring. You may find a teacher based in Melbourne who can help you in person, or book classes to get online help from a teacher from another state.
Good luck with your preparation and the exam. Follow your dreams.
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