ILEC - International Legal English Certificate
The International Legal English Certificate (ILEC) was a popular English language proficiency exam designed specifically for legal professionals. The exam was developed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations and was widely recognised as a measure of proficiency in English for the legal field. However, in December 2016, the exam was discontinued, and the recommended replacements at the time were the Business English Certificate Higher (BEC Higher) and the Cambridge English Advanced (CAE).
The discontinuation of the ILEC exam was due to the need for a more comprehensive exam that covered a broader range of skills. As a result, Cambridge ESOL discontinued the ILEC exam and recommended the BEC Higher and CAE exams as replacements. These exams are still widely recognised and accepted by employers and universities, and they continue to be an excellent choice for legal professionals who need to demonstrate their English language proficiency.
Linguaskill Business from CambridgeHowever, since then, Cambridge ESOL has introduced a new exam called Linguaskill, which has become a popular alternative to the CAE exam. Linguaskill is an online adaptive test that assesses English language proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It provides a more flexible and efficient testing solution for legal professionals, who can take the exam at their convenience, without the need to travel to a test centre.
Linguaskill is designed to be more accessible and user-friendly than its predecessors. It uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to adapt to the test taker's level of English proficiency, which means that the exam is tailored to the test-takers abilities. Additionally, Linguaskill provides instant results, which means that test-takers can receive their results within 48 hours of taking the exam, enabling them to quickly demonstrate their English language proficiency to their employers and clients.
In conclusion, the discontinuation of the ILEC exam was a result of the need for a more comprehensive exam that covered a broader range of skills. At the time, the recommended replacements were the BEC Higher and CAE exams. While these exams are still widely recognised and accepted, the introduction of Linguaskill has provided legal professionals with a more flexible and efficient testing solution. Therefore, legal professionals should consider taking either Linguaskill or CAE to demonstrate their English language proficiency.