What is IELTS?

The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam is structured into four main sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Here's an overview of each section:

1. Listening Section:

• Format: Consists of four recorded monologues and conversations. There are 40 questions in total, divided into four sections, with 10 questions per section.

• Duration: Approximately 30 minutes, including 10 minutes to transfer answers to the answer sheet.

• Skills Assessed: Ability to understand main ideas and specific details, as well as the ability to follow the development of ideas in spoken English.

1. Reading Section:

• Format: Includes three long texts taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. There are 40 questions in total, divided into three sections, with 13-14 questions per section.

• Duration: 60 minutes.

• Skills Assessed: Ability to read and understand different types of texts, including descriptive, factual, and analytical texts. Also assesses ability to identify main ideas, supporting details, and opinions.

1. Writing Section:

• Format: Consists of two tasks: Task 1 (150 words) and Task 2 (250 words). Task 1 may require you to describe, summarize, or explain visual information (e.g., graphs, charts, diagrams). Task 2 is an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem.

• Duration: 60 minutes.

• Skills Assessed: Ability to present and organize information in a coherent and logical manner, as well as ability to express opinions and arguments clearly.

1. Speaking Section:

• Format: Consists of a face-to-face interview with an examiner. The section is divided into three parts:

• Part 1: Introduction and general questions about familiar topics (4-5 minutes).

• Part 2: Speak about a particular topic given on a task card. You have 1 minute to prepare and speak for 1-2 minutes (4-5 minutes in total).

• Part 3: Discussion related to the topic in Part 2, including more abstract and complex ideas (4-5 minutes).

• Duration: 11-14 minutes.

• Skills Assessed: Ability to communicate effectively in spoken English, including fluency, coherence, pronunciation, vocabulary usage, and grammatical accuracy.

Overall, the IELTS exam assesses a wide range of language skills, including listening, reading, writing, and speaking, to evaluate a candidate's ability to communicate in English effectively in academic and everyday contexts.