IELTS

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System.

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge Assessment English.

Precise Testing Solutions is proud to be an IELTS test centre for IDP in Canada.

IELTS is not a “pass” or “fail” test. It is a test that is used to measure English-language proficiency and is scored using a 9-band scale. IELTS test results are required for internationally educated individuals who wish to study, work, or live in Canada.

Public institutions and regulating bodies typically require an IELTS score from the Academic test for admissions to their institution or certification into a professional field. National and provincial governments also require an IELTS score from the General test as part of the immigration process for various programs as proof of English-language ability.

TEST FORMAT

Both modules of IELTS have four separate sections that assess each of the four language skills – listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules but the Reading, and Writing components are different for the Academic and the General Training versions. IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are assessed by the same scoring methods.

Candidates should remember that the Listening, Reading and Writing sections of IELTS are all conducted on the same day, with no breaks in between.

The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes.

The modules are taken in the following order:

The following details the format for the four different sections of the test. Note: The Reading and Writing Sections of the Academic test are different from the General Training test.

Listening (30 minutes)

Candidates listen to four recorded texts, monologues, and conversations by a range of native speakers and write their answers to a series of questions. These include questions which test the ability to understand main ideas and detailed factual information, ability to understand the opinions and attitudes of speakers, ability to understand the purpose of what is said, and ability to follow the development of ideas. A variety of voices and native-speaker accents are used and you will hear each section only once.

Part 1: A conversation between two people set in an everyday social context, e.g. a conversation in an accommodation agency.
Part 2: A monologue set in an everyday social context, e.g. a speech about local facilities.
Part 3: A conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context, e.g. a university tutor and a student discussing an assignment.
Part 4: A monologue on an academic subject, e.g. a university lecture.

Reading (60 minutes)

The Reading component consists of 40 questions. A variety of question types is used in order to test a wide range of reading skills. These include reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical argument, recognizing writers’ opinions, attitudes and purposes.

Academic Module

The Academic module includes three long texts which range from descriptive and factual to discursive and analytical. The texts are authentic and are taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. These have been selected for a non-specialist audience but are recognizably appropriate for anyone entering undergraduate or postgraduate courses or seeking professional registration.

General Training Module

The General Training module requires candidates to read extracts from books, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, company handbooks, and guidelines. These are materials that are likely encountered on a daily basis in an English speaking environment.

Writing (60 minutes)

Academic Module

The Writing component of the Academic module includes two tasks. Topics are of general interest to and suitable for anyone entering undergraduate or postgraduate studies or seeking professional registration.
Task 1: Candidates will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and are asked to describe, summarize or explain the information in their own words.
Task 2: Candidates will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. Responses to both tasks must be written in a formal style.

General Training Module

The Writing component of the General Training module includes two tasks which are based on topics of general interest.
Task 1: Candidates will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter requesting information or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style.
Task 2: Candidates will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. The essay can be slightly more personal in style than the Academic Writing Task 2 essay.

Speaking (11 to 14 minutes)

Interviews can be offered up to 7 days before or after the test, or on the same day.

The Speaking component assesses the use of spoken English and takes between 11 and 14 minutes to complete. Every test is recorded.
Part 1: Candidates will be asked to answer general questions about themselves and a range of familiar topics, such as their home, family, work, studies, and interests. This part lasts between 4 and 5 minutes.
Part 2: Candidates will be given a minute to prepare their thoughts on an assigned topic before being invited to speak for up to two minutes. The examiner will then ask one or two questions on the same topic to finish this part of the test.
Part 3: Candidates will be asked further questions connected to the topic in Part 2. These questions will provide an opportunity to discuss more abstract issues and ideas. This part lasts between four and five minutes. The Speaking component is delivered in such a way that does not allow candidates to rehearse set responses beforehand.-

ABOUT THE SPEAKING TEST

The Speaking test is a discussion with a certified and highly qualified IELTS Examiner. The Speaking test is made up of three sections. It is recorded on a digital recorder.

You must bring the same identification documents (ID) you supplied on your IELTS Application Form and continue to use the same ID for each part of the test. Your ID will be checked before you enter the interview room.

As IELTS is an international test, a variety of English accents is used in both of these tests.

For more information about IELTS in Canada, including test dates and locations and CLBs, visit https://ielts.idp.com/canada.