The tuition fees at the University of Barcelona vary depending on the program and the student's status (EU or non-EU). On average, for EU students, the cost is around €1,500 - €3,000 per year, while for students from other countries, it is approximately €4,000 - €12,000 per year. These figures may change depending on the specific program and faculty.

The cost of studying in this program is €4,250 per year, totaling €17,000 for the entire duration of the program. This is a significant investment in the future, and to ensure his admission, Mark worked with a professional specialist who assisted him at every stage of the application process.

This specialist, being on-site at the university, learned about available programs and scholarships. As a result, Mark had the opportunity to receive a scholarship of €2,500 per year. This meant potential savings of €10,000 over the entire study period, significantly easing the financial burden.

To qualify for this scholarship, several factors needed to be considered:

- Prepare an excellent personal statement,

- Provide evidence of high academic achievements in school,

- Confirm a high level of English with an IELTS certificate scoring no less than 6.5.

With his specialist, Mark was able to gather all necessary documents and create an impressive portfolio showcasing his academic success and motivation.

However, on his path to admission, he made one of the most common mistakes. He took the IELTS exam without proper preparation and did not improve his English level. As a result, he received an IELTS certificate with a final score of 5.0.

The situation was complicated by the extremely tight deadlines: only three months remained until the application deadline. Mark understood that if he did not prepare in time, he would lose an entire year. This meant he would have to gather all documents again and go through the application process once more.

Therefore, Mark turned to our school, where he was offered a comprehensive preparation program. This program included both group classes and individual lessons, allowing him to focus on addressing weaknesses and improving skills in each section of the exam (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).

Thanks to intensive training and a personalized approach, Mark was able to significantly improve his English level and achieve the required IELTS score.

Mark came to us after an unsuccessful attempt at taking the IELTS, scoring 5.0. According to the "English Levels and IELTS Band Equivalents" table, a score of 5.0 corresponds to the Intermediate level.

Our goal was to raise his score by 1.5 points to achieve a result of 6.5 in just three months. This meant we had quite an intensive workload ahead of us.

The first step is always to assess the current level. This helps us understand which strengths we can rely on and which weaknesses need improvement to achieve the desired result in a short time.

The initial assessment revealed two main issues:

1. Firstly, Mark experienced significant anxiety regarding the Speaking section.

The stressful exam environment and lack of time to think about answers in the first and third tasks intimidated him. Even in the second task, where he has 1 minute to prepare, Mark lacked the skills to create structured and coherent responses needed for a high score.

2. Secondly, Mark was afraid of the Writing section.

His limited vocabulary hindered him from adequately describing graphs and diagrams in the first task. In the second task, which requires writing a 250-word essay on a complex topic, he struggled with time management and lacked necessary knowledge. Additionally, his first unsuccessful attempt at the IELTS greatly demotivated him.

In addition to the mentioned issues, like many students, Mark had a limited vocabulary and a low level of grammar. This also contributed to his low score on his first attempt.

Our preparation program focused on addressing these gaps. We prioritized expanding his vocabulary and improving his grammar to enhance his chances of achieving high scores in these areas. Simultaneously, we worked on his speaking speed, coherence, and pronunciation in the speaking section. Special attention was given to practice and stress relief before the speaking part.

At the beginning of the course, we provided Mark with 20 key grammatical and lexical topics essential for successfully passing the IELTS and for further studies abroad. This allowed us to effectively use the limited time without delving into all the material at the Upper-Intermediate level.

Thanks to the individually tailored strategy, we achieved not only an improvement in Mark's spoken English but also a significant enhancement of his communication skills. This enabled him to study abroad entirely in English without any issues.

Preparing for the IELTS exam is not just about studying theory; it is a comprehensive process that requires attention to detail and active practice. In Mark's case, our goal was not only to prepare him for the exam format but also to significantly improve his overall level of English in a limited time. Along this journey, we went through several key stages:

- Stage 1: Laying a Strong Foundation

We began working with Mark by raising his English level, providing him with 20 key topics to improve his grammar and vocabulary.

Upper-Intermediate topics are not easy, so we also offered numerous practice exercises, which Mark handled successfully. Whenever he had questions or needed additional practice, we were always ready to help and translate knowledge into active use.

At the same time, we actively practiced vocabulary skills both on the educational platform and during group lessons, where he could use new words in practice and train for exam questions.

- Stage 2: Mastering Strategies for the Listening Section

Next, we moved on to the Listening section of the IELTS exam. We always follow a specific structure: we start with Listening, then proceed to Reading, Speaking, and Writing. In each section, we not only complete exam tasks but also work on strategies so you can manage your time effectively during the test.

We teach students a comprehensive approach to tasks, considering time constraints and execution strategies. This allows them to feel confident in their actions when facing specific task types on the exam.

- Stage 3: Mastering Strategies for the Reading Section

The next stage was preparing for the Reading section. Here, the main difficulty lies in the time constraints and the large volume of texts. These texts cannot be read in a traditional way. If you carefully read each sentence and translate every word, you simply won't have enough time to read the texts within 60 minutes. And we are not even talking about completing the tasks.

Thus, it is impossible to read such lengthy texts and complete 40 tasks in just 60 minutes. You need to apply specific strategies, which we also cover in the courses "IELTS YouSkill" and "IELTS YouSkill-Pro."

- Stage 4: Confidence in Speaking

The Speaking section is one of the most challenging parts of the IELTS exam. It requires not only a broad vocabulary and grammatical accuracy but also the ability to express thoughts clearly and logically. This section consists of three tasks.

1. The first part involves general questions about yourself. For example:

2. The second part provides you with a task card where you need to speak on a specific topic for 1-2 minutes.

3. The third part includes deeper questions related to the topic from the second part, requiring you to justify your answers and provide detailed opinions.

When approaching the Speaking section, you should already possess the following skills:

- A good level of vocabulary

- Confident use of grammar

- Coherence and logic in responses

- The ability to understand and respond quickly to questions

Thanks to individual and group lessons, Mark felt confident in this part of the exam. After studying 20 strategies for Speaking, he began to construct even more confident and logical answers.

Mark noted that he had never heard of specific strategies for successfully passing the IELTS. He was aware of sample questions and answer templates, but it was at our school that we studied over 2,000 different questions, categorizing them by type and developing response strategies for each. Thus, when Mark encountered a question on the exam, he knew which strategy to use and could successfully apply his knowledge.

- Stage 5: Mastering Writing

Another challenging part of the IELTS exam is Writing. This section consists of two parts: Writing Part 1 and Writing Part 2.

Mark, like many other students, felt anxious about Writing Part 1, as writing a quality response requires good academic vocabulary. In our course, we provide all the necessary vocabulary, so Mark did not need to search for additional information. He could use ready-made materials and apply them in practice. We cover all types of graphs, tables, and charts, and provide essential academic terms and definitions so that students can understand any task and give a detailed response, achieving a high score.

Mark was pleasantly surprised that we took care of every student in Writing Part 2 as well. Many students feel intimidated by the structure of the task that requires a detailed response. However, the difficulty lies in the vast variety of topics.

Simply studying different types of tasks and getting a good response is not possible without improving the level on key topics. This is exactly what we did at the beginning of the course. Because Mark already knew what vocabulary and grammar to use and had studied essay structures, he was able to achieve a good score, positively impacting his overall IELTS result.

- Stage 6: Monitoring Progress and Individual Support

After completing each section—Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing—Mark took practice tests in the IELTS format. This gave us a complete overview of his progress at each stage of the course. We could respond promptly if his results were below expectations. The instructor monitored Mark's progress during individual lessons and focused on the areas that posed particular challenges, ensuring his confidence and readiness for the exam.

Taking the international IELTS exam is always stressful and requires careful preparation and planning. Mark approached this matter with great seriousness. He chose his test date in advance and registered for the exam 45 days before it. Since he was taking the test in another country, he arrived two days early to familiarize himself with the city and locate the test center.

However, the day before the scheduled date, Mark faced an unpleasant surprise: the test date was postponed by three days. While such situations are not common practice, they do happen. Testing centers sometimes have to make changes to their schedules.

This altered Mark's carefully planned trip. He had to stay in the city for an additional three days and change his return tickets, which undoubtedly led to extra expenses and inconveniences.

Despite the challenges, the exam itself went smoothly, and there were no unusual situations during the test.

Mark's story clearly demonstrates that when planning to take the IELTS, it is essential to consider potential changes in the schedule. Although the likelihood of rescheduling is low, it is wise to prepare for such scenarios to avoid unpredictable issues.

Conclusions:

• Plan your trip with extra time. Additional days will help compensate for possible delays and schedule changes.
  
  
• Ensure ticket flexibility. Purchasing tickets with change options will help avoid extra costs in case of a test date change.
  
  
• Be prepared for unforeseen circumstances. Taking the IELTS is a complex process, and being ready for unexpected situations will help maintain calm and confidence.  

Mark successfully passed the IELTS exam with an overall score of 6.5. Let’s take a closer look at his results by modules and evaluate what opportunities this score opens up for admission to European universities.

His results for each part of the exam are as follows:  

- Listening: 6.0

- Reading: 6.0

- Speaking: 7.0

- Writing: 6.0

In many European universities, a score of 6.5 on the IELTS is considered the minimum acceptable for admission to undergraduate and master's programs. For example:

• France: Many universities, such as Université Paris-Saclay and Université de Strasbourg, accept students with this score for English-taught programs.
  
  
• Germany: Institutions like Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Heidelberg University also consider candidates with IELTS 6.5, especially for international programs.
  
  
• Switzerland: Universities such as ETH Zurich and University of Zurich often require students to have a score of at least 6.5.
  
  
• Spain: Institutions like Universitat de Barcelona and Universidad Complutense de Madrid actively accept students with IELTS 6.5 for many programs.

IELTS scores also affect the possibility of receiving scholarships. Many universities in Europe offer financial aid to students who can demonstrate a high level of English and academic achievements. For example:

• Erasmus Mundus Scholarships: These scholarships are available for students wishing to study in joint programs across different countries in Europe.
  
  
• DAAD Scholarships: In Germany, scholarships for international students cover tuition and living expenses.
  
  
• French Government Scholarships: France offers various scholarships for international students, including those requiring an IELTS level of 6.5.

• Individual Lessons: One-on-one work with an instructor, allowing you to focus on your challenges and address weaknesses.
  
  
• Group Lessons: Opportunities to interact with other students, practice speaking skills, and expand your vocabulary.
  
  
• Personalized Learning Plan: A detailed schedule of classes, outlining your study program by day, enabling you to use your time effectively and achieve your goals. 
  
  

You will not be alone in this process; a team of specialists will support you.  

• Mentor on the Educational Platform: Helps you navigate materials and resolve organizational issues. 
  
  
• Instructors for Individual and Group Lessons: Professionals with years of experience, ready to share knowledge and support you at every stage.
  
  
• Methodologist: Creates a personalized learning program, considering your needs and characteristics.

"IELTS YouSkill-Pro" Program: A Complete Package for Success

The "YouSkill-Pro" program is a comprehensive solution that includes both individual and group lessons, ensuring a balanced approach to preparation. It will help you not only prepare for the exam but also significantly improve your overall level of English proficiency.