What is IELTS?

IELTS is an English language proficiency test required for studying or migrating purposes to English-speaking countries USA, UK, Canada and Australia. This test helps people seek admission to an educational institute or move to an English-speaking country. Students or professionals dreaming of studying or moving overseas can gain a lot of opportunities by taking the IELTS exam. A person can easily experience success in a foreign land and several opportunities open up for them after appearing for this test. An IELTS test also helps students seek admission to world-renowned universities & educational institutions and later on go for permanent residency in that nation.

IELTS Exam Format

The IELTS Exam is structured in the following way:

The most important query about the IELTS exam that comes to an aspirant’s mind is ‘What is the format of the IELTS exam?’ Well, the IELTS test is mainly structured into four sections – Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. This test assesses the ability of a person to comprehend, write and speak in the English language.

The Listening, Reading and Writing tests are conducted on a single day, while the Speaking test is conducted “on a different day” or “on a different date”. The Speaking test slot can be booked online or offline as well “on a date of” the test taker’s preference. In case, the student does not book his speaking test, it is automatically booked for him. The total time of the IELTS exam is approximately 2 hours and 45 minute for Listening, Reading and Writing tests. The Speaking test takes about 11 to 14 minutes to be conducted.

Different Versions of the IELTS Exam

The IELTS test has two different versions as follows:

1. IELTS Academic Version: This version of the IELTS test is mainly for students who wish to study in the English-speaking nations like Canada, New Zealand, Australia and UK.
2. IELTS General Training Version: This version of the IELTS test is taken by people who wish to migrate or work in the nations like Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and United Kingdom.

IELTS Exam Syllabus for Academic and General Training Version

The IELTS exam has four different sections – Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The IELTS exam is structured in different manners for both versions although it is assessed in the same manner.

The Listening and Speaking sections are the same for both versions. There are differences in the Reading and Writing sections between the two versions. The Reading section for the General Training version consists of four Short Passages and one Long Passage, whereas the Academic Version consists of three Long Passages. Though the total number of questions is 40 in both versions of the test. For the Writing section, both versions have two Tasks. The General training version has a letter and a short essay, whereas the Academic version has a report and a short essay as two writing tasks.

IELTS Exam Fee in India

Cancellation or Reschedule Fee for IELTS Exam

In case you would like to cancel or reschedule your IELTS exam, you need to keep the following points in mind:

• You will receive a refund minus administration fees if you cancel or reschedule your IELTS test more than five weeks before the test date.
• If you cancel or reschedule your IELTS within five weeks of the test date, you will be charged the entire cost for the test unless you have some major medical issues.
• If a medical certificate is presented within five days of the test date, you will be given a refund less any applicable local administrative fees.

How to register for the IELTS exam?

The process to register for the IELTS test is very simple. You need to keep your Passport handy while registering for the test and need to follow a few simple steps as follows:

1. Visit the official IDP website.
2. Create an online account on the website for registration.
3. Locate the nearest test centre.
4. Complete your registration details on the website .
5. You can pay the fee online by Debit Card, Credit Card or even Netbanking.

After registering for the test, every student will receive a written confirmation from the test centre. This confirmation will be about the date and time of the test .

IELTS Exam Eligibility

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a standardized test that helps you prove your English proficiency study and or work in a country where English is the dominant language. It is accepted by institutions located in the USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and others. The IELTS exam checks your English language proficiency by assessing your speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills, and the scores are evaluated on a scale ranging from 1 to 9. The British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge English all jointly own IELTS. If candidates fulfil the conditions below, they are eligible to take an IELTS exam.

• A candidate must have a valid passport 
• They should be above 16 years of age

IELTS Exam Eligibility: Age Criteria

While there is no minimum age limit for test takers to apply for IELTS, it is recommended that the candidate should be at least 16 years of age.

IELTS Eligibility: Educational Eligibility

The IDP sets no specific educational eligibility criteria. Any candidate who wishes to work or study in an English-speaking country can register for the test.

Which countries accept IELTS?

• UK
• USA
• Canada
• Australia
• New Zealand

Below-mentioned is the table that shows the minimum IELTS band requirements for the above-mentioned countries:

Why is it important for Indian candidates to appear for IELTS?

• Its the foremost requirement for enrolling in any course abroad
• Its recognized Worldwide
• For getting better proficiency in the English language
• It helps you assess your English language abilities

What is the advantage of taking IELTS?

There are many advantages that are associated with giving an IELTS exam

1. This standardized language test is recognized globally by both institutions & governments
2. It helps students prove their English Language proficiency
3. It helps candidates get admission to their preferred institution
4. This test can help candidates in professional registrations.
5. It helps the students as well as institutions test their skills in the English language.

IELTS Special Requirements

People who fall under the below-mentioned categories are provided special arrangements;

• Those who find learning difficult in the first place
• Those who cannot hear properly
• People with visual impairments
• Individuals with any medical or serious health issue

If the applicant notifies the authorities at least three months before the exam, they may be entitled to special accommodations at the exam sites. Additionally, the authorities must provide their consent. There are no IELTS eligibility requirements provided by conducting organizations like the British Council or IDP. Candidates who want to study abroad must have a basic understanding of English because most universities and educational institutions teach their curricula in English. 

IELTS Syllabus

International English Language Testing System has two main test versions: Academic and General Training. First, you need to know which version you have to take. IELTS General is for those applicants who wish to apply for a permanent residency or a work visa in an English-speaking nation. If you want international academic exposure, IELTS Academic is an apt choice. Both tests evaluate a candidate's ability to use English in a real-world setting. Next question that you would have is whether there is any IELTS syllabus for the same or if there are any books in any schools that you can join to prepare for the IELTS. Well! The answer is yes; many institutes in the market offer classes for the practice of the same. Many books are there to help you, but no fixed book can confirm your range of topics.

Let's take a look at the range of topics for both versions.

THE FOUR MODULES (General Training)

1- IELTS Writing - General

It lasts for 60 minutes. (It is recommended that you devote 20 minutes to Task 1 and 40 minutes to Task 2).

The number of tasks and questions: 2.

Task 1: Writing a letter (minimum word requirement - 150): Informal, semi-formal, or formal and in this, you may be asked to provide information, invite someone, explain a situation etc.

Task 2: Writing an essay (word requirement minimum 250). Essay writing in response to a viewpoint, defense, or issue.

Note: Task 2 (Essay) evaluation carries more leverage in terms of marking/band score than Task 1 (Letter).

The topics for the same are not specific, but the types of essays and letters are specified.

2- IELTS Listening - General

Duration: 30 minutes. (If you take the IELTS test on paper, you get an additional 10 minutes to transfer your response to the answer sheet.)

Total Questions: 40.

You will have to listen to recordings of native English speakers and their responses to a series of questions in the Listening module of the IELTS exam, which is divided into four sections (40 questions are present).

PART 1: A discussion between two people occurs in a typical social setting.

PART 2: A monologue presented in a typical social setting, such as a speech about neighborhood amenities or a visit to an area.

PART 3: A conversation between up to four people in an educational or training context, like a university lecturer and a student talking about a project.

PART 4: A monologue about a subject in school, like a lecture at a university.

Task Types: The IELTS GT listening section includes multiple-choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling, form/note/table/flowchart/summary completion, and sentence completion questions.

3- IELTS Reading - General

Duration: 60 minutes.

Total Questions: 40.

Three sections make up the IELTS GT Reading test.

13–14 questions are included in each section.

Section 1: Comprises two texts/passages. (It includes advertisements, announcements, notices etc.)

Section 2: Comprises two texts/passages. (It includes advertisements, announcements, notices etc.)

Section 3: Has a long reading passage. (It includes published texts)

Task Types: The IELTS Academic Reading section consists of several different question types, such as multiple choice, matching headings, identifying information, short-answer questions, identifying the writer's viewpoints or claims, matching information, matching features, matching sentence endings, summary completion, sentence completion, note completion, table completion, flowchart completion, and diagram label completion.

These check specific skills of yours, not the knowledge of the text.

4- IELTS Speaking - General

Duration: 11-15 minutes.

Total Questions: not fixed

The IELTS speaking section rates a candidate's spoken English proficiency. The entire conversation is recorded for scoring purposes.

PART 1: The examiner will ask you general questions about yourself in this section, covering a variety of well-known subjects like your home, family, hometown, job, studies, and interests. This section lasts for two to five minutes.

PART 2: You will be given a card (also known as a cue card or candidate task card) in this section that instructs you to speak about a specific subject. Before you begin speaking, you will have a minute to prepare, and you have a maximum of two minutes to speak. Next, the examiner will pose one or more "Follow up questions" on the same subject.

PART 3: The examiner poses 5-7 questions in this section connected to the subject of Speaking Part 2. In this section, you should talk about more conceptual and abstract topics. Between four and five minutes are allotted for this portion of the exam.

The four modules (Academic)

1- IELTS Writing - Academic

It lasts for 60 minutes. (Task 1 requires 20 minutes, and Task 2 generally takes 40 minutes) The number of tasks and questions: 2.

Task 1: Writing a Report (word limit: 150): A report on a diagram, chart, table, or map where you summarize and highlight the main points

Task 2: Writing an essay (Word limit: 250). Essay writing in response to a viewpoint, defence, or issue.

Note: Task 2 (Essay) evaluation carries more leverage in marking/band score than Task 1 (Letter).

The topics for the same are not specific, but the types of essays and reports are.

2- IELTS Listening - Academic

It remains the same as General training.

3- IELTS Reading - Academic

Duration: 60 minutes.

Total Questions: 40.

Three sections make up the IELTS Academic Reading test.

13–14 questions are included in each section.

Section 1: Has a long reading passage. (It includes published texts)

Section 2: Has a long reading passage. (It includes published texts)

Section 3: Has a long reading passage. (It includes published texts)

Task Types: The IELTS GT Reading section consists of several different question types, such as multiple choice, matching headings, identifying information, short-answer questions, identifying the writer's viewpoints or claims, matching information, matching features, matching sentence endings, summary completion, sentence completion, note completion, table completion, flowchart completion, and diagram label completion.

These check specific skills of yours and not the knowledge of the text.

4- IELTS Speaking - Academic

It is similar to General Training. Whether you take it from Chandigarh, Delhi, or any part of the world, it would remain the same.

If you need help with your preparation for the exam, Contact Canamprep. The Canamprep team is highly skilled and helps students prepare all the modules and help them achieve their dream band score.