ISLPR Language Services Blog

One of the most frequent questions we receive from candidates is, “Can I sign up for an ISLPR® test preparation course?” We have answered this question in previous blog posts and throughout our website however, we have received this question many times in the past couple of weeks and want to address it again. We do not currently offer or endorse any ISLPR^® test preparation courses.

We do not believe it is helpful to teach test preparation courses nor do we offer preparation courses like other English tests do. It is important to make the distinction between the ISLPR® test and other English tests. The ISLPR® is a personalised English test which focuses on your individual background and needs. This means it is not useful to prepare for the ISLPR® like you would for other mass-administered English tests.

The content of an ISLPR® test is personalised to suit your background and needs. Therefore, the best way to prepare for an ISLPR® test is to practise your English skills and ensure your speaking, listening, reading and writing skills are strong. It is for this reason that we offer English courses to help candidates develop their language skills before they take the ISLPR® test. We believe this is much more beneficial than offering courses that provide tricks and tips to pass the test. If you develop your English skills then you should have no issues with the ISLPR® test.

THE ISLPR® TEST FORMAT

That said, if it is the test format that you are unsure of, here is a brief outline of it. The ISLPR^® test is a two-hour exam. The first hour is an individual interview where an accredited ISLPR^® tester will assess your speaking, listening and reading skills. The general structure of the interview is:

• A brief conversation between you and the tester (around 15 minutes).
• You will then be presented 2- 3 recordings. You will be required to listen to the recordings and engage in a conversation about the tasks after you have listened to them. If you wish, you can take notes while you listen.
• You will be presented 2- 3 reading texts. You will be required to read the texts and then engage in a conversation about the texts after you have read them. You can highlight and refer back to the texts during the interview but be sure to use your own words when discussing the reading texts.
• Your speaking and listening skills are assessed throughout the entire interview.

The second hour is a self-paced writing test. You will be given two tasks to complete, a 150 word task and a 250-word task.

If it is merely topics that you want assistance with, then, in terms of possible topics covered in the test, you should think about your area of expertise and start there. As stated above, an ISLPR^® test focuses on your real-life language and the content of your test is personalized to suit your background. For example, what real-world writing tasks do you see yourself performing? Writing emails, reports, giving a speech, preparing handouts, presenting at conferences? Make a list of such things and try to write based on that. One of our tutors also recommends writing summaries of the things you read and listen to – it helps you perfect your paraphrasing skills. Read and listen to items that are relevant to your background and your future needs. We highly recommend making use of the ABC Website where there is a vast amount of material to read or listen to.If you have not done so already, we also recommend you read through the guidelines for each test/skill to familiarise yourself with the test format further:

• Guidelines for the speaking test
• Guidelines for the listening test
• Guidelines for the reading test
• Guidelines for the writing test

Lastly, if you would like to speak with one of our tutors directly about the test or even ask them whether they think you have areas in your language that need to be addressed before doing the test, then I strongly recommend booking an ISLPR^® English tutorial. Tutorials are a one hour, one-to-one class with an accredited ISLPR tutor. The tutor will provide you with writing tasks to complete before the tutorial, check on your other skills during the tutorial and provide feedback on what you need to do to improve any of your skills. (Don’t forget to check out our 5 Tutorial Package!)

We hope you find the above information helpful. If you have any other questions, leave a comment below!

Important Disclaimer: We do not authorise or recognise any “ISLPR^® test preparation courses”. If you sign up for an “ISLPR^® preparation course” offered by an unauthorised provider, we will not take responsibility for what they teach. We have had many reports of incorrect information being provided by unaccredited and uninformed organisations. If an organisation is not accredited, it means they have not received training and are not authorised to use the ISLPR^®. Please note: we own the ISLPR^® trademark and intellectual property.

Are you ready to strengthen your English skills?

We offer a number of services to assist candidates with developing their English skills.

• 6-week Reading & Writing Course

• Early enrolment is now open. 15% discount for all early bird enrolments.
• Candidates are provided with a series of workbooks with activities that aim to improve their reading and writing skills.
• All workbooks are marked by our accredited tutors and returned with detailed feedback.
• Learn more here.

• 14-week English Course
  • Course enrolment opens in June 2021. This course is only offered once per year with very limited spaces.
  • This course provides advice and recommends activities in all four macroskills (speaking, listening, reading and writing). The focus is on developing your practical language skills with specific advice on aspects of each skill including, for example, pronunciation in speaking, grammar in speaking and writing,
    skimming and scanning in reading and a variety of experience in listening. All workbooks end with specific advice on using what has been taught in real-life activities. This is a practical course intended to help you develop your
    everyday ability in English.
  • All participants meet once a week for a two hour workshops.
  • We launched this course in 2020 and have spent time since then revising the content.

• Online Lectures
  • Dr Ingram hosted a lecture on how to develop your reading and writing skills at home and why these two skills are so important to develop.
  • Dr Ingram provides reading activities and real life examples from the ISLPR writing test.
  • To purchase a copy of the lecture and handbook or to learn more, click here.
• Online Tutorials
  • Tutorials are a one hour, one-to-one class with an accredited ISLPR tutor. The tutor will provide you with writing tasks to complete before the tutorial, check on your other skills during the tutorial and provide feedback on what you
    need to do to improve any of your skills.
  • We have a 5 Tutorial Package on offer at the moment. Book 5 tutorials in one transaction and our tutors will turn your 5th
    tutorial into a practise test!
• Free Activity Sheets
  • Download a copy of the two activity sheets we have available on our website!
  • Answers are emailed to you a couple of days after you download the sheets. The answers for the second activity sheet are provided in our free webinar.