What is IELTS ?
IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. Having started in the year 1980, it is now among the globally recognised english language proficiency examinations used for higher education, work visas and immigration. Moreover, countries such as US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand highly prefer IELTS to check language proficiency.
The IELTS test is jointly managed by IDP Australia, British Council and Cambridge Assessment.
Importance of IELTS :
- It is tried and tested approach to assess english language proficiency for non-native english speakers.
- It is widely accepted by 10,000+ organisations including educational institutes, corporations, government agencies and professional regulation bodies.
- A candidate can grow his vocabulary and improve his communication skills while subsequently preparing for examination.
Types of IELTS examinations:
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is broadly classified into two categories — Academic and General Training (GT).
IELTS Academic mainly intends to serve the purpose of having higher education at global destinations. On the other hand, IELTS General Training is a more standardised format used to access employment and citizenship or PR opportunities internationally.
Both these exams test candidate’s language proficiency on similar parameters but slightly different test structure, and measure his chances of success and adaptability to foreign nations. In brief, always make sure you prepare and apply for the right test type as per your requirements.
IELTS test format:
The pattern of the examination has four components — Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
Listening and Speaking tests are of similar nature for both Academic and General Training candidates but Writing and Reading are partly different. I have explained them well in my other articles.
Please be noted that the total duration of the test is 2 hours & 45 minutes.
Scoring System:
Each test component — Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking is assessed on a band scale (0–9) with Zero (0) being lowest and Nine (9) being the highest band score. The average scores obtained in all four individual test components hence become the Overall band score.
Remember, there is no pass or fail in IELTS exam and there is no negative marking. So you can take your chances confidently.
Use our IELTS Listening & Reading band score calculators to know better about how scores are being calculated.