IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is the most preferred assessment to help people migrate to countries with English as their official language. The test is jointly organized and owned by the three most distinguishing language organizations British Council, Cambridge English, and IDP: IELTS Australia.
The exam tests your proficiency in the four language areas ielts listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The graded scores are presented on a scale of 1–9, also known as bands in some geographical regions. Over 11,000 organizations, including 3,400 institutions, accept the IELTS score.
The exam is aimed at people who want to migrate to other countries for a better life. IELTS practice test offers different exams to suit all purposes.
The IELTS Academic is a test used to apply for university degree programs. The test can be taken on paper or a computer. The test need not be taken from an IELTS test centre. It can also be taken from home or a remote location.
Companies need to check the language abilities of their perspective employees and rely on the IELTS test. If you want to join an organization in a foreign country, you can take the IELTS General training test. It is also apt for applying to study before the degree level.
People who want to move to the UK must take the specialized IELTS test approved only for a UK visa and immigration. The only feature differentiating it from regular IELTS tests is extra security protocols to enhance the candidate's authenticity.
This test is available at two basic levels (A1 and B1) and is aimed at those who want to establish their basic English speaking and listening skills to apply for a UK visa. The test does not have a reading and writing component.
The exam does not have any particular eligibility criteria. Any person above the age of 16 is eligible to take the exam. An exception can be made if the school requires an IELTS score for admission purposes for students below 16 years.
The IELTS registration fees are - AED 1170 for Paper delivered and AED 1260-1300 for Computer-delivered for both IELTS Academic and General
IELTS has an extensive timeline with multiple slots for test-takers. Based on the test center, candidates can choose a suitable date and time to take the test during the registration process. The IELTS test dates are flexible and can be chosen by the candidate.
There is no fixed syllabus for the IELTS exam. The exam focuses on testing language skills and themes as opposed to language structures from a defined syllabus. The exam tests candidates on four skills. Each skill represents an individual section in the exam.
Speaking is further divided into four sub-sections where candidates are required to listen to four different types of audio: an everyday social conversation between two people, an informal monologue in a social situation, a conversation between more than two people in a formal or educational context, and an academic monologue.
The reading section has three different comprehension texts from different sources such as cookbooks, newspapers, or magazines.
Similarly, the writing section has two different tasks based on a range of themes. Candidates get sixty minutes to write on each topic in the writing section.
The speaking section of IELTS is divided into three parts and is conducted by an examiner. It has a short question-answer session followed by a monologue on a given topic and, lastly, a long answer to an abstract topic.
Step 1: The first step while registering for IELTS is to confirm the test type—IELTS Academic or IELTS General. This would help in Step 2 while figuring out the location of the test center.
Step 2: The next step is to look for the nearest IELTS test center and the preferred test date from the slots available at the center. The test can be booked online from the IELTS website or by visiting the nearest IDP branch. IELTS academic has the feature to be taken from any location, so candidates applying for this test can opt to take it online.
IELTS exam preparation is easy but requires consistent practice. A lot of private institutes offer IELTS coaching. However, one can prepare on their own using the official material. First, understand the test format and practice using the sample tests on the IELTS official website.
To check test results, candidates must log in using the credentials generated during the registration process. The general IELTS scores are available online within 3 to 5 days for the computer-based test. The results for the paper-based IELTS test are available two weeks from the test date.
