The International English Language Testing System or IELTS is an internationally recognized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It is jointly managed by Cambridge English Language Assessment, the British Council and IDP Education Pvt. Ltd, and was established in 1989. IELTS is one of the two major English-language tests in the world.

There are two versions of the IELTS:
the Academic Version and the General Training Version:

• The Academic Version: Intended for those who want to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education and for professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practice in an English-speaking country.
• The General Training Version is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.

IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand and South African academic institutions, over 3,000 academic institutions in the United States, and various professional organizations across the world.
No minimum score is required to pass the test. An IELTS result or Test Report Form is issued to all candidates with a score from “band 1” (“non-user”) to “band 9” (“expert user”) and each institution sets a different threshold. Band score “0” is in case of absence of a registered candidate. Validity of a test is two years.

• A variety of accents and writing styles have been presented in test materials.
• IELTS tests the ability to listen, read, write and speak in English.
• Band scores are used for each language skill (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). The Band Scale ranges from 0 (“A registered candidate was absent or did not attend the test”) to 9 (“Expert User”).
• The speaking module is conducted in the form of a one-to-one interview with an examiner. The examiner assesses the candidate as he or she is speaking, but the speaking session is also recorded for monitoring as well as re-marking in case of an appeal against the banding given.
• IELTS is developed with input from item writers from around the world. Teams are located in the USA, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other English-speaking nations.

All candidates are tested for four Modules – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking – to obtain a band score All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules, while the Reading and Writing Modules differ depending on whether the candidate is taking the Academic or General Training Versions of the Test.

Listening
The module comprises four sections of increasing difficulty. It takes 40 minutes: 30 – for testing, plus 10 for transferring the answers to an answer sheet. Each section, which can be either a monologue or dialogue, begins with a short introduction telling the candidates about the situation and the speakers. Then they have some time to look through the questions. The first three sections have a break in the middle allowing candidates to look at the remaining questions. Each section is heard only once. At the end of this section students are given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to an answer sheet.

Reading
In the academic module the reading test comprises three sections, with 3 texts normally followed by 13 or 14 questions for a total of 40 questions overall. The General test also has 3 sections. However the texts are shorter, so there can be up to 5 texts to read.

Writing
In the Academic module, there are two tasks: in Task 1 candidates describe a diagram, graph, process or chart, and in Task 2 they respond to an argument. In the General Training module, there are also two tasks: in Task 1 candidates write a letter or explain a situation, and in Task 2 they write an essay.

Speaking
The speaking test contains three sections. The first section takes the form of an interview during which candidates may be asked about their hobbies, interests, reasons for taking IELTS exam as well as other general topics such as clothing, free time, computers and the internet or family. In the second section candidates are given a topic card and then have one minute to prepare after which they must speak about the given topic. The third section involves a discussion between the examiner and the candidate, generally on questions relating to the theme which they have already spoken about in part 2. This last section is more abstract, and is usually considered the most difficult.

The total test duration is around 2 hours and 45 minutes for Listening, Reading and Writing modules.

• Listening: 40 minutes: 30 minutes for which a recording is played centrally and additional 10 minutes for transferring answers onto the answer sheet.
• Reading: 60 minutes.
• Writing: 60 minutes.
• Speaking: 11–15 minutes.

The first three modules – Listening, Reading and Writing (always in that order) – are completed in one day, and in fact are taken with no break in between. The Speaking Module may be takenin the period seven days before or after the other Modules.
The tests are designed to cover the full range of ability from non-user to expert user.

IELTS is scored on a nine-band scale, with each band corresponding to a specified competence in English. Overall Band Scores are reported to the nearest half band.
The following rounding convention applies: if the average across the four skills ends in .25, it is rounded up to the next half band, and if it ends in .75, it is rounded up to the next whole band.
The nine bands are described as follows:

This table can be used for the Listening tests to convert raw scores to band scores. This chart is a guide only, because sometimes the scores adjust slightly depending on how difficult the exam is:

The minimum score accepted for a course ranges from 5.0 to 7.5, depending upon courses and institutes you are applying to. The most common requirement is a band score of 6 to 6.5

• Overcome the special challenges of the IELTS Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking modules.
• Strengthen your IELTS skills.
• Master the support skills which influence your IELTS scores.

• Question types and assessment criteria in all the four (4) modules: Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking.
• Lots of practice tests and activities
• Study materials.
• Test tips and study strategies.
• Language focus sections to develop your grammar* and vocabulary.
• Coaching to give you detailed feedback.
• Practical advice on how to prepare yourself for the IELTS test.

If you’re considering taking the IELTS exam, an IELTS Exam Preparation course will help you succeed! You want to be as prepared as possible when taking your exam. Practice your English and learn the best test-taking strategies with a Kaplan IELTS Exam Preparation course.
An IELTS Exam Preparation course will teach you valuable English skills and strategies for taking the IELTS exam that will make the experience much easier and give you a better score! Learn about the different exam sections, the ways to maximize your exam time, and the types of questions on the IELTS exam.
Take the IELTS Exam Supplementary course if you want to better your English skills, but also want to practice for the exam. In the General English lessons, you will practice reading, writing, listening and speaking, and also improve your grammar and vocabulary.

• Are internationally qualified and highly experienced
• Represent the diversity of the English speaking world
• Use their wide experience to identify and respond to your learning needs
• Result oriented – working toward goals

How will this course help you?
Take our IELTS exam preparation course and you will learn useful strategies and improve your study skills, as well as get enough practice before the big day. The courses are taught by a IELTS trainer who is British Council Trained and possesses in depth knowledge of the exam.

What will you learn?

• General exam techniques
• How to answer each paper
• How to answer questions clearly in the oral exam
• How to improve all four skills

Which materials will you use?

You will benefit from materials specially created by the British Council and the British Council Trained trainer to support you through the learning process.

What support do I get outside class?
You will get free practice tests, free study materials approved and created by The British Council and other IELTS self study materials and the British Council Trained trainer.