What is IELTS?

International English Language Testing System(IELTS)

The International English Language Testing System, or IELTS, is a worldwide state endorsed preliminary test of English vernacular capacity for non- English speakers. It is as one supervised by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English, and was developed in 1989. IELTS is  the most sought English-language tests in the wold, others being the TOEFL, TOEIC, PTE:A, and OPI/OPIc.

IELTS is recognized by most Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand educational institutions, by more than of 3,000 institutions in the United States, and by various academic  organization  over the world.

IELTS is the primary Secure English Language Test attested by UK Visas and Immigration(UKVI) for visa customers applying both outside and inside the UK. It furthermore meets need for development to Australia, where TOEFL and Pearson Test of English Academic are in like manner accepted, and New Zealand. In Canada, IELTS, TEF, or CELPIP are recognized by the movement authority.

No base score is required to complete the test. An IELTS result or Test Report Form is issued to all test takers with a score from "band 1" ("non-customer") to "band 9" ("ace customer") and each foundation sets a substitute breaking point. There is in like manner a "band 0" score for the people who did not attempt the test. Foundations are urged not to consider a report more prepared than two years to be significant, aside from if the customer exhibits that they have endeavored to keep up their level.

In 2017, in excess of 3 million tests were taken in more than 140 countries, up from 2 million tests in 2012, 1.7 million tests in 2011 and 1.4 million tests in 2009. In 2007, IELTS directed more than one million tests in a single year term strangely, making it the world's most predominant English language test for cutting edge instruction and immigration.

IELTS Characterstics

IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are designed to cover the full range of ability from non-user to expert user. The Academic version is for test takers who want to study at tertiary level in an English-speaking country or seek professional registration. The General Training version is for test takers who want to work, train, study at a secondary school or migrate to an English-speaking country. The General Training interpretation is for test takers who need to work, train, learn at a discretionary school or migrate to an English-speaking country.

The differentiation between the Academic and General Training adjustments is the substance,context and purpose of the tasks. Each and every other component, for instance, timing task, length of made responses and reporting out of scores, are the same.

IELTS Academic and General Training both possess following features:

•             IELTS tests the ability to listen, read, write and talk in English.

•             The speaking module is a key piece of IELTS. It is conducted in the form of a one-to-one interview with an examiner. The examinar reviews the test taker as he or she is talking.

•             A variety of accents and creating styles have been shown in test materials with the ultimate objective to restrain etymological inclination. The articulations in the listening portion are overall 80% British, Australian, New Zealander and 20% others (generally American).

•             IELTS is made by authorities at Cambridge English Language Assessment with input from  researchers from around the world. Gatherings are arranged in the USA, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other English-talking nations.

•             Band scores are used for each tongue sub-capacity (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). The Band Scale ranges from 0 ("Did not attempt the test") to 9 ("Expert User").

IELTS test structure(Modules)

There are two modules of the IELTS:

•             Academic Module and

•             General Training Module

There's furthermore an alternate test offered by the IELTS test partners, called IELTS Life Skills:

•             IELTS Academic is meant for those people who want to choose universities and diverse establishments of professional courses and study or practice in medical courses in an English-speaking country.

•             IELTS General Training is proposed for those aiming to endeavor non-academic planning or to get work understanding, or for relocation purposes.

•             IELTS Life Skills is proposed for the people who need to show their English talking and listening skills at Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels A1 or B1 and can be used to apply for a 'Family of a settled individual' visa, for longer stay or citizenship in the UK.

The four areas of the IELTS test

•             Listening: 30 minutes (notwithstanding 10 minutes' trade time)

•             Reading: 60 minutes

•             Writing: 60 minutes

•             Speaking: 11– 14 minutes

The test total time is: 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Listening, Reading and Writing are done in one sitting. The Speaking test may be gone up against that day or up to seven days earlier or after interchange tests.

All test takers take same Listening and Speaking tests, while the Reading and Writing tests differ depending upon whether the test taker is taking the Academic or General Training 

versions of the test.

Source: Wikipedia