Is ICS English Any Good? Honest Answers About Teachers, Lessons and Fees
Before you sign up with any English school, you want to know: is it any good, what does it cost and who are the teachers? This page answers those questions directly, including who ICS is not right for, so you can decide for yourself.
What is ICS English?
ICS English is an online 1-on-1 English school with Filipino teachers. Our headquarters are in Baguio in the Philippines, and we have branches in Thu Dau Mot (formerly Binh Duong province) and Thao Dien (Ho Chi Minh City). Programmes include conversation, IELTS, TOEIC, business English, kids / Cambridge, settlement English and study camps in the Philippines.
How a course works
- Each course is 20 lessons of 50 minutes, 1-on-1 with a teacher.
- You take 2–4 lessons a week, at times you choose between 8:00 and 23:00.
- Lessons follow your goal: conversation, IELTS, TOEIC, work, or your child’s school programme.
| Lessons per week | Time to finish 20 lessons |
| 2 | 10 weeks |
| 3 | About 7 weeks |
| 4 | 5 weeks |
Fees
Online courses start from 2,000,000 VND; IELTS preparation from 10,000,000 VND; Business and VIP English from 20,000,000 VND. Textbooks from publishers such as Cambridge and Oxford are included, and you can pay by bank transfer, card, PayPal, WeChat Pay or Alipay. When you compare prices, compare real 1-on-1 teaching time: 20 lessons × 50 minutes is about 16.7 hours with your own teacher.
Why a paid demo lesson, not a free trial?
The ICS demo is a real 50-minute lesson with a level check and a personal study plan. We charge for it so the teacher prepares it like a real lesson, and so you see exactly the quality you’ll get. The demo costs the same as one regular lesson, and the full amount is deducted from your first course if you enrol within 14 days.
Who are the teachers?
Our teachers are Filipino and experienced with Asian learners. ICS teachers are Filipino educators who teach in Vietnam or work in education in the Philippines, with teaching experience and training certificates. Before teaching ICS students, every teacher passes an interview, an English assessment and a trial lesson. Our comparison of Filipino and native-speaker teachers explains the differences in more detail.
What ICS doesn’t promise
- No IELTS or TOEIC score guarantees: results depend on your starting level, study time and effort.
- No claims to be “number one”: read real student reviews and compare for yourself.
Who ICS is not right for
- People who want large group classes with classmates.
- People who only want British, American or Australian native-speaker teachers.
- People who can’t study online and need every lesson face to face. (Most ICS lessons are online; in-person lessons at home can be arranged in some areas. Available near our Thu Dau Mot and Thao Dien branches.)
FAQ
Can I change teachers?
Yes. Tell ICS the reason and we’ll arrange a new teacher; your lesson times may change depending on the new teacher’s availability. Teacher changes are free.
Can I pause my course if I’m busy?
You can pause a course for up to 60 days by telling ICS in writing. If you cancel a lesson with enough notice, you get a make-up lesson; if a teacher cancels late, you get an extra lesson. Fees are not refunded unless the problem is caused by ICS or the teacher. Please give at least 6 hours’ notice to cancel or move a lesson; each 20-lesson course includes 2 make-up lessons, and late cancellations or no-shows count as taken.
Where can I read student reviews?
On our student and parent stories page, which only shows real reviews shared with permission.
The best way to find out whether ICS suits you is to take a real lesson. Book a paid 50-minute 1-on-1 demo lesson: a level check plus your own study plan. Message ICS on WhatsApp.
