: Ielts :

International English Language Testing System.

What is the test format?

The IELTS test has four parts Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Candidates must do all four parts to receive an IELTS result. The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. IELTS is available in two test formats: Academic or General Training. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking modules but different Reading and Writing modules. Listening, Reading and Writing must be completed in one day. The Speaking test may be offered on the same day or up to a week before or after the other parts. See below for a diagram of the test format.

Test format and results IELTS is internationally available, internationally accessible, internationally recognised and internationally focused. Candidates can sit the test at one of 500 centres in over 130 countries. Tests are held on fixed dates throughout the year in the same examination conditions across the world. The test has four parts Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. It assesses the candidates ability to use English in real-life situations. There are two formats Academic (for university and tertiary

education) and General Training. Tests are marked rigorously and consistently. Results are scored on a unique 9-band system from 1 (Non User) to 9 (Expert). IELTS scores are valid for two years. Academic and General Training formats

IELTS is available in two formats Academic and General Training. The following definitions are to be used as a general guide only. Academic Institutions of Higher and Further Education The Academic format is, broadly speaking, for those who want to study or train in an English-speaking university or Institutions of Higher and Further Education. Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses is based on the results of the Academic test. General Training for school, work or migration The General Training format focuses on basic survival skills in broad social and workplace contexts. It is typically for those who are going to English-speaking countries to do secondary education, work experience or training programs. People migrating to Australia, Canada and New Zealand must sit the General Training test. IELTS band scores

There is no pass or fail in IELTS. Candidates are graded on their performance, using scores from 1 to 9 for each part of the test Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The results from the four 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 are valid for two years. The IELTS 9-band scale Each band corresponds to a level of English competence. All parts of the test and the Overall Band Score can be reported in whole and half bands, eg 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0. Band 9: Expert user: has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding. Band 8: Very good user: has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations.

Handles complex detailed argumentation well. Band 7: Good user: has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning. Band 6: Competent user: has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations. Band 5: Modest user: has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field. Band 4: Limited user: basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language. Band 3: Extremely limited user: conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur. Band 2: Intermittent user: no real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English. Band 1: Non-user: essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words. Band 0: Did not attempt the test: No assessable information provided. Score processing, reporting and interpretation

All IELTS marking takes place at the test centre by trained markers and examiners. Markers are trained to understand the IELTS marking policy and are required to demonstrate that they are marking to standard before they are allowed to mark Listening and Reading papers. Markers are re-tested every two years to ensure that their marking remains up to standard. Systematic monitoring and double marking of a proportion of answer sheets is carried out at each administration. Examiners for the Writing and Speaking sub-tests are recruited and trained in line with agreed standards. They are required to demonstrate that they are marking to standard every two years in addition to on-going monitoring of their performance. Candidates receive scores on a Band Scale from 1 to 9. A profile score is reported for each skill. The

four individual scores are averaged and rounded to produce an Overall Band Score. Overall Band Scores and scores for each sub-test (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) are reported in whole bands or half bands. Overall Band Score Candidates receive a Test Report Form setting out their Overall Band Score and their scores on each of the four sub-tests: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Each of the sub-test scores is equally weighted. The Overall Band Score is calculated by taking the mean of the total of the four individual sub-test scores. Overall Band Scores are reported to the nearest whole or half band. For the avoidance of doubt, 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. Thus, a candidate achieving 6.5 for Listening, 6.5 for Reading, 5.0 for Writing and 7.0 for Speaking would be awarded an Overall Band Score of 6.5 (25 4 = 6.25 = Band 6.5). Likewise, a candidate achieving 4.0 for Listening, 3.5 for Reading, 4.0 for Writing and 4.0 for Speaking would be awarded an Overall Band Score of 4.0 (15.5 4 = 3.875 = Band 4.0). On the other hand, a candidate achieving 6.5 for Listening, 6.5 for Reading, 5.5 for Writing and 6.0 for Speaking would be awarded band 6 (24.5 4 = 6.125 = Band 6). For more information on how IELTS test material is produced, please see the IELTS Question Paper Production Process (PDF, 98KB). Listening and reading IELTS Listening and Reading papers contain 40 items and each correct item is awarded one mark; the maximum raw score a candidate can achieve on a paper is 40. Band scores ranging from Band 1 to Band 9 are awarded to candidates on the basis of their raw scores. Although all IELTS test materials are pretested and trialled before being released as live tests, there are inevitably minor differences in the difficulty level across tests. In order to equate different test versions, the band score boundaries are set so that all candidates results relate to the same scale of achievement. This means, for example, that the Band 6 boundary may be set at a slightly different raw score across versions. The tables below indicate the mean raw scores achieved by candidates at various levels in each of the Listening, Academic Reading and General Training Reading tests during 2006 and they provide an indication of the number of marks required to achieve a particular band score. The Academic and General Training papers are graded to the same scale. The distinction between the

two modules is one of genre or discourse type. Academic papers may contain source texts featuring more difficult vocabulary or greater complexity of style. It is usual that, to secure a given band score, a greater number of questions must be answered correctly on a General Training Reading paper. Writing and speaking When marking the Writing and Speaking sub-tests, examiners use detailed performance descriptors which describe written and spoken performance at each of the 9 IELTS bands. Writing Examiners award a band score for each of four criterion areas: Task Achievement (for Task 1), Task Response (for Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The four criteria are equally weighted. Speaking Examiners award a band score for each of four criterion areas: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy and Pronunciation. The four criteria are equally weighted. Versions of the band descriptors for Writing and Speaking have been developed to help stakeholders better understand the level of performance required to attain a particular band score in each of the criterion areas. IELTS examiners undergo intensive face to face training and standardisation to ensure that they can apply the descriptors in a valid and reliable manner.