The IELTS® (International English Language Testing System) is a paper based test which is given to demonstrate English language proficiency and is often a requirement for students applying to Universities around the world.
General Overview
The IELTS® is about two hours and forty five mins long. There are two versions of the test: Academic or General Training – depending on whether you want to study, work, or migrate overseas. IELTS® test consists of four sub-tests: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. All students take the same listening and speaking tests but there are different reading and writing tests for the Academic and General modules.
The scores are on a scale of 1 to 9 and are valid for two years. The test is offered 48 times a year, usually on Saturdays or Thursdays. The IELTS® measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level and evaluates how well you combine your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks.
The Content
Listening:
- This test is for 30 minutes and consists of 40 questions in each of the 4 sections. It tests your listening abilities in the English language.
- Test taker is asked to listen to conversations, topics, etc and answer questions based on what was heard. You also have to complete certain summaries, sentences and answer short questions.
Academic Reading:
- This test is for 60 minutes and consists of 40 questions in each of the 3 sections. Each section has 1 long passage.
- Test taker has to read passages and answer questions that follow. Passages are designed for non specialist audience and are factual, analytical, and descriptive in nature.
General Reading:
- This is a 60 minutes long test and consists of 3 sections and 40 items. Each section has 2 to 3 passages, which are extracted from work place conditions, official documents, advertisements, etc. Test taker has to read passages and answer questions that follow.
Academic Writing:
- It consists of 2 tasks and lasts for 60mins. In task 1 you have to describe graphs, diagrams or certain processes given in our own words and in task 2 you have to write an essay on issue topic or argument. It is a formal style of writing.
General Writing:
- It consists of 2 tasks and lasts for 60mins. In task 1 you have to write a letter on a situation and in task 2 you have to write an essay on an issue topic or argument assigned. The style of writing can be a little more personal than completely formal.
Speaking:
- This section is about 11 to 14 mins long and it tests your fluency in speaking the English language. It has 3 parts: you will have to appear for a personal interview in the first part, speak on a particular topic and mentioned points on the topic in the second part and also get involved in a discussion with the examiner