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English tests preparation in Birmingham
A-Team Academy prepares candidates for IELTS, TOEFL iBT and PTE Academic at 2341 Coventry Road, Sheldon, Birmingham B26 3PN and live online nationwide, with one-to-one coaching at £40 an hour. One thing said plainly before anything else: we are not a SELT or visa test centre. You sit the official test at an approved centre, and our job is to make sure you walk in ready to pass it once.
The right test depends on the door you are opening
University admissions and professional registration usually mean IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic, and your offer letter names which. UK visa routes are different: the Home Office only accepts a Secure English Language Test, a SELT, taken at an approved provider’s own centre. We coach all of them from the same Sheldon classrooms and online, and we tell you honestly which one you actually need before a penny changes hands.
- Students chasing university offers
- Nurses and doctors proving English for registration
- Partners and parents preparing A1 speaking tests
- Settlement and citizenship candidates at B1
- Professionals who need a score, fast
- Complete beginners building towards GESE grades
Three tests, three preparation courses
IELTS preparation
Four papers, bands 1 to 9, and the test UK universities name most often. Criteria-based coaching with full mocks under timed conditions.
IELTS preparation →
TOEFL iBT preparation
Entirely computer-based, about two hours, scored out of 120. We practise on screen because that is where you will sit it.
TOEFL preparation →PTE Academic preparation
Computer-delivered and computer-scored, 10 to 90, with results typically back within two days. Strategy for how the machine marks.
PTE preparation →
We are a Trinity-registered centre and host GESE spoken English exams here for study, work and personal progress, never for visas. The full picture, including which GESE grades map to which SELT levels, is on our GESE page.
A1, A2 and B1 tests: who can actually sell you one
If your test is for a UK visa, only a Home Office approved SELT provider can sell it to you, and you sit it at their centre, not ours. Trinity College London and the IELTS SELT Consortium are the names you will meet most often, and GOV.UK lists every approved provider for your route. Anyone else offering to book your A1 test is a middleman at best.
What we do is get you through it. Our preparation uses the exact GESE format Trinity’s SELT speaking tests follow, with mock speaking tests, feedback in plain English and as many rehearsals as it takes. Most A1 candidates need only a short block of sessions to walk in confident.
We prepare, you pass| Visa purpose | Level | Official test examples |
|---|---|---|
| Partner and family visas | A1 | GESE Grade 2 at a Trinity SELT centre |
| Family visa extension | A2 | GESE Grade 3 at a Trinity SELT centre |
| Settlement and citizenship | B1 | GESE Grade 5, IELTS Life Skills B1 |
| Student visa, degree level | B2 | IELTS for UKVI Academic, PTE Academic UKVI |
Requirements change and routes differ, so always check GOV.UK for your exact visa route before booking anything, including with us.
The staff are genuinely friendly and always there when you need them. Their prices and professionalism cannot be beaten.
Harry, candidate at our Birmingham centre
Short blocks, honest advice, timed practice
- A diagnostic session first, so we know your real starting level
- One-to-one coaching at £40 an hour, in centre or online
- Mock speaking tests in the GESE format, marked with feedback
- Full timed mocks for IELTS, TOEFL and PTE before you book
- We tell you when you are ready, not when the invoice says so
Group SELT preparation courses run through the year; register interest for the next dates, or call our Birmingham team on 0121 517 0110.
English test questions, answered straight
Can I sit the official test with you?
No. A-Team Academy is not an official IELTS, TOEFL, PTE or SELT test centre, and we will never pretend otherwise. Official IELTS runs at British Council and IDP centres, TOEFL at ETS-authorised centres, PTE at Pearson centres, and visa SELT tests only at Home Office approved providers listed on GOV.UK. We prepare you for those tests, and we host Trinity GESE here for non-visa purposes.
Where can I book an A1 English test in the UK?
An A1 SELT test can only be booked directly with a Home Office approved provider, most commonly Trinity College London for GESE Grade 2, through the provider’s own website. Book the test there, then come to us for preparation: our mock speaking tests use the same GESE format, so the real thing holds no surprises.
How much does English test preparation cost?
One-to-one preparation is £40 an hour at our Birmingham centre or live online, and a diagnostic session first tells you how many hours you realistically need. Group SELT preparation courses run through the year; register interest and we confirm the next dates and prices.
Start with an honest diagnostic
Tell us which door you are opening, university, work or a visa, and we recommend the right test and the shortest route to passing it.
