Everything You Need To Know About IELTS

Devi Bhuvanesh 7 years ago

Are you preparing for IELTS exam? It is one of the most accepted English-language tests across the world. IELTS is jointly owned by IELTS Australia, British Council, and Cambridge English Language Assessment Test. It has over 900 test centres in over 130 countries. It is divided into two versions: the academic and general training versions. For people who are looking for higher education in abroad, they should take the academic test, whereas, for people who are in search of employment in other countries, they should take general training test. Taking the IELTS could really open doors for you all over the world!

To help you with your preparation for IELTS, here are some of the important information you need to know:

Understand the IELTS test format

IELTS test in divided into 4 sections which measure listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. The result is calculated on a 9-band scale and will be valid for a period of two years.

1. Listening section:

The Listening section has to be completed in 30 minutes and contains 4 sections with 40 questions. It includes one-to-one conversation, a speech, monologue and a group discussion. You will have to listen to the audio recording and write your answers in the booklet given.

2. Reading section:  

This section evaluates your reading skill. With an overall of 60 minutes allotted for this section, you need to answer 40 questions. It includes reading for main ideas, skimming, reading for detail, and understanding a logical argument. It is different for both: academic and general training.

3. Writing section:

This section has two task and is different for both, academic and general training test. It has to be completed within 60 minutes. In the Academic test, the first task is to describe a chart or diagram given and the second task to write an essay in response to a problem or argument. In General Training test, you will be asked to write a letter to the situation given and to write an essay in a personalised manner.

4. Speaking section:

This section is a one to one interaction with the examiner for 11-14 minutes to test your spoken English skills. Initially, s/he will ask general questions about yourself. In the second section, you will be asked to speak on a topic for 2-3 minutes. After this, the examination will have a casual discussion related to the topic you speak before.

IELTS test preparation tips

Apart from knowing the test pattern, it is important to prepare yourself for the test to crack with good score. Here are some recommended preparation activities:

  • Examine IELTS practice test papers and answers.
  • Take practice tests under timed conditions.
  • Look carefully at the content of each part of the IELTS test: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
  • Improve your grammar and vocabulary skills.
  • Get to know the different types of questions that you may be asked in each part.

Based on the university or work place you apply, the IELTS test score differs. If you need a professional help, you can join professional IELTS coaching in your locality now!


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