How long do I need to study?

It depends on the goals you set, how intensively you study, and how determined you are. There is a standard six-hours-a-week schedule where a level generally lasts for 7-8 months except the Advanced one. There is also an intensive twelve-hours-a-week course which lasts for two and a half or three months. 

What are the lessons like?

• Learners study either 2 or 3 times a week, in groups of 5-9 students (5 academic hours a week for teenagers and 6 hours for adults). There is also an opportunity to choose individual or pair lessons of different intensity, if needed. 
• The length of the lessons depends on the students’ age. For instance very young learners study for 45 minutes and the length of an adult class may last from 90 to 135 minutes.
• The educational process is based on the Communicative Approach, which means maximum use of the target language and interesting form of the integrated skills lessons.

Do I get a certificate?

A certificate is issued on completing one level course. There you can find information on your language level and study duration (number of hours). It certifies that you have completed the course, however it is not equivalent to a standard state diploma.

The certificate can be used as validation of your language study, but it can neither replace international exam certificates if these are needed, nor give professional qualifications for working with foreign languages. The certificate is only issued to those students who have completed the whole academic year course (or the second half of an academic year course). The necessary condition for obtaining a certificate is a satisfactory test result in all four skills tested (correct answers in the written test must total over 70 per cent of all test answers). A student has a right to take a final exam and get a certificate before the end of the course (only for a valid reason and not earlier than one month before the end of the course). 

To get a job or higher education abroad, a student should take an international exam (e.g. IELTS, CAE, or TOEFL – according to the university/company requirements). 

Are there any courses in your school that can prepare me for taking an international exam?

Yes, there are. Everything depends on your knowledge of the foreign language, type of the exam you have chosen, and time limit. Thus, you should have at least Intermediate language level to take IELTS or TOEFL, and Advanced level to be able to take CAE, otherwise the results will be disappointing. A standard preparation course would take two months. However, if you want to upgrade your language level as well as prepare for an exam, the course could take up to six months. To achieve good results, it is better to study with a teacher who is familiar with the exam format and has personal experience of sitting this exam.