International English Language Testing System, commonly known as IELTS is an English exam that is widely recognized and accepted around the globe in order to study or work abroad. Before you contact any overseas education consultants, you can read more about it in the following article.

What is IELTS?

With more than 2.2 million candidates taking up this exam, IELTS is one of the most popular English language test undertaken by students or aspiring candidates who wish to study or work abroad. It accesses one’s English language skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in order to gauge their capability to farewell whilst they stay in an English speaking country.

IELTS has four parts- listening that lasts up to 30 minutes, reading that spans 60 minutes, speaking for 11-14 minutes and writing for 60 minutes. Listening, reading and writing are done in one sitting, while the speaking test may be done on the same day or up to a week before or after the other tests.

There are basically two types of IELTS, depending on the candidate’s aspirations:

– IELTS general training

If one aspires to work, train or study under degree level in an English speaking country they must secure a handsome score in this exam.

– IELTS academic

If you are a student who wishes to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level or are seeking professional registration in an English speaking country like UK, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, you have to take up this exam.

Eligibility and other requirements for IELTS

There is no age limit for taking up the IELTS exam, and any individual who wishes to study or work in an English speaking country must take up the exam.

The candidate must provide proof of identities like a passport or any other national identity card during the time of registration. It should contain a unique identity number, the signature, DOB and the photo of the candidate.

Along with this, two recent passport-sized photographs must be provided at the time of registration. The entrant must bring the same identity proof to the examination failing which he or she will not be entertained.

Preparation for IELTS

The official practice material will give one an insight into the format of the test and it is easily available on the website of the same( ADD A LINK HERE). The topics that are included encompass a wide range of interests like television, music, movies, current affairs, etc.

There will also be questions on the influence of gender on the student’s performance, food and health, food culture, advertising, media, the role of the same on the viewers, popular cultures, your take on prevention of crime, etc.

As you may have understood, the topics are diverse and require constant reading of diverse content and staying up to date with the current affairs globally.

If there are any arrangements to be made for physically disabled students, the same should be mentioned in the form and the organizers will make the required arrangements for the same.

Assessment of the candidate

There is no concept of failing IELTS. It is a language proficiency test that gauges the entrants capacity in speaking, understanding and reading the language and thus grades one on the same parameters. One is marked between 1-9 in the different segments that we have discussed above where 9 reflect excellence in the language and 1 denotes that the student has a long way to go before he can fare well in an English speaking environment. Needless to say, the better your score, the better are your chances to secure a place in the best universities in the world.

By preparing well and getting in touch with reliable and experienced overseas education consultants, you can fare well in this exam in order to pave a more successful path to your dream college or organization .a good score in IELTS will help you embark on a more promising journey in your professional life.