Over 2.5 million candidates sit the IELTS exam on an annual basis. An IELTS exam is required as a means for assessment for those who are considering a VISA to work or study in countries such as the UK, USA and Australia. It is important that applicants check the minimum score requirement for the individual institution that they wish to enter.
We are going to explore what the IELTS exam entails, the structure and components of the exam, as well as some very helpful tips for you to review to help you get the results you desire.
What is the IELTS exam?
IELTS stands for The International English Language Testing System which is an English proficiency test for those who wish to live, study or work in an institution where English is the primary language of communication. The result of the assessment is measured by allocating a band number between number 1 – 9, where 1 is a non-user and 9 is an expert. Half bands such as 6.5 can also be awarded, too.
The IELTS exam comprises of four main modules to the assessment; listening, reading, writing and speaking. Each component is given a time limit with respective transfer times which is the time given to transfer your answers onto paper. The overall test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Listening test (30 minutes + 10 minutes transfer time)
The listening section can be based on general and academic scenarios, usually based on what your intention of your assessment. For example, if you are looking to apply for a job position in the UK, then the spoken topic will be based on general situations such as booking an appointment. If you are looking to go to university in the UK to study for example, then your listening assessment will likely be based on academic scenarios such as a lesson conducted by a teacher.
The listening test is only played once, so it is important that you listen carefully, as this will not be repeated.There are 4 sections to the listening part of the test, with 10 questions per section. The first section will involve two speakers having a conversation or a transaction. The second section will have one speaker talking about a general topic. The third section will involve 2 – 4 speakers having a conversation. The fourth section will involve 1 speaker usually giving an academic lecture.
Reading test (1 hour inclusive of transfer time)
There are three passages you will have to read, and for each passage, you will be given some questions to answer based on either “general” or “academic” depending on your reasons for assessment.
Both assessments involve 3 passages and 40 questions. In the “general” test, the questions will be based around social, academic or work. In the “academic” test, the questions will be based around academic situations. The questions become progressively hard.
The style of the test is mixed with a variety of multiple choice, short answers, sentence completion, table / chart / diagram, summary completion, paragraph headings, locating information, exploring the writer’s views or claims, classification and matching.
Writing test (1 hour)
The writing task consists of two parts. The first part will be analysing data through graphs, tables flow charts or charts. For the first task, you are encouraged to write about 170 – 190 words (minimum 150 words). You will be marked on using vocabulary correctly, the variety of vocabulary, grammar and ability to fulfil the question comprehensively and coherence / structure of your writing.
In Task 2, you are required to write an essay of at least 250 words. You will be given a topic and will be assessed on your ability to share your opinions, discussions, analysis of problems and solutions and possibly draw on your own personal experiences.
Speaking test (11 – 14 minutes)
The speaking test is conducted in a room with just the interviewer and yourself. The test consists of two parts. The first part will involve a discussion of topics such as on home life, work, study, friends, family, hobbies and food, for example.
The terms for assessment are pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary and grammar.
In part 2 of speaking test, you have 3 minutes altogether. During the first minute, you will be given a question card. For example: “Describe a shop you have visited”. An example answer could involve its location, your reasons for going there and any specific details about the shop. You must talk for 2 minutes.
Tips on the 4 components of the IELTS exam
Reading
- Try to avoid spending too much time reading the passages; if there is a particular word that you don’t quite understand, try to just continue reading and you will usually find that you will get a general understanding of the meaning based on its context.
- Try to skim read the text to begin with to get the main idea. Then scan to look for specific detail if necessary.
- Try not to spend too much time on coming up with the answer. Use your time effectively and come back to a particular question after answering the easier questions.
- Spend less time on earlier questions. A good guideline to allocating your time would be 17 minutes on question 1, 20 minutes on question 2, and 23 minutes on question 3. This is because the questions become progressively harder.
- Make sure you have enough time to transfer your answers from your test paper to the answer sheet.
- Use three words or less, as commonly instructed in the questions. For example, instead of “The apple that the child ate”, use “the child’s apple”. Even if your answer is correct, but you didn’t follow the instructions, you will be penalised and your answer will be marked incorrect.
- Make sure you pay careful attention to your spellings, as examiners will mark down your answers if you have a lot of spelling errors. To avoid this, when practising for your exam, any common spelling errors you may have, record this and write the correct spelling multiple times until you remember how to correctly spell the words.
- Pay attention to grammar – make sure you are able to differentiate “singular” and “plural” words like “man” and “men”.
- Read the instructions carefully and answer according to what is requested in the question. For example, if the question states “choose three”, or answer “true” or “false”, then answer accordingly.
Listening
- Pay attention carefully to the instructions. For example, if the question specifically states to “write no more than three words”, then write three or less words.
- Familiarise yourself to British accents and vocabulary. For example, in American English, the word “candy” for “sweets” in British English.
- There are some IELTS tests that are accessible in many book stores that come with CDs that you can use to practise.
- If you’re stuck on a question, try to at least anticipate the type of key word the question is asking for. For example, “She enjoys ____” in this case, the word will be a noun.
- Sometimes the test will present you with information and then change it, so listen out for any changes.
- Get used to listening to groups of numbers as sometimes they mention phone numbers
- Pay careful attention to listening to similar numbers such as “15” and “50”.
- Ensure your handwriting is legible and your spelling is accurate.
Writing (40 minutes for essay writing)
- Make sure your writing is well structured and cohesive, with a clear introduction, main body and conclusion. An example of an introduction: “the pie chart shows the different supermarkets people preferred to shop at in London in 2008”.
- When analysing graphs, try to be specific and concise when describing movement, making sure your grammar is correctly used. If you can, try to use more advanced vocabulary such as “a decline” instead of “less” and “plateau” instead of “no change”. Aim for variety when choosing which vocabulary words to use. Using adverbs, sentence starters and adjectives will help assist in writing creatively, too. For example use words like “dramatically”, “In addition to this”, “significant” as opposed to lower level words, if possible. You will be assessed on how well you can appropriately use a variety of higher level vocabulary.
- In Task 2, the introduction is very important and will give the examiner a good first impression of your writing. The introduction should contain the topic, question, opinion and your reasons and be around 3 – 5 sentences.
- An example question would be: “Do you think it is better to go to a private school or a state school?” An answer could be: “when deciding which schooling system for your child to attend (introduction of topic), it will be dependent on your individual circumstances or preferences. If you have sufficient means to do so, you may want to invest in private education (reference to the question) if you prefer your child to be privately educated. In my opinion, where the child is educated is not of primary importance, (opinion) what matters most is the child’s willingness to learn and their passion for education (reasons).
Speaking
- Body language is very important. Present yourself with confidence and approachability; making eye contact and interact enthusiastically.
- Use creative vocabulary as opposed to a more ordinary word such as “significantly” instead of “very”. Instead of “I like”, use “I have a deep passion for”, for example.
- Speak with enthusiasm and passion; develop your sentences and avoid short “yes” and “no” type answers.
- Avoid repeating the question. For example “Do you like eating out?” and answering with “Yes, I like eating out”. Instead, utilise this opportunity to be expansive with your answers.
- Be clear and concise in your answers, referring specifically to the question asked.
- Avoid speaking too slowly or quickly. Speak at a good steady pace at a good volume that is not too quiet or loud.
- In Part 2, take notes and write keywords to keep organised, stay on topic and cover every point.
- Use personal experiences or create your own story
- Expand your answers by using senses
- Organise your speech in the following structure: introduction, body and conclusion. For example “I went to the Museum of London. I saw some fascinating objects. It was an experience I will never forget”.
- Use introductory phrases. For example “I’d like to talk about”
- Use sentence starters such as “Firstly, even though, finally” which will help enhance your cohesion marks.
- Avoid memorising answers, instead, focus on being adaptable and use creative vocabulary.
Are you planning on sitting the IELTS exam? What IELTS result do you require and what are you taking the IELTS exam for? Leave a comment and let us know you’re getting on. If you would like some advice, or if you would like to work with a one to one tutor, feel free to Contact Us to see how we can help you succeed in your IELTS exam.