Are you planning to move to a foreign country? Do you want to study, earn or migrate to a country where English is the native language? Do you want to test your English-speaking skills before moving? If yes, IELTS Exam is what you should do to assess your English-speaking ability.

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. This testing system is designed to assess your English speaking, listening, and understanding and is graded on a scale of 1-9. English is the third most spoken language in the world and is used worldwide. Knowing and being able to speak, listen and understand English is essential in today's world as not everyone knows the language you speak, especially if you live in a non-English country. When you go to the English country after taking this test, you will communicate and understand their dialect better. Countries requiring IELTS include the UK, Canada, New York, New Zealand, Australia, and other western countries.

Types of IELTS Tests:

If you are planning to move to an English-speaking country, you can take one or both of the following IELTS exams:

• IELTS Academic Test 
• IELTS General Test
  

IELTS Academic Test is designed for students applying to a university or living in an academic environment.

IELTS General Test is for those going abroad for below-degree studies or employment.

The validity of an IELTS test, once graded, is two years.

Modules in IELTS:

IELTS test is divided into four modules, each assessing an aspect of the language. These modules are:

• Listening: Includes exercises to assess your ability to understand spoken English.
• Reading: Includes exercises to assess how well you understand what you read in English 
• Writing: This module assesses how well could you demonstrate your ideas on paper 
• Speaking: includes exercises to assess your spoken English with the help of a real-life communication mimicking.

IELTS VS TOEFL:

Although IELTS and TOEFL are both to test your English listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills, there are slight differences between both:

• TOEFL has multiple-choice questions, whereas IELTS has many kinds of questions such as short answers, detailed essays, etc., to assess different skills. 
• TOEFL is entirely computer-based, meaning that you will not need to interact with humans, whereas, in IELTS, the speaking tests are conducted face-to-face with an examiner. 
• The writing test in TOEFL is conducted on the keyboard, whereas in IELTS, it is hand-written. 
• The essay length in IELTS (250 words)  is shorter than TOEFL (300 words). 
• In TOEFL, the listening test includes recorded university lectures or on-campus conversations. You will take notes while listening to the discussion and answer the MCQs later. However, in IELTS, you will have to listen to the recordings and answer the questions as you go.
  

Which one to Choose?

Consider the test that is accepted by the institute you will be engaged with. If the institutes do not have any preference, consider whatever suits you the most. You can go for TOEFL if you do not want to take a hand-written test or confront an examiner.

However, taking the EILTS is always the best as you get a chance to enhance your skills by confronting an examiner and writing everything with your hands.  

Why IELTS?

English speaking skills are demanded globally. If you can't speak better English, you will not be able to communicate with most countries. English is recognized worldwide, and the citizens of almost the entire world can speak or at least understand it. So, by taking IELTS, you can show your English proficiency fairly and accurately. It helps prove your English skills to universities, employers, and other professional bodies. More than 11,000 organizations use IELTS, according to British Council.

When to Take IELTS Test?

IELTS test should be taken at least 7 to 12 months before your course or job starts abroad. The reason behind this recommendation is that if for any reason you fail your first attempt, you will have plenty of time to improve yourself and re-take the test.

How to Prepare for IELTS?

Now that you know how beneficial an IELTS test could be, you must be wondering how to start preparing for IELTS. Many local and international institutes offer IELTS preparation courses. These institutes aim to improve your English speaking, listening, and writing skills by teaching English dialect. Besides, plenty of best books for IELTS preparation written by English experts are available in the market. But preparing from books alone is not enough as you can not do interactive learning by reading books.

All of the resources mentioned above are aimed to help you improve your band score by enhancing your vocabulary, sharpening your pronunciation, improving your writing skills, and focusing on your listening skills. But the best of all is taking an online course. Many online platforms offer multiple courses to help you prepare for the IELTS exam without getting out of your home. Udemy, a platform that provides the best online training courses, also offers IELTS coaching to help you pass the IELTS test.

If you rush about joining the best IELTS course we suggest you to pick Understanding IELTS by British Council offered by Future Learn. This course is super popular among the community and has well-structured lessons. But, if you prefer mock tests in the course IELTS Preparation by Magoosh will be the best investment for you which includes 10 mock tests in its curriculum. In case, you always prefer Udemy courses for developing skills “IELTS Band 7+ Complete Prep Course” is the best IELTS course offered by Udemy.

However, if you want to carry on your research and decide on a course that suits your requirements best, the five best IELTS courses are also mentioned below. Let's explore each course in some detail.