INTRODUCTION:

We feel glad to announce that with the current issue onwards, we will be featuring articles on IELTS (International English Language Testing System).

We all know very well that this test is taken by thousands of students all over India and abroad who aspire to pursue higher studies particularly in Australia, UK and New Zealand.

IELTS is a language assessment test.  This is a widely recognized as a reliable means of assessing whether a candidate is ready to study or train in the medium of English. IELTS is owned by three partners, the University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate, the British Council and IDP Education Australia.   

FORMAT OF THE TEST

The test consists of four modules viz. Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing.
 All the candidates take the same Listening and Speaking modules. There is a choice of Reading and Writing modules according to whether a candidates is taking the Academic or General Training version.

VERSIONS OF THE TEST

1. Academic
2. General

ACADEMIC

For candidates taking the test for entry to undergraduate or postgraduate studies or for professional reasons.

GENERAL TRAINING

For candidates taking the test for entry to vocational or training programs not at degree level, for admissions to secondary schools and for immigration purposes.

The test modules are taken in the following order:

1. Listening
2. Reading
3. Writing
4. Speaking 

Now, let us discuss the modules one after the other.

1. LISTENING

This module consists of four sections. Each section carries on an average 10 questions totaling 40-42 questions. The listening tape carries conversations and monologues. Usually, the module begins with a conversation, for instance, a talk between a student and his/her teacher or professor, or a conversation between two colleagues. The tape may end in a monologue, for example, a lecture or a talk given by an expert on a particular topic, or a tour guide describing a location to the tourists.  

KINDS OF QUESTIONS IN LISTENING MODULE

The listening module carries the following kinds of questions:

1. Multiple choice type
2. Short-answer type
3. Sentence completion
4. Notes/chart/table completion
5. Labeling a diagram
6. Classification
7. Matching the items

IMPORTANT: The tape is played only once and the test takers answer the questions as they listen to it. Ten minutes’ time is allowed at the end to transfer the answer from the booklet (questionnaire) to the answer sheet. Care should be taken keep the answer sheet clear and without any overwriting.  

ACADEMIC READING

This module has three reading passages of increasing difficulty on topics of general interest and candidates have to answer 40-42 questions. The passages are taken from magazines, journals, books and newspapers of international repute. At least one text contains detailed logical argument.

The reading module carries the following kinds of questions:

1. Multiple choice
2. Short-answer questions,
3. Sentence completion, notes/chart/table completion,
4. Labeling a diagram,
5. Classification, matching lists/phrases
6. Choosing suitable paragraph headings from a list
7. Identifying writer’s views/attitudes by marking - yes, no, not given, or true, not given. 

GENERAL READING

Candidates have to answer 40-42 questions. There are three sections of text with increasing difficulty containing texts taken from notices, advertisements, leaflets, newspapers, instruction manuals, books and magazines. The first section contains texts relevant to basic linguistic survival in English, with tasks mainly concerned with providing factual information. The second section is on the training context and involves texts of more complex language. The third section involves reading more extended texts, with a more complex structure, but with the emphasis on descriptive and instructive rather than argumentative texts.

The kinds of questions asked in this module is similar to Academic Reading.

ACADEMIC WRITING

There are two tasks called Task-1 and Task-II. A test taker is advised to spend about 20 minutes on Task 1, which requires him to write al least 150 words, and 40 minutes on Task 2 for writing 250 words. The assessment of Task 2 carries more weight in marking than Task 1.

In Task 1, candidates are asked to look at a diagram or table and to present the information in their own words. The answer is assessed on their ability to organize, present and possibly compare data, describe the stages of a process, describe an object or event.

In Task 2, candidates are given a point of view or an argument. The response is assessed on their ability to present a solution to the problem, present and justify an opinion, compare and contrast evidence and opinions, evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence or arguments.

The candidates are advised to present their response in an appropriate style.

GENERAL WRITING

In Task 1, candidates are asked to respond to a given problem with a letter requesting information or explaining are asked to respond to a given problem with a letter requesting information or explaining a situation. The response is assessed on their ability to engage in personal correspondence, elicit and provide general information, express needs, wants, likes and dislikes, express opinions, complaints, etc.

In Task 2, candidates will be asked to respond to a point of view, argument or problem. They are assessed on their ability to provide general information, outline a problem and present a solution, present and justify an opinion, evaluate and challenge ideas.

The candidates are advised to present their response in an appropriate style.

SPEAKING

The Speaking module takes between 11 and 14 minutes. It consists of an interview between the candidate and an examiner.

There are three main parts:

Part-1

The candidate and the examiner introduce themselves and then the candidate answers general questions about themselves, their home/family, their job/studies, their interest and a wide range of similar familiar topic areas. This part lasts between four and five minutes.

Part-2

A task card with prompts is given and the candidate is asked to speak on a particular topic.

The candidate has one minute to prepare and make some notes if they wish, before speaking for between one and two minutes. The examiner then asks one or two rounding-off question.

Part-3

The examiner and the candidate engage in a discussion of more abstract issues and concepts, which are thematically linked to the topic prompt in Part 2. The discussion lasts between four and five minutes.

The Speaking module assesses whether candidates can communicate effectively in English.

The assessment takes into account Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy and Pronunciation.

SCORE

The score is given in terms of Band. Every module has a maximum band length of 9. On the scorecard, both individual as well as overall band score will be given.