Ielts English Exam

[Hildegard Mccauley]

InternationalEnglish Language Testing System (IELTS /ˈaɪ.ɛlts/)[6] is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP and Cambridge English,[6] and was established in 1989. IELTS is one of the major English-language tests in the world. The IELTS test has two modules: Academic and General Training. IELTS One Skill Retake was introduced for computer-delivered tests in 2023, which allows a test taker to retake any one section (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) of the test.[7]

IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, European, Irish and New Zealand academic institutions, by over 3,000 academic institutions in the United States, and by various professional organisations across the world.

IELTS is approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) as a Secure English Language Test for visa applicants both outside and inside the UK.[8] It also meets requirements for immigration to Australia, where Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Pearson Test of English Academic are also accepted,[9] and New Zealand. In Canada, IELTS, TEF, or CELPIP are accepted by the immigration authority.[10]

No minimum score is required to pass the test. An IELTS result or Test Report Form is issued to all test takers with a score from "Band 1" ("non-user") to "Band 9" ("expert user") and each institution sets a different threshold. There is also a "Band 0" score for those who did not attempt the test. Institutions are advised not to consider a report older than two years to be valid, unless the user proves that they have worked to maintain their level.[11][12]

In 2017, over 3 million tests were taken in more than 140 countries, up from 2 million tests in 2012, 1.7 million tests in 2011 and 1.4 million tests in 2009. In 2007, IELTS administered more than one million tests in a single 12-month period for the first time ever, making it the world's most popular English language test for higher education and immigration.[3]

In 2019, over 508,000 international students came to study in the UK, making it the world's most popular UK ELT (English Language Test) destination. Over half (54%) of those students were under 18 years old.[13]

The English Language Testing Service (ELTS), as IELTS was then known, was launched in 1980 by Cambridge English Language Assessment (then known as "UCLES") and the British Council. It had an innovative format, which reflected changes in language learning and teaching, including the growth in 'communicative' language learning and 'English for specific purposes'. Test tasks were intended to reflect the use of English language in the 'real world'.

During the 1980s, test taker numbers were low (4,000 in 1981 rising to 10,000 in 1985) and there were practical difficulties administering the test. As a result, the IELTS Revision Project was set up to oversee the redesign of the test. In order to have international participation in the redesign, the International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges (IDP), now known as IDP: IELTS Australia, joined Cambridge English Language Assessment and the British Council to form the international IELTS partnership which delivers the test to this day. This international partnership was reflected in the new name for the test: The International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

IELTS went live in 1989. Test takers took two non-specialised modules, Listening and Speaking, and two specialised modules, Reading and Writing. Test taker numbers rose by approximately 15% per year and by 1995 there were 43,000 test takers in 210 test centres around the world.

IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are designed to cover the full range of abilities from non-user or middle user to expert user. The Academic version is for test takers who want to study at the tertiary level in an English-speaking country or seek professional registration. The General Training version is for test takers who want to work, train, study at a secondary school or migrate to an English-speaking country.[15]

The difference between the Academic and General Training versions is the content, context, and purpose of the tasks. All other features, such as timing allocation, length of written responses, and reporting of scores, are the same.[16]

Note 2: All test takers take the same Listening and Speaking tests, while the Reading and Writing tests differ depending on whether the test taker is taking the Academic or General Training versions of the test.

Note 3: The 10 minutes transfer time is for the paper-based option of the test. For the computer-delivered option, candidates will be given 2 minutes (at the end of the test) to re-check their answers. [20]

The module comprises four sections, with ten questions in each section. It takes around 40 (paper-based) or 32 (computer-delivered) minutes: 30 for testing, plus 10 for transferring the answers to an answer sheet (paper-based) or 2 for re-checking the answers (computer-delivered).[21][20]

Each section begins with a short introduction telling the test taker about the situation and the speakers. Then they have some time to look through the questions. The questions are in the same order as the information in the recording, so the answer to the first question will be before the answer to the second question, and so on.[22] The first three sections have a break in the middle allowing test takers to look at the remaining questions. Each section is heard only once.

At the end of the test, candidates are given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to an answer sheet (if they take their test paper-based) or 2 minutes (at the end of the test of course) to re-check the answers (if they do so computer-delivered).[23][20] Test takers will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.[24]

This table can be used to convert raw scores (out of 40) to band scores (out of 9). This helps test takers understand how many correct answers they need to achieve a particular band score. This chart is only a guide; scores may vary slightly depending on how difficult the test is.[34]

Test takers receive one copy of their Test Report Form, apart from test takers who are applying to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) or UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) who receive two copies.

There are up to 48 test dates available per year. Each test centre offers tests up to four times a month depending on local demand. The Academic version is available on all 48 dates per year and the General Training version is available on 24 dates.[1]

There used to be a minimum time limit of 90 days before a person was allowed to retake the test. However this restriction has been withdrawn and currently there is no limit for applicants to retake the test.[38]

In 2019, approximately 77% of test takers took the Academic version and 23% of test takers took the General Training version. The average overall score in the Academic version was 6.04 for male test takers and 6.10 for female test takers. In the General Training version, it was 6.57 for male test takers and 6.63 female test takers.[41]

IELTS is used by over 9,000 educational institutions worldwide. This section provides just a few examples of IELTS requirements in different countries. Full details about the organizations which accept IELTS and the scores they require can be found on the IELTS Global Recognition System Archived 15 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine.

IELTS is accepted by over 750 organisations in Canada[68] Most top ranked Canadian universities,[46] as listed by the TES 2015 World University Rankings, require a minimum score of 6.5 with a minimum subscore of 6.0 for each individual part.

Along with the universities, the test results are directly relevant for applying a student Visa (Subclass 500). The candidates need at least an IELTS score of 5.5. The precise requirements depend on the university.[74]

Originally, applicants who could not achieve the required score could pay a NZ$20,000 fee instead, which would be fully or partially refunded later if the migrant were able to successfully take the test within a certain period (3 to 12 months) after his or her arrival to the country. A few years later, the policy was changed: the fee was reduced, and, instead of being potentially refundable, it became treated as a "pre-purchase" of post-arrival ESL tuition.[100]

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) uses IELTS and/or TEF as evidence of one's ability to communicate in English and/or French. The CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) test scores are an alternative to IELTS.[101]

The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) are the national standards used in Canada for describing, measuring and recognizing the English language proficiency of prospective immigrants.[102] The following table shows the IELTS scores needed for each CLB level.[103]

A new test, IELTS Life Skills, assesses Speaking and Listening at CEFR level A1 and at CEFR Level B1. IELTS Life Skills can be used to meet the English language requirements for some classes of visa application, including 'family of a settled person' visas and indefinite leave and citizenship.

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) measures the language proficiency of people who want to study or work where English is used as a language of communication. It uses a nine-band scale to clearly identify levels of proficiency, from non-user (band score 1) through to expert (band score 9).

IELTS is available in Academic - for people applying for higher education or professional registration, and General Training for those migrating to Australia, Canada and the UK, or applying for secondary education, training programs and work experience in an English-speaking environment. Both versions provide a valid and accurate assessment of the four language skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

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