The Edinburgh Experience is a Cambridge English Exam Preparation Centre. We prepare students for FCE, CAE, CPE and Academic IELTS exams. We recommend a 6 month preparation period for part time students (4 hours a week), and 3 months for full-time students (8 hours a week).
Cambridge Exams
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Academic IELTS
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Should I take a Cambridge or IELTS exam?
Different countries have different preferences to English exams, and Cambridge and IELTS have both advantages and disadvantages. Here is some information about both to help you decide which is the best option for you. Alternatively, contact us for advice on which you should choose
- In most southern European countries such as Spain or Greece, Cambridge is more recognised
- IELTS is the most commonly asked qualification for entrance to UK universities. While some universities also accept Cambridge exams, the skills you have to learn for IELTS are ones you will need if you plan to study at a UK university, so it is usually more helpful.
- The IELTS qualification is only valid for 2 years, and some universities ask you for your certificate to be a maximum of 6 months old. Cambridge exams do not have an expiry date.
- If you are looking for a certificate for a UK visa, then you will need to do a General IELTS exam. While we do not prepare for this exam, it is very similar to the Acadmic IELTS format.
- Cambridge have now changed their way of scoring their exams. This means now that even if you don't pass the exam, you will have achieved the lower level certificate. For example. you need 180 to pass the CAE exam. If you score 175, you won't have achieved the CAE, but you will have the FCE
- You do not need the FCE to take the CAE, you just need to be at that level.