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All you need to know about IELTS

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a standardised test designed to evaluate the language proficiency of candidates who need to live or work in an environment where English is the medium of communication. It is one of the most recognised English language tests, which is attempted by about 2.5 million people across the globe. The English language skills of a candidate are tested on the parameters of listening, reading, writing and speaking of English. IELTS is usually mandatory for those seeking higher education and immigration to countries outside India. It is recognised by most countries, government agencies, immigration authorities and universities around the world.

                                            

Image source : www.academyoflanguages.in

There are two types of training modules in IELTS—Academic Training and General Training. Academic Training is for candidates who want to study abroad. General Training is taken by applicants vying for scholarships and work visas.

International students often have to deal with the dilemma of choosing between IELTS and TOEFL. IELTS is preferred by universities in the UK, New Zealand and Australia, while TOEFL is popular with universities in USA and Canada. Hence, applicants should select either of the two according to their college/university location.

IELTS Registration

The IELTS test can be answered all around the year. There 48 fixed test dates which gives candidates the liberty to apply for IELTS according to their convenience.
You can either register online or register in person (if you wish to register in person, you need find an IDP India office)

Online Registration:

1) Create an online profile on www.ielts.britishcouncil.org/india
2) Pay the exam fee through online funds transfer or credit/debit card.
3) An automated confirmation will be sent to you after the registration.
4) Online registration is the fastest and easiest method. Through online registration, you can register or have access at anytime.

Offline Registration:
Download the registration form or fill out  the application at the IDP office itself.
2) Pay the required amount through a demand draft, debit/credit card or an ICICI deposit slip.

Exam Fee
The registration fee for IELTS is 11,100 INR from 1st April 2016.

IELTS Paper Pattern

The IELTS exam paper pattern is quite simple and easy. It evaluates the four skill areas of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The amount of time provided is about 2 hours and 45 minutes in total.

Section

Duration

IELTS Academic

Listening

30 minutes

Four recorded monologues and conversations are included.

Reading

60 minutes

Three long reading passages with tasks.

Texts range from descriptive and factual to discursive,
The analytical part includes non-verbal material such as diagrams, graphs and illustrations.

 

Writing

60 minutes

It encompasses a writing task where candidates or students are required to summarise or describe a given table or graph in 150 words and write another short essay of at least 250 words.

Speaking

11−14 minutes

It comprises face-to-face interviews and consists of short questions and speaking at length regarding a familiar topic or a discussion.


*Provided paper pattern is for the Academic Module. 
Three sections (Listening, Reading and Writing) are done in one day, while Speaking can be done on the same day or within 7 days before or after a test.

Scoring in IELTS
The scoring pattern of IELTS is based on a combination of all the four skills.
An individual band score for each section is measured on a band of 1–9.
For detailed information on the scoring pattern, visit www.ielts.org

The scores are released online 13 days after you have appeared for your test. All you need to do is sign in with your IELTS account on the results website.

Also read : Checklist for Study Abroad

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