Category Archives: IELTS Information

Frequently Asked Questions about the IELTS test part 2.

info-31185_1280In my last post, I started discussing some of the questions I have been asked most frequently about IELTS.  In this post, I’d like to continue doing that.  So, let’s get on to the next question.

·         Where can I sit IELTS?

There are over 500 centres all over the world where you can sit for IELTS.   Visit the official IELTS website to find your nearest test centre.

If you use this link, you can also find out the dates you can sit the test and information about registration and test fees.

·         How often can I take the test and how long do I have to wait before taking another test?

You can take the test as many times as you want and there is no waiting period between tests.  Before 1st May 2006, it was necessary to wait 3 months before re-sitting an IELTS test but that is no longer the case.

·         Is my IELTS Band Score valid for life?

Unfortunately not!  You get a Test Report Form after you sit IELTS with your results.  The Test Report Form (TRF) is usually valid for 2 years but some institutions may ask you to prove that you have maintained your level of English if your result is almost 2 years old.  If the TRF is more than 2 years old, you will be required to sit the test again to prove your level of English

·         How do I decide whether to take the Academic version or the General Training version? What’s the difference?

If you want to do a degree course you MUST take the Academic version.  The Academic version  has been specifically designed to assess whether you are ready to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level in English.

The General Training version is for Immigration purposes and if you want to do a diploma level course.  The General Training version is designed to assess your English survival skills in a social and more general educational context.

·         What score do I need to get into university?

This is a very difficult question to answer as it depends on the institution and the course you wish to study.  You need to get advice from the university you wish to apply to.  In my experience, most universities seem to require a score of at lease 6.5 overall with at least a score of 6 in each sub-test (listening, reading, writing and speaking).

Sometimes courses may ask for a higher score, especially if they have a heavy emphasis on language.  When I was teaching at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK, I had a Japanese student who wanted to study linguistics at an English University.  She was required to get a minimum of 7.5 IELTS band score.

·         What score do I need to emigrate to Australia, New Zealand or Canada?

Again, a difficult question to answer as there are so many variables such as your education and the work skills you have.  Immigration departments also re-assess the desirability of certain skill sets.

I have lived in Australia since 2001; when I first arrived, students informed me that I.T. was very desirable for immigration purposes, until recently it was hospitality and at the time of writing, there appears to be an emphasis on the medical profession.

The feedback I have received here in Australia is that a score of somewhere between 5.0 and 7.0 seems to be required depending on the factors mentioned in the previous paragraphs.

Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!info-31185_1280

Frequently Asked Questions about the IELTS test part 1.

info-31185_1280During all my years of teaching, there have been certain questions about IELTS that I hear time and time again.  In these next three posts, I’d like to deal with some of these frequently asked questions.

First of all:

·         What level of English do I need to ‘pass IELTS’?

It is very common for people to talk about ‘passing IELTS’.  Please remember that there is actually no pass or fail in IELTS; candidates are given a Band Score of 0-9.

Below I have given you a list of the band descriptors which I have taken from the official IELTS website.

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.

Please be aware, however, that the IELTS test is pitched at intermediate level and above.


·         How do I know when my English is of a good enough level to get the band score I need?

For reading and listening, you can do various practice tests to get an idea of your Band level

Every reading or listening paper has 40 questions and each question is worth one point

The official IELTS website tells you the way to calculate your likely band score in reading and listening based on the number of correct answers you get.

IELTS Academic Reading

The *average number of correct answers for various band scores is as follows:

  • 15/40 is a band score of 5
  • 23/40 is a band score of 6
  • 30/40 is a band score of 7
  • 35/40 is a band score of 8

IELTS General Training Reading

The *average number of correct answers for various band scores is as follows.

  • 15/40 is a band score of 4
  • 23/40 is a band score of 5
  • 30/40 is a band score of 6
  • 34/40 is a band score of 7

IELTS Listening

The *average number of correct answers for various band scores is as follows.

  • 16/40 is a band score of 5
  • 23/40 is a band score of 6
  • 30/40 is a band score of 7
  • 35/40 is a band score of 8

*Please be very careful with IELTS band score calculators. Although all test materials are pretested, there are sometimes small differences in the difficulty level of tests.  As a result, the number of correct answers needed to get a particular band score is based on how difficult a particular test paper is.  Hence the reason why I use the word ‘average’.

In order to get an idea of your writing and speaking band level, you also need to do some practice tests but you will need feedback from a professional about your performance.

If you are interested in me marking some practice writing tests or conducting a practice speaking test on skype, please contact me through my contact page to discuss prices.

Please note that I will be using the public version band descriptors from the official IELTS website.

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Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!

Best IELTS Last Minute Tips for the Writing Test

depositphotos_7932028-Quill-pen-and-ink-well-with-paper-scrollI often receive emails from readers of this site saying something on the lines of ‘Help, I have my IELTS Test this Saturday, what can I do?’

This is the third post in my series ‘Best IELTS last minute tips’.  You can also check out my Listening Test and Reading Test tips.

Now, I think I always make it quite clear that I believe in starting your IELTS Test preparation way in advance of the test but in this post I’m going to give you my best IELTS last minute tips for the Writing Test.

•    Make sure you organise your time carefully during the hour-long Writing Test.  Stick to the following suggested timing:

Task 1 – 20 minutes
Task 2 – 40 minutes

Remember that Task 2 is worth two-thirds of the total marks in the Writing Test  so don’t do what some people have done in the past; spend so long on Task 1 that you have insufficient time for Task 2.

•    There is no rule about which task you do first (as long as they are clearly marked Before the exam think about which task you would prefer to do first; I have had many students who have started with Task 2.  Just make sure you mark your answers clearly on your answer sheet.

•    In Task 2, make sure you organise your time well; this means planning, writing and checking and editing.   Read the article The best IELTS essay writing procedure to look at my suggested timing for each stage.

Planning – 5-10 minutes
Writing – 20-30minutes
Checking and editing – 5-10 minutes

•    In Task 2, before you start planning your essay, always circle the key words in the question.  This will ensure that you stay focussed on the topic.  If you look at the Task 2 Band descriptors in the links section on this site, you will see that one of the criteria the Examiner marks your work on is ‘Task Response’.  Part of getting a good score in ‘Task Response’ is giving a relevant answer.

•    In Task 1, make sure you organise your time well; this means planning, writing and checking and editing.   Read the article The best IELTS essay writing procedure to look at my suggested timing for each stage.

Planning – 3-5 minutes
Writing – 10-15 minutes
Checking and editing – 3-5 minutes

•    When answering Academic Writing Task 1, circle the significant data on the graph. Then choose the order you are going to write about this data. Write the numbers 1, 2, 3 etc. on the graph to help you write the information logically in your answer.

•    When answering General Training Writing Task 1, circle the key words in the question to keep your answer focussed. Make sure you include all of the information requested in the bullet points. Finally, as a general rule, each bullet point will be a separate paragraph in your letter.

Finally, good luck on Saturday!

Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!

Best IELTS Last Minute Tips for the Reading Test.

reader-310398_150I often receive emails from readers of this site saying something on the lines of ‘Help, I have my IELTS Test this Saturday, what can I do?’

This is the second post in my series ‘Best IELTS  Last Minute Tips’. The first post was about the Listening Test.

Now, I think I always make it quite clear that I believe in starting your IELTS Test preparation way in advance of the test but  in this post I’m going to give you my best IELTS tips for the Reading Test.

  • Read the instructions carefully.  In particular, I suggest that you underline (or circle) the instructions regarding the number of words you are required to use in your answer.  Questions with a word limit do not always ask for the same number of words.

Do this all through the test as the instructions usually change throughout the exam.

  • Before you start, quickly glance at all 3 sections of the test.  We all know that the Reading Test increases in difficulty as you progress.  Although section 1 is known to be the easiest section, you may notice that the section 3 text is about a topic you know really well and you might decide to start with section 3.  I have found that a lot of my students really don’t like the ‘true, false, not given’ task type  and therefore decide to leave the section containing that task type until last.  In any case, it’s always a good idea to seize control of the test and give yourself the option of doing the section you ‘like the look of’ first.
  • A common lament I hear from students is about running out of time in the Reading Test.  Time management is crucial in the IELTS Reading Test.  You must complete 3 sections in one hour.  As a result, I strongly suggest you spend no more than 20 minutes on each section.
  • When you are ready to start, don’t read every word of the passage.  Read through quickly (about 5 minutes) and write the topic (main idea) of each paragraph in the margin, you should also underline the key words used for this topic.  Doing this will help keep you focussed when you’re answering the questions.
  • Following on from the last point, the General Training Reading Test and the Academic Reading Test are quite different.  In the General Training Reading Test, you might have shorter texts to read but there are often more of them.  This impacts on your time management and you need to ensure that you spend about 5 minutes of actual reading time for each section of the test.
  • Another point about time management is the question of transferring answers to the answer sheet.  As soon as you are satisfied with your answers to each group of questions, transfer them directly to the answer sheet (don’t forget you are NOT given time at the end to do this).
  • When reading the questions, underline or circle the key words and look for words and phrases in the passage that have a similar meaning.  Think carefully about the type of answer the question requires (e.g.  is it a number, a place, an animal).  Equally important is to think about the grammar of the answer; will it be a noun, an adjectival phrase etc.  This is particularly important in gap-fills where the answer needs to be factually correct and to fit grammatically.
  • I have found that for certain task types (that my students always complain about!) e.g. matching paragraph headings, yes/no/not given (true/false/not given), summarising, it often helps to read the questions and underline (or circle) key words before you read the text.   This will keep you focussed when you read the text.  As  you are reading  the passage, you can put a tick next to a paragraph or sentence that seems to relate to the questions.
  • For multiple choice and matching paragraph heading question task types, sometimes you immediately identify an answer as wrong.  If this is the case, put a line through it; there are two reasons for this 1) it is very satisfying (!) and 2) it makes you spend your time focussing on the other options.
  • It often happens in the matching paragraph heading question task type that you can’t decide between 2 possible answers.  I usually suggest that my students write both answers on their question sheet.  As you progress through the questions, it often becomes clear which is the correct answer.  At the end of the set of questions, if you are satisfied with your answers, but still have two possible answers for one question, then take an educated guess.  Do NOT write two answers on your answer sheet where only one is required.  You will not score a point for your answer if you write both.
  • In gap-fills and sentence completion task types, you are often required to copy a word or short phrase from the passage.  Make sure you copy the spelling correctly.  This sounds obvious but I am astounded by the number of students who make this mistake either through nerves or carelessness.

Finally, good luck on Saturday!

Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!

Best IELTS Last Minute Tips for the Listening Test.

9cp9AxocEI often receive emails from readers of this site saying something on the lines of ‘Help, I have my IELTS Test this Saturday, what can I do?’

Now, I think I always make it quite clear that I believe in starting your IELTS Test preparation way in advance of the test but I’ve over these next posts, I’m going to give you my last minute tips for the test.

This is the first post in the series ‘Best IELTS last minute tips’ and has my last minute tips for the IELTS Listening Test.

  • Read the instructions carefully.  In particular, I suggest that you underline the instructions regarding the number of words you are required to use in your answer.

Do this all throughout the test as the instructions usually change throughout the exam.

  • Remember that every second counts in the Listening Test; you only hear the recording once so you must use your time profitably.  Before each section, you are given time to read the questions before listening.  Use it!  At the end of each section, you are given 30 seconds to check your answers; as soon as you’ve finished checking your answers, move on to reading the questions for the next section.When you read questions, look for key words and then underline them.  This will help you to focus on exactly what you should be listening for.
  • If you are required to write information on a diagram, flow chart or a table, take note of the question numbers.  You will hear the information in the order of the questions.
  • When the question is a short answer question or a gap fill; you should try to predict an answer; is it a colour, a number, a noun, an adjective, a verb?  What tense is the verb? etc.
  • In multiple choice questions or questions where you need to choose from a list, underline the keywords and try to think of any synonyms or different ways to phrase the keyword.  It is very possible that you will hear synonyms of the keyword on the recording.
  • Again, in multiple choice questions, if you hear something that tells you that one of the answers isn’t possible, cross that answer out immediately so that you have less to focus on.
  • At the end of the test, you are given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. You should be aware of two things here:-

1.    Make sure you write your answer in the correct space; I have seen too many students make this mistake when we do practice tests in class.  The Examiner will NOT think, ‘Oh, this candidate has obviously put the answers in the wrong space, I’ll make allowances’.  No, you will be in danger of losing your points!

2.    Don’t forget basic grammar. For example, it your answer is a name, remember that the first letter is a capital letter (upper case).

3.    What answer form is required?  If the answer is a letter; A, B, C etc, write the letter, no the word from the listening.
If the answer requires you to write ‘true’ or ‘false’, don’t write ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

  • Don’t forget that the IELTS Listening Test gets progressively more difficult

(Section 1 is the easiest, Section 4 is the most difficult).  Many of my students require a band score of 7.  In order to get 7, you need to score 33–35 out of 40.  This effectively means you need to get 100% on Sections 1 and 2, 80% on Section 3 and 50% on Section 4.

Finally, good luck on Saturday!

Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!

Best IELTS information on Australian visa requirements.

info-31185_1280As an English woman who migrated to Australia in 2001 and as a teacher, I am well aware that there are certain requirements you need to fulfill in order to migrate to Australia.  You usually have to score a certain number of points.  The factors that are considered in attributing points are your education, your occupation, your employment history and of course your level of English language (this is where the IELTS Test comes in).

Of course visa points requirements and desired occupations do change and so I strongly suggest that you do your research and contact the Australian Department of Immigration for up-to-date information.

In the meantime, here is some information on General Skilled Migration points (correct at March 2011).  The first page is blank so be sure to scroll down to the second page.

Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!