IELTS Exam

Introduction to examination

The candidate, who is appearing for IELTS, needs to access their ability in the language before giving the test so that the candidate can devise the best strategic plan to prepare for the test. IELTS has two types of tests, one is the general type and the other is the academic type. The academic test is suitable for those people, who are willing to study or work in institutions with English as a medium to communicate and work. The general module is suited for those, who want to migrate to an English-speaking country or for other related reasons or work experience training. There are four modules each in two types of examinations. The four modules are listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The listening and speaking modules are the same for both types of tests, but the other modules are different. Each module tests the candidate's abilities in the respective aspect of the module.

Listening module

The listening module tests candidates' listening skills. This module contains 4 sections with one audio recording and 10 questions each. Each section of the audio recording is of a different scenario. The first section is about a conversation between two people in a social context, the second is about a monologue in a social context, the third is about a conversation between a group of people in an educational context, and the fourth is about a monologue in an academic context. The candidate should answer all questions in 30 mins and 10 mins for transferring the answers to the answer sheet. The candidates have to answer the questions while listening to the audio recording. Each type of question analyzes the candidate's understanding of the recording.

Academic Reading

This module examines the candidate’s reading abilities in the academic context. The candidate is given three passages with 40 questions to answer based on the passages. The examinee has 60 minutes to answer all the questions. The topics and texts are taken from various journals, magazines, newspapers, etc.

General Reading Module

Next is the general reading module. This modules test’s the candidate’s reading abilities in the general context. There are three sections in this module. The first section contains several short texts about social survival, the second section comprises two texts about workplace survival, and the third section includes one long text about general reading. The participants will have 60 minutes to answer all the 40 questions asked. There are various types of questions in the tests. Each question in the listening and reading modules carries one mark. The modules are graded by a certified marker. The test-takers need to be very careful about the spelling, grammatical, etc errors because these errors might be the reason for the deduction of marks.

Academic Writing

The academic writing module analyzes the candidate’s writing abilities in the academic context. The candidate will have two tasks to be completed in 60 minutes. The candidates are provided with different scenarios and asked to write about the same. In the first task, the examinees are provided with a graph, bar diagram, chart, or table, and the candidates should write a detailed description of the scenario provided. In the second task, the candidates are asked to write an essay based on a point of view, argument, or problem. The candidates should write in a formal style for each answer.

General Writing

The general writing module analyzes the candidate’s writing abilities in the general context. The candidate will have two tasks to be completed in 60 minutes. In the first task, the examinees are given a situation, and they should write a letter requesting information or explaining the situation. In the second task, the candidate should write an essay on a point of view, argument, or problem. The examinees can write the answers in a semi-formal or informal style.

Speaking Module

In speaking module tests the candidates speaking and communication skills. There are three parts to this module. The first part is called the introduction and interview. In this part, the examiner introduces himself and asks a few things about the candidates. The first will take about 4 to 5 minutes. The second part is called the individual long turn. In this part, the candidate is given a task card, and the examinee is expected to make notes and talk about the topic for two minutes straight. The second will take about 3 to 4 minutes. The third and final part is called the discussion. In this part, the examiner and the candidates discuss the topic in part two for 4 to 5 minutes.

Preparation

The candidates need to prepare accordingly based on the pattern of the test. Test takers should frequently speak, write, read and listen to English to improve their fluency and proficiency in the language. One can improve their communication skills by using the resources available on the internet and provided by the institute. A minimum of 4 months is required to prepare for the IELTS test, depending on the test taker the preparation time may take more than four months.