In this post we will be looking at the meaning of International English Language Testing System (IELTS), History, IELTS characteristics and IELTS test structure.
INTRODUCTION
The international English language testing system (exam) mainly measures the ability of test-takers to communicate in the four basic English language skills – listening, reading, speaking, and writing. IELTS exam is jointly owned and conducted by IDP Education Australia, and Cambridge English Language Assessment. In this article, we will inform you everything from IELTS eligibility criteria to IELTS registration, IELTS exam dates 2023, and IELTS exam sample paper. We will also inform you about preparation for different IELTS sections whether IELTS Listening, IELTS Reading, IELTS Writing, and IELTS Speaking section. There is a computer-based IELTS and paper-based IELTS. Test-takers who opt for the IELTS computer-based test take the Listening, Writing, and Reading sections on a computer. Whereas, the Speaking test is conducted face-to-face with a trained examiner. With the Computer-based IELTS, one gets more test dates to choose from and gets results in 3-5 days. Test takers who opt to take IELTS on paper will take Reading, Writing, and Listening sections on paper with either HB pencils or pen. Whereas, the Speaking test is conducted face-to-face with a professional IELTS examiner.
WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING SYSTEM (IELTS)
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English and was established in 1989. IELTS is one of the major English-language tests in the world. IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, European, Irish 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 approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) as a Secure English Language Test for visa applicants both outside and inside the UK. It also meets requirements for immigration to Australia, where Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Pearson Test of English Academic are also accepted and New Zealand. In Canada, IELTS, TEF, or CELPIP are accepted by the immigration authority.
History of international English language testing system (IELTS).
The English Language Testing Service (IELTS), as IELTS was then known, was launched in 1980 by Cambridge English Language Assessment (then known as UCLES) and the British Council. It had an innovative format, which reflected changes in language learning and teaching, including the growth in ‘communicative’ language learning and ‘English for specific purposes’. Test tasks were intended to reflect the use of English language in the ‘real world’. During the 1980s, test taker numbers were low (4,000 in 1981 rising to 10,000 in 1985) and there were practical difficulties administering the test. As a result, the IELTS Revision Project was set up to oversee the redesign of the test. In order to have international participation in the redesign, the International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges (IDP), now known as IDP: IELTS Australia, joined Cambridge English Language Assessment and the British Council to form the international IELTS partnership which delivers the test to this day. This international partnership was reflected in the new name for the test: The International English Language Testing System (IELTS). IELTS went live in 1989. Test takers took two non-specialized modules, Listening and Speaking, and two specialized modules, Reading and Writing. Test taker numbers rose by approximately 15% per year and by 1995 there were 43,000 test takers in 210 test centers around the world.
IELTS was revised again in 1995, with three main changes:
- There was one Academic Reading Module and one Academic Writing Module (previously there had been a choice of three field-specific Reading and Writing modules)
- The thematic link between the Reading and Writing tasks was removed to avoid confusing the assessment of reading and writing ability
- The General Training Reading and Writing modules were brought into line with the Academic Reading and Writing modules (same timing, length of responses, reporting of scores).
IELTS characteristics
IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are designed to cover the full range of abilities from non-user to expert user. The Academic version is for test takers who want to study at the tertiary level in an English-speaking country or seek professional registration. The General Training version is for test takers who want to work, train, study at a secondary school or migrate to an English-speaking country. The difference between the Academic and General Training versions is the content, context, and purpose of the tasks. All other features, such as timing allocation, length of written responses, and reporting of scores, are the same.
IELTS Academic and General Training both incorporate the following features:
- IELTS tests the ability to listen, read, write and speak in English.
- The speaking module is a key component of IELTS. It is conducted in the form of a one-to-one interview with an examiner. The examiner assesses the test taker as he or she is speaking. The speaking session is also recorded for monitoring and for re-marking in case of an appeal against the score given
- A variety of accents and writing styles have been presented in test materials in order to minimize linguistic bias. The accents in the listening section are generally 80% British, Australian, New Zealander and 20% others (mostly American).
- IELTS is developed by experts at Cambridge English Language Assessment with input from item writers from around the world. Teams are located in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other English-speaking nations.
- Band scores are used for each language sub-skill (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). The Band Scale ranges from 0 (“Did not attempt the test”) to 9 (“Expert User”).
IELTS test structure
Modules
There are two modules of the IELTS: Academic Module and General Training Module.
There’s also a separate test offered by the IELTS test partners, called IELTS Life Skills:
- IELTS Academic is intended for those who want 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.
- IELTS General Training is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.
- IELTS Life Skills is intended for those who need to prove their English speaking and listening skills at Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels A1 or B1 and can be used to apply for a ‘family of a settled person’ visa, indefinite leave to remain or citizenship in the UK
The four parts of the IELTS test
- Listening: 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes’ transfer time)
- Reading: 60 minutes
- Writing: 60 minutes
- Speaking: 11–14 minutes
The total test time is: 2 hours and 45 minutes.
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. Band scale: 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 .75, it is rounded up to the next whole band.