Tips for Reading Test -Part 4

Assumptions are the mother of all mess-ups!
Don’t assume you know the answer, search for it in the passage. When answering the questions, you must stick to the facts as they are written in the paragraph. Forget all about your personal knowledge and experience! Relying on your own knowledge is the most natural thing for you, so sometimes they use it in IELTS to trick you into making a choice of answer according to what you know or believe and not according to the passage.


Practice, practice, practice!
The only way to make it happen is to practice in using my tips while doing the Reading test.

When practicing, finish the reading test and then check your answers according to answer key. Pay attention to those you've got wrong, not those you've got right –understand why didn't you do them right and try to remember, so that mistake won't come back.

Practice with a clock and copy your answers to the Answer Sheet. You may use the one from the chapter on Listening test; it is similar to Reading test Answer Sheet.
In order to practice, use not only the General Training module tests, but also Academic module reading. This advice has 2 main reasons behind it – there are more Academic texts available to practice on than General Training, and it is a proven strategy to get your score higher, because while hoping for the best you are preparing for the worst. Academic reading is much more difficult than General training, and if you are ready for Academic – General will be a piece of cake for you.

Tips for the Reading Test - Part 3

Strategy for Multiple-choice task
Here too True/False/Not Given technique is a big help. The difference is that you need to use it on each answer choice. For every possible answer you need to decide, if it is True, False or Not Given in the text. Finally, answers you have marked as False or Not Given are incorrect, and the ones you marked as True are correct.
Remember: it is True only when passage says exactly the same thing, it is False when passage says exactly the opposite and it is Not Given in any other case.
Keep in mind that there are cases when all the choices are correct or none of them is correct. Read the instruction carefully and you will know what to do in such cases.


Strategy for the Gap fills
First of all try to understand what the main idea of the first sentence is. Then find it on your map – this should take you to the paragraph that "hides" the answer.
Now, when you know where to look, you need to know what to look for. Look around the gap to understand what’s missing, a noun (like boy, toy, truck), an adjective (little, pretty, shiny) or a verb (stands, looks, moves).

For example, what is missing here: “She ____ around and saw him in the corner”?

You have 4 choices: happy, man, looked, smiled. It is clear that you need a verb here, but which one, “looked” or “smiled”? Now it is time to start reading the text.

Find where example answer is and start there. Remember to read only first, second and last sentence. Of course, “looked” is the right word!

Sometimes there are words near gap that will give you a clue what kind of word is missing. For example, “Main physical activities in the summer camp are fishing, ________ and swimming. Naturally, you will look for words that end with “ing” to fill for the gap – like “hiking”.

There are 2 types of gap-fills:

1) There is a list of words for you to choose from
2) There is no list, you need to choose words from text

When you choose a word from the list and the instructions say that every word is to be used once only, write it above the gap and cross it out from the list. If there is more than one possible answer – write them all and then decide which one is better.

If they don’t give you a list, try to pick a word from text. It is better then "inventing"
it, because it saves time and your chances of being right are higher.

After you have decided about the word that goes into gap, read the whole sentence again. It must make sense according to the text, and it must be grammatically correct.

When you move forward to the second gap, keep in mind that usually there are no more than 2 gaps per paragraph. It means that if you have found answer to the first gap in paragraph 1, the answer to the second gap will be in the paragraph 2 and so on.

Tips for the Reading Test - Part 2

Go fishing!
Now it is time to start “fishing” for answers. Read question one-by-one, for every question see what its theme is. Then find it (or some thing close to it) on your map - that is the paragraph to search for the answer.

Choose your battles
If any question takes you too much time – give up, move to the next one. Don't forget to mark it with some sign (like "?"), so you could identify and come back to it later.
There are a lot of questions and you might miss the easy ones if the hard ones take all of your time. Another reason to leave hard questions for last is that after you do all the easy ones, you know more about the text, so then solving the tricky questions mightbecome easier.

Use passage layout
Every text and every paragraph in it has a certain structure, meaning it is written according to some rules.

Usually first paragraph contains the main idea of the passage and the author’s opinion. Last paragraph often summarizes the main points of the passage.

Every paragraph has its structure that is similar to the structure of whole text. It has introduction, body and conclusion. The main idea is usually can be found in the introduction. It means that if you want to understand quickly what paragraph is about, it is enough to read only its introduction.

Find the keywords
Keywords are the main words in the question; they contain the most important information. For instance, in a question like “Employers are likely to employ graduates, who…” there are 3 keywords: employers, employ and graduates.
Identify keywords in each question and look for them in the text – the answer will benear. Don’t stop after finding just one, continue to scan through the text – there might be more.

Strategy for the Matching task
First, read instructions and example. If instructions say that a heading can not be used more than once – cross the heading used in example out of the list. This way you won’t try to use it again by mistake (and believe me, it's a very common mistake!).

Second, return to the map you prepared. Go over the text, look on your map what it says about the idea of first paragraph. Go to the list of headings and choose heading that has the most similar meaning to idea on your map, write its number on the margins of the first paragraph. Now continue and do the same for the second paragraph, and so on.

If some paragraphs are hard to match – leave them alone, keep moving forward. Come back to them later.

When finished matching - check your answers carefully, because they can influence each other. Don't forget to copy answers to the Answer Sheet.

Strategy for True/False/Not Given task

To simplify it for you, if the statement clearly appears in text - it is True. If the text clearly says the opposite of statement – it is False, if you didn't find statement to be either TRUE or FALSE – it is Not Given.
The best advice here is not to over think it. Otherwise what happen is that you start building logical sequences that take you to the wrong direction.

Tips for the Reading Test - Part 1

Test structure

The structure of Academic and General Training Reading tests is different. Academic Reading on most cases consists of 3 large texts from newspapers or magazines. In General Training there are several smaller passages that are taken from advertisements, official documents, booklets, manuals and 2 or 3 larger texts taken from books, magazines or newspapers.

Like in the Listening test, questions in the Reading test are given in groups. Instructions will tell you which group of questions belongs to which paragraph or portion of text. You may see the questions before or after the passage they belong to.


Manage your own time

As I said before, time is your greatest enemy. In the Listening test it was managed for you, but not in the Reading test. So manage it very carefully yourself.
When you receive the Reading booklet, first of all count how many passages are there. Let’s say there are 4 passages in the booklet. It means that you have 15 minutes for each passage. Write the time when you should start and when you should end working on each passage and stick to it. Use 13 minutes to actually answer the questions (write the answers on the booklet pages) and 2 to copy your answers to the Answer Sheet. If you didn’t finish a passage on time, move to the next one anyway.
And whatever you do, please do not forget about the Answering Sheet (remember the guy with the ZERO score?)

If you have some time left in the end of Reading test, make sure that you didn’t forget to answer any question, check and double check your answers. It can add you a few “easy” points if you find mistakes before the examiner does

Don’t read – scan!

It sounds absurd that you don’t need to read on a Reading test, right? Anyway, it’s true. The biggest mistake you could make is to start the test by reading the whole passage.
The best thing is to scan quickly through the text. Don't try to understand every word!
Just go over it and get the idea of what each paragraph is about. Usually you don't need to read the whole paragraph – a couple of first sentences are enough.




Make a map

The text before you is like a new strange territory, it is easy to get lost inside all these words. What you need is a map that will help you to orientate. Every paragraph in the passage has its own main idea, different from all other paragraphs. Write on the margins near the paragraph what is its topic, main idea. If writing takes too much time, underline the words in the paragraph that explain its main idea. Congratulations! You have just created a map that later will guide you through the search for answers.

Tips for the Listening Test - Part 6

Copy answers smartly

After 20 minutes of Listening test, there are 10 additional minutes. During the test you have written all of the answers in the Listening test booklet. These 10 minutes are given you to copy your answers to the Answering sheet, and you should use them smartly.

The Answer Sheet has 2 sides, one for Reading test and one for Listening test, so make sure you are writing on the Listening side. I include here an example of Answering Sheet so you could get familiar with it and use it for practicing. First, copy all the answers from the booklet to the Answering Sheet, and pay attention
to the following guidelines (as simple as they sound – they are BIG time savers):

• For multiple-choice questions and picking pictures - just copy the letter of correct answer, don't circle it.

• For sentence completion – just copy your answer, not the whole sentence.

• For True/False/Not given question – just copy T, F or NG, whatever your choice is.

• For gap-fills – just copy the word you have chosen for the gap.

• For answers written in short (like prof. advise) – write the full version (professional advise).

• Check that all the answers are clear and understandable.

Now, if you missed some questions – it is a good time to guess.

Practice, practice, practice!

I strongly recommend that you use all the tips while practicing.

Play the Listening samples and start using the tips while searching for answers. This
is the only way to really understand how these tips work. You may have to play the
same Listening file more than once, to practice in different techniques.

Tips for the Listening Test - Part 5

Watch out for traps

Trap Number One – unexpected turn

You might hear speaker starting to say one thing and then, suddenly, continuing to something completely different. This is a trap, so make sure you don’t fall for it. The rule here is “Last word counts”. For example, if the speaker says “I want to visit that gallery on Monday. No, wait, I’ve just remembered that it is closed on Monday, so I will go on Wednesday.”, and the question is “when” – the correct answer here is Wednesday, and Monday is a trap.

Trap Number Two – generalizations

You might hear speaker first gives a list of things and then says them all in one word.For example: “Well, I like to swim, hike, and camp – to be involved in outdoor activities.” If the question is “What kind of activities…” the correct answer is “outdoor” and not “swimming”, “hiking” or “camping”.


Trap Number Three – explicit answer choices

Explicit answers choices can be (and mostly will be) traps. The following example demonstrates what I mean:
The tape says: “This course is a must for all first year students, excluding foreign students”.
The Question is “All the first year students have to take this course”, The Answer should be F(alse), because there is an exception – foreign students. All the explicit answers that mean “no exceptions” are suspicious to us and call formore attention.

Check the grammar

If the answer you give is grammatically incorrect – it can not be the right one. Checking the grammar of youranswers will give you an idea whether your answercorrect or not, especially in tasks like:
• Gap-fill
• Sentence completion

Use your time wisely

During the test, you have a little time between passages. Use it to check and complete your answers

Tips for the Listening Test - Part 4

Spelling tasks

As simple as it sounds, the spelling task is not so easy. You should practice a little to be prepared for it. Just ask someone to spell the names of cities from the following list for you. If you study alone, you could record yourself spell those names and numbers, and then play it. The same goes for the list of telephone numbers I include here. It is a good practice and will only add to your confidence. Note: in numbers "00" sometimes is read as “double o” instead of “zero-zero”.

Eliminate

When you deal with multiple-choice questions, elimination is a good strategy. Usually only one answer is correct, unless instructions say something else.This task is similar to True/False/Not Given. You should decide for every choice of answer - is it True, False or Not Given in the passage. After you have decided, choose
the one that is True – this is the correct answer. Any other choice, False or Not Given, is incorrect. Keep in mind that there are cases when all the choices are correct or none of them is correct. Read the instruction carefully and you will know what to do in such cases.

Gap-fill strategy
Look at the words around the gap to understand what’s missing, a noun (like boy, toy, truck), an adjective (little, pretty, shiny) or a verb (stands, looks, moves).
For instance, if you see Noun before the blank (“The boy is___”), it means that it’s Adjective (“The boy is small”) or it’s Verb (“The boy is smiling”) is missing. Once you have picked a word, write it above the gap and then read the whole sentence to be sure that it makes sense.

"Chameleon" questions
They might use different words with the same meaning to confuse you. It could be expressions or synonyms.
For example, the tape says “All the candidates have to fill an application form” and the question says “The candidates must fill an application” – is it True, False or Not Given? The correct answer is True because "have to" means "must".

Tips for the Listening Test -Part 3

Distractions
Don't get confused by all the different voices you are going to hear. The recording uses several different voices – of younger and older people, men and women. You may also hear different accents - Australian, British, American, Japanese, etc. The background noise is also varies. It can be of airport, cafe-shop, street, University lecture hall, you name it. Be ready for it and don't let it distract you – because that is exactly what they want. Ignore the noises and listen for the answers.

Listen for specifics
When you are listening, look for descriptions and details, such as dates, places, telephone numbers, opening hours, years (1995), transportation (car, bike, train)If you hear them, but don’t know where to place them yet – write them on margins of the Listening booklet. Later you will have some time to check your answers. Going
over the questions that you couldn’t answer during the Listening passage, you might see that what you’ve written on the margins fits.

Answer as you listen
The reason you have to “answer as you listen” is that you immediately forget the sentences after you have heard them – because of stress, foreign language, constant flow of information, etc. After hearing the third sentence you won’t be able to repeat the first. It means that when any part of Listening is over – you won‘t be able to
remember any of the answers. So write them as you hear them, leave nothing for later.


Keep moving forward
A worst case scenario is you “loosing the sequence of answers” – so you miss one answer and then you miss another one and so on. To prevent that from happening, always look one or two questions ahead. It sounds confusing, but after a little practice becomes very natural and helps a lot. Even if you have missed the answer to a
question – admit it and move to the next one, otherwise you will loose it too.

Know your clues
The answer is usually pronounced louder and clearer, it is easier to hear and understand. If you can’t hear something clear (because the speaker swallows words or whispers), then probably the answer is not there. With some practice you will be able to tell the difference.
A good clue to answer is when you hear a repetition of a word, a word being spelled out (G A R F U N K E L) or a number dictated.

Tips for the Listening Test - Part 2

Instructions will keep you safe
Every task in IELTS Listening test has its instructions. It may sound stupid, but you really need to read them carefully. Why? Because they will tell you exactly what to do with the information: how many words you can use to answer, is there a table you must fill, is there a list to chose words from, how many items you must name, etc. And if the answer must be in 3 words – write EXACTLY 3 WORDS, because writing four or two words will get you 0 score.
To make this point crystal clear, let’s take the following scenario for example: The speaker on a tape says:
“Well, if you are dieting, try to avoid fruits with lots of fructose like watermelon, mango, peaches or grapes.”
The question in the booklet is: “Name 2 fruits a person on a diet should not eat”.
The answer may be “watermelon, mango” or “mango, peaches” or any combination of two items, but never three or four!!! Anyone who writes “just in case” –watermelon, mango, peaches, grapes – receives 0 score for that question.

Note: when counting words – “a” or “the” counts as a word.

Divide and concur!

The recording divides questions into groups, so every time you are instructed to answer a group of 4-5 questions. There are 20-30 seconds of silence before each group.

First thing you should do when the tape starts playing, is understand which group of questions you need to answer.

For example the tape says: “Look at questions one to four”. It means that you have about 20 seconds to look at those questions. Go over questions, read them and underline keywords. Keywords are words that contain the main idea of the question.

They will help you guess what you will hear – numbers, opening hours, names, locations, etc. Draw a line under question four, so you won’t look further before it’s time.

Then you will hear a piece of passage and answer the questions one to four as you listen. It means that you should be able to write one answer and listen to another.

After that, the tape will say the numbers of questions in the next group. Repeat the same process, including drawing the line. This dividing technique is very efficient because every time you concentrate on limited number of questions, so it makes you more focused and in control.

Tips for the Listening Test -Part 1

In general

The Listening Test is probably the one people get most scared of. To help yourself overcome that fear, start watching TV programs in English. It is better than radio or audio books, because you also see images that help you understand the words you hear.

Listening – a skill, not a gift!

In many cases Listening is the least developed skill. So if you feel especially weak in that area - pay attention to the following tips, that will help you improve your Listening ability. Remember – nobody is born with it, it’s just a skill and you learn it.

Teach yourself the words

The only way to improve your Listening ability is to train your “ears” to separate and understand the words you hear in the flow of sentence. Often what you hear is a Blablablablabla”, which you can't to break into words, and for that reason it makes no sense to you. When training, take a recording of the news, lecture, television program movie or an actual IELTS Listening test and work with it.Use MP3 player. You can easily record English from the radio or any other source to it. It is also easy to repeat (re-play) sentences you didn't understand. MP3 player is small and light, so you can use it in any spare moment that you have – riding the bus or tram, walking the dog, taking a walk yourself, etc.

First, listen, remember what you heard and stop the recording after each phrase. Even if you didn’t understand the phrase, play it in your head a couple of times, like a broken record – “Tonight we have a special guest”, “Tonight we have a special guest”, “Tonight we have a special guest”.
Then say it out loud. If you understood that phrase at first, this exercise will improve your pronunciation. If you didn’t understand the phrase for the first time, this repetition will give you more time to hear it better, break it into words and make sense out of them. And if it is still difficult, you can always rewind and hear the phrase again.
There is a big difference between seeing a word printed on paper while reading and hearing it. If you saw a word, it doesn’t mean you will recognize it when you hear it. So every word you have seen, you must hear at list once.

Speaking at a glance

This is the fun part of the test, for many reasons. You get to rest before it, you are a little tired from previous 3 parts and therefore more relaxed. The examiners are trained to smile no matter what, so you feel as if you were speaking to your best friend.

First sub-part of Speaking test is an interview, which means that the examiner asks you questions about yourself, your work, studies, parents, brothers/sisters, pets, etc. This is an easy task to prepare for.

In the second sub-part of Speaking test you receive a card with 3-4 questions. After one minute, that you have to think about something to say, you should give a little speech for one to two minutes, which answers those questions. In the end the examiner might ask you a couple of additional questions.

In the third sub-part of the test you have a discussion with examiner. The topic is somehow related to the one from section two, but it is about more abstract ideas. You have to express and justify an opinion. The examiner will record your session on tape. Don't worry about it; the tape is to test the examiner and not you.

Writing at a glance

Writing has 2 sub-tasks. First one is to write a letter according to scenario you receive, using about 150 words. The second task is to write an Essay on given topic, present and justify opinion or give solution to a problem, using not less than 250words.

Nothing to worry here! Once you’ll start using a certain structure for the letter and the essay in addition to your imagination, it is a piece of cake. This task requires a bit of training, but after you write a few essays and letters you will be well-prepared for it and you will feel confident.

Reading at a glance

Reading consists of 4 text passages and about 40 questions in total. Your job is to read the passages and either answer questions, label diagrams, complete sentences or fill gaps. For every type of task there are instructions and example. Passages are taken from books, newspapers, magazines and the topics are very diverse, from scubadiving to space exploration. Passages progress in difficulty, with first being the easiest and fourth the hardest.

Good news is that you don't really have to read the whole passage, Not so good news is that there is no additional time to copy your answers to Answering Sheet and you need to squeeze it in the 60 minutes that you have. Please, don't forget to do it – I witnessed someone who did, and it was not a pretty sight. Poor guy was crying, he received score 0 for the whole Reading test. Here too you may write in pencil only, no pens are allowed.

Reading at a glance

Reading consists of 4 text passages and about 40 questions in total. Your job is to read the passages and either answer questions, label diagrams, complete sentences or fill gaps. For every type of task there are instructions and example. Passages are taken from books, newspapers, magazines and the topics are very diverse, from scubadiving to space exploration. Passages progress in difficulty, with first being the easiest and fourth the hardest.

Good news is that you don't really have to read the whole passage, Not so good news is that there is no additional time to copy your answers to Answering Sheet and you need to squeeze it in the 60 minutes that you have. Please, don't forget to do it – I witnessed someone who did, and it was not a pretty sight. Poor guy was crying, he received score 0 for the whole Reading test. Here too you may write in pencil only, no pens are allowed.

Listening at a glance

Listening consists of 4 sections. There are about 38-40 questions in total. You need to answer all the questions as you listen to the tape. Tape is not paused at any time and you hear it only once. The questions get more difficult as you progress through the test.
Are you scared yet? Don't be! There is a technique to get you through it. A huge relief is that spelling is not important in Listening, except for the words they spell for you on the tape. Just make sure that your answers are readable and understandable, when you copy them to the Answering Sheet. You may write in pencil only

The IELTS Routine

The IELTS test consists of four parts in the following order:

Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

Listening takes about 30 minutes - 20 minutes to listen to a tape and to answer questions on what you hear, and 10 minutes to transfer your answers to Answer Sheet.

Reading takes 1 hour and your task is to read passages of text and answer questions according to what you have read.

Writing takes also 1 hour and is divided into 2 sub-parts: 20 minutes to write a letter and 40 minutes to write an essay.

Speaking takes up to 15 minutes and consists of 3 parts: Personal Interview, Little Speech and a Discussion.

All the parts continue one after another, and only before Speaking you get a little break.

IELTS - Special Circumstances

IELTS aims to assess the English language communication skills of all test takers fairly and objectively.
Our test centres can make arrangements to accommodate special circumstances or requirements to enable test takers to attend a test centre, and to understand questions and tasks and give their answers.
If you have a disability or another condition which might require special arrangements, you should let the test centre at which you will be doing your test know as soon as you can. Each case is considered individually, so they will need a medical certificate from you to put arrangements in place.
Test centres require three months’ notice to put special arrangements in place. They need to confirm arrangements with Cambridge ESOL, and modified versions of the test may need to be prepared (for example, in Braille).
Visual difficulties
A range of options is available, including enlarged print, and brailed question papers.
Answers may be recorded in a variety of ways, e.g. via an amanuensis, or using a Braille machine or word-processor, and extra time may be allowed for completion of Reading and Writing Modules.
A special needs version of the Listening Module is also available.
Hearing difficulties
If you have partial hearing loss and can hear with the help of headphones or special amplification equipment you may ask for permission to use this equipment when taking listening modules.
A lip-reading version of the Listening Module is available.
In the case of severe hearing difficulties, you can apply for exemption from the Speaking and/or Listening Modules.
Learning difficulties (eg: dyslexia)
You can apply for up to 30 minutes extra time to complete the Reading and Writing Modules, and can also apply to write your answers using a typewriter or word-processor, if you normally write this way.
Illness
If you are genuinely ill on the day of or during the test you should let the test supervisor know. Special consideration may be given to test takers who report their illness on the day of the test.

IELTS - Valid and Secure

Across all areas of test delivery, test administration and test results, IELTS is valid and secure.
Every aspect of the IELTS test is subject to the highest quality controls, cutting edge security and integrity management practices.
The IELTS nine (9) band score system measures and reports test scores in a consistent manner. It is secure, benchmarked and understood worldwide. The rigorous processes used to produce the test materials ensure that every version of the test is of a comparable level of difficulty, so that your results are consistent wherever and whenever the test is taken. IELTS scores are proven and valid regardless of where you take the test.
IELTS has an integrated system of recruitment, training, benchmarking, certification and monitoring of IELTS Examiners. This ensures that they are fully qualified, experienced and effective, and provide a standardised testing and assessment system around the world. IELTS has a rigorous, quality assured system for marking every IELTS test, proven by the half million IELTS tests conducted every year. The performance of each IELTS Examiner is regularly monitored and evaluated and they are tested every two years to retain their certification.
IELTS test centres are operated by the British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia or by independent organisations that meet strict standards of quality, security and customer service.
The free IELTS Test Report Form Verification Service enables universities and employers to authenticate test report forms and safeguard against fraudulent report forms using a safe and secure online database.
E Downloads is the quick and secure way to receive IELTS test results. Download IELTS test results from IELTS secure website. The electronic bulk download facility enables registered users to download IELTS results for all candidates who have applied to their organisations.

Security of IELTS

Across all areas of test delivery, test administration and test results, IELTS is valid and secure.
Every aspect of the IELTS test is subject to the highest quality controls, cutting edge security and integrity management practices.
The IELTS nine (9) band score system measures and reports test scores in a consistent manner. It is secure, benchmarked and understood worldwide. The rigorous processes used to produce the test materials ensure that every version of the test is of a comparable level of difficulty, so that your results are consistent wherever and whenever the test is taken. IELTS scores are proven and valid regardless of where you take the test.
IELTS has an integrated system of recruitment, training, benchmarking, certification and monitoring for IELTS Examiners. This ensures that they are fully qualified, experienced and effective, and provide a standardised testing and assessment system around the world. We have a rigorous, quality assured system for marking every IELTS test, proven by the half million IELTS tests conducted every year. The performance of each clerical marker is regularly monitored and evaluated. Each marker is tested every two years to retain their certification.
IELTS test centres are operated by the British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia or by independent organisations that meet strict standards of quality, security and customer service.
The free IELTS Test Report Form Verification Service enables universities and employers to authenticate test report forms and safeguard against fraudulent report forms using a safe and secure online database.

IELTS - Useful Links

Official IELTS Website
The official IELTS web site - it also contains a test centre locator function, which can find your nearest test centre.
Australian IELTS
The Australian organisation that runs IELTS. One of three organisations that run IELTS.
www.britishcouncil.org
The British organisation that runs IELTS. One of three organisations that run IELTS.
www.cambridgeesol.org
One of three organisations that run IELTS.
Middlesex University IELTS Page
Middlesex University is the biggest test centre in the UK. This is its information page.
Cambridge University Press IELTS books.
Cambridge University Press IELTS books.
Useful Info at www.ceii.org
Useful Information
www.cross-link.com
The IELTS Tutor" - Preparation video or CDROM.
www.aapress.com.au
A site selling someIELTS preparation books.
www.go-to-canada.com
Canadian immigration IELTS information.

www.infoielts.com
A helpful site and excellent list of books available.Free test available in line.
www.zelandia.ney
On line course.
www.englishoutlook.com
On line course.
www.englishjobmaze.com
Another IELTS book list.
Watch Education
Education resources list for colleges, online learning, online course, early childhood, home schooling, education subjects etc.
Hyperstudy.com
Useful guide to English courses abroad.
tefl.net
A useful site on TEFL subjects.
Dave's ESL Cafe
A useful site on lots of different subjects related to learning English.
studyIELTS Prep eGuide
This eBook has a wide collection of references to sites relevant to IELTS preparation.
www.eslcity.com
Useful site for EFL teachers
www.ieltsthailand.com
IELTS Thailand - an independent website for Thai people taking the IELTS test. The objective of this website is simple: help anyone taking the IELTS test get the score they need.

IELTS Tips and Tricks - Doing Well in the Listenting Task

The IELTS Listening test comes first, and many candidates find it a hard, sometime even discouraging, way to get started. The IELTS Listening task tests a diverse range of skills, and many people find it challenging.

There are many ways to prepare for this portion of the IELTS exam. There are, for example, many practice tapes and CD sets on the commercial market. While all of them are helpful to some degree, the one thing you can be sure is that none of them will be the IELTS Listening test you take.

The good news is that the best forms of IELTS Listening practice are available free, or at least readily and at low cost. They’re also more fun. They are radio, TV, and movies!

If you have access to an English-language radio or TV station, listen to it as often as possible. The benefits are many.

- You become familiar with a wide variety of accents and individual ways of speaking

- You get the rhythms of spoken English sentences in your ear

- You become more familiar with the way native speakers pronounce English words

- You start to hear word patterns and notice the way English sentences are put together

- You begin to learn new vocabulary by hearing it in context

- You simply become accustomed to the sound of spoken English, which may be the single most important thing of all

English radio and TV talk shows give you good exposure to the way native speakers – not English teacher – actually use the language. They familiarize you with slang and other colloquialisms.

English radio and TV news programmes give you great background for the multiple-voice, nonacademic setting section of the IELTS Listening test, which often uses a mock radio broadcast. Hearing up to four different individuals talk about the same incident from different personal perspectives, in different acoustical situations, and in a variety of accents (including those of second-language speakers) is exactly the kind of training you need to perform well on this portion of the test, which some candidates find the hardest.

Watching English, Australian, American, and other movies in English – in any format – is also highly useful in giving you exposure to the way “real people” speak English. As with all languages, it’s not the same as classroom English.

If you see such movies in the theatre, try to look at the subtitles as little as possible. If you watch them on DVD, watch them once with subtitles, so you learn the situations and dialogue – and then switch the subtitles off and watch them again and again, until you can understand what is being said without “translating.” Many local cable-TV providers show movies many times over the same time period. If you have access a movie channel on such a service, get the schedule, watch the movies you want once with the subtitles – and then, on repeat viewings, tape over the bottom of your TV screen so you cannot use the subtitles.

What’s important is that you expose yourself to the sound of spoken English as much as possible between now and the time you take IELTS. Use time that you otherwise might waste. When you’re getting dressed or eating breakfast in the morning, have the radio or TV on, set to an English station. If you are doing tasks that don’t require your full attention, like cooking or cleaning your room, have the radio or TV on in the background. If you spend a lot of time stuck in traffic, turn the car radio onto an English news or talk station.

Of course, you will benefit more the more you concentrate on what you hear. But even if you don’t focus on what you hear only, trying to understand what is being said, simply letting the sounds into your ears will help. Educators are now convinced that there is such a thing as “passive listening.” That means that you’re often learning even when you’re not trying to. If you have English on – even “in the background” – your brain is trying to figure out what is being said even if you’re not concentrating on it.

Most important of all, the day you actually tale the IELTS exam, make sure that the first time you hear English that day is not when the tape for the Listening test starts. That may be too late, and you could miss a question or too while your ears “adjust” to the sound of English. Even if you’re nervous and feel like you can’t concentrate on it, have the radio or TV on while you’re getting dressed, eating breakfast, or getting to the IELTS exam. You’ll be glad you did!

IELTS Tips and Tricks - Mastering the Writing Task

Everyone’s biggest problem with Writing Task is finishing both tasks on time. What no one tells you is that if you don’t finish either one, you lost a whole band point. This never has to happen to you!

The key to making sure that you report and essay qualify as finished is that they have a clear Conclusion paragraph. That paragraph can be one sentence long, if necessary. And the best news of all is, you have already written that sentence!

At the end of the Introduction (paragraph 1) of the Writing Task 1 report, you have written a summary of the information. In the same position – at the end of the first paragraph – in Writing Task 2, you have written your Thesis Statement. Simply be repeating both of those sentences at the beginning of a Conclusion paragraph, you have made your writing qualify as finished – even if there is more you wanted to write. And you don’t lose a whole band point needlessly.

Here’s what you do:

1)Make sure you do write a good summary in Writing Task 1 and a good Thesis Statement in Writing Task 2. (Your report and essay won’t work without them anyway.)

2)Watch your watch! No one is going to keep you on track as far as elapsed time is concerned. It’s up to you to monitor your own progress.

3)In Writing Task 1, if 18 minutes have passed and you’re still writing Body Paragraph sentences, finish the sentence you’re writing, quickly. Then, start a new paragraph (and make sure it looks like a new paragraph), and begin it with the words, “In conclusion,…” Then rewrite the summary. If you can, change a word or two (but not the meaning). If not, just write it exactly the way you did at the end of the Introduction.

4)In Writing Task 2, if 38 minutes have passed and you’re still writing Body Paragraph sentences, finish the sentence you’re writing, quickly. Then, start a new paragraph (and make sure it looks like a new paragraph), and begin it with the words, “In conclusion,…” Then rewrite the Thesis Statement. (This needs to be done in any case. It is an essential part of the essay.)

5)Ideally, in Writing Task 2, you should write the Restatement in reverse order of the Thesis Statement. For example, if it is an opinion essay, and you wrote your opinion and three reasons in the Thesis Statement, write the three reasons first, and then the opinion, in the Restatement. Again, if you have time and can, change a word or two (but not the meaning). If not, just write it exactly the way you did at the end of the Introduction.

6)Make sure you finish these “In conclusion,…” sentences on time. The task ends at exactly 60 minutes.

Obviously, this will not save you any lost points if all you have is a few sentences and your essay is far too short in the first place. But if you have written most of the essay, and followed the format, it’s essential that you not lost a whole band point just because it isn’t finished. So make it look finished!

Change to the General Training Reading Paper

From 1 May 2009, we are making a small but important change to the General Training Reading paper.

Currently, Section 2 of the General Training Reading paper focuses on the training context. From 1 May 2009, this section will focus on the work context (e.g. applying for jobs, company policies, pay and conditions, workplace facilities, staff development etc).

The General Training module is increasingly recognised by employers, professional bodies and immigration authorities. This change will ensure that the module will more closely meet the needs of candidates who take IELTS for employment or immigration purposes.

The other sections of the General Training Reading paper will remain unchanged.

Half Band Scores

From 1 July 2007, we're making a small but important change which will make IELTS Band Scores more informative.

Scores for each part of the test will still be reported on the scale from 1 to 9, but now the Writing and Speaking tests will be reported in whole or half bands in the same way as the Reading and Listening tests.

Why is score reporting for the Writing and Speaking tests being changed?

This is the latest in a series of enhancements to IELTS, based on continual consultation with test takers, teachers, Recognising Organisations and other stakeholders around the world.

This range of scores - using whole and half bands - is already used for Listening and Reading. We have consulted a large number of organisations that use IELTS scores, and their feedback tells us that they find the half band scores very helpful as they allow them to specify required language levels more precisely. Many teachers and test takers have also told us that they would like more detailed information on performance in each skill.

What will the benefits be?

There will be three main benefits:

Recognising Organisations will be able to set their requirements for admission, recruitment, etc, more precisely, based on more detailed information about the test-taker's performance in each of the four skills.
The Test Report Form will give test takers more precise information on their strengths and weaknesses.
IELTS scores will be easier for everyone to understand because test taker performance in all skills will be reported in the same way.
Does this change the way the Writing and Speaking tests will be assessed?

No. Examiners will assess test takers' performance in exactly the same way as at present using the Writing and Speaking assessment criteria.
The scores for each criteria will then be processed by the IELTS scores calculation system to produce a final Writing or Speaking band score which may be a whole or a half band.

Since there will not be any change in the way examiners assess the test takers' performance, the meaning of the overall IELTS Band Score will remain unchanged. Therefore, Recognising Organisations do not need to change their IELTS score requirements unless they specify a Writing and Speaking band score in addition to the Overall Band Score.

Should teachers and test takers change the way they prepare for the Writing and Speaking tests?

No, because the tests and the way they are assessed will remain exactly the same.

Can test takers get half band scores for tests taken before 1 July 2007?

No, it is not possible to issue half band scores for Speaking and Writing for tests taken before 1 July 2007.

Where can I get more information?

Later this year, we will issue new versions of the Information for Candidates, IELTS Handbook, Official IELTS Practice Materials and the IELTS Scores Explained DVD. In the meantime, updates will be available on the IELTS website so that you can update older copies of these publications if you already have them, and we will be including printed updates with materials we send out.

IELTS - Useful links

Material to buy online

www.cross-link.com : the IELTS Tutor

IELTS books at Amazon.com : many IELTS books on line

General information

www.ielts.org : official IELTS web site

www.britishcouncil.org : IELTS information and test centres all over the world

www.cambridge-efl.org.uk/exam/academic/bg_ielts.htm : downloadable handbook

Introduction to Cambridge IELTS 2 : useful information on the IELTS

Practice material online

international.holmesglen.vic.edu.au/IELTS01.htm : excellent site with lots of material, information and sample tests

Looking for a "real" course?

www.south-thames.ac.uk/courseinfosheet.asp?recid=551: the course of Academic English at South Thames College (London). I attended this course a couple of years ago. If you are in England consider seriously the possibility of joining it. IELTS will appear to you far less difficult.

IELTS Guide - The way to the exam

Let us suppose you have just heard about the IELTS and you arrived at this page looking for more information. Possibly you have just visited the site of the University you dream to study in and now you know the IELTS is a necessary step for your future. What to do now? This is a guide to help you taking the right steps and doing it at the right moment.

1) First of all, you need to know what the IELTS is: to have a first idea of how the exam is structured and how it is evaluated. Everything is in the IELTS official handbook, you can download from the following link (you need Acrobat Reader):

http://www.ielts.org/pdf/ielts2002.pdf

If you do not have Acrobat Reader you find all the information in the following site:

http://www.ielts.org/handbook.htm

2) Now you know everything about it. The second point is: where and when can I take the test? Do not worry. There is an IELTS centre in almost all countries in the world. The complete list is at:

http://www.ielts.org/centres.cfm

You will definitely find a centre not too far from where you live (you probably have to go to the capital of your country). What you have to do is to call or email the centre and ask when you can take the test. However, usually there is a large number of dates to choose from. Ask for information about the price, payment methods and test registration as well. Ask to receive an application form.

If you are not in a hurry, there is no need to book for your exam at once. Do some practice first.

3) At this point you can start preparing the exam. Obviously this is the most difficult part of the process. The fact is that points (1) and (2) are the same for everyone. The preparation, on the contrary, differs depending on your English starting level.

The good news about the IELTS is that it does not test your grammar, but your use and comprehension of the language. You do not need to know a very rich grammar (as, for example in the Proficiency); you must be able to write and speak without grammatical mistakes and to listen and read properly. However, this is not enough: even if your English is perfect, you still need to practice on some IELTS tests in order to get used to the test format. I will try to give you some guidelines for your preparation.

The work you need to undertake depends on two crucial factors:

your current level of English;

the band score you need to obtain.

My first suggestion is: unless you are forced to (say, because of time constraints) do not take the exam if you are not ready. It would be a loss of money. This is the reason why I told you above not to book your exam without doing any practice first. Take the time you need.

Try to be as frank as possible about your level of English: if your level is low, there is no sense in doing IELTS exercises now. Look for IELTS material only once your English fundamentals are in place. Otherwise practice all aspects of English (listening, writing, speaking, reading) in traditional ways, with traditional English textbook and courses. This is the first step of your preparation: improve your English to an acceptable level.

The appropriate level of English to start practicing on IELTS material depends on the band you need: if a 5.5 is enough, then you can start earlier. If a 7.5 is required, then your fundamentals have to be very strong.

Now that your level of English is acceptable, you should start to get used of the IELTS format. Your English will improve as well while doing IELTS exercises. You have basically two choices:

to attend an IELTS course, in order to receive help directly from IELTS experts;

to prepare the exam on your own, using appropriate material.

My suggestion is: always choose IELTS courses that are recommended by the British Council. In this way you will be sure about the quality of the course. Search the following site

http://www.britishcouncil.org

to find a good course in your country or, if you can, invest a couple of months in an English speaking country attending an IELTS course there. If you have difficulties in finding a course ask your local IELTS centre for assistance.

A course is in general better than self-study, but is not the best strategy for everyone. Apart from costs considerations, if your level of English is very high, I personally believe that attending a course could end up being a waste of time and money. On the contrary, if your level is medium-low, a course might just be perfect for you. An IELTS course is definitely inappropriate if your level is very low (see above). By the way, I attended an IELTS course and I found it hugely beneficial, but many of my class mates did not. I guess this is because their level of English was either too low or too high.

If you attend a course they will provide you with everything you need. If you do not, you need to do everything on your own: in particular you have to find IELTS material to practice with. There is something on line, but not much. As far as I know, the only proper free exercises you find online are at:

http://www.ielts.org/practise.htm

In my opinion, this is not enough to prepare the exam. You need some more material you can buy online. In the IELTS books on line of this site you find a list of good books you might want to buy. Remember: irrespectively of your English level, you need some specific IELTS material in order not to have bad surprises the day of the test.

Before doing any practise, remember to read carefully all the pages of this site, in particular Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking: the IELTS is not only an English test, it is also a time-management test. During the test, you have to use properly your precious time and this site provides you with good tips on this as well as other aspects of the test.

4) Now you have done some practise. However, you might still have questions you do not know who to ask to. Well, now you have someone. I have founded a discussion group on the ielts. Subscribe and you will find many IELTS students and a few IELTS teachers there to help you.

5) During your preparation, when you realize you are about to be ready for the exam, fill in the application form your local IELTS centre has provided you with and send it to the centre in order to book your test. The countdown begins!

6) The day of the test has arrived. It is very important to sleep as much as you need the night before as concentration is an important part of the IELTS. Be relaxed. Do not panic. If you followed the steps above you should not have problems. Arrive at the centre at least half an hour before the exam. Take your time.

7) Good luck!!

IELTS Speaking

IELTS Speaking
The speaking part is usually a conversation about you, your plans for the future, your past studies, the reason for which you are taking the IELTS, your country, your town. Therefore be prepared for these subjects. You should prepare something to say about them. In addition, the examiner will show you a card with an argument you are supposed to discuss. The thing you have to remember is: use easy words and expressions if you are not very confident and everything will go well. To be able to comunicate what you think is far more important than doing it with a perfect English accent. Therefore, don't worry if your pronunciation is not exactly a British one. That's not the main point. Your understanding of what the examiner says and the ability to comunicate without grammatical mistakes is more important. The conversation usually lasts 15-20 minutes and will be recorded. Don't panic about that!


The Speaking part of the test have been changed on July 1, 2001. It is now made up of three parts (this is the description of the test taken from the official IELTS website):

In Part 1 the candidate answers general questions about themselves, their homes/ families, their jobs/studies, their interests, and a range of similar familiar topic areas. This part lasts between four and five minutes.

In Part 2 the candidate is given a verbal prompt on a card and is asked to talk on a particular topic. The candidate has one minute to prepare before speaking at length, for between one and two minutes. The examiner then asks one or two rounding-off questions.

In Part 3 the examiner and candidate engage in a discussion of more abstract issues and concepts which are thematically linked to the topic prompt in Part 2. The discussion lasts between four and five minutes.

Tip from Ros (March 2001):
In the speaking section of the test you are often asked for your opinion about something. For example, if you are a student studying in Australia, the examiner may say; ‘What do you think of Australia?’ Most students would have an opinion about this but they often wouldn’t know where to begin. REMEMBER whenever you are asked for your OPINION about ANYTHING you can always give both the ‘positive’ and the ‘negative’ aspects of the subject in question. So your answer would go something like: ‘Well, I like Australia because the people are friendly and the pace of life is slow, HOWEVER I don’t like the hot weather and shopping hours are too short.

You will get a better score because you have made a COMPARISON about what is good about Australia and what is bad. Also you have opened the way for the examiner to ask you about the weather or shopping in your country.

Practice doing this with all sorts of topics. Here are a few for you to practice on.

(a) Chinese food (b) Computers (c) Swimming (d) visiting other countries.

THE IELTS TEST IS NOT DIFFICULT IF YOU KNOW HOW TO APPROACH IT.

IELTS - Writing

IELTS Writing
There are two writing tasks and you can use an hour to write both. The first is an analysis of a chart, a graph, a table or something similar. The second is a composition about an argument of general interest. It is suggested that you spend 20 minutes on the first task and 40 on the second. I always used more than 20 minutes for the first and about 30 for the second, but you have to decide on your own strategy on the basis of your abilities. Use your time in an intelligent way: remember you have to compose two different tasks and you can't devote too much time to the first (or the second). You can decide to start with the analysis or with the composition. It's up to you. However, remember to read both titles before you start writing. In this way your subconscious will start thinking about the second task while you are writing the first.

Now let me give you some suggestions about the tasks. First of all you have to write at least 150 words. This doesn't mean you have to count the words. The best thing to do is the following: when you write as practice before taking the real test, count the words. In other words, you have to know how long a text you write is. Don't write less than 150 words. However, a composition of 200 words will be perfect; a composition of 300 will be too long and boring for the examiner. In this task you have to present the data shown in a graph (or somewhere else) in a formal way. Try to understand the main points and write about them. In addition, try to explain the reasons of the trend shown: for example if the graph shows that in the last decades the use of cars has increased and the use of bycicles has decreased, you should say something about the possible reasons of this phenomenon. A possible organisation of the work could be the following: devote a paragraph to the introduction (say what you are going to write about); write a second paragraph describing the graph; use a third paragraph to explain the trends. Of course, this is just an example. The point is: you have to organize your work before writing. When you start writing you already have to know what you are going to write. Click here to have a look at a list of very useful expression you can use in the first task.

The suggestions about the number of the words and the organization are valid for the second task as well. The difference is that you have to write at least 250 words for this task. Use the first minutes to think about what you are going to write. Remember: ORGANISATION. You can decide your own way to write the composition; the following is an example: an introduction to write something general about the argument; a first paragraph to write the arguments of those who support a position; a second paragraph to write the opposite arguments. A conclusion with your own ideas about the problem. Try to avoid mistakes in grammar and make a composition in order: the paragraphs have to be clear. Leave a line between them.

IELTS - Reading

IELTS Reading

In the reading section, the problem is the time. You are supposed to read three passages and to give a total of 40 answers. You have one hour. Therefore you can devote just 20 minutes for a passage, which is sometimes not enough time. First of all: use just 20 minutes for each section: if after 20 minutes you do not have some answers, guess and pass to the next question. Remember: you won't have extra-time at the end of the hour to transfer the answers to the answer sheet. Therefore write them on it at once: this is an important difference from the listening section, where you will be given time to transfer your answers.

Second: read the questions carefully before reading the passage: this is very very important. If you read the passage without knowing the questions, you will waste your time. Here is a useful procedure: use 3-4 minutes to read the questions; use 10-12 minutes to read the passage and to answer where you can. In this way you should be able to find a lot of answers. Use the last minutes to find the answers in the text that you did not find when you first read the passage. Usually, but not always, you will find the answers in order.

Third: read the instructions given carefully: if you are asked to answer a question taking no more than two or three words from the text, then an answer with more words is definitely wrong. Sometimes you are given a sentence and you have to write YES if it is true according to the text, NO if it is not, NOT GIVEN if the information is not in the text. Remember: ACCORDING TO THE TEXT. You have to be very precise: sometimes just a word in the passage can make you have to decide between two alternatives.

Other times the text is divided into a number of paragraphs and you are asked to choose a title for each paragraph from a list of possible titles. In the weeks before the exam, test when you read an article in a newspaper or in a magazine, try to give a title to each paragraph. The title is usually the main point of the paragraph. This will help you very much.
Tip from Ros (May 2001):
Read the following text and try to answer the question you will find at the bottom.

One day my family and I decided to try windsurfing. We went for a few lessons first (only 5) which gave us some idea of the techniques to use when trying to windsurf. After our introductory course we hired a board and off we went for a day at the sea. Although we were not very good, we knew HOW to practice to improve. We only knew this because of our introductory lessons. Just watching others do it would not have been helpful at all, in fact we would have become frustrated and given up. Reading other peoples model essays is a bit like this. When you read it you think 'it seems so easy' but when you try you find out that it's exasperatingly, frustratingly, anxiety provokingly DIFFICULT. Like the poor people who had no lessons to learn to windsurf, you too feel like giving up. REMEMBER THIS: We only needed 5 lessons to learn enough to be able to HELP OURSELVES. We will never be champion windsurfers, just as you will most likely never be able to write English like me and I will never be able to write Chinese (which I am trying to learn) or any other language, like you. THE GOOD NEWS IS: you don't have to - you only have to get through the IELTS test. We didn't aim at being champion windsurfers - we only wanted to have fun. You, like us, only need to be given some techniques and away you will go. A WORD OF CAUTION: If I had only one hand, for example, I would not have been able to learn to windsurf. If you do not have the basics of English you will be in the same position. However, if you do have the basics all you need is the techniques to tackle the IELTS. MY VIDEO WILL HELP YOU WITH THIS.

After reading the message decide which of the following would be the best heading for it:
(a) The IELTS test and wind-surfing are similar.
(b) The best way to succeed in the IELTS is to get some help from an expert.
(c) The IELTS Tutor will help you to do well in the IELTS
Which one is the best heading (a), (b) or (c).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Answer:
The best answer is the last one since this was the MAIN point of the message. You are often asked to do this type of question in the Reading section.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IELTS - Listening

The listening part of the test is the first you will encounter. It is divided into four sections with increasing difficulty. The main problem is that you will be allowed to listen to the cassette just once. Usually you have to write something you hear (a telephone number, an address, a name, etc.). Some questions are multiple choice. The total number of questions you have to answer is 40. More than 30 anwers right means a good mark, but sometimes you may get an acceptable mark even with 27 or 28 correct answers. The first suggestion is the following: write the answers as you hear them. Waiting could be a mistake because later you will not to remember the answer, particularly if you have to write something, and you won't get the chance to listen to the same piece again. You will have the chance to read the following questions before listening each section. Use this chance: in this way you will be able to concentrate your attention just to the part you are interested in. In fact you do not have to understand everything if you want a good mark. You need to understand just what answers you have to give. Do not lose time trying to understand everything. You always have to know what question you are waiting for: when you hear the answer write it at once or, if you do not understand it, start reading the next question and waiting for the answer.

At the end of the listening test you will have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet: use those minutes to complete the answer sheet and try to write something in all the 40 spaces even if you are not sure of the correct answer. A wrong answer is as wrong as no answer: so try! You could be lucky!

IELTS material is in some countries difficult to find. To practice your listening I suggest you to buy or borrow a library Proficiency test. I found the listening part of Proficiency tests more difficult than IELTS, even though there you can listen to the pieces twice. If you are used to doing difficult tests, you will find the real exam easier! Of course try to listen as much as possible to people speaking in English: films with subtitles are very useful. If you live in England use page 888 of Teletext on television: most of the programs are subtitled. If you live in Australia you should watch "Behind the news" on Channel 2. It is very good for Listening practice.
Tip from Ros (April 2001):
Between questions you, as the test candidate, are given 30 seconds (1) to check the answers to the section just completed and (2) 30 seconds to read the section which you are about to do. Since time is given at the end of the test to check all your answers, I suggest that you use all 60 seconds to read the next section. Do not waste time checking your answers at this point. One of the biggest difficulties of the IELTS listening test is that you have to read and listen at the same time. Try to read as much as you can during the 60 second break as this will help you to listen for the specific information you need to answer the questions.

What is IELTS?

OVERVIEW

Studying for the IELTS test usually involves a long course. The preparation time is similar to that of the TOEFL, FCE or CAE courses (approximately 100 hours). The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes and consists of the following:

Academic Reading:
3 sections, 40 items, 60 minutes

Academic Writing:
2 tasks: 150 words and 250 words, 60 minutes

General Training Reading:
3 sections, 40 items, 60 minutes

General training Writing:
2 tasks: 150 words and 250 words, 60 minutes

Listening:
4 sections, 40 items, 30 minutes


Speaking
11 to 14 minutes

Up until now, there have been few resources on the Internet for First Certificate preparation. Luckily, this is beginning to change. The purpose of this feature is to provide you with FREE study resources currently available on the Internet. You can use these materials to prepare for the exam or to check to see if your level of English is right for working towards this exam.

What is the IELTS?

Before beginning to study for the IELTS, it is a good idea to understand the philosophy and purpose behind this standardized test. The best way to do this is to go straight to the source and visit the introduction to the exam at the IELTS information site. You can also download the IELTS handbook which gives detailed information about the test. You can also read the information online. IELTS-Test.com also has excellent introductions to each part of the exam.
Listening
Reading
Writing
Speaking

90 Day IELTS Re-Take Rule

From 1 May 2006 the policy on candidates re-taking IELTS will be amended. The restriction on re-taking IELTS within 90 days will be removed and candidates will be able to repeat the test whenever they wish.

The current restriction on repeating the test within 90 days at any centre will remain in place for all candidates until the end of April 2006. All candidates from 1 May will be able to repeat at the next available test, regardless of the date of their previous test.

IELTS is now used by a range of receiving organisations across the world and many of them require candidates to demonstrate adequate performance overall as well as by individual skill. It is possible for candidates to attain their required overall band score but fail to achieve a specific module score in a particular skill area. As a result they are required to re-take the test but have to wait 90 days and this can result in hardship and distress. It is in the nature of tests that scores on individual components may vary to some extent from occasion to occasion and a candidate may be able to make limited improvements in their performance when repeating the test. In consideration of this the decision was made to remove the re-take restrictions.

It should be noted however that IELTS scores are not substantially improved merely by taking the test on multiple occasions. To significantly improve a score it is necessary to engage in further study of a serious nature. Gain score studies carried out under the IELTS funded research programme indicate that scores are unlikely to improve dramatically without extensive English language tuition in the interim.

Candidates will still be asked to indicate on their application form whether they have taken the test before. This information will appear on the Test Report Form and will only be used for monitoring purposes.

Electronic IELTS results to Receiving Organisations

Overview

IELTS results are increasingly high-stakes as the test grows in recognition and candidature. Sophisticated features have been built in to the IELTS Test Report Form (TRF) to maintain the security of test results. To provide a further safeguard, in 2002 IELTS developed an on-line service which enables those recognising IELTS to be totally confident about the authenticity of any TRF with which they are presented. The service has been in operation for the last 3 years and has proved to be a great success with most major universities and immigration departments in the English speaking world having signed up. The initial success of the verification service was built upon with the addition of candidate photos in September 2003, ensuring that verification was even more convenient and reliable for verifiers.

In response to requests from key stakeholders, IELTS will be introducing an electronic bulk download facility where organisations will be able to download IELTS results for all IELTS candidates who want the organisation to recognise their result. This new feature will be available in early 2006.

A number of key questions relating to the new development are answered below:

What are the benefits of this facility?

Many stakeholders have suggested that it would make their administrative procedures more efficient if verified results could be downloaded in bulk and loaded into their own data systems.

How does the electronic download facility work?

Candidates registering for IELTS will continue to have the option to specify up to 5 organisations to whom their IELTS test scores should be sent. This information will be recorded by the centre in their local administration systems and subsequently uploaded to the central IELTS processing systems and websites. Users from organisations which have registered for the electronic download facility will be able to login to the existing IELTS TRF verification service and navigate to a new section from which the downloads can be initiated. It will be possible to select date parameters for the download and the file type, either CSV or XML.

Do I have to pay for this service?

The bulk electronic download service and the existing IELTS TRF verification service are provided to appropriate organisations free of charge.

What do I need to do get access to the new service?

If you are an existing user of the IELTS TRF verification service:
We will contact the administrator for your organisation later in 2005 and ask whether or not you wish to have access to the new bulk download service. Once your organisation has signed up it will appear in the list of organisations available to Centre Administrators.
If you are a new user of the IELTS TRF verification service:
If you would like to access either the IELTS TRF verification site or the bulk download facility, then please refer to the IELTS website for further information on registration.
What is the impact of registering for the bulk download service?

Once you have registered for the service and you have received confirmation from IELTS administration, all users at your institution will be able to access an additional area of the web site which will allow them to download candidate results. You will not receive hard copy TRFs for these candidates. However to start with you may receive some TRFs as hard copy and some results electronically, as all centres switch over to the new system.

Unfortunately, at the moment, once an institution has subscribed to the bulk download service it is not possible to unsubscribe. Candidate preferences in terms of who receives their results are captured when the candidate registers for IELTS and allowing institutions to withdraw from the service would mean that some candidates may not be able to get their TRFs verified easily.

Which university student administration packages will be supported?

To support users in universities IELTS is developing interfaces which will allow universities to import IELTS scores directly into the most popular student administration packages without the need for any kind of bespoke development.

Initially an interface is being developed to allow IELTS scores to be imported into PeopleSoft Campus Solutions versions 8.0 and 8.9. PeopleSoft users will be able to download PeopleSoft projects which can then be applied to their instance of PeopleSoft Campus Solutions. IELTS scores can then be imported, in the same way as other test scores, without any further bespoke development. Full supporting documentation explaining how to apply the projects will be provided.

It is anticipated that similar support will be available for the Banner Student Administration System in 2006.

Users of other student administration systems or those with bespoke systems cannot be supported at this time although organisations are free to develop their own import routines.

When will the electronic download functionality be available?

The electronic download functionality will be available in early 2006.

What is the file format for the download?

The file is available to download in either CSV or XML file formats. Please note that the photo is only available in the XML format and is not transferred as part of the CSV download.

Currently the hard copy TRF shows the Writing and Speaking as an integer but the Listening and Reading and Overall band score to 1decimal place. The download formats output each of the 4 skills and the overall band score all to 1 decimal place for the XML format and to one decimal place in the CSV format where the band score is not an integer.

The following table defines the XML file format:

Output XML Format

DownloadID( attribute ) Integer - max 10 digits

PartNo(attribute) Integer – max 10 digits

OrganisationID( attribute ) Integer - max 10 digits

StartDate "CCYY-MM-DD"
e.g. 2004-06-28

EndDate "CCYY-MM-DD"

Candidate.CentreNumber String – 5 chars

Candidate.CandidateNumber Integer – max 6 digits

Candidate.CandidateID String – max 20 chars

Candidate.TestDate "CCYY-MM-DD"

Candidate.ModuleType “A” or “G”

Candidate.FamilyName String – max 50 chars

Candidate.FirstName String – max 50 chars

Candidate.DateOfBirth "CCYY-MM-DD"

Candidate.Gender M, F or U

Candidate.Score.ListeningTest Decimal – max 999.9

Candidate.Score.ReadingTest Decimal – max 999.9

Candidate.Score.WritingTest Decimal – max 999.9

Candidate.Score.SpeakingTest Decimal – max 999.9

Candidate.Score.Overall Decimal – max 999.9

Candidate.TRFNumber String – max 20 chars

Candidate.Photo Base64 encoded binary image –
unbounded size but probably around
8K in size per candidate


The following table defines the CSV file format. The order of the data items will correspond to the layout of the CSV file.

CSV Field Format

DownloadID Integer - max 10 digits

PartNo Integer - max 10 digits

Startdate "DD/MM/CCYY"
e.g. 28/06/2004

Enddate "DD/MM/CCYY"

CentreNumber String – 5 chars

CandidateNumber Integer – max 6 digits

CandidateID String – max 20 chars

TestDate "DD/MM/CCYY"

ModuleType “A” or “G”

FamilyName String – max 50 chars

FirstName String – max 50 chars

DateOfBirth "DD/MM/CCYY"

Gender M, F or U

Listeningtest Decimal – max 999.9

Readingtest Decimal – max 999.9

Writingtest Decimal – max 999.9

Speakingtest Decimal – max 999.9

Overall Decimal – max 999.9

TRFNumber String – max 20 chars

IELTS - Half Band Scores

Half Band Scores
From 1 July 2007, we’re making a small but important change which will make IELTS Band Scores more informative.

Scores for each part of the test will still be reported on the scale from 1 to 9, but now the Writing and Speaking modules will be reported in whole or half-bands in the same way as the Reading and Listening modules.

Why is the scoring being changed?

This is the latest in a series of enhancements to IELTS, based on continual consultation with test takers, teachers, Recognising Organisations and other stakeholders around the world.

This range of scores – using full and half-bands – is already used for Listening and Reading. We have consulted a large number of organisations that use IELTS scores, and their feedback tells us that they find the half band scores very helpful as they allow them to specify required language levels more precisely. Many teachers and test takers have also told us that they would like more detailed information on performance in each skill.

What will the benefits be?

There will be two main benefits to the new arrangements:

Recognising Organisations will be able to set their requirements for admission, recruitment, etc, more precisely, based on more detailed information about the test-taker’s performance in each module.
Test takers will get a report that gives them more information on their strengths and weaknesses.
It will also mean that the IELTS scores are easier for everyone to understand because all parts of the exam will now be reported in the same way.

Does this change the way the exams will be marked?

No. Examiners will assess test takers’ performance in exactly the same way as at present. The full and half-band scores will then be determined when the scores are processed by the IELTS scores calculation system/software. There will not be any change in the way examiners mark the tests, test takers, so the meaning of the overall Band Scores remains unchanged.

Recognising Organisations do not need to change the way they use IELTS scores unless they require a Writing and Speaking band score in addition to the Overall Band Score. Organisations should review and update their score requirements for Writing and/or Speaking if these modules are required along with Overall Band Score.

Should teachers and test takers change the way they prepare for the exams?

No. The tests and the way they are marked will remain exactly the same.

Can test takers get half-band scores for previous tests?

It is not possible to issue half-band scores for Speaking and Writing for tests taken before 1 July 2007

IELTS - Locations and test dates

There are around 300 test centres worldwide. The number of candidates has grown from about 100,000 in 1999 to about half a million in 2003. The top three locations in which candidates took the test in 2003 were Mainland China, India and the United Kingdom for the Academic Category, and India, Mainland China and Australia for the General Training Category.
There are up to 48 test dates available per year. Each test centre offers tests up to four times a month depending on local demand.

IELTS Band Scale

IELTS is scored on a nine band scale. Each Band corresponds to different English competence. The Band Scores are in either whole or half Bands. The nine bands are described as such:

9 Expert User
Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.

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.

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.

6 Competent User
Have generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.

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.sagor available

4 Limited User
Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in use of complex language.

3 Extremely Limited User
Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur.

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.

1 Non User
Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.

0 Did not attempt
No assessable information provided. Candidate may have failed to sit for the test

IELTS Characteristics

IELTS The IELTS incorporates the following features:

A variety of accents and writing styles are presented in text materials in order to minimise linguistic bias. Since the TOEFL only concerns North American English, the IELTS is considered more authoritative than TOEFL by some people and organisations (especially the ones outside the United States). Although apparently the TOEFL incorporates British and Australian listening exercises.
IELTS tests the ability to listen, read, write and speak in English.
Two test formats can be chosen from - Academic and General Training.
Band scores are used for each language sub-skill (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). The Band Scale ranges from 1 ("Non User") to 9 ("Expert User").

IELTS Introduction

International English Language Testing System (IELTS, pronounced /'ielts/) is a test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, British Council and IDP Education Australia. Candidates may choose either the Academic Module or the General Training Module:

The Academic Module is intended for those who wish to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education.
The General Training Module is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.
IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand and South African academic institutions, by an increasing number of academic institutions in the USA, and by various professional organisations. It is also a requirement for migration to Australia and Canada.

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It measures ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking – for people who intend to study or work where English is the language of communication.

Since 1989, IELTS has been proven and trusted worldwide to provide a secure, global, authentic and customer-focused test which measures true to life ability to communicate in English. Close to 5,000 educational institutions, government agencies and professional organisations around the world recognise IELTS scores as a trusted and valid indicator of ability to communicate in English.

More than 700,000 people a year are now using IELTS to open doors throughout the English-speaking world and beyond. The test is taken every year across 120 countries, and is one of the fastest growing English language tests in the world, and sets the standard in integrity, research and innovation