IELTS

International English Language Testing System, widely known by the acronym IELTS, measures a candidate’s ability to use all four language skills, listening, reading, writing and speaking in English. IELTS is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, British Council and IDP Education Australia. The test is designed for those people who plan to study or work in an English-language speaking country. The test focuses on International English, which includes British English, American English and other varieties like Australian or South African English.

Around 6,000 academic and professional establishments around the world recognize IELTS scores as a valid indicator of ability to use English to communicate. Over 1,000,000 aspirants take IELTS to pursue their dream career abroad. IELTS, taken every year across 120 countries, is one of the fastest growing English language tests in the world.

IELTS is accepted by most British, Australian, Canadian, Irish and New Zealand educational institutions for higher education. IELTS is gaining recognition in the US as an alternative to TOEFL. However, not all academic institutions in the US accept the IELTS score.

The Listening, Reading and Writing tests must be taken in one day; however the Speaking test can be taken on the same day or up to two days later upon the discretion of the test center. IELTS scores are recorded as levels of ability, called Bands. 9 bands is the highest for each of the language skills. Test results will be announced on the 13th day after the written examinations.

Test Format

Writing - 60 Minutes
Listening - 30 Minutes
Reading - 60 Minutes
Speaking - 11 to 14 Minutes

The IELTS exam is mainly targeted at students who want to pursue their higher studies in various countries like United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand etc. The British Council conducts it. This exam, like the TOEFL tests your proficiency in the English language. In the IELTS, the performance of a candidate will be evaluated based on a band score for each section. The overall score is the average of the band scores acquired in each of the sections. The maximum band score a student can get in any section is 9.The different sections of this test are:

• LISTENING
• READING
• WRITING
• SPEAKING

The IELTS Reading and Writing modules have two options – Academic and General Training. Most students are related to the Academic module, as this is required to be taken by those who aspire for an undergraduate or graduate degree. The Listening and Reading modules are similar to the normal listening and reading modules. The Writing sections demands a 20minutes essay describing a Graph that is given. The second part of this section is an essay to be written in 40minutes based on a given argument. In the Speaking section of the IELTS, the examiner interviews you for 10-15minutes.