IELTS examInternational English Language Testing System (IELTS) is one of the leading international systems, which determines the level of basic language skills for those who are interested to emigrate, study or work in the companies where English is the one of the most primary requirements.

Since 1989 IELTS exam has been successfully passed by 1.4 million people in 135 countries. IELTS has established itself as an internationally recognized, reliable and objective examination, which checks the actual language skills of the candidate. More than 6,000 higher education institution, international organizations and immigration agencies around the world trust the IELTS certificate (example).

IELTS exam was created to test any level of proficiency of the candidates. It means that the exam cannot be failed. The results of the test are determined by a 9-point scale (from 1 (the lowest) to 9 (the highest) level).

There are two formats of the exam: academic and general:

  • Academic module is used for academic purposes. It is designed for those who are going to enter the universities of UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada, or to participate in the international educational programs;
  • General training module is for general training. It’s essential exam for those who want to work in England, as well as for all those who decide to emigrate to Australia, Canada, UK, New Zealand, USA, Hong Kong, Ireland and other countries.

The IELTS Exam - everything you need to know:

To obtain the IELTS certificate each candidate has to complete all four parts of the exam: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The total duration of the first three sections of the test is 2 hours and 45 minutes. These three modules are always in the same order and without interruption. The first three parts of the exam are conducted in one day, and Speaking section can be assigned up to 7 days before or 7 days after delivery of the first part of the test. All candidates perform the same tasks on Listening and Speaking, while the Reading and Writing can differ depending on what version of the test is selected - Academic or General.

Let’s speak about the each section in detail:

  • Listening: you have to listen to the text and answer 40 questions (30 minutes);
  • Reading: you should read the text and answer 40 questions (60 minutes);
  • Writing: you task is to write a letter and a short essay on a general topic;
  • Speaking: you have to talk about your life, work, interests, and plans for the future (11-14 minutes).

Each piece is evaluated on a ten points (0 to 9). The passing score for each university is different (6 points and above). It’s better to contact the employer or university and find out how many points is considered.

Benefits of the IELTS exam

IELTS test can be passed anyone with any level of knowledge. IELTS certificate is accepted in all countries of the world, where knowledge of English is necessary.

IELTS test is required for those who plan to apply for immigration to UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, want to study in the Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, American, British or Irish universities where the studying takes knowledge of English. The number of educational institutions in the world, recognizing the results of the exam IELTS, is constantly increasing.