IELTS EXAM

What is IELTS and who conducts IELTS?

IELTS is an English language exam that is required to be taken by international candidates

considering studying or working in a country where English is the main language of
communication. Most popular countries where IELTS is accepted for university admissions are
the UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Canada. The exam mainly measures the ability of
test-takers to communicate in the four basic English language skills – listening, reading,
speaking, and writing. IELTS exam is jointly owned and conducted by IDP Education Australia,
British Council, and Cambridge English Language Assessment

IELTS test is jointly owned by:

 British Council

 IDP IELTS Australia (International Development Program)

 Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)

Candidates have this doubt about who is best for IELTS, British Council or IDP? Where they
should take the IELTS test? However, there is no difference between both the agencies, whether
you take IELTS from British Council or IDP. So, you can take the IELTS exam conducted by
any of the agency.

Why IELTS Exam is required?

IELTS 2019 exam is required for migration as well as academic purpose abroad in English speaking
countries like Australia, UK, New Zealand, USA, and Canada. It is the only English Language Test
approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for visa applicants applying both outside and inside
the UK. A lot of students get confused about why are the IELTS scores required. The simple answer
to this is that foreign universities and visa granting authorities need to be sure that you will not have
communication issues while staying in the country. You need to show a good understanding and
strong command of the English language and that is why your overall IELTS scores are so important.
Another common doubt students have is whether IELTS is a compulsory exam or not. No, IELTS
isn’t compulsory in all university admissions. Many universities might not even require IELTS
scores for admission purposes. But remember that if you don’t give IELTS, your chances of getting
the student visa might suffer as the visa officers may not be convinced about your English
proficiency without IELTS scores. So it is safer to appear for IELTS and aim to score at least 6 bands
overall.

You can take the IELTS exam with the British Council or IDP up to once a week (four times a
month). The British Council and IDP global schedule for test dates are 48 days per year.

Types of IELTS
There are two types of IELTS exam:

Listening and speaking sections are the same for both these tests, however, the subject matter for the
writing and reading sections are different depending on which test one takes. The Reading, Writing
and Listening sections of the IELTS tests are completed on the same day of the test with no breaks
between them. However, the Speaking section can be completed either a week before or after the
other tests date. This information test can be taken from your test centre

 IELTS Academic Test

IELTS Academic is taken by those who apply for higher education or professional registration
abroad.
 IELTS General Test
IELTS General Test is taken by those who wish to migrate to major English speaking countries like
Canada, Australia, and the UK. This test is also taken by those who want to enroll in training
programs or secondary education or wants to gain work experience in a country where English is the
main language used for communication.
IELTS Eligibility
IELTS can be taken by anyone irrespective of age, gender, race, nationality or religion, however,
the IELTS test is not recommended for those under 16 years of age.
What is the age limit to appear for the IELTS exam?

Minimum age requirement is lowered for language requirements for Canadian citizenship: Due
to changes in the Citizenship Act in Canada, the minimum age that applicants have to prove their
language proficiency for Canadian citizenship has been lowered. From June 2015, applicants
between the ages of 14-64 who wish to move to Canada have to meet language requirements set
by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).
How many attempts can be given for IELTS?

There is no limit set by the conducting bodies of IELTS for taking the IELTS exam. You can
take the IELTS test as many times as you want until you get your dream/target score. However,
you have to pay the IELTS test fee for every attempt.
What is the educational eligibility to give IELTS exam?
As such, there are no minimum eligibility criteria for IELTS set by the conducting bodies of
IELTS. Anyone who wishes to pursue higher studies abroad or want to work abroad can attempt
the IELTS exam (both Academic and General Training). However, candidates should always
check the eligibility criteria set by the educational institution or organization where they are
applying

IELTS Test Pattern

 The IELTS exam pattern 2019 comprises of four sections, Listening, Reading, Writing
and Speaking. The candidates are tested on these four parameters. The International
English Language Testing System (IELTS exam) can be given in two formats namely
IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training Test. Candidates should check the
requirement of the college/university they are applying to and then prepare accordingly.
IELTS Academic is accepted by universities worldwide where candidates apply for
pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate courses. The IELTS test pattern includes 4
sections which evaluate the candidates' ability on various parameters
 IELTS Syllabus includes different sections, Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
The complete test duration is 2 hours and 45 minutes.
 Listening: The total length of this section is 30 minutes and it is divided into four parts
candidates have to answer different types of 40 questions.
 Reading: The reading section comprises of three texts of general interest that deals with
issues which are suitable for candidates going to pursue post-graduate or undergraduate
program. Total time for this section is 30 minutes and it comprises of almost 40
questions.
 Writing: The duration of this section is 60 minutes and comprises of two questions where
candidates are expected to write a short essay of a minimum of 250 words. In addition to
this, students are given a data, table, or diagram which the candidates have to explain in
their own words.
 Speaking: The total time of this section varies from 11 to 14 minutes and candidates also
have to give a face-to-face interview. With the help of this section, the candidates are
checked whether they can communicate effectively in the country where they have
applied.