The International English Language Testing System or IELTS is a test of English language proficiency, developed by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. There are two different IELTS tests that you can take: Academic and General.
IELTS is not a test that you can pass or fail. Your assessment will be reported according to a scale from bands one to nine. Band one indicates that you have virtually no English at all. Band nine is native speaker proficiency. Universities in Australia typically require a band score of between 6 and 7.
For which band you need to obtain, you will have to contact the university you wish to enter to find out the IELTS score they require for entry into your chosen course.
The IELTS does not test any specific knowledge. Rather, the test questions have been designed to reflect the general interests of people from an educated background. IELTS Preparation
Candidates are tested in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules. There is a choice between Academic and General Training in the Reading and Writing Modules.
The total time needed to complete the test is 2 hours and 45 minutes. The first three modules - Listening, Reading and Writing - must be completed in one day. The Speaking Module may be taken, at the discretion of the test centre, in the period seven days before or after the other Modules.
IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL) and offered through over 800 test centres and locations in over 130 countries. International teams of writers contribute to IELTS test materials. Ongoing research ensures that IELTS remains fair and unbiased. Test writers from different English-speaking countries develop IELTS content so it reflects real-life situations.
The Listening, Reading and Writing components of the test are always completed immediately after each other and with no break. Depending on the test centre, the Speaking test may be taken up to 7 days either before or after the test date.
Test your score [/b]
The IELTS 9-band scale[/b]
Each band corresponds to a level of English competence. All parts of the test and the Overall Band Score can be reported in whole and half bands, eg 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0.
Band 9: Expert user: has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.
Band 8: Very good user: has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well.
Band 7: Good user: has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.
Band 6: Competent user: has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.
Band 5: Modest user: has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field.
Band 4: Limited user: basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language.
Band 3: Extremely limited user: conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur.
Band 2: Intermittent user: no real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.
Band 1: Non-user: essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.
Experiences shared:
A student who had done the IELTS exam 10 times and was distraught. She had started at 5.5 and over a year had managed to increase her level to about 6.5 but kept failing the writing. We helped her to get 7 in writing but she would then have a bad day during the exam and fail some other part of it so she was getting 7s and 8s in everything but never at the same time. Eventually, after the 12th exam she passed, just before they made her particular application requirement 7.5. The IELTS exam is one of the toughest in the world and I can see a lot of problems happening when the new band 8 requirement comes in.
It takes about 6 months of regular study to increase a band score by 0.5. Preparation for the exam is important and writing the answers the way the examiners expect is crucial but a lack of grammar knowledge and vocabulary will cause students to get a low mark. Apart from learning the structure and what is expected, without knowing grammar and without understanding a wide range of vocabulary, it is impossible for students to get lucky and pass. That's the point of the exam. Unless students are reading thick novels every day and understanding every word, I really can't see how they're going to get an 8 in the IELTS exam. Getting an 8 is even difficult for native English speakers!