External Examinations
All our courses include Exam preparations. You will learn general English communicative skills, and you will also prepare to take the end-of-course examination of your course. We offer preparation in the following exams
PET: This is for students at Intermediate level. It tests your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, and your command of grammar and vocabulary at this level. It is not accepted by universities, but is a good indication of your level of English.
Please note that the speaking exam will not take place on the same day as the other sections. You will receive your specific timetable by email. You are required to attend all parts of the examination.
FCE: This is for students at Upper Intermediate level. It tests your speaking, reading, writing and listening skills, and your command of grammar and vocabulary at this level. It is accepted by some universities.
Please note that the speaking exam will not take place on the same day as the other sections. You will receive your specific timetable by email. You are required to attend all parts of the examination.
CAE: This is for students at Advanced level. It tests your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, and your command of grammar and vocabulary at this level. It is accepted by some universities.
Please note that the speaking exam will not take place on the same day as the other sections. You will receive your specific timetable by email. You are required to attend all parts of the examination.
IELTS: Although students at any level may take IELTS, we recommend it for only those at Intermediate and above. IELTS has a very academic focus. It tests your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, and you will have to show a good command of academic vocabulary and grammatical structures. It is often required to enter university, begin an internship, or enter certain employment types.
There are two types of IELTS examination: Academic and General. Most universities and employers specify that you must take the Academic examination, so we will prepare for that in class. If you have been asked to take General, please let your teacher know so that they can organise practice for you.
There are two test centres for IELTS: University College Dublin (UCD), and Centre of English Studies (CES). Occasionally, CES may request students to take the examination at their second centre in Galway due to overbooking, although they will make every effort not to do this.
TIE: This is for students at all levels. It tests your writing and speaking skills primarily, but you must do some reading-based tasks before the examination and bring proof of this with you.
Our excellent teachers have a lot of experience when it comes to exam preparation courses. They will plan lessons that give you the right skills to pass the mandatory external examinations. You will be able to practice with sample examination papers and learn useful techniques to enable you to do as well as possible in your examinations.
When can I take my examination?
Unless you decide otherwise, you will be registered for TIE at a date close to the end of your course. You will get the opportunity to say which dates are not suitable for you, but we cannot guarantee any specific dates due to high demand at the exam centres. If you want to choose a different examination, you should let us know as soon as possible.
You can always request an earlier examination. Just talk to the Director of Studies. It’s best to do this as far in advance as you can, so that there is a better chance of securing the date you want.
You should pay for your examination when you enroll on your English course. If you prefer to pay later, we will give you a time limit and remind you to pay after that time. You have to pay for the exam before we can book it.
For information on exam fees, please contact our manager at info@dcedu.ie. For information on how to prepare for the exams, please contact Carla at dos@dcedu.ie.
General Examination Information
Proof of Identification:
You must bring an original and current passport with you on all test dates (written and speaking). You will not be allowed to sit an exam without a valid passport. Only EU citizens can provide an original and current national identification document instead of a passport. However, we encourage all candidates to use their passport as proof of ID.
New Identification System for IELTS:
IELTS is currently introducing test-day photography and fingerprint scanning of candidates at all test centres. Photographs of candidates taken on the test day will be printed onto the candidate’s TRF (Test Result Form), and will only be used for test related purposes (including but not limited to issuing TRFs and receiving organization recognition) under Irish and international data protection regulations. Similarly, finger scanning is only used to support the security of the exam, and information will only ever be used for test related purposes. This policy reflects the global IELTS strategy of continued test service improvement, as well as security enhancement.
The photograph will show the head, ears and shoulders of the candidate from the front. Please don’t wear glasses for the photograph.
Please note that test day photography and finger scanning is mandatory for all IELTS candidates.
Getting your Test Results:
PET, FCE & CAE: It may take up to a month for your results to be ready. The centre will email you with your results, and will then send the certificate to the school. We will inform you as soon as we have your certificate, and you can collect it from the school or ask us to post it on to you.
IELTS: Test results are posted 13 days after the test date. If you wish to collect your test results in person, please indicate this on your application form. You will need to bring your passport with you to the Test Centre on the collection day. IELTS results can only be given to the candidate who sat the exam. You can also check your results online for up to 35 days after the results are released. If you would prefer to have your results sent directly to the school, you can ask for this.
TIE: The centre will email us with your results 2 weeks after the examination. These are then sent to QQI for verification, and after that we receive your certificate. We will inform you when we get the results and when your certificate arrives. You can collect the certificate from the school or ask us to post it on to you.
Cancellations:
PET, FCE & CAE: You can cancel before the closing date for bookings. There is an administrative fee of €50 for cancellations. After the closing date for bookings, you will lose the full test fee. Also, you can request a change of date up to 5 weeks before the exam for an administrative fee of €50.
IELTS: You can only cancel a test up to five weeks before the date of the written exam. There is an administrative fee of €50 for cancellations. If you wish to cancel a test within five weeks of the exam date, you will lose the full test fee. The date cannot be changed.
TIE: There is no refund for cancellations. The date cannot be changed.
Absence and Lateness:
For all examinations, candidates who arrive late will not be allowed to take the examination.
The TIE centre requests that all students arrive at least 15 minutes before the test. If you do not arrive at this time, you will not be allowed to take the examination.
There will be no refund of the examination fee for anyone turned away from an examination due to lateness.
Other Requirements:
PET, FCE & CAE: All candidates must bring a photo ID and their timetable documents, which are sent by email prior to the examination. (If you do not receive your timetable, please contact us so that we can ask the centre to issue it to us instead.) A photo will be taken when you arrive for the examination.
IELTS: All candidates must bring the same passport that was used to register for the examination.
TIE: All candidates must bring a photo ID, an application form (available at Reception), the novel that they read, the news article they chose, and 3 logbooks (novel, news story & investigation). You may bring a paper dictionary if you wish.
If you do not have all the required documentation, you will not be allowed to take the examination. There will be no refund of the examination fee for anyone turned away from an examination due to not having the required materials or ID.
For all examinations, you may not bring or use any electronic devices. You may be required to deposit these in a safe location prior to the examination.
Important:
The examination fee is not included in your course fees unless it is specifically mentioned in your contract. You must pay for the examination of your choice in advance.
This fee is non-refundable if:
● You are late for the exam
● You do not bring the required material with you
● You do not bring your ID
● You do not attend the exam
● You do not pass the exam
Neither the examination centres nor DCE will entertain any complaints regarding the above.