The International English Language Testing System,
a standardized English test for non-native speakers, one of the major and the most popular ones in the world.
This test is widely accepted in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand for academic and immigration purposes.
How to prepare for the IELTS exam?
Everything you need to know to successfully practice for IELTS General and Academic tests.
What is the IELTS exam?
IELTS test is the most popular English exam accepted by many organizations around the world. IELTS certificates can be used to get a job abroad, apply for studies in English or immigrate to English-speaking countries, for example, the UK, Canada and Australia. It has two versions - IELTS General is mostly used for work and immigration, while IELTS Academic diploma is required by higher education institutions.
What is the exam format?
The test has 4 sections - listening, reading, writing and speaking.
Listening takes around 30 minutes and consists of 4 sections. The sections increase in difficulty with the first part being the easiest and the last one the hardest. This part of the exam has the same audio and questions for both General and Academic tests. The test usually begins with Listening. You get papers with the questions and an answer form that you have to fill out.
Reading takes 60 minutes and consists of 3 sections. This part of the exam is different for General and Academic students. While IELTS General reading often includes general knowledge topics, IELTS Academic reading is more complicated and has scholar and research articles and vocabulary.
Writing takes 60 minutes and consists of 2 sections. This part of the exam is different for General and Academic students. You will need to write your answers on paper with pens / pencils provided by the test center.
Speaking takes 10-15 minutes and consists of 3 sections. Here you This part is the same for both General and Academic tests. The IELTS Speaking part is done face-to-face with an employee of the test center who also records your answer.
How is it graded?
You get a score for each part of the test and one final grade based on the average score of all four parts. Usually your final grade reflects your overall knowledge of the English language. However, some organizations, for example, universities or federal immigration programs of some countries tend to look at all grades or even set a minimum for specific parts (7.0 minimum grade for writing, for example). Therefore, you should try to get the highest possible grade in every section of the IELTS test and not just hope to cover lower grades with higher ones to get an accepted average IELTS score. Normally, you get your IELTS results in 10-14 days after your test date.
How do I prepare for IELTS?
IELTS exam preparation takes time and determination. Here are a few steps that might help you get on the right track with your IELTS test preparation.
This is the most important step in your test preparation. You need to choose between IELTS General and IELTS Academic modules, depending on your end goal (studies, work, immigration). If you are not sure, it is better to consult the organization you will send your IELTS results to. If you want to simply confirm your level of English, for example, to tutor English online or get a promotion at work, then IELTS General is the right test for you.
Once you select your exam version, look into the facilities offering the IELTS exam in your country. Sometimes, you don't have any centers in your city and have to travel somewhere to take an exam which requires a lot of planning ahead. Besides, if there’s a handful of test centers in your country, you might need to register several months in advance in order to ensure you have a place there. Otherwise, you might spend a lot of time preparing for IELTS and once you’re ready, you would have to wait several months to actually do an exam.
Since IELTS General and IELTS Academic are different, it is better to focus specifically on the tasks of your selected exam version. Preparo has all the information and instructions for each part of IELTS - General and Academic. We create our own unique materials for test preparation - both grammar materials and exam format questions based on real exam topics.
This is an obstacle many exam takers face eventually. How do you evaluate your own writing assignments and speaking? How do you prepare for a speaking part with an examiner alone?
Preparo can help you with that!
We offer a unique premium-level IELTS preparation service. Once you create an account, you will get access to 10 writing and 10 speaking modules with real-exam inspired topics and questions. And since the IELTS writing part has 2 sections and the IELTS speaking part has 3 sections, you can practice with 20 writing assignments and 30 speaking assignments.
Prepare for IELTS writing with Preparo - study the question of the writing assignment, write your piece and submit it for review. After you send it to us, you will receive a correction within 48 hours and it will be available in your personal account. The review will include correction of grammar mistakes, vocabulary usage and stylistic comments. You will also see the timer that you can use to keep track of your time to know how many minutes you spend on each writing part. Remember that you have a 60-minute limit on the IELTS writing part!
Prepare for IELTS speaking with Preparo. You will see the questions that the examiner might ask you at the exam. You can use our voice recorder to record your answers to the questions and send the audio for correction. You will receive feedback on your speaking within 48 hours and it will be available in your personal account. The review will include correction of grammar mistakes, vocabulary usage and stylistic comments.
Both writing and speaking modules have clear instructions on how to do them correctly.
Sign up for the IELTS preparation course with Preparo!
Where can I do IELTS?
IELTS test centers are present in almost every country in the world. Before registering for the exam, make sure that the language center is officially certified to organize IELTS exams. These centers usually have several IELTS dates open throughout the year so you may pick the most convenient one for you, register for it beforehand and know exactly when your test takes place and how much time you have to prepare for IELTS.
How much does it cost?
The price differs from country to country but is on average around $200-250.
How often can I retake the test?
There is no limit on how many times you can take IELTS tests. Once you receive your certificate, it is valid for three years, regardless of any future exams you might take. So, if you get 7.0 on your first exam and then retake it to get 6.5, your first certificate will still be valid and accepted.
IELTS test is the most popular English exam accepted by many organizations around the world. IELTS certificates can be used to get a job abroad, apply for studies in English or immigrate to English-speaking countries, for example, the UK, Canada and Australia. It has two versions - IELTS General is mostly used for work and immigration, while IELTS Academic diploma is required by higher education institutions.
What is the exam format?
The test has 4 sections - listening, reading, writing and speaking.
Listening takes around 30 minutes and consists of 4 sections. The sections increase in difficulty with the first part being the easiest and the last one the hardest. This part of the exam has the same audio and questions for both General and Academic tests. The test usually begins with Listening. You get papers with the questions and an answer form that you have to fill out.
Reading takes 60 minutes and consists of 3 sections. This part of the exam is different for General and Academic students. While IELTS General reading often includes general knowledge topics, IELTS Academic reading is more complicated and has scholar and research articles and vocabulary.
Writing takes 60 minutes and consists of 2 sections. This part of the exam is different for General and Academic students. You will need to write your answers on paper with pens / pencils provided by the test center.
Speaking takes 10-15 minutes and consists of 3 sections. Here you This part is the same for both General and Academic tests. The IELTS Speaking part is done face-to-face with an employee of the test center who also records your answer.
How is it graded?
You get a score for each part of the test and one final grade based on the average score of all four parts. Usually your final grade reflects your overall knowledge of the English language. However, some organizations, for example, universities or federal immigration programs of some countries tend to look at all grades or even set a minimum for specific parts (7.0 minimum grade for writing, for example). Therefore, you should try to get the highest possible grade in every section of the IELTS test and not just hope to cover lower grades with higher ones to get an accepted average IELTS score. Normally, you get your IELTS results in 10-14 days after your test date.
How do I prepare for IELTS?
IELTS exam preparation takes time and determination. Here are a few steps that might help you get on the right track with your IELTS test preparation.
- Know which version you need to take.
This is the most important step in your test preparation. You need to choose between IELTS General and IELTS Academic modules, depending on your end goal (studies, work, immigration). If you are not sure, it is better to consult the organization you will send your IELTS results to. If you want to simply confirm your level of English, for example, to tutor English online or get a promotion at work, then IELTS General is the right test for you.
- Look for a local test center and the dates they offer.
Once you select your exam version, look into the facilities offering the IELTS exam in your country. Sometimes, you don't have any centers in your city and have to travel somewhere to take an exam which requires a lot of planning ahead. Besides, if there’s a handful of test centers in your country, you might need to register several months in advance in order to ensure you have a place there. Otherwise, you might spend a lot of time preparing for IELTS and once you’re ready, you would have to wait several months to actually do an exam.
- Study the exam format.
Since IELTS General and IELTS Academic are different, it is better to focus specifically on the tasks of your selected exam version. Preparo has all the information and instructions for each part of IELTS - General and Academic. We create our own unique materials for test preparation - both grammar materials and exam format questions based on real exam topics.
- How to prepare for IELTS writing and IELTS speaking?
This is an obstacle many exam takers face eventually. How do you evaluate your own writing assignments and speaking? How do you prepare for a speaking part with an examiner alone?
Preparo can help you with that!
We offer a unique premium-level IELTS preparation service. Once you create an account, you will get access to 10 writing and 10 speaking modules with real-exam inspired topics and questions. And since the IELTS writing part has 2 sections and the IELTS speaking part has 3 sections, you can practice with 20 writing assignments and 30 speaking assignments.
Prepare for IELTS writing with Preparo - study the question of the writing assignment, write your piece and submit it for review. After you send it to us, you will receive a correction within 48 hours and it will be available in your personal account. The review will include correction of grammar mistakes, vocabulary usage and stylistic comments. You will also see the timer that you can use to keep track of your time to know how many minutes you spend on each writing part. Remember that you have a 60-minute limit on the IELTS writing part!
Prepare for IELTS speaking with Preparo. You will see the questions that the examiner might ask you at the exam. You can use our voice recorder to record your answers to the questions and send the audio for correction. You will receive feedback on your speaking within 48 hours and it will be available in your personal account. The review will include correction of grammar mistakes, vocabulary usage and stylistic comments.
Both writing and speaking modules have clear instructions on how to do them correctly.
Sign up for the IELTS preparation course with Preparo!
Where can I do IELTS?
IELTS test centers are present in almost every country in the world. Before registering for the exam, make sure that the language center is officially certified to organize IELTS exams. These centers usually have several IELTS dates open throughout the year so you may pick the most convenient one for you, register for it beforehand and know exactly when your test takes place and how much time you have to prepare for IELTS.
How much does it cost?
The price differs from country to country but is on average around $200-250.
How often can I retake the test?
There is no limit on how many times you can take IELTS tests. Once you receive your certificate, it is valid for three years, regardless of any future exams you might take. So, if you get 7.0 on your first exam and then retake it to get 6.5, your first certificate will still be valid and accepted.
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