The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the world’s most popular English language proficiency test for higher education and global migration.
More than 11,500 organizations globally trust IELTS, so when you take the test, you can be confident that it is recognized by educational institutions, employers, governments and professional bodies around the world.
You’ll be assessed on your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
There are two IELTS tests available – IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training. The test you choose should be based on what it is you want to do.
IELTS Academic – measures whether your level of English language proficiency is suitable for an academic environment. It reflects aspects of academic language and evaluates whether you’re ready to begin training or studying.
IELTS General Training – measures English language proficiency in a practical, everyday context. The tasks and tests reflect both workplace and social situations.
IELTS Listening – is divided into four sections, with 10 questions in each section. The test takes around 30 minutes to complete, with each section getting increasingly more difficult. You will have 10 minutes at the end of the listening test to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. The test is divided into 4 parts.
IELTS Speaking- the test takes between 11 and 14 minutes and consists of an interview between the test taker and a trained and certified examiner. It is divided into 3 parts.
Test takers answer general questions about themselves and a range of familiar topics, such as their home, family, work, studies and interests. (4-5 minutes)
Test takers are given a card which asks them to talk about a particular topic. They have one minute to prepare before speaking up to two minutes. The examiner may then ask one or two questions on the same topic to finish this part of the test. (3-4 minutes)
Test takers are asked further questions connected to the topic in Part 2. These questions give the test taker an opportunity to discuss more abstract issues and ideas. (4-5 minutes)
IELTS Writing – the test is the module that many students find the most difficult.
This is because in a short space of time (one hour) you have towrite an essay and a graph (academic module) or a letter (general training module).
The IELTS writing test module varies depending on whether you are doing the Academic Test (for university applications) or the General Test (usually for work / general migration).
● In IELTS Academic you have to describe a graph or diagram (Task 1) and write an essay (Task 2).
● In IELTS General Training you have to write a letter (Task 1) and write an essay (Task 2).
The Task 2 (essay) is worth more marks than the Task 1 (graph or letter) so you should spend 40 minutes of the time on the essay and 20 minutes on the graph / letter.
This difference in marking is represented in the number of words you have to write, which is a minimum of 150 for the Task 1 and 250 for the Task 2.
IELTS Reading – the test consists of 40 questions, designed to test a wide range of reading skills. These include reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical argument and recognizing writers’ opinions, attitudes and purpose.
You will get similar question types in both the IELTS General Training and Academic tests; however, the reading text topics are different.
Managing your time in the test is important as you only have 60 minutes to answer 40 questions. It is always recommended to spend no more than 20 minutes on each part of the Reading test, however, if you find the first passage easy, you may finish it in a shorter time, allowing you more time to answer questions in the next two passages. The passages get harder as you move through the test, so make sure you keep enough time to tackle the final passage.
As a company we have our online coaching platform which you can join to ace with your desired score in the IELTS exams.
Add a Comment