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Frequently Asked Questions
 What is
ILEC?
 The International Legal
English Certificate is a high-level examination 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.
Who produces
the International Legal English Certificate?
ILEC is a Cambridge
ESOL examination, produced in co-operation with the TransLegal Group.
Cambridge ESOL is a part of the Cambridge Assessment group, which is in turn
a part
of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge ESOL produces the Cambridge ESOL
examinations - the world's leading range of certificated exams for learners
of English. Each year they are taken by around 1.5 million people in 135
countries.
The exams are characterised by an uncompromising commitment to assessment
of the highest quality, recognition by universities, employers, and official
bodies throughout the world, and a high level of support for learners and
teachers (www.cambridgeesol.org). TransLegal is Europe's leading firm of
lawyer-linguists:
in-house, bilingual lawyers versed in the complexities of the Anglo-American
and continental European legal systems who provide high quality legal translations,
instruction, and live and online training in legal English (www.translegal.com).
Who is the test for?
ILEC is for law students
and practising lawyers who are seeking employment in an international legal
setting.
This includes law students who are:
• seeking employment in an international commercial law context, e.g.
law firms, company legal departments, and government agencies;
• intending to study law where the course includes a significant English
language content, either in their own country or abroad.
It includes practising lawyers who are:
• seeking new employment in an international commercial law context;
• seeking promotion within their own organisations;
• learning English as part of a training programme.
Furthermore, it aids legal employers with the hiring and training of personnel,
and law faculties and language schools with the selection, placement and graduation
of their students.
Why choose ILEC?
The examination is based
on realistic tasks of the kind legal practitioners would be expected to encounter
in their daily working lives. Successful candidates are able to use the language
in practical situations, to participate in meetings and discussions of a legal
nature, express opinions clearly and are able to understand and to produce
texts of various types, including legal correspondence and memoranda.
Studying for ILEC will help learners to improve their language skills and
to use them in a wide range of legal contexts.
Who recognises the test?
It is recognised by leading
associations of lawyers including the European Company Lawyers Association,
the European Law Students Association, the International Association of Young
Lawyers, and the European Young Bar Association.
How, when, and where is the test administered?
The test is administered:
• in authorised Cambridge ESOL test centres;
• twice a year, in November and May.
To see a list of upcoming examination dates, click here.
Speaking examiners are recruited, trained and managed according to Cambridge
ESOL’s internationally respected professional requirements and quality
control procedures.
Writing scripts are marked and graded by Cambridge ESOL examiners in the UK.
What is the level of ILEC?
Lawyers operating
in an international legal context require an advanced level of English and
the
test is designed allow candidates to demonstrate that they have the necessary
level of language skills. ILEC is linked to the Common European Framework
of Reference for Modern 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 proof 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.
What language skills are tested?
The test covers the four
language skills of Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking with separate
papers measuring each skill. The Reading, Writing, and Listening papers are taken in one morning with the Speaking examination arranged to suit
the requirements of the candidates and the centre.
The exam assesses candidates' ability to understand spoken and written English
in a number of realistic contexts of the kind legal practitioners are likely
to encounter in their daily working lives; spoken texts including legal presentations,
lectures, discussions, and interviews, and written texts such as contract
clauses, corporate documentation, commercial statutes, legal opinions, etc.
The Writing tasks are based on the kinds of skills needed in the legal workplace,
e.g. the ability to write letters, memoranda, and proposals in a legal context,
while the Test of Speaking will assess speaking skills in relation to the
legal
workplace and will be conducted by trained oral examiners.
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