IELTS Tips and Tricks

IELTS What is IELTS? The international English language testing system for non-native English language speakers Year of establishment: 1989 Managed by: 1. Cambridge English Language Assessment, 2. The British Council 3. IDP Education Pvt Ltd The IELTS has two versions: 1. IELTS Academic Version for candidates who wish to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education and for professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practice in an English-speaking country 2. IELTS General Training Version for candidates planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes The test covers 4 content areas: writing, reading, listening and speaking. Brief Description Duration Test Component 4 sections, 40 items 30 mins Listening 3 sections, 40 items 60 mins Reading 2 tasks 60 mins Writing 3 part one-on-one conversation 11-14 mins Speaking Total: about 3 hours. IELTS Score IELTS provides a secure, global, authentic and uniform form of testing which indicates an individual's skills to communicate in English. Every section of IELTS is scored separately on a scale of 0 to 9. 0. If any section is not attempted then a score of 1 is given. Has full operational command of the language: Expert User 9 appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding. Has full operational command of the language Very Good 8 with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may User occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well. Has operational command of the language, Expert User 7 though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriateness and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning. Has generally effective command of the language Competent 6 despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar User situations. Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to Modest user handle basic communication in own field. Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in using complex language. Limited 4 User Conveys and understands only general meaning Extremely 3 in very familiar situations. Limited User No real communication is possible except for the Intermittent 2 most basic information using isolated words or User short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Essentially has no ability to use the language Non User beyond possibly a few isolated words. No assessable information provided at all. Did not attempt the test Tips for prepare for the IELTS test: 1. Read as much as possible. Start by reading a paragraph and take it forward by reading long articles. 2. Always make notes while reading. This will sharpen your ability to look for details. 3. Read sample essays, it will help you to build your own readable sample essays with sentences that will come fast into your mind. 4. Practice on writing essays. Never present more than one point of view in an argument. 5. Practice comprehension. 6. Listen to as many as conversations possible. 7. Practice grammar. 8. Do not let your answer reflect confusion. Be confident and show your willingness on answering. Interesting facts on IELTS: 1. IELTS tests are held in over 500 centres with the date spread across 4 times a month. 2.More than 2 million tests taken in 135 countries worldwide. 3. Countries with highest academic averages: Band Score Countries Ranking 7.2 Germany 1 6.8 Greece Malaysia Philippines 6.8 6.8 4 6.7 France References: http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_English_Language_Testing_System http://www.studyabroad.careers360.com/IELTS-analysis-2011-12 http://www.testprepbay.com/