IELTS
What is IELTS?
What is IELTS?
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a widely recognized standardized test that assesses English proficiency for non-native speakers. It facilitates entry into English-speaking countries for purposes such as study or work..
Conducted in over 1,600 test centers across 140 countries, IELTS sees more than 3.5 million candidates annually. The test evaluates four key language skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
Globally, IELTS is administered by two organizations: IDP and the British Council. However, in India, IDP is the sole administrator of the test, as the British Council discontinued its IELTS exams in the country in 2021.
Why Choose IELTS?
IELTS for Study Abroad
Many top-ranked educational institutions accept IELTS results as proof of English language proficiency. A qualifying score is often a key admission requirement for programs in universities around the world.
IELTS for Working Abroad
For employment in English-speaking countries, a valid IELTS score is typically required. Achieving a competitive band score can open doors to professions in fields such as law, medicine, accounting, engineering, and more.
IELTS for Migration
To obtain permanent residency in an English-speaking country, candidates must often provide proof of their language skills through the IELTS test. Immigration departments in over 140 countries recognize IELTS scores as valid evidence of English proficiency.
Top Universities Accepting IELTS
Here is a country-wise list of top universities accepting the IELTS score:
USA
| University | IELTS Minimum Score |
|---|---|
| Yale University | 7.0 |
| Harvard University | 7.0 |
| Columbia University | 7.0 |
| Northwestern University | 7.5 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) | 7.0 |
| University of Chicago | 7.0 |
| University of Washington | 7.5 |
UK
| University | IELTS Minimum Score |
|---|---|
| Oxford University | 7.5 |
| Cambridge University | 7.0 |
| King’s College London | 7.0 |
| University of Bristol | 6.0 |
| University of Edinburgh | 6.5 |
| University of Manchester | 6.0 - 7.5 |
AUSTRALIA
| University | IELTS Minimum Score |
|---|---|
| Sydney University | 6.5 |
| University of Melbourne | 7.0 |
| Monash University | 6.5 |
| University of Queensland | 6.5 |
| Australian National University | 6.5 - 7.0 |
| University of Adelaide | 6.5 |
Exam Details
IELTS Exam Details
| IELTS full form | The International English language Testing System |
|---|---|
| Conducted by | IDP and British Council In India IELTS is conducted by only IDP |
| Eligibility | 16 years and above |
| Types | Academic and General Training |
| Mode | Computer and Paper Based tests |
| Score Validity | 2 years |
| Test centers | 4500 in 160 countries |
| Score range | 1-9 |
| Test Fee | Rs. 16,250 |
| Pattern | Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing |
| Retake | As many times as you want in a year |
IELTS Types: IELTS Academic Test and IELTS General Training Test
There are two types of IELTS test:
IELTS Academic Test
The IELTS Academic Test is specifically designed for individuals planning to study at higher education institutions abroad. If you're considering pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree, taking the IELTS Academic is essential.
This test evaluates your English language skills in a context that reflects the academic environment. A good score can enhance your application and open doors to numerous universities across various countries, making it a vital step in your educational journey.
IELTS General Test
The IELTS General Test is intended for individuals who plan to work or settle in an English-speaking country. This test evaluates practical English language skills used in everyday situations and is particularly relevant for those seeking employment or permanent residency.
Countries like Canada, New Zealand, and the US often accept the IELTS General Test as part of their immigration processes, providing work permits based on the results. Achieving a strong score can significantly enhance your chances of successfully migrating and integrating into an English-speaking environment.
Retaking the IELTS
IELTS is offered four times a month, totaling 48 times a year, providing ample opportunities for candidates to take the test. If you’re not satisfied with your initial score, you can retake the IELTS as many times as you need to achieve a satisfactory band score.
Once you obtain a score that meets your requirements, you can choose to send that score to your university or institution of choice. This flexibility allows you to improve your chances of meeting admission or immigration requirements.
Who Should Take IELTS ?
Who should take the IELTS exam?
Candidates basically sit for the IELTS exam due to 3 major reasons. They are discussed below.
IELTS for Study Abroad
If you’re planning to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate courses in an English-speaking country, demonstrating your language proficiency through the IELTS test is essential. Each college or university typically has its own required band score, which may vary based on the program and institution.
IELTS for Working Abroad
If you're aiming to build a career in an English-speaking country, providing proof of your language skills is crucial. Qualifying for the IELTS with an accepted band score is often a requirement for employment and immigration purposes.
The primary reason for demonstrating your language proficiency to immigration authorities is to ensure that you can effectively communicate in a professional environment abroad. Additionally, a strong IELTS score can enhance your career opportunities, as proficiency in English is highly valued by employers across various industries. Being able to communicate effectively not only aids in job performance but also helps you integrate into the workplace culture.
IELTS for Immigration
The IELTS score plays a significant role in the application process for Permanent Residence in many English-speaking countries. Government departments often use the English language score as part of their selection criteria, as it indicates the candidate's ability to integrate into the local community and adapt to the new environment.
Once you obtain a score that meets your requirements, you can choose to send that score to your university or institution of choice. This flexibility allows you to improve your chances of meeting admission or immigration requirements.
Exam Syllabus
IELTS Syllabus
That's a good overview of the IELTS format! Each section is designed to assess different aspects of English proficiency:
Listening (30 minutes):
You listen to a variety of recordings and answer questions based on what you've heard.
Reading (60 minutes):
This section includes texts that are relevant to everyday life, academic contexts, or professional settings, with questions to test comprehension.
Writing (60 minutes):
You'll be required to complete two tasks—Task 1 usually involves describing visual information, while Task 2 is an essay responding to a point of view or argument.
Speaking (11–14 minutes):
This is a face-to-face interview with an examiner, divided into three parts: an introduction and interview, a long turn where you speak about a topic, and a discussion with the examiner.
The extra 10 minutes for transferring answers is crucial for the Listening and Reading sections, ensuring your responses are neatly recorded. Each section is evaluated on specific criteria, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of your English skills. If you have any specific questions about preparing for the IELTS, feel free to ask!
Exam Pattern
IELTS Exam Pattern
Sure! Here’s a detailed breakdown of the IELTS pattern, focusing on each of the four sections:
Listening (30 minutes)
Format: Four sections, each with 10 questions. The recordings include conversations and monologues in various contexts.
Skills Assessed:Ability to understand main ideas, specific information, and opinions, as well as the ability to follow the development of ideas.
Question Types : Multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labeling, and short answer questions.
Reading (60 minutes)
Format: Three sections with a total of 40 questions. The Academic and General Training versions have different texts.
Academic: Longer texts from books, journals, or newspapers.
General Training: Extracts from everyday materials like advertisements and letters.
Skills Assessed: Understanding of main ideas, details, and inferences, as well as the ability to recognize the writer's opinions and attitudes..
Question Types: Multiple choice, short answer, sentence completion, and true/false/not given.
Writing (60 minutes):
Format: Two tasks.
Task 1:
Academic: Describe a graph, chart, or process.
General Training: Write a letter based on a given situation.
Task 2:
Write an essay in response to a point of view or argument.
Skills Assessed: Coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and task response.
Scoring
IELTS Scoring
IELTS score is calculated on a scale of 0-9. Overall scores of 0.5 are calculated to the nearest whole band score.
IELTS Reading Score
The IELTS Reading scores are calculated on the basis of the number of correct answers. The scores are out of 40 questions.
Academic Reading Scores
| Band Score | 9 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Correct Answers | 40-39 | 38-37 | 36-35 | 34-33 | 32-30 | 29-27 | 26-23 | 22-19 | 18-15 | 14-13 | 12-10 | 9-8 | 5-4 |
General Training Scores
| Band Score | 9 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Correct Answers | 40 | 39 | 37-38 | 36 | 34-35 | 32-33 | 30-31 | 27-29 | 23-26 | 19-22 | 15-18 | 12-14 | 6-8 |
IELTS Writing Scores
The IELTS Writing scores are assessed using 4 marking criteria.
| Task Achievement (Task 1) |
|
|---|---|
| Task Response( Task 2) |
|
| Coherence and Cohesion |
|
| Lexical Resource |
|
| Grammar Range & Accuracy |
|
IELTS Listening Scores
The IELTS Listening scores are calculated on the basis of the number of correct answers. The scores are out of 40 questions.
| Band Score | 9.0 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Correct Answers | 39-40 | 37-38 | 35-36 | 32-34 | 30-31 | 26-29 | 23-25 | 18-22 | 16-17 | 13-15 | 10-12 | 8-10 | 4-5 |
IELTS Speaking Score
The IELTS Speaking score is based on 4 marking criteria:
Coherence and Fluency
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range
Accuracy and Pronunciation
IELTS Band Score Description
A tabulated representation of the meaning of each point of the IELTS band scale is mentioned below:
| IELTS Band Score | Skill Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Expert | You are an expert user and have a great command over the English language. |
| 8 | Very good | You are a very good user and have a great operational command of the English language. Though, misunderstandings in certain unfamiliar situations may happen. |
| 7 | Good | You are a good user and have a good command of the English language with occasional mistakes. |
| 6 | Competent users | You are a competent user and have an effective command of the English language with some inaccuracies and inappropriate usage in certain situations |
| 5 | Modest users | You are a modest user and you have a partial command of the language. You can handle basic communication in your field. |
| 4 | Limited users | You are only a limited user and can understand the language only in familiar situations |
| 3 | Extremely limited users | You understand only the general meaning in very familiar situations, with repeated breakdowns in communication. |
| 2 | Intermittent | The examinee has great difficulty in understanding spoken and written English |
| 1 | Non-user | The examinee cannot use the English language in situations except a few isolated words |
| 0 | Did not attempt test | The test taker did not attempt any question. |
Slot Booking
IELTS Slot Booking
Sure! Here’s a detailed breakdown of the IELTS pattern, focusing on each of the four sections:
Listening (30 minutes)
Format: Four sections, each with 10 questions. The recordings include conversations and monologues in various contexts.
Skills Assessed:Ability to understand main ideas, specific information, and opinions, as well as the ability to follow the development of ideas.
Question Types : Multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labeling, and short answer questions.
Reading (60 minutes)
Format: Three sections with a total of 40 questions. The Academic and General Training versions have different texts.
Academic: Longer texts from books, journals, or newspapers.
General Training: Extracts from everyday materials like advertisements and letters.
Skills Assessed: Understanding of main ideas, details, and inferences, as well as the ability to recognize the writer's opinions and attitudes..
Question Types: Multiple choice, short answer, sentence completion, and true/false/not given.
Writing (60 minutes):
Format: Two tasks.
Task 1:
Academic: Describe a graph, chart, or process.
General Training: Write a letter based on a given situation.
Task 2:
Write an essay in response to a point of view or argument.
Skills Assessed: Coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and task response.
On The Test Day
IELTS Test Day
Sure! Here’s a detailed breakdown of the IELTS pattern, focusing on each of the four sections:
Listening (30 minutes)
Format: Four sections, each with 10 questions. The recordings include conversations and monologues in various contexts.
Skills Assessed:Ability to understand main ideas, specific information, and opinions, as well as the ability to follow the development of ideas.
Question Types : Multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labeling, and short answer questions.
Reading (60 minutes)
Format: Three sections with a total of 40 questions. The Academic and General Training versions have different texts.
Academic: Longer texts from books, journals, or newspapers.
General Training: Extracts from everyday materials like advertisements and letters.
Skills Assessed: Understanding of main ideas, details, and inferences, as well as the ability to recognize the writer's opinions and attitudes..
Question Types: Multiple choice, short answer, sentence completion, and true/false/not given.
Writing (60 minutes):
Format: Two tasks.
Task 1:
Academic: Describe a graph, chart, or process.
General Training: Write a letter based on a given situation.
Task 2:
Write an essay in response to a point of view or argument.
Skills Assessed: Coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and task response.
Score Reporting
IELTS Score Reporting
Sure! Here’s a detailed breakdown of the IELTS pattern, focusing on each of the four sections:
Listening (30 minutes)
Format: Four sections, each with 10 questions. The recordings include conversations and monologues in various contexts.
Skills Assessed:Ability to understand main ideas, specific information, and opinions, as well as the ability to follow the development of ideas.
Question Types : Multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labeling, and short answer questions.
Reading (60 minutes)
Format: Three sections with a total of 40 questions. The Academic and General Training versions have different texts.
Academic: Longer texts from books, journals, or newspapers.
General Training: Extracts from everyday materials like advertisements and letters.
Skills Assessed: Understanding of main ideas, details, and inferences, as well as the ability to recognize the writer's opinions and attitudes..
Question Types: Multiple choice, short answer, sentence completion, and true/false/not given.
Writing (60 minutes):
Format: Two tasks.
Task 1:
Academic: Describe a graph, chart, or process.
General Training: Write a letter based on a given situation.
Task 2:
Write an essay in response to a point of view or argument.
Skills Assessed: Coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and task response.