IELTS Exam All Details 2024

IELTS means International English Language Testing System. It is an exam which 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. IELTS is offered up to four times a month in more than 140 countries. Tests are held on Saturdays and Thursdays. To find out test dates in your area, please contact your nearest IELTS test center. IELTS is recognized and accepted by over 10,000 organizations worldwide, including universities, employers, professional bodies, immigration authorities, and other government agencies. 

Why choose IELTS?

• Assess English language skills at all levels
• Face-to-face speaking for real-life context
• Biometric security protects and ensures test integrity

Where can IELTS take you?

• Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and USA

The level of the test

There is no such thing as a pass or fail in IELTS. Results are reported as band scores on a scale from 1 (the lowest) to 9 (the highest).

The IELTS band score scale

• 9 Expert user
• 8 Very good user
• 7 Good user
• 6 Competent user
• 5 Modest user
• 4 Limited user
• 3 Extremely limited user
• 2 Intermittent user
• 1 Non-user
• 0 Did not attempt the test

IELTS on Paper or Computer 

IELTS can be taken on Paper or Computer 

Paper-based IELTS 

This test requires test takers to sit at a work area with the inquiry papers and answer sheets for the Reading, Listening and Writing tests in an authority IELTS test centre. Test takers will compose their answers in either pen or HB-pencils. The Speaking test is done up close and personal with a prepared IELTS inspector. 

Computer-delivered IELTS 

This test requires test takers to sit the Reading, Listening and Writing tests before a Computer with the questions displayed on the screen in an authority IELTS test centre. The test takers at that point present their answers using a console and a mouse. The Speaking test isn't on Computer and is done up close and personal with a prepared IELTS inspector. 

In the Computer-delivered Listening test, the timings are somewhat unique in relation to the paper-based test. This is on the grounds that the paper-based test expects clients to move answers to an answer sheet. This progression becomes excess when noting legitimately on a Computer. 

• Before the beginning of each part of the Listening test, you will have some an opportunity to peruse the questions. 
• After the finish of each part of the Listening test, you will have some an opportunity to review your answers. 
• Toward the finish of the Listening test, you will have 2 minutes to check your answers. 
• The planning of the Listening test is between 30 – 34 minutes.

Types of the IELTS test 

There are two types of the IELTS test

IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training

• Listening and Speaking are the equivalents for the two tests, yet the topic of the Reading and Writing areas contrasts relying upon which test you take. 
• The Listening, Reading and Writing areas of all IELTS tests are finished around the same time, without any breaks in the middle of them. 
• The Speaking area, in any case, can be finished as long as seven days prior to or after different tests. Your test focus will prompt. 
• The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. 

IELTS Academic 

• The IELTS Academic test is for individuals applying for advanced education or expert enrollment in an English talking condition. It mirrors a portion of the highlights of scholarly language and evaluates whether you are prepared to start considering or preparing. 
• This methodology is broadly upheld by the foundations that perceive IELTS 

IELTS General Training 

The IELTS General Training test is for the individuals who are going to English talking nations for auxiliary instruction, work understanding or preparing programs. It is additionally a necessity for movement to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. The test centers around fundamental basic instincts in wide social and working environment settings.

IELTS TEST FORMAT

You are tested on each of the four language aptitudes – listening, reading, writing and speaking, except if you have an exemption because of a disability (see the segment on uncommon necessities). Everybody takes a similar Listening and Speaking tests. There are diverse Reading and Writing tests for IELTS Academic and General Training. The Listening, Reading and Writing tests must be finished around the same time. The request wherein these tests are taken may differ. There are no breaks between these three tests. The Speaking test might be taken as long as seven days prior to or after the other three tests.

Listening

Timing: Approximately 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes’ transfer time).

Questions

There are 40 questions. A variety of question types are used, chosen from the following: multiple choice, matching, plan/ map/diagram labelling, form completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, summary completion, sentence completion, short-answer questions.

Test Parts

There are 4 sections:

• Section 1 is a conversation between two people set in an everyday social context.
• Section 2 is a monologue set in an everyday social context.
• Section 3 is a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context.
• Section 4 is a monologue on an academic subject.

Each section is heard once only.

A variety of voices and native-speaker accents are used.

Skills assessed

A wide range of listening skills is assessed, including:

• understanding of main ideas
• understanding of specific factual information
• recognizing the opinions, attitudes, and purpose of a speaker
• following the development of an argument.

Marking

The IELTS Listening test contains 40 questions. Each correct answer is awarded one mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS nine-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.

Reading

Timing: 60 minutes (no extra transfer time).

Questions

There are 40 questions. A variety of question types are used, chosen from the following: identifying a writer’s views/claims (Yes/No/Not Given), multiple-choice, identifying information (True/False/Not Given), matching information, matching sentence endings, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, sentence completion, matching headings, matching features, summary completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions.

Test Parts: There are 3 sections. The total text length is 2,150-2,750 words.

Academic Reading 

• Each area contains one long content. Texts are genuine and are taken from books, diaries, magazines, and papers. 
• They have been composed for a non-master crowd and are on scholastic points of general intrigue. Texts are fitting to, and open to, test takers entering undergrad or postgraduate courses or looking for proficient enlistment. 
• Texts go from the expressive and accurate to the desultory and expository. Texts may contain non-verbal materials, for example, charts, diagrams or representations. On the off chance that Texts contain specialized terms, at that point, a basic glossary is given. 

General Training Reading 

• Section 1 contains a few short verifiable Texts, one of which might be composite (comprising of 6-8 short messages related by point, for example, lodging notices). Subjects are pertinent to regular daily existence in an English-talking nation. 
• Section 2 contains two short authentic Texts concentrating on work-related issues (for example going after positions, organization approaches, pay and conditions, working environment offices, staff advancement and preparing). 
• Section 3 contains one longer, progressively complex content on a point of general intrigue. 

Texts are credible and are taken from sees, promotions, organization handbooks, official records, books, magazines, and papers.

Skills assessed

A wide range of reading skills is assessed, including:

• reading for gist
• reading for main ideas
• reading for detail
• understanding inferences and implied meaning
• recognizing the writer’s opinions, attitudes, and purpose
• following the development of an argument.

Marking

The IELTS Reading test contains 40 inquiries. Each right answer is granted one mark. Scores out of 40 are changed over to the IELTS nine-band scale. Scores are accounted for in the entire and half groups. 

The Academic and General Training Reading tests are evaluated on a similar scale. The differentiation between the two tests is one sort of content sort. Be that as it may, Academic Reading tests may contain writings that highlight progressively troublesome jargon or more prominent intricacy of style. It is normal that a more noteworthy number of inquiries must be addressed accurately on a General Training Reading test to verify a given band score. 

Writing

Timing: 60 minutes

Tasks: There are 2 tasks. You are required to write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2.

Test Parts: There are 2 parts.

Academic Writing 

• In Task 1, you have presented a diagram, table, graph or outline and are approached to portray, condense or clarify the data in your own words. You might be approached to portray and clarify information, depict the phases of a procedure, how something works or depict an article or occasion. 
• In Task 2, you are approached to compose an exposition in light of a point of view, contention or issue. 
• The issues raised are of general enthusiasm to, reasonable for and effectively comprehended by test takers entering undergrad or postgraduate investigations or looking for proficient enrollment. 
• Responses to Task 1 and Task 2 ought to be written in an Academic, semi-formal/impartial style. 

General Training Writing 

• In Task 1, you have presented a situation and are approached to compose a letter mentioning data or clarifying the situation. The letter might be close to home or semi-formal/unbiased in style. 
• In Task 2, you are approached to compose a paper in light of a point of view, contention or issue. The paper can be marginally more close to home in style than the Academic Writing Task 2 exposition. 
• Subjects are of general intrigue. 

Skills assessed

In both tasks, you are assessed on your ability to write a response which is appropriate in terms of:

• content
• the organization of ideas
• the accuracy and range of vocabulary and grammar.

Academic Writing 

• In Task 1, depending upon the errand type, you are evaluated on your capacity to arrange, exhibit and perhaps come close information; to depict the phases of a procedure or system; to portray an article or occasion or succession of occasions; to clarify how something works. 
• In Task 2, depending upon the errand type, you are surveyed on your capacity to exhibit an answer for an issue; to introduce and legitimize a sentiment; to look into proof, assessments and suggestions; to assess and challenge thoughts, proof or a contention. 

General Training Writing 

• In Task 1, depending upon the undertaking type, you are evaluated on your capacity to take part in close to home correspondence so as to: evoke and give general genuine data; express needs, needs, different preferences; express sentiments (sees, grievances and so on.). 
• In Task 2, you are surveyed on your capacity to give general accurate data; to layout an issue and present an answer; to exhibit and perhaps legitimize a feeling; to assess and challenge thoughts, proof or a contention.

Marking

Examiners use assessment criteria to award a band score for each of the four criteria:

• Task Achievement (for Task 1), Task Response (for Task 2)
• Coherence and Cohesion
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The criteria are weighted equally and the score on the task is the average.

Speaking

Timing: 11-14 minutes

Test Parts: There are 3 Parts. 

• Part 1 Introduction and interview (4-5 minutes): The examiner presents him/herself and requests that you present yourself and affirm your personality. The inspector asks you general inquiries on recognizable subjects, for example, home, family, work, studies and interests. 
• Part 2 Individual long turn (3-4 minutes): The examiner gives you an assignment card that gets some information about a specific theme and which incorporates focuses you can cover in your discussion. You are given 1 moment to set up your discussion and are given a pencil and paper to make notes. You talk for 1-2 minutes on the theme. The inspector may then pose a couple of inquiries on a similar subject. 
• Part 3 Two-way discussion (4-5 minutes): The examiner poses further inquiries that are associated with the subject of Part 2. These inquiries offer you a chance to talk about increasingly unique issues and thoughts. 

Skills evaluated 

A wide scope of talking skills is evaluated, including: 

• the capacity to impart feelings and data on regular themes and normal encounters and circumstances by responding to a scope of inquiries 
• the capacity to talk finally on a given subject utilizing fitting language and arranging thoughts reasonably 
• the capacity to express and legitimize conclusions and to break down, talk about and hypothesize about issues.

Marking

Examiners use assessment criteria to award a band score for each of the four criteria:

• Fluency and Coherence
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
• Pronunciation

The criteria are weighted equally and the Speaking band score is the average.

How IELTS is scored

IELTS results are reported on a 9-band scale. The Overall Band Score is the average of the four component scores, rounded to the nearest whole or half band. The component scores are weighted equally.

How would I register? 

Step one - discover your closest IELTS test location

• With more than 1,600 IELTS test areas in more than 140 nations, there will undoubtedly be one close to you. Discover my closest focus. 

Step two - register for your IELTS test 

• You can enroll and pay on the web or download an application structure to print, finish and submit to your nearby test focus. 
• Remember to give a duplicate of your substantial personality record. You will likewise need to introduce a similar personality report upon the arrival of the test. 
• Click Here for Download the application form

Step three - Your IELTS test is reserved 

• When your application has been prepared, the inside will send you a composed affirmation of the date and time of your test. The Speaking and Writing tests ordinarily occur around the same time. On the off chance that this is preposterous, the tests will happen inside seven days of one another. 
• For additional data, contact your neighborhood IELTS test focus or download Candidates booklet. 
• Click Here to download the Candidates Booklet.

IELTS Results 

The Test Report Form 

You will get a Test Report Form which reports a score for every one of the four abilities (listening, reading, writing and speaking), just as a general band score. Half band scores might be granted to demonstrate a solid exhibition inside a specific band. You can discover more data on score preparation and score understanding at ielts.org/criteria. 

Results will be accessible 13 days after the test. At some test focuses test-takers can gather their outcomes on the thirteenth day. At other test focuses results are sent to test takers on the thirteenth day. Test focuses are not allowed to give results out via telephone or by output or email. 

Preview your results online 

You can review your outcomes online 13 days after the test. Results stay online for 28 days. It would be ideal if you note that the online see of results ought not to be utilized as an official affirmation of your exhibition. 

Results validity period 

Associations won't normally acknowledge a Test Report Form that is over two years of age except if you give proof that you have effectively kept up or attempted to improve your English since stepping through the examination. The IELTS Test Partners can't affirm the validity of test outcomes that are over two years of age.