What is IELTS? This is an international English language testing system. It is managed jointly by the British Council and the Cambridge Assessment. The system was created in 1989. She is considered one of the key tests in the English language in the world.
If you answer the question of what IELTS is, you must first note that this system is adopted by most Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand academic institutions. As well as more than 3,000 universities in the United States and various other professional organizations around the world.
IELTS is the only English language test approved by the UK authorities and immigration services for clients applying for a visa both outside and inside the UK. He also qualifies for immigration to Australia, where the TOEFL and the Pearson Test of Academic are accepted. In Canada, IELTS, TEF, or CELPIP are required for immigration and authorities.
Continuing to answer the question of what IELTS is, it is worth touching the topic of assessment. To pass the test, the lowest score is not required. The IELTS result or test report model is issued to all examinees with an assessment from “group 1” (“not a user”) to “group 9” (“expert”), with each institution setting its own threshold. There is also a “0” score for those who have not tried to pass the exam. Institutions are advised not to consider a report older than two years valid unless the user proves that he has worked to maintain his level. In Russia, you can take the IELTS test in Moscow.
In 2017, more than 3 million exams were conducted in more than 140 countries, compared with 2 million in 2012, 1.7 million in 2011 and 1.4 million in 2009. In 2007, IELTS first conducted more than one million tests in a single month, making it the most popular English language exam in the world to confirm higher education and immigration.
Test structure
So, what is IELTS, in general terms, is clear. Now it’s worth considering the exam device.
There are two modules:
- Academic
- General training.
There is also a separate assignment offered by testing partners called IELTS Life Skills. It is intended for those who want to enter universities and other higher education institutions, as well as for professionals such as doctors and nurses who want to practice in an English-speaking country.
The general test is intended for those who plan to undergo non-academic training or gain work experience, as well as for immigration purposes.
Life Skills is intended for those who need to confirm their speaking and listening skills at A1 or B1 level of the pan-European coordinate system for languages. Such a system can be used to apply for a visa for an indefinite period. And also in order to stay or obtain citizenship in the UK.
Four Parts IELTS Test
The test consists of the following sections:
- Listening: 30 minutes.
- Reading: 60 minutes
- Letter: 60 minutes.
- Speech: 11-14 minutes
Total test time is: 2 hours 45 minutes.
Listening, reading and writing end in one period. An oral speech test can be taken the same day or during the week before or after other parts.
All test takers pass the same exams for hearing and speech, while reading and writing differ depending on whether the test taker needs a variant of academic preparation or is enough general.
Listening
The module consists of four sections, ten questions each. It takes 40 minutes: 30 - for testing, plus 10 - for writing answers to the examination sheet.
Sections 1 and 2 deal with everyday social situations.
In the first version, there is a conversation between two speakers (for example, a conversation about organizing a trip).
Section 2 employs one person (for example, we are talking about local institutions).
Sections 3 and 4 on educational and training situations.
This is a conversation between two keynote speakers (for example, a discussion between two university students, possibly under the guidance of a mentor).
And in section 4, one person talks about an academic subject.
Each module begins with a brief introduction that tells the test subject about the situation and speakers. Then the examiner has time to review the questions. They are arranged in the same order as the information in the record, so the first answer will sound up to the second paragraph and so on. The first three sections have a break in the middle, which allows you to look at the remaining questions. Each module can be listened to only once.
At the end of the IELTS test, students are given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to the checklist. Test takers will lose points for misspelling and grammar.
Reading
Handout consists of three sections and texts totaling 2150–2750 words. When preparing for IELTS, it is worth considering that there will be various types of questions. With several answers, with a short explanation, identification information, disclosing the views of the author, marking diagrams, filling out a resume using words taken from the story, and comparing information, headings, functions in the text and sentence. When writing answers, test takers should be careful, as you can lose grades for incorrect formulation of thoughts and grammar.
Lyrics at IELTS Academic
Three reading stories that are taken from books, magazines, newspapers, and online resources written for lay people. All topics are of general interest to students at the undergraduate or graduate level.
Lyrics at IELTS General Training
Section 1 contains two or three short stories that deal with everyday topics. For example, a schedule or behavior are things that a person should have understood while living in an English-speaking country.
Paragraph 2 includes two texts that affect labor. For example, official instructions, contracts, training materials.
Section 3 contains one long text on general topics. It is usually descriptive, longer and more complex than the stories in sections 1 and 2. The text will be taken from a newspaper, magazine, book or online resource.
Spelling
Passing IELTS is quite simple, but you need to know the grammar perfectly. A written document offers two tasks to accomplish. In task 1, test takers write at least 150 words in 20 minutes. In the second block, 250 units in about 40 minutes. Testers can be fined if their answer is too short or not relevant. Explanations must be written in full sentences.
IELTS Academic
Task 1: test takers describe a graph, table or diagram in their own words.
Activity 2: Students discuss a point of view, argument, or problem. Depending on the task, it is necessary to present a solution, substantiate an opinion, compare and contrast the evidence and consequences, as well as evaluate and challenge ideas or arguments.
IELTS General Training
Task 1: test takers write a solution to the proposed everyday situation. For example, a letter to a staff member regarding accommodation and housing issues. Or it is proposed to write to a new employer about time management. Or perhaps send a response to a local newspaper about the airport’s development plan.
Task 2: test takers write essays on a common topic. For example, should smoking be prohibited in public places, should educational activities for children be permanent, and how can environmental problems be solved.
Performance
English Test IELTS is a personal interview between an examiner and an examiner.
The program consists of three sections:
Section 1. Introduction and interview (4-5 minutes). Testers may be asked about their home, family, work, studies, hobbies, interests, reasons for taking the IELTS exam, and other general topics such as clothing, free time, computers and the Internet.
Section 2. Long story. Tested receive a card with a task on a specific topic. They have one minute to prepare for the conversation. The card indicates the items that should be included in the report, and one aspect that is also required to be present during the presentation. The testers are expected to speak on this topic for 2 minutes, after which the examiner can ask one or two questions.
Section 3. Discussions (4-5 minutes). The third section includes a discussion between the examiner and the test person, as a rule, on issues related to the topic, which they already discussed in the second part.
Students receive an assessment for each component of the test - listening, reading, writing and speaking. Individual marks are then averaged and rounded to get a total. The same system applies during the trial IELTS.
Marking Rules
The IELTS grading scale is nine-point, with each corresponding to a specific competency in English.
This rounding agreement applies: if the average of the four skills ends at 0.25, then it increases to the next half. And if up to 0.75, then rounding takes place to a smaller integer point.
IELTS assessment criteria
What do these or those points obtained during testing mean?
Grade "9". Experienced user. He has full operational knowledge of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with excellent understanding.
The score is "8". Very nice user. Has full operational language skills with rare unsystematic inaccuracies. Misunderstanding may arise in unfamiliar situations. It copes well with complex detailed arguments.
Mark "7". Good user. Good language skills, although with slight inaccuracies, inappropriateness and misunderstanding in some situations. Usually it handles a complex language well and is well versed in details.
Grade "6". Professional user. It has a generally productive style, despite certain inaccuracies, inconsistencies and errors. Able to apply and be aware of rather difficult speech, especially in familiar situations.
Score "5". Simple user. Partly possesses a language, copes with a single meaning in most situations, although it is likely to make many mistakes. Must be able to cope with basic communications in their field.
Mark "4". Limited user. Core competency is limited to familiar situations. It has frequent difficulties in understanding and formulating. Does not know how to use a complex language.
The score is "3". Extremely limited user. Transmits and realizes only the aggregate meaning in known situations. Frequent communication failures occur.
Grade "2". Intermittent user. No real communication is possible, with the exception of the main information, using individual words or short formulas in familiar moments and in order to satisfy essential needs. With difficulty understands spoken and written English.
The result is "1". Not a user. In fact, it does not have the ability to use the language, except for a few isolated words.
Category "0". Did not try to pass the test. No evaluated information was provided at all.
Before proceeding to the exam, it is best to take the IELTS test test.
History
The English Testing Service was founded in 1980 by the Cambridge English Language Assessment (then known as UCLES) and the British Council. It had an innovative format that reflected changes in learning and learning. This was expressed also in the number of “communicative” language studies and “English for special purposes”. Test tasks were designed to reflect the use of the subject in the real world.
During the 1980s, the number of test participants was low (from 4,000 in 1981 to 10,000 in 1985). During the exam, practical difficulties arose. As a result, the ELTS project was created to control updates.
The service began its work in 1989. The testees took two non-specialized modules - “Listening and Speaking”, and two specialized ones - “Reading and Writing”. The number of people passing the exam increased by about 15% per year, and by 1995, 43,000 participants had reached 210 test centers around the world.
IELTS episodes of fraud
According to publicly published information, offenses are extremely rare. One of the most significant cases of the scam happened in 2011. This event was called the Kurtinsky incident.
A manager in an institute in Tasmania hacked into employee accounts in order to change the final IELTS scores in a common database without the consent of staff. The fact of scam was revealed only thanks to a mechanical system that looked for errors and deviations in the results of the exam. And in the summer of 2011, the trial delivered a verdict to the offender - 24 months in prison. In addition to him, another 9 employees were found guilty of involvement in fraud.