IELTS is an English language test that is approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to evaluate ability of an applicant to communicate in English under certain immigration classes. In this article you can find general overview of this exam.

IELTS Overview

IELTS is designed to cover all forms of communicating in English: listening, reading, writing and speaking, therefore it consists of four sections, named respectively.

Besides there are two different flavours of IELTS test itself, named General and Academic modules. General IELTS is usually required for immigration and similar purposes, while Academic is usually taken by prospective foreign students to prove their knowledge of English before they begin their study course.

Academic IELTS module is considered to be a bit more difficult than General, though some candidates may find it even easier. The main difference between General and Academic modules is the topics used in the exam. General module usually uses topics related to society and environment, while Academic module contains materials related to statistics and simple math, uses graphs and charts as illustrations. Both IELTS versions use the same testing scheme.

IELTS is administered by British Council all over the world, so it is usually not a big problem for a candidate to find a testing facility nearby.

Listening section (audition)

First IELTS section is listening. Group of candidates must listen to a pre-recorded dialogs having question-answer sheets in front of them. While listening to a recording, they should skim the questions in their question-answer sheets and either choose a correct answer from several options, or write down their answers in the corresponding fields.

Usually four conversations are played back during audition session, with increasing difficulty level. First one is a simple dialog between native English-speakers, next conversation may involve three persons; in third conversation may participate a person with foreign accent, and the last one may represent a brief discussion between a group of people. Conversation subjects are different in all episodes as well as topics are different in Academic and General modules.

Candidates may be required to select correct street name, time of day or other similar answer from a list. Another common task is to write down name or phone number as it is spelled in the conversation.

Reading section

Reading section is the second one in the test. Candidates are presented with printed texts on different subjects (again, depending on module - General or Academic) and they are expected to answer multiple-choice questions. Attention must be paid to question wording and answer expected: some of them require candidate to choose between "true", "false" and "not given" options. It is essential that candidate answer "true" or "false" if question is directly answered in the text. Otherwise, "not given" should be chosen even if "true" or "false" answer can be deduced from the text.

Writing section

In this section candidates are required to write two essays on given topics.

Smaller one should contain at least 150 words, and it should be written in form of a formal letter. Typical situations given are: write to a consulate while travelling abroad to resolve problems arising from lost or stolen passport; write a "thank-you" letter to hotel management; write a note to the landlord and so on.

Larger essay is to count at least 250 words, and the topics offered are less formal but more open for imagination. For example, in General module topics can be as follows: express an opinion in regards to global warming; explain pros and cons of fastfood etc. In Academic module candidates are usually required to provide textual explanation of some charts and graphs.

Speaking section

Last IELTS section is speaking, which is conducted in person. The candidate is required to speak with a native English-speaker on different common topics, such as sports, holidays, shopping, travel, hobbies and so on. Topics may differ for Academic module. Also the candidate must speak by himself on a given topic for about a minute, given a minute for preparation before. Entire conversation is recorded on tape.

Scoring and results

IELTS provides separate score for each of the four sections and overall score as well. Maximum score is 9, measured in 0,5 units. I.e. test result may look as follows: Listening - 7.5; Reading - 8.5; Writing - 7.0; Speaking - 7.0; Overall - 7.5.

It usually takes about two weeks (but may take even more) to process test results and issue a certificate.

Links

• Official IELTS website
• IELTS page on official website of the British Council