All About IELTS

What is IELTS Exam?

IELTS means International English Language Testing System. It is a jointly managed exam by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment. There are several types of IELTS exam:

1 IELTS Academic
2 IELTS General Training
3 IELTS for UKVI

For applying to university, you will need IELTS Academic exam. This book will primarily concentrate on IELTS Academic exam. The IELTS Academic exam can be taken in several formats such as :

1. IELTS on Paper
2 IELTS on Computer
3. IELTS Online

The IELTS Academic exam consists of Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking tasks. Students complete Reading, Listening, Writing tasks of ‘IELTS on Paper’ format of IELTS Academic exam on paper in a test center while the Speaking task will be face-to-face with an examiner. The Reading, Listening, Writing tasks of ‘IELTS on Computer’ format of IELTS Academic exam is completed on a computer in a test center while the Speaking test will be face-to-face with an examiner. There is however a ‘IELTS Online’ version of IELTS exam where students take exam from home or another suitable location, but only some institutions accept IELTS Online. So it is probably better to register for other formats of IELTS than IELTS Online.

How does the IELTS Test Work?

The IELTS test assesses your English language proficiency in four skill sets: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

Listening Module: This section evaluates your ability to comprehend concepts, identify viewpoints, and track the progression of an argument. The test section lasts about 30 minutes, including 10 minutes at the end, to transfer answers to the answer sheet. During the test, candidates are given four recordings to hear. Each recording is played only once, and the candidate will be given time to read the questions before each section begins.
Reading Module: This section evaluates your ability to comprehend a text’s overall meaning, main concepts, and specific details. It also tests your comprehension of the author’s implications and viewpoints. While the IELTS reading test format is similar for both Academic and General Training, the content of the texts and tasks are different.
Writing Module: This section assesses your proficiency in organizing ideas, writing coherent responses, and employing a diverse range of vocabulary and grammar with precision and accuracy. The General and Academic Training Writing tests are evaluated at the same level. The IELTS Academic Writing test covers topics appropriate for undergraduate and postgraduate students. At the same time, the IELTS General Training module includes passages on familiar topics from sources like books, magazines, notices, company handbooks, and guidelines.
Speaking Module: This section evaluates your ability to effectively communicate opinions and information regarding everyday topics and common experiences. It consists of three tasks and lasts for about 11-14 minutes. With the help of a speaking test, the examiner assesses the candidate’s performance based on four criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range, and pronunciation.