English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students)
Provides international students with a wide variety of options to learn English and improve their English language proficiency to enable students to enter other education sectors (i.e. Diploma, Bachelors, Post graduate etc) at all levels.

They help students achieve the level of English language proficiency needed to undertake tertiary studies at Australian and International universities (usually around IELTS 6.0 to 6.5). A large percentage of students who complete the courses enroll in Australian universities or colleges. Courses generally start and finish at dates which match with the university's academic semesters. This allows students to move easily into formal degree courses.

Often ELICOS courses are taken in sequence with formal courses of study. They are packaged together with one or more courses. Sometimes these further courses are offered at the same institution.

The IELTS Scale 
These are only some approximate guidelines. Please refer to the official website of the universities or the colleges to know their exact English language requirements the ELICOS requirements, as there may be a deviation from normal scale. Remember that your subtest scores are important for calculating the number of weeks.  For example, if your overall score is 5.0 but your writing score is 4.0, you will need 40 weeks (not 30) of study to enter postgraduate courses.

Even for students with a band score of 6 in IELTS might be required to take up an ELICOS of 5 weeks to 10 weeks or may be more than that depending on the course and their English language requirements.

For example university of western Sydney requires an over all band score of 6.5 and no band less than 6 in all modules i.e. speaking, listening, reading and writing. so if a student scores an over all band score 6.5 but if he scores less in one these modules he might e required to attend a few weeks of ELICOS in order to satisfy the English language requirement.

Fee Varies significantly depending on the course duration or institution ranging from $A200 – $A350 per week.

If a student has to under take ELICOS programme with a duration of more than  30 weeks then the student should rather apply for an independent ELICOS visa which for an year.