Structure of IELTS: Understanding the test format

Structure of IELTS: Understanding the test format

IELTS – International English Language Testing System' is an international exam which is designed &  structured in a disciplined way with a view to evaluating the skill & efficacy for dealing with reading, listening, speaking & writing English. Many graduate schools evaluate the profile of applicants by the IELTS score where the score plays a vital and variable role in the academic, admission and selection processes of various departments of the graduate schools. It is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment, and was established in 1989. IELTS is one of the two major English-language tests in the world, the other being the TOEFL. An IELTS result or Test Report Form is issued to all test takers with a score from "band 1" ("non-user") to "band 9" ("expert user") and each institution set a different threshold. There is also a "band 0" score for those who did not attempt the test. Institutions are advised not to consider a report older than two years to be valid unless the user proves that they have worked to maintain their level.  

Modules of IELTS

There are two modules of the IELTS:

1. Academic Module

The IELTS Academic test is for people applying for higher education or professional registration in an English speaking environment. It reflects some of the features of the academic language and assesses whether you are ready to begin studying or training.This approach is widely supported by the institutions that recognize IELTS.

1. General Training Module

The IELTS General Training test is for those who are going to English speaking countries for secondary education, work experience or training programs. It is also a requirement for migration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. The test focuses on basic survival skills in broad social and workplace contexts.  

Sections of IELTS

1. Listening
2. Reading
3. Writing
4. Speaking

All test takers take the same Listening and Speaking tests, while the Reading and Writing tests differ depending on whether the test taker is taking the Academic or General Training versions of the test.

Listening

The module comprises four sections, with ten questions in each section. It takes 40 minutes: 30 - for testing, plus 10 for transferring the answers to an answer sheet.

• Sections 1 and 2 are about everyday, social situations.
• Section 1 has a conversation between two speakers (for example, a conversation about travel arrangements)

• Section 2 has one person speaking (for example, a speech about local facilities).
• Sections 3 and 4 are about educational and training situations
• Section 3 is a conversation between two main speakers (for example, a discussion between two university students, perhaps guided by a tutor)
• Section 4 has one person speaking about an academic subject.
• Each section begins with a short introduction telling the test taker about the situation and the speakers. Then they have some time to look through the questions.
• The questions are in the same order as the information in the recording, so the answer to the first question will be before the answer to the second question, and so on.
•  The first three sections have a break in the middle allowing test takers to look at the remaining questions.
• Each section is heard only once.
• At the end of the test students are given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to an answer sheet. 
• Test takers will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.

 

Reading

• The Reading paper has three sections and texts totaling 2,150-2,750 words.
• There will be a variety of question types, such as multiple choice, short-answer questions, identifying information, identifying writer’s views, labeling diagrams, completing a summary using words taken from the text and matching information/headings/features in the text/sentence endings.
• Test takers should be careful when writing down their answers as they will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.

Texts in IELTS Academic

• Three reading texts, which come from books, journals, magazines, newspapers and online resources written for non-specialist audiences.
• All the topics are of general interest to students at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

Texts in IELTS General Training

• Section 1 contains two or three short texts or several shorter texts, which deal with everyday topics. For example, timetables or notices – things a person would need to understand when living in an English-speaking country.
• Section 2 contains two texts, which deal with work. For example, job descriptions, contracts, training materials.
• Section 3 contains one long text about a topic of general interest. The text is generally descriptive, longer and more complex than the texts in Sections 1 and 2. The text will be taken from a newspaper, magazine, book or online resource.

 

 

Writing

 

The Writing paper has two tasks which must both be completed. In task 1 test takers write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. In task 2 test takers write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes. Test takers will be penalised if their answer is too short or does not relate to the topic. Answers should be written in full sentences (test takers must not use notes or bullet points).

IELTS Academic

• Task 1: test takers describe a graph, table, chart or diagram in their own words.
• Task 2: test takers discuss a point of view, argument or problem. Depending on the task, test takers may be required to present a solution to a problem, present and justify an opinion, compare and contrast evidence, opinions and implications, and evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence or an argument.

IELTS General Training

• Task 1: test takers write a letter in response to a given everyday situation. For example, writing to an accommodation officer about problems with your accommodation, writing to a new employer about problems managing your time, writing to a local newspaper about a plan to develop a local airport.
• Task 2: test takers write an essay about a topic of general interests. For example, whether smoking should be banned in public places, whether children’s leisure activities should be educational, how environmental problems can be solved.

Speaking

• The speaking test is a face-to-face interview between the test taker and an examiner.
• The speaking test contains three sections.

 

1. Section 1: introduction and interview (4–5 minutes). Test takers may be asked about their home, family, work, studies, hobbies, interests, reasons for taking IELTS exam as well as other general topics such as clothing, free time, computers and the internet.
2. Section 2: long turn (3–4 minutes). Test takers are given a task card about a particular topic. Test takers have one minute to prepare to talk about this topic. The task card states the points that should be included in the talk and one aspect of the topic which must be explained during the talk. Test takers are then expected to talk about the topic for 2 minutes, after which the examiner may ask one or two questions.
3. Section 3: discussions (4–5 minutes). The third section involves a discussion between the examiner and the test taker, generally on questions relating to the theme which they have already spoken about in Section 2.

Scoring

• Test takers receive a score for each test component – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The individual scores are then averaged and rounded to produce an Overall Band Score.
• There is no pass or fail. IELTS is scored on a nine-band scale, with each band corresponding to a specified competence in English. Overall Band Scores are reported to the nearest half band.
• The following rounding convention applies: if the average across the four skills ends in .25, it is rounded up to the next half band, and if it ends in 5.75, it is rounded up to the next whole band.
• The table given below can be used to convert raw scores (out of 40) to band scores (out of 9). This helps test takers understand how many correct answers they need to achieve a particular band score. This chart is a guide only because sometimes the scores adjust slightly depending on how difficult the test is.

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

3.0

2.5

Listening raw score (Academic and General Training)

39-40

37–38

35–36

32–34

30–31

26–29

23–25

18–22

16–17

13–15

10–12

8–9

6–7

4–5

Reading raw score (Academic)

39-40

37–38

35–36

33–34

30–32

27–29

23–26

19–22

15–18

13–14

10–12

8–9

6–7

4–5

Reading raw score (General Training)

40

39

37–38

36

34–35

32–33

30–31

27–29

23–26

19–22

15–18

12–14

9–11

6–8

 

Test Report

A Test Report Form is posted to test takers 13 days after their test. It shows:

• An Overall Band Score (from 1-9)
• A band score (from 1-9) for each section of the test (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking)
• Whether IELTS Academic or General Training was completed.
• The test taker’s photo, nationality, first language and date of birth.
• Test takers receive one copy of their Test Report Form, apart from test takers who are applying to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) or UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) who receive two copies.
• Test Report Forms are valid for two years.

Timing & Break

• Listening: 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes' transfer time)
• Reading: 60 minutes
• Writing: 60 minutes
• Speaking: 11–14 minutes
• The test total time is 2 hours and 55 minutes.

Listening, Reading and Writing are completed in one sitting. The Speaking test may be taken on the same day or up to seven days before or after the other tests.

Cost

The cost to take IELTS in the USA ranges between $215–240 USD.

Rules to Repeat

There is no limit on re-appearing for the IELTS exam, as long as your pocket allows. But, it is normally advised that you should not appear for the exam any closer than once in a period of two months. The IELTS Test Report Form (TRF) is valid for a period of two years.

Resources

One can find enough resources about IELTS exam, registration, test center, fees from the website of British Council (www.britishcouncil.org) where one can search and get help on the basis of country-wise rules and regulations.

Score Comparision between TOEFL & IELTS   ( source: www.ets.org )

 

* Indicates score comparison ranges with the highest degree of confidence. 

 

IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand academic institutions, by over 3,000 academic institutions in the United States, and by various professional organizations across the world. IELTS is the only Secure English Language Test approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for visa customers applying both outside and inside the UK. It is also a requirement for immigration to Australia and New Zealand. In Canada, IELTS, TEF, or CELPIPare accepted by the immigration authority. In 2016, 3 million tests were taken in more than 140 countries, up from 2 million tests in 2012, 1.7 million tests in 2011 and 1.4 million tests in 2009. In 2007, IELTS administered more than one million tests in a single 12-month period for the first time ever, making it the world's most popular English language test for higher education and immigration.