All About IELTS
Many people prepare for the IELTS or International English Language Testing System in order to get their English skills tested. This is a standard test program that is implemented and recognized in different countries. Many students at the undergraduate or graduate levels take on this test when they plan to study in schools or colleges where English is the teaching medium. Again, many people migrate to different countries for work and they need to take the test in order to prove their language proficiency and get the same assessed for their employers. There are about four sections which cover the different topics in IELTS which are:
- Academic reading and writing
- General reading and writing
The listening section
The topics in the different sections in IELTS differ accordingly. In the listening section there are topics which include conversations which are work related such as how to plan a presentation or arranging a conference. In this section there are conversations included as two or more people discussing different academic topics such as a class lecture or a research paper. In the general speaking topics there are questions such as an interviewer would ask. In this section the examiner usually asks the test taker to talk about his or her hobbies, career, family and education. The test taker is also asked to make a small presentation as part of the test.
The reading section
In the academic reading section the IELTS topics are usually taken from general literature, newspapers and journals. The subjects are usually current events or it could pertain to analytical information, which makes use of graphs and charts. There are reading topics in the general reading section that includes job applications, company policies, public relations and workplace training matter. One could also be asked to read from books, newspapers and employee manuals.
The writing section
Under the category of general writing, the topics that are included in IELTS training include the following:
- Writing a personal essay
- Writing a letter
- Explaining or summarizing social, personal or political matters
In case of academic writing essays need to be written in support or against a particular argument as presented in the exam session. The test takers might also be asked to explain or summarize processes or data as shown in charts or graphs.
Scores and implications
When it comes to IELTS scoring, the results are formed from the four test sections. If the applicant does not attempt anything the lowest score is zero while the highest score is 9 which indicates an expert level in the English language skills of writing, listening, reading and speaking. For those who wish to pass the test and are not familiar with the English language, they need to take up English tutoring. There are many academies as well as freelance tutors available who offer tutoring along the guidelines of IELTS. Familiarity with the format and topics is crucial for achieving well in this test. Click here for more information about english tutoring in Sydney.