What is IELTS?
IELTS - International English Language Testing System
What does IELTS mean?
IELTS is an acronym for International English Language Testing System
What does the IELTS Exam test?
IELTS tests the complete range of English language skills which will commonly be encountered when studying, training or living in English-speaking countries.
These language skills are Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
There are two versions of the IELTS exam: Academic and General Training
What is the difference between Academic and General Training?
In general these versions are taken for the following purpose:
Academic - to study at an English-speaking university. The tasks are normally about the higher learning environment.
General Training - for work experience or immigration purposes. The tasks in the General Training test are normally about workplace, general life or social situations.
The scores for each version are not interchangeable (e.g. you can't use a score from sitting the General Training version when applying to study at a university) so it is important to know which of version of IELTS you need to take before taking the exam.
Which IELTS version is more difficult?
They are both very similar, in fact, the listening and speaking section are exactly the same and both the General Training and Academic version have an essay in the second task of the writing. Some people think the General Training version is a little easier but it depends on your own language skills.
How long is the IELTS exam?
The IELTS Test takes 2 hours and 45 minutes and is divided into the following sections:
Listening - 4 sections (40 questions) - 30 minutes + 10 Answer Transfer
Reading - 3 sections (40 questions) - 60 minutes
Writing - 2 tasks (of at least 150 and 250 words) - 60 minutes
Speaking - 3 Parts - Between 10 and 14 minutes
The first three sections of the IELTS test (Listening, Reading and Writing) and completed on the same day. There is no break between the three sections. The Speaking section may be held on the same day as the other sections (before or after the other sections) or up to 7 days before or after the date of the main sections of the test. This depends on the country where you take the test. For example in Chile, the test is normally on a Saturday with the speaking section on the Friday (the day before) or the same Saturday as the rest of the test.
All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking modules.
The Reading and Writing modules are different depending on whether the Academic or General Training Test is taken.
Where is IELTS recognised?
IELTS is recognised as an entrance requirement by Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand universities and for secondary, vocational and training programmes. American academic institutions are increasingly accepting IELTS for admissions purposes.
IELTS is accepted by many professional organisations world-wide including:
- The New Zealand Immigration Service
- The Australian Department of Immigration
- The Australian Medical Council
- The UK General Medical Council
- The UK Ministry of Defence
To see how the IELTS exam is scored, see: IELTS Scores - Interpretation of Results
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