To Take Or Not To Take: On IELTS, HSE And English

Nadezhda Bykova speak about why the English language is so important to HSE students and why you can and should take IELTS.

English is a universal language and HSE puts huge emphasis on English, which can be considered one of its unique features in comparison to other universities.

For HSE students as well English language is far more than just another mandatory class they have to take. Reasons for that include:

1. Some of the studying programs such as Political Science and World Politics, Sociology and Social informatics, International Business and Management Studies are fully taught in English, while others might have some of the courses taught in English. Due to this fact, HSE student wannabes are required to submit their scores for the English language exam they took as a part of the National State Exam during the entrance application period. No further explanation is required to make it clear how important English language skills are for those students. Moreover, some of the minors that HSE students choose by the end of their freshman year and study during their second and third years are also taught fully or partially in English. Therefore, even those students, who only took courses taught in Russian, can choose a minor that has some of the courses taught in English. This has to be a conscious decision made by each student independently taking into account his or her language abilities and/or a desire to take a course in English.
2. English language and some electives such as Academic Writing are also taught as courses on all of the studying programs and are meant to help students develop their language skills and to learn vocabulary more relevant to their field of study. The focus of these disciplines is not general English, but academic or business English that students will, supposedly, have to use in their future career.
3. At the very end of their second year of studying all HSE students, have to take an independent English test. It is, in fact, factored into the rating and is worth four credits. Throughout their first and second year at HSE students practice all of the tasks that might appear in the exam and gain knowledge that is necessary for the successful completion of it. More information about the exam can be found here: https://www.hse.ru/en/studyspravka/indexam/
4. One’s language skills are also taken into account if he/she wants to apply for the international mobility program. Students who want to spend a semester abroad need to include either their IELTS certificate or a language abilities report signed by one of the professors from the faculty of foreign languages in the application form. Students whose program is fully taught in English are usually waved by HSE’s partner universities and don’t have to submit an official IELTS score report, however, if one wishes to spend a semester abroad as a free-mover IELTS certificate might be one of the requirements.
5. English language is also what HSE students need to communicate with international exchange students coming to HSE for only one semester or for a whole year. Moreover, some of the HSE journals (just as HSE illuminated) are published in English and English language might also be one’s advantage when it comes to some of HSE’s events or clubs.

One of the questions you might have is: if HSE’s independent English exam is already made really similar to IELTS, how can I benefit from taking real IELTS and should I actually be considering doing so?

Here are three main advantages of taking IELTS that might make you consider taking it:

1. Since HSE’s independent English exam is very similar to IELTS, for your first two years of studying at HSE you will be preparing for it by using various textbooks and techniques that are also used in preparation for IELTS. Moreover, if you wish to practice even more, HSE offers a variety of courses for the preparation for different exams including IELTS: https://spb.hse.ru/humart/lang/komkursy/english. In conclusion, HSE offers you everything you might need to prepare for IELTS and get a high score.
2. If you have already taken IELTS, have an official certificate and are satisfied with your score you can transfer your IELTS score. In such case, you don’t have to take HSE’s independent English exam. Don’t forget to check how IELTS scores are converted into grades according to HSE’s 10-point system and make sure you submit a copy of your IELTS certificate prior to the independent English exam (there is a deadline for the submission).
3. Your IELTS certificate can also be used as a proof of your language proficiency while applying for the international mobility program in case of both exchange and visiting students. Official IELTS certificates are also often required if one wants to participate in summer school programs abroad or to apply for an internship.

There is not a correct answer to the question of whether one should take IELTS while studying at HSE or not. This decision should be made only after the weighing of costs and benefits and be in line with the general plan one has for his/her future.

One thing we can say for sure is that if you feel like you would benefit from taking it you should definitely give it a try. Our firm conviction is that there is no such word as ‘impossible’ and you have everything you need to reach those goals you set for yourself.

Text by
Nadezhda Bykova