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All About IELTS | Swastik Immigrations
India, a country steadily anchoring its presence worldwide, is witnessing its roots spread across the globe. The emerging generation in India is showcasing exceptional prowess on the international stage. Notably, there’s a noticeable uptick in the popularity of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) among students. Annually, over 2.9 million individuals undertake this test.
For those aspiring to pursue higher education in English-speaking nations such as Australia, the UK, the USA, Canada, Europe, Germany, China, and New Zealand, the IELTS serves as a vital gateway. A plethora of academic institutions in these countries widely recognize and accept IELTS scores.
To facilitate students’ aspirations for overseas education, it’s imperative to acquaint them with Swastik Immigrations – the premier international IELTS coaching center experiencing rapid growth. Before delving into the specifics of our educational institution, let’s delve into the essence of the IELTS examination.
IELTS Recognition
The International English Language Testing System, abbreviated as IELTS, originated in 1980 under the auspices of the Cambridge English Language Assessment. In its nascent stages, the exam faced relatively low uptake owing to its lack of popularity. Consequently, an ambitious revision project was initiated to bolster its acceptance.
In this endeavor, the International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges (IDP) collaborated with the Cambridge English Language Assessment and the British Council. This strategic partnership heralded a new era for IELTS, infusing it with broader recognition and reach.
Since then, the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge English have jointly overseen and administered the examination on a global scale, ensuring its standardization and integrity.
IELTS Recognition
Early, there were specific categories for the test. But when revised in 1995, two categories came into existence that are:
1. IELTS Academic: IELTS Academic is developed for people who desire to enlist in universities and other higher education institutions and for professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practice in an English-speaking country.
2. General training IELTS: IELTS General Training is developed for those intending to take non-academic training, get work experience, or for immigration reasons.
Purposes of the IELTS Exam
IELTS serves as a comprehensive evaluation of an individual’s English language proficiency, encompassing communication skills, quality, and integrity. Widely regarded as a dependable, practical, and valid assessment, it is favored by those aspiring for international education, professional recognition, alignment with global standards, and enhanced mobility opportunities.
Primarily, the IELTS test assesses a candidate’s readiness to pursue courses taught in English in non-native English-speaking countries. Particularly in the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, most universities mandate submission of an IELTS test report as proof of English proficiency for admission.
The requisite score to meet admission criteria through IELTS may fluctuate based on the chosen course, university, or destination. Therefore, access to comprehensive information regarding specific universities’ IELTS requirements is crucial for aspirants. This underscores the importance of enrolling in a top-tier IELTS coaching center, where students receive tailored support to understand and prepare for the unique demands of their desired educational institutions.
The IELTS Listening test is designed to assess a wide range of listening skills, including how well you:
- understand main ideas and specific factual information
- recognise the opinions, attitudes and purpose of a speaker
- follow the development of an argument.
| Format | You will listen to four recordings of native English speakers and then write your answers to a series of questions.
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| Duration | The IELTS Listening test takes approximately 30 minutes, and you are allowed an extra 10 minutes to transfer your answers from your question booklet to your answer sheet. |
| Number of questions | 40 questions. |
| Task types | A variety of question types are used, chosen from the following: multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary completion, sentence completion. |
| Marks | Each correct answer receives one mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands. |
You will need to read quickly and efficiently, and manage your time. You will be asked to read three different passages and respond to related questions in your IELTS Reading test. The content of the Reading test is different for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests.
The IELTS Reading test is designed to assess a wide range of reading skills, including how well you:
- read for the general sense of a passage
- read for the main ideas
- read for detail
- understand inferences and implied meaning
- recognise a writer’s opinions, attitudes and purpose
- follow the development of an argument.
Academic Reading
| Format | Three long texts which range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical. These are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. They have been selected for a non-specialist audience but are appropriate for people entering university courses or seeking professional registration. |
| Duration | The IELTS Reading test takes approximately 60 minutes, including the time it takes to transfer your answers from your question booklet to your answer sheet. |
| Number of questions | 40 questions. |
| Task types | Fill gaps in a passage of written text or in a table, match headings to written text to diagrams or charts, complete sentences, give short answers to open questions, answer multiple choice questions. |
| Marks | Each correct answer receives one mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands. |
General Training Reading
| Format | Extracts from books, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, company handbooks and guidelines. These are materials you are likely to encounter on a daily basis in an English-speaking environment. |
| Duration | The IELTS Reading test takes approximately 60 minutes, including the time it takes to transfer your answers from your question booklet to your answer sheet. |
| Number of questions | 40 questions. |
| Task types | Fill gaps in a passage of written text or in a table, match headings to written text to diagrams or charts, complete sentences, give short answers to open questions, answer multiple choice questions. |
| Marks | Each correct answer receives one mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands. |
The IELTS Writing test is designed to assess a wide range of writing skills, including how well you:
- write a response appropriately
- organise ideas
- use a range of vocabulary and grammar accurately.
Academic Writing
| Format | Write in a formal style in the IELTS Academic Writing test. In Task 1 you will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram. You will be asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. This might involve describing and explaining data, describing the stages of a process or how something works, or describing an object or event. In Task 2 you will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. You should find the issues interesting and easy to understand. |
| Duration | The IELTS Writing test takes 60 minutes. Spend 20 minutes on Task 1, and 40 minutes on Task 2. You will need to manage your own time, so make sure you move on to Task 2 after 20 minutes. |
| Number of questions | 2 questions. |
| Task types | Two tasks: Task 1 and Task 2. You will be asked to write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2. |
| Marks | Your Writing test will be marked by a certificated IELTS examiner. Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1 in the IELTS Writing test. Scores are reported in whole and half bands. |
General Training Writing
| Format | The topics used in the IELTS General Training Writing test are of general interest. In Task 1 you will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter requesting information or explaining the situation. You can write the letter in a personal, semi-formal or formal style. In Task 2 you will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. You can use a fairly personal style. |
| Duration | The IELTS Writing test takes 60 minutes. Spend 20 minutes on Task 1, and 40 minutes on Task 2. You will need to manage your own time, so make sure you move on to Task 2 after 20 minutes. |
| Number of questions | 2 questions. |
| Task types | Two tasks: Task 1 and Task 2. You will be asked to write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2. |
| Marks | Your Writing test will be marked by a certificated IELTS examiner. Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1 in the IELTS Writing test. Scores are reported in whole and half bands. |
Video call Speaking test
Many IELTS test centres will start delivering the IELTS Speaking test via video calls. This means more flexibility and more availability of IELTS Speaking tests.
You will take the video call Speaking test at an official IELTS test centre with the same high standard of identity verification. The test will be exactly the same as the in-person Speaking test in terms of content, scoring, timing, level of difficulty, question format and security arrangements. Delivered by an IELTS Speaking Examiner, the video call Speaking test will maintain the face-to-face feature of the in-person Speaking test.