The IELTS exam, which stands for International English Language Testing System, is a standardized test that measures the language proficiency of individuals who want to study or work in countries where English is the primary language of communication. The exam is designed to assess the four main language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
The IELTS exam is available in two formats: Academic and General Training. The Academic format is designed for individuals who want to pursue higher education or professional registration in an English-speaking environment, while the General Training format is designed for individuals who want to migrate to an English-speaking country or who plan to undertake work experience or training programs in an English-speaking environment.
Both formats of the IELTS exam follow a similar pattern and have four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The Listening, Reading, and Writing sections are taken on the same day, while the Speaking section can be taken on the same day or up to a week before or after the other sections.
Let's take a closer look at each section of the IELTS exam:
Listening (30 minutes + 10 minutes transfer time)
The Listening section of the IELTS exam consists of four recorded monologues and conversations. The recordings are played only once, and test-takers have to answer 40 questions based on what they hear. The questions range from multiple choice to short-answer questions, and the difficulty level increases as the section progresses.
Reading (60 minutes)
The Reading section of the IELTS exam consists of three reading passages, each followed by 13 to 14 questions. The passages are taken from books, newspapers, journals, and magazines, and the topics are general in nature. The questions are designed to test a range of reading skills, such as skimming, scanning, and comprehension.
Writing (60 minutes)
The Writing section of the IELTS exam consists of two tasks: Task 1 and Task 2. Task 1 requires test-takers to describe, summarize, or explain a graph, table, chart, or diagram in their own words, while Task 2 requires test-takers to write an essay on a given topic. Both tasks are designed to test a range of writing skills, such as coherence, cohesion, grammar, and vocabulary.
Speaking (11-14 minutes)
The Speaking section of the IELTS exam is a face-to-face interview with an examiner. The section is divided into three parts. In Part 1, the examiner asks general questions about the test-taker's background and interests. In Part 2, the test-taker is given a task card with a topic to talk about for two minutes. In Part 3, the examiner asks follow-up questions related to the topic in Part 2 and discusses more abstract ideas and issues related to the topic.
In conclusion
The IELTS exam measures the language proficiency of individuals who want to study, work, or migrate to English-speaking countries. The exam has two formats: Academic and General Training, and consists of four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Each section is designed to test a range of language skills and takes a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete.
