IELTS
IELTS
Tests all four language skills – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The Speaking test is a face-to-face interview with a certified Examiner
Test Format
There are four sub-tests, or modules, to the IELTS test: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Students must sit all four sub-tests. While all students take the same Listening and Speaking tests, they sit different Reading and Writing tests, depending on whether they have selected the Academic Module or the General Training Module.
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Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
The Speaking test may even take place a day or two later at some centers.
IELTS - International English Language Testing System
What is IELTS?
IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is the language of communication.
IELTS is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia. IELTS conforms to the highest international standards of language assessment.
IELTS is recognized by universities and employers in many countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. It is also recognized by professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies.
Where can I take IELTS?
More than 1,100 test centers around the world administer IELTS. Most test centers are run by the British Council, IELTS Australia, or universities and language schools. Some testing centers also offer off-site testing for large groups by prior arrangement with IELTS. Contact your local examination center or visit www.ielts.org to find out where the nearest IELTS test center is located.
Where can I find information about registering for the test?
You can contact your nearest examination center or visit the official IELTS website for more information about application procedures and the location of a test center near you.
IELTS Listening test lasts for about 30 minutes. It consists of four sections, played on cassette tape, in order of increasing difficulty. Each section might be a dialogue or a monologue. The test is played once only, and the questions for each section must be answered while listening, although time is given for students to check their answers.
IELTS Reading test lasts for 60 minutes. Students are given an Academic Reading test, or a General Training Reading test. Both tests consist of three sections, and in both tests the sections are in order of increasing difficulty.
IELTS Writing test also lasts for 60 minutes. Again, students take either an Academic Module, or a General Training Module. Students must perform two writing tasks, which require different styles of writing. There is no choice of question topics.
IELTS Speaking test consists of a one-to-one interview with a specially trained examiner. The interview is recorded and has three separate parts:
An introduction and interview, an individual long turn where the candidate speaks for one or two minutes on a particular topic, and a two-way discussion thematically linked to the individual long turn. This interview will last for approximately 11-14 minutes.
More details about the Test
IELTS Listening
Duration and format
Listening is the first module in the IELTS test. It has four sections of increasing difficulty, with a total of 40 questions, and takes about 30 minutes. Each section has 10 questions and is heard ONCE only. You have time to look through the questions before you listen, and also time to check your answers after each section. You write your answers on the question paper as you listen, and you then have 10 minutes at the end of the test to transfer your answers to a separate answer sheet. You will hear a range of accents including British, North American and Australian English.
Structure of the test
IELTS Listening Section 1 and 2
Section 1 and 2 develop the listening skills needed for survival in an English-speaking country, in situations such as shopping, accommodation, etc.
These listening passages include:
- a conversation between two speakers talking about, for example, opening a bank account
- a monologue about, for example, a tour of a museum or information on part-time English courses
IELTS Listening Section 3 and 4
Section 3 and 4 have a more academic context, with an educational or training focus.
These include:
- a conversation between up to four people talking about, for example, a school project
- a monologue, where, for example, a lecturer is talking on a general academic topic.
Question types
A variety of questions are used, chosen from the following types:
- Multiple choice
- Matching
- Classification
- Short-answer questions and lists
- Note/Table/Flow chart completion
- Sentence or summary completion
- Labelling a diagram, map or plan
Each section of the test usually contains two or three question types, so in one complete listening test, you could get a maximum of 12 different question types (usually you will get about eight or nine). Sometimes the same question type occurs in more than one section of the test. Remember, you may get a mix of the listening question types in any section of the test.
Marking
All the answers have one mark. Any answer which is above the word limit specified for that task will not receive a mark, so it is important to read the instructions carefully. Spelling and grammar must be correct. Both British and American spelling are acceptable, e.g. programme/program, colour/color, but you should NOT use abbreviations. Numbers can be written as words or figures.
The final score is converted into a Band Score of between 1 and 9. You can get half bands in the listening test, e.g. 7.5.
How can I improve my Listening scores?
- Use the time you have before the speaker begins, to look at the questions and try to predict what sorts of answers are required. (e.g. Do you need a number, date or a name?)
- There is no negative marking so you should not leave blanks. Answer all the questions.
- Try to anticipate what the speaker will say next. This will help you to focus on the answers.
- Underline key words in the questions to help you when listening.
- Don’t worry if you miss a question while the passage is going on. Answer the next and go back to the one you missed later.
- Check your spelling and grammar carefully.
- Be careful to transfer your answers accurately, in the time given at the end of the test to do this.
IELTS Reading
Structure of the Test
There are three sections in the reading test. Each section contains a text (which is called a ‘reading passage’ in the exam). This might come from a magazine, journal, book or newspaper. Each section is a little more difficult than the one before and features authentic reading passages. The Academic module contains three long texts of an academic nature. The General Training module features a mixture of long and short texts of a more general nature, as well as texts related to work situations.
You will be asked a total of 40 questions. In order to access how much of the reading passages you understand, the questions will usually paraphrase (use different words with the same meaning) the words that are in the text.
Question Types
In each section, you have to do several different tasks. These include:
- Answering multiple choice questions
- Writing short answer to questions
- Completing sentences, notes, a summary, a flow chart or a table
- Labelling a diagram
- Classifying ideas into different categories
- Matching (e.g. headings to paragraphs or people to ideas)
- Deciding if ideas or opinions are correct, incorrect or not given
The questions test a variety of reading skills including your ability to do the following:
- Identify the writer’s overall purpose.
- Follow key arguments in a text.
- Identify opinions and attitudes.
- Locate specific information.
- Distinguish main ideas from supporting details.
- Extract information from a text to complete a diagram, summary, table or set of notes.
Academic Reading Module
The IELTS Reading module consists of three reading passages taken from books, magazines, journals or newspapers. The passages cover academic topics from scientific to historical interests, though the material will be targeted at a general, non-specialist audience. You don’t need to have specialised knowledge of the topics, as any specialised vocabulary needed for the task will be explained in the text or in a glossary.
The first two reading passages have 13 questions each, and the last one has 14 questions. The text will include titles and sometimes captions, photos and illustrations, which can help you to grasp the general meaning of the text. If a text contains technical terms, a simple glossary is provided. The total word length of all the texts can vary between 2000 and 7500 words. At least one passage contains arguments and/or views. This is usually Section 3.
General Training Reading
The texts are about more general topics or related to work. The General Training Reading paper has three sections, each of increasing difficulty.
Section 1: contains two or three short factual texts, one of which may be composite (consisting of 6-8 short texts related by topic, e.g. hotel advertisements). Topics are relevant to everyday life in an English-speaking country.
Section 2: contains two short factual texts focusing on work-related issues (e.g. applying for jobs, company policies, pay and conditions, workplace facilities, staff development and training).
Section 3: contains one longer, more complex text on a topic of general interest.
You’ll be reading real passages taken from notices, advertisements, company handbooks, official documents, books, magazines and newspapers.
Marking and Assessment
The Reading test contains 40 questions and each correct answer is given one mark. The Academic and General Training Reading Tests are graded to the same level. However, because the texts in the Academic Reading Test are more challenging overall than those in the General Training Test, more questions need to be answered correctly on a General Training Test to receive the same grade. Click here for details.
Any answer which is above the word limit specified for the task will not receive a mark, so it is important to read the instructions carefully. For questions where you have to write letters or Roman numbers, write only the number of answers required. For questions where you have to complete a gap, write only the missing word(s) on the answer sheet. Spelling and grammar must be correct. The final score is converted to a whole or half band on the IELTS band scale.
What can I do to improve my performance at the Reading test?
- Make sure you answer the questions asked. It might help to read the questions before you read the passage.
- Manage your time. Do not spend too much time on a question you find difficult. Answer the others and then come back to it.
- Look at visuals and subtitles to get a general idea of what the passage is about.
- Identify the topic sentence in each paragraph. This will give you a clue to the answers.
- Use reading strategies such as skimming and scanning to help you find the answers. Don’t worry if you do not know the meaning of every single word in the text. Try to guess the meaning of the words you don’t know from the context.
- Correct grammar and spelling are important.
- Make sure you go through your answers to check if they are relevant to the questions asked and if the language used is correct.
IELTS Writing
Academic
The IELTS Academic Writing test takes 60 minutes. Candidates have to complete two tasks, of 150 and 250 words. In task 1, candidates are asked to describe some information in the form of one or more bar charts, line graphs, diagrams, pie charts or tables. In task 2, candidates are given an opinion, a problem or an issue to discuss.
In the first part, candidates will be given a task based on some information, presented in graphic and diagrammatic form. Candidates are expected to write a descriptive report of at least 150 words on the information provided.
IELTS Writing Task 2
In the second task, candidates are assessed on their ability to produce a clear and logical argument on a given topic. Most of the topics are of general interest to, suitable for and easily understood by students at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Candidates will have to write at least 250 words and, as task 2 is longer than task 1, it is suggested that about 40 minutes is spent on this task and 20 minutes on the first task.
General
The IELTS General Training Writing test takes 60 minutes. Candidates have to complete two tasks, of 150 and 250 words, as in the Academic module. However, task 1 is always a letter, while task 2 is an essay based on a given topic. The topics of the questions will be of general interest, and no specialist knowledge is required. For example, topics can include travel, accommodation, current affairs, shops and services, health and welfare, health and safety, recreation, social and physical environment.
In task 1, candidates are asked to write a letter which may need to be semi-formal or formal in tone in response to a given problem or situation. Candidates will be asked to include information relating to three bullet points in the question. Candidate answers should be at least 150 words in length for this task.
IELTS Writing Task 2
In task 2, candidates are asked to discuss a topic in response to a statement which presents a particular point of view, argument or issue. The task requires candidates to write a discursive piece of writing in which the question will typically ask them to discuss factual information, discuss a problem and present solutions, evaluate ideas or justify opinions. Candidate answers for task 2 should be at least 250 words in length.
Marking
In IELTS writing test you are assessed on:
Task Achievement (in task 1): This assesses how appropriately, accurately and relevantly your answer meets the requirements of the task.
Task Response (in task 2): This assesses your ability to formulate and develop a position in response to the prompts given in the task.
Coherence and Cohesion: This assesses whether your writing makes logical sense and whether the different parts of your writing are connected to each other correctly.
Lexical Resource: This assesses your ability to use different vocabulary appropriately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: This assesses your ability to use different grammatical structures appropriately and accurately.
The overall result is translated into a score on the IELTS nine-band score.
What can I do to improve my performance at the Writing test?
- Make sure you answer everything that is asked in the question, and that you have written the number of words required. Remember you do not lose marks for writing more but you do lose for writing fewer words than required.
- This is not a test of your knowledge. You can state your opinions, provided you are able to give evidence to support them.
- Don’t go off topic. Underline key words in the questions to help you know exactly what is required in the answers.
- Support the points you make with examples (from your own experiences if possible) or data.
- Write neatly and clearly and check for mistakes before you submit your answers.
- Write in complete sentences. Do not use bullet points and do not use short forms of words.
- Do not repeat the same ideas just to reach the word count needed.
- Task 2 – Make sure you present a balanced point of view giving both the pros and cons of the statement you are asked to discuss.
- Spend more time on Task 2 – you have to write at least 250 words for this. Plan your answer, giving an introduction, conclusion and writing each new idea in a new paragraph. You may want to do a brief rough draft before you begin your answer.
- Do not use memorized answers. They probably won’t be relevant to the question asked and examiners can recognize them easily.
- Do not begin by copying the questions – especially in Task1 where you may have the description of data or bullet points for your letter. This is a waste of time as these parts are not included in your word count.
- Make sure the tone you adopt is consistent and relevant to the task.
- Use linking words to ensure that your ideas flow smoothly.
Avoid common mistakes:
- Spelling (English is often not written the same way it is spoken)
- Punctuation (e.g. basic errors with using capital letters and full stops)
- Not using enough paragraphs and not clearly dividing them.
IELTS Speaking
Introduction and interview (4-5 minutes)
In the first part, the examiner will ask you a number of general questions. Be prepared to introduce yourself and talk about things which are personal to you, for example, your country and home town, your family, your studies or work, what you like doing in your free time and what you might do in the future.
IELTS Speaking Part 2
Individual long turn (3-4 minutes)
In this part, the examiner will give you a card that asks you to talk about a person, place, event or object. You will have 1 minute to prepare to speak, and then you will talk for 1-2 minutes, during which the examiner will not speak. The examiner will then ask one or two rounding-off questions.
IELTS Speaking Part 3
Two-way discussion (4-5 minutes)
In the last part, you will talk with the examiner about issues related to the topic on the card. However, the discussion will be on less personal topics. For example, in Part 2 you may talk about a teacher you had at school, but in Part 3 you might talk about education in your country.
Marking
Performance is assessed on the following criteria:
Fluency and Coherence: Do you express ideas and opinions clearly and coherently, without long hesitations?
Lexical Resources: Do you use a wide range of vocabulary?
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Do you use a wide range of structures and make only a few minor mistakes?
Pronunciation: Are you easy to understand? Do you use English pronunciation features naturally?
The overall result is translated into a score on the IELTS nine-band score.
What can I do to improve my performance at the Speaking test?
- Be relaxed and try to be friendly. Remember the examiner is trying to find out what you know, not what you don’t know.
- You can ask the examiner to repeat the question if you did not understand it the first time.
- Record yourself or practice speaking on a variety of topics for 1 – 2 minutes. This will help you gain confidence and practice time management.
- Vocabulary – don’t use unfamiliar, long words if you are not sure of their meaning.
- If you cannot remember the exact word you want, paraphrase and try to express your idea using similar words.
- Practice making notes, spider-grams, and mind maps which will help you to talk on various topics in one minute.
- Try to develop your answers instead of answering in just one word. Speak loudly and clearly into the recorder.
- Avoid using slang and abbreviations.
- Please do not tell the examiner what grade you require or ask how well you have done. This will only cause embarrassment.
- Do not use memorized chunks of language. Examiners are trained to recognize this. Furthermore, what you have memorized may not be relevant to the topic being discussed.