IELTS

The international English language testing system (IELTS) is the world’s most popular English language proficiency test for higher education and global migration. The IELTS test is developed by some of the world’s leading experts in language assessment. It has an excellent international reputation, and is accepted by over 9,000 organisations worldwide, including schools, universities, employers, immigration authorities and professional bodies. It is one of the most trusted tests by British Universities, Australian, New Zealand, US and Canadian universities. The IELTS test comes in two versions: Academic, which is usually taken by students wishing to study abroad, and General Training, which is mostly used for immigration purposes.

IELTS for UKVI

IELTS for UKVI’ is a UK government approved Secure English Language Test (SELT). This means that IELTS can be used to prove your English language abilities in support of a UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) application.

The following IELTS tests are on this list and have been approved for UK Visas and Immigration purposes.

IELTS Academic: For education purpose

IELTS General training: For immigration purpose or study below degree level

IELTS Life skills (B1): English speaking and listening skills for UK Visas, ILR, citizenship

IELTS Life skills (A1): English speaking and listening skills for UK Visas for family

IELTS Academic:

This test is for test takers wishing to study at undergraduate or postgraduate levels, and for those seeking professional registration in the UK. The IELTS Academic Test is renowned for accurately assessing an individual’s English language ability. Any foreign student who wishes to apply to a British university is required to prove their English competence through a test such as IELTS.

IELTS test takes 2 hours and 45 minutes, and it is divided into four sections – Listening (30 minutes), Reading (60 minutes), Writing (60 minutes) and Speaking (11–14 minutes)

Listening (30 minutes):

Approximately it is a thirty minutes test. A variety of different conversations or speeches will be played to you in this thirty-minute section, and the people speaking may have accents from anywhere in the world. In most cases, sections will get increasingly difficult as you progress through the test. At the end of the section you will have ten minutes to complete the answer sheet provided

Reading (60 minutes):

The reading section lasts an hour and consists of three sections of increasing difficulty. The test is designed to assess an individual’s reading skills, including logic, comprehension and vocabulary. A variety of question types is used in order to test a wide range of reading skills. These include reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical argument, recognising writers’ opinions, attitudes and purpose.

Writing (60 minutes):

The written part of the exam involves two sections, both of which must be completed in an hour. In the first part you are asked to produce a descriptive piece of writing based on a graph or diagram, this must be around one hundred and fifty words and you should spend about twenty minutes on it. The remaining forty minutes should be spent on the second section, in which you will be asked to write a two hundred and fifty word essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.

Speaking (11to 14 minutes):

The Speaking component assesses your use of spoken English, and takes between 11 and 14 minutes to complete. Every test is recorded. The exam is conducted face to face with an examiner. In part 1 the examiner will ask a series of questions related to the student’s background and which are designed to help the student to relax. Questions will be based on familiar topics such as work or study, free time, or food. Students are required to give a short speech in part 2. The student is given a topic, and then has 1 minute to prepare, before talking for 1 to 2 minutes on that topic. Part 3 of the test will be related to part 2, therefore, if you had to describe your job in part two, your questions in part three would be based on work. Questions are intended to create discussion and so you might be asked to assess the importance of work in comparison to family. The questions in part three get more difficult as you progress so as to determine the student’s linguistic level

IELTS band scores:

There is no pass or fail in IELTS. Candidates are graded on their performance, using score 1 to 9 for each part of the test – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The results from all 4 parts then produce an overall band score.

This unique 9-band system measures scores in a consistent manner – wherever and whenever the test is taken. It is internationally recognised and understood, giving you a reliable international currency. IELTS scores have a recommended validity period of two years.

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