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I E L T S t e s t O N L I N E w w w . i e l t s t e s t o n l i n e . c o m

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Online IELTS eBook

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Structure of the test .......................................................................................................................3

The speaking test: .................................................................................................................................................................. 3

The listening test: ................................................................................................................................................................... 4

The reading test: ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4

The writing test: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Frequently asked questions ............................................................................................................5

What is IELTS? ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5

What is the difference between General and Academic IELTS? ........................................................................... 5

Why take IELTS? ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5

How do I know what IELTS score I need?..................................................................................................................... 5

How long does the test take? ............................................................................................................................................. 6

Can I study alone or do I need to attend a course?.................................................................................................. 6

Is my test easier if I book through the British Council or IDP: IELTS Australia? .......................................... 6

Are there any good books to study from? ..................................................................................................................... 6

What skills can I learn to get a good result?................................................................................................................ 6

What does 'IELTS' stand for?.............................................................................................................................................. 6

How long is my IELTS result valid for? ........................................................................................................................... 6

Should I take IELTS, TOEIC or TOEFL? What's the difference? ............................................................................ 7

How many formats of IELTS test are there? ................................................................................................................ 7

I think my result is unfair - should I get it re-marked?........................................................................................... 7

How often can I take the test? .......................................................................................................................................... 7

Is the IELTS test recognised in the USA? ...................................................................................................................... 7

Who owns IELTS - the British Council? Cambridge? IDP Australia? ................................................................... 8

Tips and hints for the IELTS speaking test .....................................................................................9

Tips and hints for the IELTS writing test .....................................................................................11

Tips and hints for the IELTS listening test ...................................................................................12

Tips and hints for the IELTS reading test.....................................................................................14


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Structure of the test

The IELTS test has four parts - speaking, listening, reading and writing. The entire test takes just

under three hours, although this depends on when your speaking test is and how your test centre

takes breaks. In most test centres, the speaking is first, followed by listening then reading and

finishing with the writing. However, in other test centres, the speaking can be on a different day to the

rest of the test. Contact your local test centre to find out exactly how they administer the test. It is

also worth asking whether they use headphones or a speaker system. Remember that the more

information you have before the day of the test, the more prepared you will be.

The speaking test:

The speaking takes between 11 and 14 minutes and is face to face with an examiner. There are three

parts to the speaking. In the first section, you will be asked question about yourself, your interests

and your habits. The questions are about common subjects - your hometown, sports you are

interested in, newspapers you read etc. The examiner will ask you between two and four questions on

each topic, and there will be three different topics.

In the second part of the test, you will be given a topic card. The card will have one main point with

four sub-questions. For example:

Describe a subject you enjoyed at school.

You should say:

What subject it was

When you studied it

Who taught you

You should also say why you enjoyed it.

You will then be given one minute to prepare some notes about what you are going to say. After this

preparation time, you will be asked to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. The examiner will

ask you one or two questions about what you said to finish this section of the test.

In the third part of the test, the examiner will be asking you more general questions and looking for

more in-depth answers. The questions will be related to the subject of the topic card. For example, if

you have a topic card about a subject you enjoyed at school, you can expect Part III questions to

focus on education. This section of the test can be the most difficult, as you may be asked about


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things you have never really thought about and may require you to think quickly to find something

suitable to say.

The listening test:

The listening has four sections and takes about 40 minutes. The first two sections will be a general

situation and the second two sections will be about academic subjects. The first and third section will

be dialogues with at least two speakers. The second and fourth sections are monologues (a single

speaker presenting a subject). The listening test is the same for candidates taking the Academic or the

General Training IELTS test. There are 40 questions (approximately 10 questions for each section).

There are a number of different question types: multiple choice, short-answer questions, summary

completion, matching, classifying, labelling and others. Often the recordings in the listening section

are divided into two parts. You listen to the first part, answer the questions, then listen to the second

part and answer the questions. You are given some time before each section of the listening to read

the questions and some time at the end to check our answers. When the recording has finished, you

are given ten minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

The reading test:

There are some differences between the General Training and Academic module of the IELTS reading

test. In the Academic reading test there are three reading passages of between 700 and 1000 words

each and a total of 40 questions. In the General Training test, you have three sections, but the first

two sections are based on shorter reading texts such as advertisements or informative pamphlets.

Only the third text has between 700 and 1000 words. For both Academic and General IELTS, there are

more question types in the reading than the listening. In addition to those listed in the listening

section of this page, there are True/False/Not Given questions and headings questions. You have 60

minutes to complete the questions and transfer your answers to the answer sheet. You must transfer

your answers within these 60 minutes.

The writing test:

The writing section of the test is also different depending on whether you are taking the Academic or

General Training test. In the Academic test, you will have to write 150 words describing information in

a graph, a chart or a process. You will then have to write 250 words about an essay topic. In the

General IELTS tests you also write a 250-word essay, but for the first task you write a letter. In both

tests you have one hour to complete both tasks. In most test centres, you will be required to with a

pencil, not a pen.


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Frequently asked questions

What is IELTS?

The IELTS examination (International English Language Testing System) is an international

examination which tests the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Worldwide, over

4700 education institutions, professional and governmental bodies accept IELTS as a reliable indicator

of English language competency. More than 700,000 candidates take IELTS each year in 120

countries; making it one of the fastest growing English language examinations today.

The IELTS examination is administered by the British Council and IDP Australia in numerous test

centres throughout the world. There are two types of IELTS examination; Academic IELTS which is

most often used for university entrance and General IELTS which is often used for immigration

purposes. Candidates are awarded grades on a scale of 0 to 9 (9 being equivalent to native speaker

level).

What is the difference between General and Academic IELTS?

The speaking and listening tests are the same, however Task I of the writing test is very different (in

Academic IELTS students are required to complete a task such as describing data from a graph; in

General IELTS students may need to write a letter of complaint or complete a similar task). There are

slight differences in the reading texts and Task II essays faced by General and Academic candidates.

Why take IELTS?

IELTS is recognised by universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK as proof of meeting

the English language entry requirement. Over 900 universities and professional bodies in the U.S.A.

now also accept IELTS. Go to www.ielts.org for more information. IELTS is a requirement for

immigration to Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Many professional bodies, such as the Nursing

Council, require applicants to achieve a level of competency in IELTS in order to receive registration.

How do I know what IELTS score I need?

If you are studying IELTS in order to be accepted at an institution or become affiliated to a

professional body, check directly with the institution or organisation as to what IELTS score you need,

as these vary from course to course and may also be amended from year to year; in the same way

immigration requirements can change and it is advisable to check with the immigration service of your

intended destination in order to be sure that your knowledge of requirements is up to date.


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How long does the test take?

The test takes just under three hours. Writing and reading both take one hour each, the listening

takes about 35 minutes and the speaking is no more than 14 minutes.

Can I study alone or do I need to attend a course?

Studying in a class definitely has advantages, but there are also advantages to self study. You can go

at your own speed, repeat anything you personally find difficult and move quicker through areas which

you are confident in.

Is my test easier if I book through the British Council or IDP: IELTS Australia?

There are lots of rumours about whether it is easier through IDP or the British Council, but they are

only rumours. It is possible to have a more lenient examiner rating your speaking or w riting, but

that's just luck and can happen from either the British Council or IDP Australia.

Are there any good books to study from?

There are quite a few titles available, but the best are High Impact IELTS, Insight into IELTS and

Focus on IELTS. There are also Cambridge IELTS Practice tests which are excellent for practise but

they do not teach you any skills. WARNING: Do not buy Cambridge IELTS Book 1 or 2 - the test has

changed slightly since they were published.

What skills can I learn to get a good result?

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this. There are so many aspects to this test that it largely

depends on your personal strengths and weaknesses. Studying the Online IELTS course will help you

practice and perfect your skills to get the best possible result.

What does 'IELTS' stand for?

International English Language Testing System

How long is my IELTS result valid for?

The TRF (test report form) is valid for 2 years from the date you took the test.


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Should I take IELTS, TOEIC or TOEFL? What's the difference?

It really depends what you want to use the result for. The UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada all

require an IELTS test result for academic study or for immigration purposes. An increasing number of

institutions in the USA are accepting IELTS now. TOEIC is mostly used in Asian countries and is

considered more a test of business English rather than academic or general English. Before booking a

test, it is best to contact the institution you would like to attend first.

How many formats of IELTS test are there?

The IELTS test has two formats- the Academic Module and the General Training. Academic IELTS is

taken when candidates are looking to study in an English speaking country. General IELTS is used

primarily for immigration and employment purposes.

I think my result is unfair - should I get it re-marked?

If you get equally low scores for all sections of the test (reading, writing, listening and speaking) then

it is unlikely that a re-mark is going to make a positive difference. If you get significantly lower in one

skill and you can't see any reason why (you answered all the questions on the answer sheet or you

wrote the minimum number of words for the writing), then it may be worth asking for a re -mark.

However, it is nearly as expensive to take the test again as it is to get a test re-marked, and it is rare

that your result will be improved. There is the possibility that your mark can even be lowered, so I

would only suggest this is you are absolutely convinced it is unfair.

How often can I take the test?

Since May 2006, it has been possible to take your test as often as you like without having to wait 90

days. Of course, it makes sense to wait until you test report form comes back to see which areas you

need to focus on or whether you actually did better than you thought!

Is the IELTS test recognised in the USA?

The IELTS test is becoming increasingly recognised in the USA. Click here

(http://www.cambridgeesol.org/recognition/results.php?region=USA&type=&IELTS=on) for a list of


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post-graduate institutions that currently accept IELTS. If the institution you were looking for is not on

the list, it is definitely worth contacting them directly.

Who owns IELTS - the British Council? Cambridge? IDP Australia?

The British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia both administer the test, but it is run in conjunction with

Cambridge ESOL. Technically, all three institutions own IELTS.


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Tips and hints for the IELTS speaking test

Practice techniques

The easiest advice to give for the IELTS speaking test is to speak naturally and clearly, but of course

on the day of the test this can be very hard to do, especially if you have not had the opportunity to

practice in front of a native speaker. One way to help prepare yourself for this, especially if you

normally feel a little nervous when speaking English, is to practice either with a tape recorder or in

front of a mirror. By practicing with a tape recorder you get to play back what you said and can aim to

improve. By practicing in front of a mirror, you get some practice at speaking in what will first seem

like a strange and uncomfortable situation, but over time and with practice you will be able to relax

more easily.

Pacing yourself

One of the most common failings in the IELTS test is when candidates make a small error or are just

nervous and begin to talk too fast. This will inevitably lead to making more mistakes but will also

mean you will have to say more to fill the time. The examiner is required to continue the interview for

at least 11 minutes (unless you say absolutely nothing!) so the more controlled you are and the more

you can pace yourself then the less you actually have to say (meaning less time to say something

incorrectly!).

Be realistic

There are very few reasons apart from pride why it is essential that you score the top band in IELTS,

so be realistic with yourself. Remember that this is not your first language and mistakes may well

happen. If you find you have just said something incorrectly, stop, identify the weakness, rephrase

yourself emphasising the corrected section and continue. For example

"In my home town, there are a famous museum which..., oh, excuse me, I mean there IS a famous

museum which ...."

It is important that you do not continue to think about mistakes you may have made but to focus on

what you are saying and plan what to say next. Remember that the speaking test lasts over 10


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minutes, and even in your native language you can very easily make an accidental error or two in that

amount of time - it does not necessarily mean that your ability is low.

The topic card

In the second part of the speaking test you are given a topic card (look at the structure of the test if

you are unfamiliar with the topic card). Before you speak, you will have one minute to prepare what

you are going to say and you will be given a pencil and some paper. During this time it is essential

that you make as many notes as possible, using the prompts on the topic card to help you. Try to

write single words or phrases rather than sentences - remember that you should be speaking to the

examiner, not reading, and single words or phrases allow you to look quickly and then look back at

the examiner. As mentioned, you are given one minute to prepare these notes. Make sure you always

use the full minute; the examiner will tell you when your preparation time is over. There are a number

of reasons why it is important to use this time:

it gives you as much time as possible for your brain to start thinking of things to say

the test lasts for at least 11 minutes - the more time you spend writing notes the less time

you have to spend speaking

the examiner will not think that because you didn't use the full minute you are confident and

have excellent English - there is a risk that they will think you did not understand that you had

one minute to prepare.

Keep going!

The longer you can talk about the subject the examiner has asked you about, the longer you more you

get to control the interview. Short answers do not allow the examiner to judge your speaking ability so

they will have to keep asking questions, leading you to potentially make more and more mistakes. The

examiner will change the subject and will interrupt you if they have heard enough and want you to

talk about something else. Unlike normal life, the more you are interrupted, the better you are doing!

Final notes

During the test, the examiner will be looking for your ability to communicate in English. Like the

writing, this is best achieved by being accurate and clear, even if this means not using the very best

vocabulary. If stating your point of view clearly is best achieved in shorter sentences, then do so -

extended sentences with errors are far less communicative!


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Tips and hints for the IELTS writing test

Be clear

The IELTS test is basically a test of your ability to communicate in English, so the first and most

important rule in the writing test is to be clear. The best vocabulary in the world will not give you a

good result if the examiner does not understand the sentences. If you think your point can be made in

shorter, accurate sentences, then that is how you should respond.

Answering the question

Consider how may parts there are to the question. Often, an IELTS Task II title will have up to three

parts (the general topic, the specific topic and task words). You need to make sure that you are

answering the specific topic.

Planning

There are many different approaches to the IELTS exam, but the most successful candidates do well in

the writing test if they have planned what they are going to write. There are a number of stages to

planning, and you will need to practice them all to make sure you get the best result you can.

Length

Some candidates find it difficult to write a sufficient number of words (Task I is 150 words, Task II is

250). One way to make sure you write enough is to follow a format when writing paragraphs - your

point, support for your point and a clear and relevant example.

Academic writing

Avoid phrasal verbs, abbreviations (also raises the number of words), rhetorical questions,

exaggerations, capital letters, exclamation marks. Use the passive voice. Be clear but not passionate.

Final notes

Before you even begin writing, you should have a very clear idea of what you are going to say in your

essay. This means planning, preparation - and plenty of practice!


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Tips and hints for the IELTS listening test

Staying focused

One of the main problem candidates have during the listening test is staying focused you have

practiced and prepared for the test, you have paid the money and you have gone to the test centre.

Yet for some reason, halfway through listening to the recording, your mind is distracted by a question,

a noise in the exam room, or some other interference, and you find that you have missed some

important information. One way to keep you focused on the listening is to picture the speaker or

speakers and imagine that they are directly addressing you. In a normal situation, if someone is

talking to you, you can maintain your concentration because you are involved, and it is this same

involvement that you need to create with the listening test. In addition, when there are two or more

speakers, you should be thinking about the relationship between them are they friends? Colleagues?

Class mates?

Practice your concentration

One tip commonly used in good IELTS classes is to play a short section from any tape recording. Play

only 10 seconds of the tape to begin, try and follow as closely as possible and then make notes on

what you heard. Play the tape again and check. Your aim should not be to write word-for-word what

you hear, but the general exchange and details involved. Once you can do this, slowly extend the

amount of tape you listen to, aiming for being able to listen for up to 5 minutes and still take effective

notes.

Time management

In the listening test, you only get to hear the recording once, so it is of course important to be

accurate first time. However, throughout the test you are given short periods of time (normally 30

seconds) to read the questions, and this is where practice makes perfect. In these 30 second breaks

you need to:

Identify the question words (who, where, when etc)

Identify the key words

Take note of the qualifying words (some, all, most etc)


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Generally, you have between 4 and 6 questions to read in the 30 seconds, but sometimes in the last

section of the listening you need to read up to ten questions.

Listening for the answers

Of course, your aim is to listen for the answers so you should have the question in mind as the

recording is playing. However, ensure that you are considering not only the next question but also the

one following. For example, if you are listening for the answer to question 1, you should also be

listening for the answer to question 2. There are two reasons for this:

you may have missed the answer for question one, and if you continue waiting for it you will lose more

and more points

sometimes the answers can come quite close together, so as you are writing the answer for question 1 you

could miss the answer for question 2.

Final notes

The answers to the listening test always come in order of the listening. However, there are often

occasions when the speakers repeat key information, so dont necessarily assume you have made a

mistake. For example, you might hear the answer to question 1, then the answer to question 2, then

confirmation again of question 1. This does not mean you are now listening for question 2 again you

should be listening for question 3 and also considering question 4.

Do not waste time during the recording transferring you answer to the answer booklet. You are given

ten minutes at the end of the test to transfer your answers.

Remember that if the instructions you are given tell you to complete the answer in NO MORE THAN

THREE WORDS, make sure it is no more than three words. In addition, if the instructions say NO

MORE THAN THREE WORDS OR A NUMBER, then you can logically expect at least one of the

answers to be a number


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Tips and hints for the IELTS reading test

Getting an idea of the text

Before you can hope to answer any questions about the reading text, it is obviously important to have

some idea of what the text is talking about. By looking at the title, any subheadings and any

illustrations that may be in the text, you should begin to get a picture of what the text is referring to.

Next you should turn to the questions.

Looking at the questions

When looking at the questions, it is best to focus on only those of the same type. For example, if

questions 1 to 4 are multiple choice and question 5 to 10 are summary completion, focus only on the

multiple choice to begin. Read the questions very carefully. You should consider:

Question words (who, when where etc)

Other keywords

Qualifying words (a few, all, many, all but a few)

Also consider that when the questions refer to people or specific places, or to words in italics, then you can

expect to find exactly the same words in the text. For other keywords you should consider potential

synonyms (words with the same or similar meanings) to the keywords

Locating the answers

One common skill that is taught in IELTS classes is to read the topic sentences (the first few sentences

and the last few sentences) of each paragraph. This is a useful skill for questions that are asking for

general information such as headings questions, but not so useful with specific answer questions. In

this case, you will need to locate the paragraph you think is most appropriate to the question and read

that paragraph more carefully. It is a good idea to follow the reading with your finger or your pencil,

to make sure that you do not accidentally jump a line. When you have located the section which

references the answer, make sure to read the sentences above and below carefully to make sure you

have the correct information.

Transferring your answers


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Remember that in the reading test, you are not given any additional time to transfer your answers,

and you will only be marked on those answers that are written on the answer sheet. However, rather

than putting your answers directly on the answer sheet, use the question booklet at this stage. When

you have completed the first question type of the reading, move on to the next, aga in using the skills

mentioned in Looking at the questions and Locating the answers. Repeat this for all of the question

types based on the first reading text (there are normally no more than three different question types

for each text). At this point, you should transfer all of the answers to the answer sheet. By waiting

until this point to transfer your answers, you will have a more in-depth understanding of the text and

might notice an answer you decided upon earlier is not actually the best.

The third text

Repeat all of the stages above for the second text, but for the third text it is advisable to put your

answer directly onto the answer sheet. The reason for this is that the time can run out if you are not

careful. If you find you do have time remaining, then you can use this time to review these answers.

Final notes

There are a couple of general points that are worth keeping in mind. There are 40 questions in the

reading test, all of which are awarded 1 point. With only 60 minutes to complete the test, that means

you have only 1.5 minutes per question. Add to that the time you need to read the questions and the

text and transfer your answers, and it becomes closer to 30 seconds for locating one answer.

Logically, if a question is taking you more than 30 seconds, you are potentially running out of time

and may not get to some questions which would have been easier. It is best to move on but clearly

mark in the question booklet which questions you have not finished.

If you still havent been able to locate an answer by the last minute of the test, make sure to put

something on the answer sheet, even if it is only a guess you do not lose points for a wrong answer.


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If you have any questions about this eBook or any other issues relating to IELTS, then contact us on

[email protected]

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