Why take the International Legal English Certificate (ILEC)?

Whether you are a law student or a practising lawyer, if you want to work in an
international legal setting, ILEC can provide concrete evidence of your level of English.
ILEC is designed to determine whether candidates whose first language is not English
have an adequate level of English to function efficiently, in terms of language ability, in
the international legal environment. It is based on realistic tasks of the kind legal
practitioners would be expected to encounter in their daily working lives.
ILEC is linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
and the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) frameworks of levels. The
exam is set at CEFR Levels B2 –C1. Results at C1 level may be used as evidence of the level
of language necessary to work at a managerial or professional level or to follow a course
of academic study at university level.
To ensure that the ILEC accurately reflects the realities of the international legal
environment, it has been produced in co-operation with TransLegal, Europe’s leading
firm of lawyer–linguists. For more information about TransLegal, please visit:
www.translegal.com

Why take a Cambridge ESOL exam?
Develop effective communication skills
• Cambridge ESOL examinations cover all four language skills – listening, speaking,
reading and writing – as well as testing your use of grammar and vocabulary. They
include a range of different types of question which test how well you can use
English, so that you develop the full range of skills you need to communicate
effectively in a variety of contexts.
A world of opportunity
• Thousands of employers, universities and government departments around the world
recognise Cambridge ESOL exams, so a Cambridge ESOL exam is a valuable
qualification to have when you need to provide evidence of your level of English for a
job or when you apply for a place to study.
Quality you can trust
• We test all our questions on candidates before we put them into a ‘live’ examination.
This makes sure that they are fair, at the right level, that the content is suitable for all
candidates and that you have enough time to answer them. You can therefore be sure
that your result is a true measure of your level of English.
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL) offers the world’s leading
range of qualifications for learners and teachers of English. More than 2 million people
in over 130 countries take Cambridge ESOL exams each year.

If you would like to see a full sample paper for ILEC you can download one from the ILEC website at:
www.legalenglishtest.org/downloads.php

	Content	Time allowed	Marks (% of total)
1 Test of Reading	6 parts/54 questions	1 hour 15 minutes	25%
2 Test of Writing	2 parts Part 1: letter (120–180 words) Part 2: memorandum (200–250 words)	1 hour 15 minutes	25%
3 Test of Listening	4 parts/30 questions	40 mins (approx)	25%
4 Test of Speaking	4 parts	16 minutes per pair of candidates	25%