IELTS Frequently Asked Questions

To achieve a band 9 in the IELTS test i guess one of the key factors is fluency and flow. In of course, in the speaking test good fluency is important, but also in the writing test the ability to write quickly and accurately. But this fluency is also essential in the reading test. Being able to complete 40 questions in an hour I guess is important but also in listing to be able to identify and process the language quickly.

In regards to the criteria or the assessment criteria in the IELTS speaking test there are four main categories. Fluency and coherence, vocabulary, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation and each one is worth 25 percent of your score. So it's being able to speak fluently without pauses or breaks. It's having a range of vocabulary, your grammar accuracy, and the complex sentences that you use, and also your pronunciation the sounds of english and things like rhythm and intonation.

In the IELTS speaking test, if you're looking to move from a band 5 to a band 6, there are a few things to take into consideration. The first one is with regards to your fluency. It's being able to develop and extend your ideas more readily. Also you'll be able to have a wider range of vocabulary in your answer to talk about topics in a little bit more depth. Make sure also that you have good complex sentences in your answer. And with good fluency also comes good rhythm and intonation as well in your pronunciation.

To improve from a band 4 in the IELTS reading test to a band 5, in your practice there are a couple of things to think about. For example your vocabulary range. Now paraphrasing is very important in the reading test being able to find meaning with paraphrase words. So keep a good vocabulary list as well. And of course doing as much practice as you can is important. It doesn't have to be with IELTS practice tests but any kind of general reading as well.

To move from band 4 to band 5 in your IELTS writing test there are a couple of things to take into consideration. First of all make sure that you use or attempt to use complex sentences in your writing. Try to be as accurate as you can. Try to avoid some basic mistakes with your grammar. Also with your vocabulary you should be starting to think about a wider range of vocabulary. Perhaps some words that are less common. And also make sure that you cover all the requirements of the task to avoid losing marks unnecessarily.

If you've achieved a band 4 on the IELTS listening test and you're hoping to increase to a band 5 there are a few things that you can perhaps do with your practice. It's important to make sure that your spelling is is improved. In a practice for example try to make note of any spelling errors that you make and improve on that. Also get used to listening to a variety of dialogues and conversations where people take turns. And also try to listen to lectures where the speaker speaks at length for you know five six seven minutes being able to concentrate for that length of time.

Marked by two examiners the same way that the paper a pencil and paper test is marked. So there's no difference. The computer test is marked by flesh and blood examiners for the writing, two of them, a minimum of two, it could be more. Same as the computer and pencil and paper.

If you take IELTS on paper, you will complete the Reading, Listening and Writing parts on paper and receive your results within 13 calendar days of your test date. In the paper-based IELTS test, the Writing, Reading, and Listening tests are all completed on the same day with no breaks between each test. The Speaking test is completed in a face-to-face interview with an IELTS examiner, and this can be done one week before or after your test date.

For many categories of visa applications to the UK, you must submit an English language qualification which is included on the UK Home Office's list of Secure English Language Tests. IELTS for UKVI test is the same as the IETLS test in terms of contents, format, scoring and the level of difficulty. However, the UKVI test is only available at centres who meet the administrative requirements outlined by the UK Home Office.

IELTS Life Skills test is for people who need to prove their English speaking and listening skills for certain visa types with UK Visas and Migration Department. It is designed to see how you can communicate and convey as well as gather information across listening and speaking only. Instead of receiving a band score, you will either get a pass or fail result. A pass result means you can use your test result for your visa application.

That is a good question and i've talked to many native speakers who cannot understand why they did not get the score they expected. And i'll go through some of those reasons. 1. Some some native speakers think their handwriting is good and it isn't. That's a problem if you're using a pencil and paper tip. 2. Some native speakers think that their spelling is good and it isn't. 3. A lot of native speakers don't understand how to use paragraphs very well or punctuation. That's a problem. 4. But the big one I think is that native speakers think that if they write simply write a coherent essay, it doesn't really matter that they answer the question fully, and they need to answer the question fully in order to get a good score in that first criterion. So if you only get a five or six for that first criterion and the other ones eight and nine, then it's you're only going to end up with something like a band seven where you really should be getting an eight or nine.

In Task 1 of the IELTS writing test there are a few things i would recommend that you do to try to avoid losing marks unnecessarily. For example, make sure that you write at least 150 words, that you use paragraphs, you use statistics and data from the graphs, make comparisons and of course have an overview. Above all make sure you write more than 150 words.

I know it sounds funny, but i used to practice giving little speeches to myself about everyday stuff. So most IELTS questions are going to be about everyday topics. So for example I got um how would I organize a trip for my family and my friends, which is something that I really enjoy doing anyway. So my advice would be try to practice as little speeches as you do regular things in the day like, 'okay how I cook my dinner' or 'how I got home today' or 'what happened to me today' so you can practice sentences and speaking in general.

Now, if you're worried about the speed of your speech in the IELTS speaking test. I think it's not a good idea to speak quite fast or quite slow. And the reason for that is it's important to look at your rhythm, intonation and stress. If you're speaking too fast or too slow that could also affect your pronunciation score. My advice is just to speak at a normal constant pace.

Hello everyone. Sometimes you need more vocabulary for the IELTS test. So how would you learn better and interesting new words for the test. So first of all, read okay? I would suggest creating a reading habit, at least one to two pages of english books or newspaper articles a week. Second of all listen to scientific subjects okay? I would suggest TED Talk. About one to two videos TED videos a week okay? And when you watch the video write down the new words okay? The words that you don't understand in meaning as well as words that you feel that will be useful for the test okay? And then read those words again. I hope you can do best on your test.

Hello everyone. Sometimes we make mistake and when we do when we take the IELTS speaking test we might mispronounce a few words. So what should we do? So first of all do not stammer, do not be like 'oh I mean'. Okay, don't do that okay? It's very uncomfortable. So what should you do? It's okay if you make a mistake. Remain calm and tell the examiner 'I'm sorry I have made a mistake allow me to correct myself', okay? Or if just mispronounce one one word okay you can repeat it again. It's okay. Be calm and you can do it.

Well, this is really dependent on you. For example if you're currently a five but you need a 7.5, it's going to take you longer to get your score than a six. Also it depends on how much time you can spend studying per day. Students must be studying for two hours per day. Studying regularly and being consistent will help you improve quicker. So the general rule is that with two or three hours of regular studying most students will move one grade band in five to six weeks. If you have a six at the moment and you need a seven, five to six weeks would be sufficient amount of time to achieve it.

Some people might wonder if they can achieve a better band score if they take the IELTS test back in their home country. But actually, it doesn't make any difference. In terms of the examiners they are all trained in exactly the same way and use the same criteria. Also the tests that you take are also very similar because, the reading test for example will have 40 questions in one hour, the writing test will have two tasks to complete in one hour, so the actual test items are not different and the examiners are not different. They will rate you in exactly the same way regardless of where they are.

Some people are very worried about asking the examiner to repeat a question in the IELTS speaking test. They worry that they might lose marks, but in fact it's perfectly okay to ask for clarification on the question. It doesn't matter if it's part one, part two or part three, if you need them to repeat it please ask them.

Moving from a band 7 to a band 8 in the IELTS writing test does require a bit more practice. You'll also need to make sure that you've improved your grammar accuracy and that your range of sentences is quite varied. Make sure that your grammar accuracy is also much better, including things like punctuation as well. Also make sure that your ideas are fully developed and extended and well supported.

Moving from a band 5 to a band 6 in the IELTS reading test can be achieved just with a lot of extra practice. Make sure that you become good at reading in for specific detail as well as as training yourself to skim and scan for particular elements in the article. So for example, it's trying to prioritize your questions if you see a name or something that's capitalized, search for that in the article as a good starting point for your answer.

Hello everyone. People ask me 'When you take the IELTS speaking test and the examiner asks you something that you have no knowledge about, what should you do?'. Okay, so it's okay that sometimes you don't know anything about a certain topic. So first of all do not be afraid. Do not freeze up and say 'oh i don't know'. It's a very bad answer. So instead remain calm and tell them 'I'm sorry I have no knowledge about this topic and here is why.'. So then you can tell them why you don't know anything about this. It's more comfortable, it makes people feel more comfortable, and it will be a good answer for you. Best of luck on your task.

In the IELTS speaking test mispronunciation and pausing, are both important areas. Let's look at mispronunciation first. It's important to try and use the sounds of English appropriately, but it is okay to have an accent. When it comes to pausing, that can affect you in two ways, one you can affect your fluency, but it can also affect your pronunciation in terms of your rhythm and intonation.

Don't forget about the differences in pronunciation between 'off' and 'of'. 'off' 'of'. 'Of' is spoken with v sound and 'off' with an f. There is a big difference.

When it comes to smiling or laughing in your IELTS speaking test that's perfectly fine. You can do that if you like. But smiling and laughing, these two things are not part of the IELTS speaking test criteria, which are fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. So as you can see smiling and laughing are not don't belong in any of those four categories, so they can't actually help you get a better score.

What can I do to speed up my learning of English? It's better to learn the language every day but little by little than to learn it for a whole hour but once or twice a week. I learn English every day for 20 minutes at least. And what speeds up my learning process is that all my devices have been translated into English. Trying to immerse myself in a language environment, that's it.

In the IELTS speaking test some people wonder whether it's okay to use slang. Some people worry that it might come across as being informal. My view on the matter is that it's okay to use slang as long as you use it in an appropriate way. Well first of all make sure that it's polite enough to use, and also that it's appropriate to the context.

What is the best way to practice and prepare for the IELTS writing? In both parts of the exam it is important that you use a variety of sentence structures. The key word being variety. Which means you don't have to use complex sentences all the time but rather a mix of sentences. Try to use simple sentences, compound sentences and complex sentences. Now, when you are practicing, try to break the test down. Don't always write a full essay. It can be very or it can be more beneficial if you write individual paragraphs, because you can focus on the aim of that paragraph, which could be the introduction, the conclusion, expressing your opinion, the opposite opinion and so on.

What's the best way to practice and prepare for the IELTS reading? Well, it may be obvious, but you need to read a lot. However, the reading exam is set up to test how well you can identify important information. Therefore it is also important that you are closely analyzing the text that you are reading. For example, find an article that you enjoy. As you are reading, take notes of what you think is important information. Also you can write a couple of words to summarize each paragraph. Doing this will improve your analytical skills, which will be useful in the exam. Remember, in the exam there are 14 different types of questions. Familiarize yourself with these questions and use different strategies to save you time.

The minimum band score needed to study or work at a particular organisation, or migrate to a country may vary. Make sure to check the IELTS band score you need before taking the IELTS test, so that you can study for your ideal score.

On the day your results become available online, your test centre will send a Test Report Form (TRF) to your postal address. Some test centres might allow you to pick up your TRF from them directly. I you would like to do this, we recommend getting in touch with them as soon as possible.

In part three of the IELTS speaking test the questions can be a little bit more challenging because they're not so personal. They're much broader, so it's very important to try and develop and extend your ideas as much as you can. Perhaps one thing you can do is look at the question from two sides. You may also want to provide an example as a way of extending your ideas.

If you're feeling stressed on your IELTS test day, that's a perfectly normal feeling by the way. But I guess everyone deals with it differently. You could try perhaps some breathing exercises. You can perhaps get familiar with your test center. It might be worth visiting the test center the day before in case you haven't been there, so you're more familiar with the surroundings and therefore more comfortable.

This isn't very important to think about when choosing what to listen to on the internet or on tv. To be honest TED Talks are great for practicing listening to monologues. You can also select topics and focus on them as well as choosing the length of the video. I recommend to listening to videos of one to six minutes. Nothing too long. If you want to improve your listening skills for conversations podcasts are very useful. BBC Six Minute English is ideal for lower level students, and In Our Time is for high level students who are aiming for 5 7.5 or over. Of course make sure you are listening to different accents the test includes accents from the UK, Ireland, the USA, New Zealand, Australia and even South Africa.

Achieving a band 8 in IELTS writing is very good. To go that one step further and achieve a band 9 you need to think about how well your ideas have been developed and extended. Pretty much at a band 9 level there's nothing much more you can add to a response. Make sure that you are accurate at all times with your vocabulary and your grammar and make sure that your paragraphing is properly formed. A clear topic sentence with good supporting ideas. Also make sure you've got good referencing so you don't repeat language.

If you're asked a question in the IELTS speaking test and you can't form an opinion or don't have an opinion about the question or the topic, you're still expected to say something. So perhaps you can speculate. If they ask you something about taking a ferry for example, as a type of public transport and you've never done that before, you could speculate and explain to the examiner. 'Well look I've never been on a ferry before but I imagine it would be like this'. So use your language and speculate if you don't have an opinion.

If you want to write over the word minimum in the IELTS writing test, that is more than 150 words in Task 1, and more than 250 words in Task 2. That's perfectly fine especially if you're wanting to achieve a higher band score like band 7 or band 8 where you want to show the examiner more more range in your language choices. However just make sure that you've got a good quality in your writing as well. So volume does not mean i always mean a higher band score you also need quality as well.

'True', 'false' or 'not given'. An interesting group of questions, aren't they? Especially 'the not given' response. My advice is to not focus on the 'not given' choice to begin with. Just look at the 'true' or 'false' option first. If the answer is true then the information in the article matches the sentence. For the answer to be false it has to contradict the sentence. Be opposite or different. In the case of 'not given' this is your last option I feel. When you cannot prove if the statement is correct or incorrect. So basically there's no evidence to say whether it's true or false.

Hello everyone. So these are some words that will be quite useful in the IELTS test. So you can use these to break down your speech or your text. So you can use 'first of all', 'second of all', 'finally'. Or you can use 'firstly', 'secondly', 'in conclusion'. If you want to give an example, you can use 'as an example', 'for example', 'case in point', 'to prove my point'. Ihope you can put them to good use in your test.

If an examiner interrupts you in the IELTS speaking test it's perfectly fine. There's no need to panic. The examiner has to stick to a very strict schedule. So for example, in part one of the IELTS speaking tests it's strictly no more than five minutes. So they just perhaps want to move on to the next stage. Sometimes if you've given a full response to a question perhaps they might want to move on and ask you something else and get some other ideas that you have.

If you scored band 5 in the IELTS writing test and you'd like to improve your score an extra band to band 6, just make sure that you haven't lost any marks unnecessarily. So for example have you written at least 150 words for Task 1 and 250 words for Task 2? in Task 1 in the Academic test did you include an overview? And also have you included all the main features in your writing? Make sure that you also have a very clear position in your essay as well.

It's really hard to say if one exam is more difficult than the other. Maybe another question to ask is 'Is one exam more accurate than another exam?'. At any rate, at least with the IELTS test, there are plenty of materials available for you to access and to become more familiar with. So that's perhaps one thing to think about, is 'how familiar can I be with the task and what is available for me to access'.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is your opportunity to study, work or live abroad. It is a highly secure test, taken in an official test location, that assesses your English language proficiency. It will generally be taken as an Academic or General Training test, and is made up of four sections - Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing.

One of the key features of the task response criteria in the IELTS writing test, especially for the higher bands, is about how well you develop your ideas and opinions and using examples to extend and develop your thoughts. Also in this criteria, this is where people perhaps maybe would lose marks. For example if you are off topic, or perhaps if your work length is not enough, you will have marks deducted here.

The grammatical range and accuracy criteria in the IELTS speaking test is worth 25 of your score. So here we're looking at not just your accuracy and, that is, with the errors that you make or the type of errors that you make, but it's also important to have a good variety of structures. Don't repeat yourself too much. Also make sure that your sentences are complex as well, especially if you are looking for a higher band score.

Punctuation is very important in the IELTS test. First of all, in the writing test you'll need to have good accuracy with your punctuation, including things like apostrophes, full stops, commas. And also in the listening test and reading tests it's important to transcribe the data correctly. For example, how we separate 1,000. We would use a comma but in some languages people use a full stop or a point this would be marked as incorrect. So please be very careful with your punctuation.

The lexical resource criteria in the IELTS speaking test is very similar to the writing criteria actually. We look for things like your range of vocabulary, the collocations that you use, and whether the language you use is common or uncommon. And it's also important here not to try to repeat a lot of the vocabulary as well. Show a good range.

If you're wondering what to study in the days leading up to your IELTS test, you can try some IELTS practice test materials, if you like. But you can do other things that are not related to IELTS as well. And make sure that you're using English in the days leading up to your test, so that way it'll help you to think in English. So to read speak listen and write in English.

When it comes to the pronunciation criteria in the IELTS speaking test, some people think it's just about the sounds, making the right sounds in English. But that's only part of it. You also have to make sure that you focus on your rhythm and intonation, and also look at your word and sentence stress as well.

The lexical resource criteria in the IELTS writing test focuses on your vocabulary use, so to achieve a higher band you need to make sure that you use a good range of vocabulary. Try to use words that are perhaps less common, or more formal, or academic. Also think about your collocation, that is words that belong together. For example, you could say something like 'have a preference for'. These four words together make a collocation. So that's some of the things that we look at in the lexical resource criteria.

An IELTS 7 in band speaking is a very good score, so well done on achieving that. To get to a band 8, there's a bit more work involved. A band 8 person maybe has a very wide range of language, a lot of vocabulary that's very uncommon and very sophisticated, with good collocations, the sentences are consistently complex and varied, and a very high accuracy with the grammar. The pronunciation is very well sustained in terms of the rhythm and stress, and the fluency is also very good where the ideas are readily developed without any effort.

I think this one is about 'practice makes perfect', and for IELTS reading what's most important is that you read the text with understanding. As if you were asked to retell the story that you've read to someone else. Try to understand what are the main points of the text, as most questions ask you to take some conclusions out of what you've read. Of course you can always go back to the text, especially if it's about some specific names or dates, numbers, years, but try to take text as a whole, rather than a bunch of individual sentences.

So my IELTS got me to my postgraduate studies after finishing my bachelor's and master's in Croatia, I passed IELTS which got me into my PHD studies. I managed to start my PHD in the United Kingdom and now I'm halfway through. I'm in my second year and I wouldn't change the experience for anything in the world. My English got so much better since I arrived to the UK and sometimes it's really hard to remember words in my native language as I use English every day.

To achieve a band 9 in the IELTS test you have to average at least 8.75 among your four skills. So for example, if you received band 9 for speaking, listening and reading, but band 8 for writing, that average would be 8.75, so it would be rounded up to band 9. The similar thing is if you get two band nine scores and two 8.5 scores. It's still possible to get band 9.

Sometimes it's better not to try and keep completely calm when there's a big event coming up. However, do your best to turn any potential anxiety into excitement as you know that your IELTS will bring something positive and it will help you achieve something that you really want. If on the other hand you're still really anxious, take a few deep breaths and maybe a mantra like 'I can do this' can help you too.

If you're aiming to achieve a band six in the IELTS test, at this level you are expected to be able to develop your ideas and thoughts in an extended way. For example, in the writing being able to fully develop your ideas and the same in speaking. When it comes to the listening and the reading tests, you need to be able to read at a good speed to be able to cover all the articles in the exam within the one hour.

There is not an official waiting period before you can rebook for IELTS, but we do recommend that if you did not get the result you wanted, that you pause, reflect and take the time to prepare with some further study before retaking the test.

In section 2 of the IELTS listening test there are 10 questions again, and this time it's just the one speaker giving a short talk. The topic is of a general nature. Something that you would be very familiar with, unlike section 4, which is on a more specialized topic. There are a variety of questions that you could answer. For example multiple choice or even labeling a map.

When it comes to task 2 in the IELTS writing test, some suggestions I have for you, would be to ensure, first of all, that you write at least 250 words. That's the minimum requirement. Make sure that you write in paragraphs and use a good range of connectors. Make sure your grammar is complex, as accurate as you can, and use a good range of vocabulary. Importantly, when it comes to the task, make sure that you clearly mark your position and extend and develop your ideas.

To determine your nearest test centres, whether they are open, and the dates they have available to book an IELTS test, you should head to our website. Your nearest test centre and the dates they have available will be listed near the beginning of the booking process.

In part three of the IELTS speaking test, the type of questions you would expect would not be personal type, like you would find in part one or part two. These are more abstract questions looking at topics and issues more deeply. So for example you might be asked to offer your opinion about something. Perhaps talk about the advantages and disadvantages of a particular issue. Or even the cause or the reason behind a trend, or the effect of it, or even a solution to a problem. Even identifying particular aspects of an issue as well.

This can vary depending on your location, but in most countries, there is no minimum or maximum age limit for the IELTS test. Test takers under 18 will be chaperoned to the test rooms, from the test rooms, and while they undertake their Speaking test.

In the IELTS listening test there are four sections. Two of the sections have dialogues and two other sections have monologues. So in your listening practice you can listen to things like news, which are monologues, or perhaps practice your listening with television shows and tv dramas where people are interacting with each other.

IELTS is recognised by more than 10,000 educational institutions, employers, and professional bodies around the world. The governments of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom also accept IELTS for migration purposes.

In the IELTS writing test, if you want to know which task is more difficult, task one or task two, it's really difficult to say because they're just basically different tasks. For some people, they find writing about statistics and data quite challenging, but for some people it's easier. In the essay, some people are used to writing essays and discussing ideas, but for others, they find that more of a challenge, so it really depends on the person.

If you choose to complete your IELTS test on a computer, you will do the Reading, Listening, and Writing parts of the test using a computer. The IELTS Speaking remains the same, with a face-to-face interview with an examiner. Taking IELTS on a computer has many benefits, including that your results will be available within 3 to 5 days.

When you're ready to book your IETLS test, you will be able to search for your nearest test centre and the dates they have available on our website.

In part three of the IELTS Reading test, in the General paper, that is, this is one longer article, on a general everyday topic. Now you don't need to have specialised knowledge in this article, but it's different to the other parts of the reading test in that it's a longer article, one piece. And again, you get your various typical questions that you would normally get. It could be 'yes','no','not given', or locating information, or matching information. Something like that for example.

While it is up to each organisation to set a validity period that works for their purposes, the IELTS partners recommend a 2-year validity period for IELTS test results. We would recommend reaching out to the recognising institutions you plan to apply for to determine their validity period.

Now, if you want to compare the difficulty between part three and part one of the IELTS speaking test, there can be a difference for some people because part one mainly focuses on personal experiences, or very familiar topics. For example, like a public transport, or your hometown. Part three on the other hand looks at topics a little bit more deeply, more abstract. So in some ways that can be more challenging. But at the same time, perhaps part one can be difficult as well if you come across a topic that you haven't met before.

If you're looking to score a band 7 in IELTS, one of the key things that comes to mind is range. It's important to have a good range of vocabulary and grammar. When it comes to say, this speaking all writing test. But also this range is very useful in reading and listening as well. So you're able to identify less common language that a speaker would use in the listening test or that you would find in an article in the IELTS reading test.

I guess my advice for the IELTS reading test, first of all, is perhaps to get familiar with all the different question types. For example matching headings, or 'true', 'false', 'not given' multiple choice. If you're aware of all the different question types and become more familiar with those then you can be more comfortable answering the questions. Also it's a good idea to improve your reading speed. Try to read as much as you can. Try to read something every day, and also some practice tests are also helpful. But try to do some general reading as well.

When it comes to the band score in the IELTS reading test, it's very similar to the listening test in that you get a raw score out of 40 and that is converted into a band score. Although there is a difference between the IELTS General and Academic tests in reading in that you need a higher score in the General test to have the same band score as the Academic test. So perhaps 25 out of 40 would give you a band six in the Academic test, it would give you approximately 5.5 in the General test.

For people who are interested in achieving a band 8 in the IELTS test, I guess one of the key things to think about or consider is your accuracy and precision when it comes to language. This is especially true in say the writing test or IELTS speaking test. However, also you'll see this is useful in the IELTS listening and reading test as well to be able to identify subtle differences in language.

Section 4 of the IELTS listening test is the final part. There are also 10 questions here. This time it is a lecture. It's a bit different to section two in that it is a talk on a on a very specialized topic or an academic topic. And there are a variety of questions here you could be asked to answer, multiple choice questions for example or even completing some notes or completing a table.

In section three of the IELTS listening test, it changes back to being a dialogue again, like section one. However, this time, the conversation is of an academic nature. It could include some, a couple of students, or even included a teacher or a lecturer and they will be discussing some aspect of their academic studies.

In part one of the IELTS speaking test, one piece of advice I can offer is to try and develop your answers as fully as possible. Even though the questions are very personal and may seem quite easy and simple, it's still important at this stage of the test to show the examiner your range of language and your pronunciation and your fluency. All the same criteria as you would in part two or part three.

When it comes to the type of questions in part two of the IELTS speaking test, you'll find that they are still quite personal or relatable to yourself like it is in part one. You may be asked to describe a past experience. Something that you went through before. You could be asked about something you do at the moment. It could be like a routine or a habit. You may be asked to describe a person that you knew or you know or you've heard of, and sometimes you might be asked about intentions or plans for the future.

In the IELTS Writing test there are four main criteria. Each worth 25%. There's grammar range and accuracy, and also vocabulary, which is similar to the IETLS Speaking test. However there's also task response, or task achievement, and coherence and cohesion. So look at how well you answer the question, make sure you finish all the criteria, your paragraphing, your linking devices and connectors. These are all important things.

In the IELTS Listening test you, first of all start with the raw score out of 40. You may have noticed there are 40 questions and each question is worth one point each. This then converts into a band score. So for example a score of 39 or 40 is typically a band nine. Something in the mid-20s for example would be roughly a band six depending on each test.

We recommend that you dress in the way that makes you feel the most comfortable and relaxed for the length of the test. Additionally, in various parts of the world, special arrangements are made for candidates who may wish to dress a certain way for their test.

Headphones will always be provided for computer-delivered IELTS. For paper-based IELTS, headphones are used in some countries, but not a requirement for all IELTS test centres. If you wear hearing aids, or have issues hearing, it is best to contact your test venue before booking your IELTS test. They will be able to advise you on what special requirements they offer.

IELTS Academic is designed for people planning to study in higher education or those seeking professional registration. It assesses whether you are ready to begin studying or training in an environment where English is the language used.

Unless your test centre has said otherwise, you will be able to preview your online provisional results for computer-delivered IELTS 3 to 5 days after your test date, or after 13 calendar days for paper-based IELTS. You will receive official confirmation of your score when your Test Report Form arrives at your postal address. This will be mailed out the day that your test results become available online.

In part two of the IELTS speaking test, it can be a little bit challenging because you have to speak for two minutes by yourself without any help from the examiner. So one thing you can do to help you is try to include some linking devices to help with the flow of your speech. So you use things like 'first of all', 'another thing i'd like to mention is' or 'lastly the final thing i want to say is', so these kind of things can help you connect your ideas together.

In part two of the IELTS reading test for the general paper, you'll have two articles and they're both in a work related context. So if you're thinking about your preparation for this section, it's a good idea to look at work related articles. You can find these on the internet or in magazines and get familiar with different kind of working contexts and some of the language there. And of course the question types can be varied, can be headings or can be any kind of matching task for example.

IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests cost the same, and the price will be available in the currency of your region. You can reach out to your test centre or local IDP office to determine the cost of booking a test, or learn when it is time to pay the test fee at the end of the test booking process.

If you are not satisfied with the results of your IELTS test, you can apply to have your test re-marked. This process will be available for six weeks after your test date and is called an Enquiry on Results (EOR). During this process, your test will be re-marked by senior examiners who have no knowledge of your previous scores.

In the IELTS writing test there is a word minimum that you are expected to produce. In task 1 you need to write at least 150 words, whereas in task 2 you should write at least 250 words. Otherwise you can be penalized for not writing enough words. For the higher bands I do recommend writing a little bit above that just to show that you have a wider range of language.

IELTS General Training measures English language proficiency in a practical, everyday context. If you plan to study in secondary education, enrol in vocational training, move abroad for work or migrate to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK or the USA, you might need to take an IELTS General Training test.

Hello everyone. People ask me what is the best way to improve my English vocabulary. Well, one of the most effective way scientifically proven to help you know more English words would be to read. Read a lot. Intensive reading. What should you read? Books, novels, stories, newspaper articles. And choose the topic that you love. For me it would be science fiction. And if you don't know where to look for reading materials, I would highly recommend Oxford Bookworms. It is an amazing series of books of stories for English learners. You can absolutely start there.

To improve from a band 5 to a band 6 in the IELTS listening test it's important to try and practice as much general listening as you can. So for example, listening to more monologues such as news broadcasts or TED Talks, but also in conversations and dialogue as well. With band 6 it's also important to be able to follow lectures at length and be able to concentrate for an extended period of time. So that's an important thing to do in your practice.

When it comes to using idioms in the IELTS test it's perfectly fine to use it say in the speaking test. Idioms can be quite useful because quite often they are very uncommon. But just make sure that the context is right. In the IELTS writing test, I think for task one in the general test you may be asked to write a letter to a friend in which case that's an informal task so in this case it's okay to use idioms.

In the IELTS Speaking test, if you present an opinion that's different to what the examiner says or suggests, that's perfectly fine. You don't lose marks for your opinions. You actually gain marks for things like fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. So don't worry about whether your opinion differs, just worry about the content and if it's relevant to the question.

Booking your IELTS test is easy. Locate your closest IELTS Test Centre here. Once you find an IELTS Test Centre and a test date that suits you, follow the steps to book your test.

Contact the test centre where you booked your test if you need to postpone or cancel.\nIf you cancel or postpone your test more than 5 weeks before the test date, you will receive a refund minus an administration fee.\nIf you cancel or postpone your test within 5 weeks of your test date, you will be charged the full fee unless you have a serious medical reason for needing to cancel or postpone it.\nIf you provide a medical certificate within 5 days of your test date, you will receive a refund minus the local administrative cost.

If you take an IELTS on computer test, the Reading, Writing and Listening parts of the IELTS test are completed on a computer, but the Speaking test is completed face-to-face with an IELTS examiner.

The Listening, Reading, and Writing parts of the test are completed immediately after each other on the same day. In some test centres, you will sit the Speaking test on the same day, or up to 7 days before or after your test date.\n\n\n\n\nIf you take IELTS on computer, the Speaking test will be taken on the same day, either before, or after the other three parts of the test.

Test rules and guidelines are found on the Notice to Candidates page on the IELTS Application Form. You should also read the Information for Candidates booklet carefully so that you understand the test format and what to expect on test day.

You must bring the same passport or national identity card that you used to book your IELTS test. If you do an IELTS on paper test, you can take pens, pencils and erasers into the examination room. If you do an IELTS on computer test, the centre will provide you with pencils and paper.\n\n\nYou must leave all of your personal belongings outside the examination room in a secure area or locker. Mobile phones, pagers and smart watches must be switched off and left with your personal belongings.\n\n\nIf you keep mobile phones or electronic devices with you, you will be disqualified.

The Speaking test is a discussion with a highly qualified IELTS examiner who assesses your ability to talk about a range of topics. The Speaking test has three parts and is recorded. A description of the three parts of the interview is found in the Information for Candidates booklet.

You must bring the same passport or national identity card that you used to book your IELTS test. Your ID will be checked before you enter the interview room and again during the interview.

Yes, you can use all capital letters in the IELTS Reading and Listening sections. If you use capital letters in the Writing section, make sure that your punctuation is correct and the examiner can see where you start and finish sentences.

IELTS uses a 9-band scoring system to measure and report test scores in a consistent manner. You receive individual band scores for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking and an Overall Band Score on a band scale from one to nine.\n\n\nThe Speaking and Writing tests are marked by certificated IELTS examiners using the IELTS Speaking and Writing assessment criteria. Check out our how IELTS is marked page for more information on this.

Pencil is recommended for the IELTS Listening, Reading, and Writing tests. This is because tests are scanned and work best with pencil. It also means that you can easily erase and rewrite words. If you forget to bring a pencil, the test centre will provide one for you.

Yes, you are encouraged to write notes on the question booklets. IELTS examiners do not have access to your question booklets.

In the IELTS Life Skills test, your results are given as a pass or fail mark.\n\n\nThere is no pass or fail in IELTS Academic or General Training test. Scores are graded on the 9-band system. Each educational institution or organisation sets its own level of IELTS scores to meet its individual requirements.

If you take IELTS on computer, your Test Report Form (TRF) will be posted 3 to 5 days after your test date. If you take IELTS on paper, your Test Report Form will be available 13 calendar days after your test date.\n\n\nYou will only receive one copy of your Test Report Form, unless you are applying to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), or United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) – in this case, you can receive two. Some test centres provide SMS alerts and you can preview your results online. Contact your local test centre to find out more.

You will only receive one copy of your Test Report Form – unless you are applying to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) – in this case, you can receive two.\n\n\nUp to 5 copies of your TRF will be posted to the relevant institution(s) you have listed on your IELTS application form. Regular postage is free of charge. Charges for courier services and/or overseas postage will be passed on to you.\n\n\nAdditional TRFs beyond these five can be requested from the test centre which issued the TRF. Please note, an administration fee may be charged for additional TRFs. If you have lost your TRF, please contact the test centre which issued your TRF.

You can order more Test Report Forms within two years of sitting your IELTS Test. You can request up to 5 Test Report Forms from the test centre where you sat your IELTS Test. These copies won't be sent to you, but can be sent to universities, embassies, consulates and etc. on your behalf. You will only receive 1 personal copy of your Test Report Form.\n\n\nIf the test centre where you took your test has closed we can still send a copy of your Test Report Form to any receiving organisation for the first two years after your test. If you have not done so, please check the test centre search to make sure that your centre has been closed.\n\n\nTo request a Test Report Form you will need to complete an application form for additional Test Report Forms. It is very important that you complete your family and given names exactly as they appear on your identification document. Submit the form by clicking the 'Submit' button at the end of the form. Include a scanned copy of the passport or identification document that you used when you sat the test (this is done after you click the submit button on the application form).

If you feel confident that you have done better than your score shows, applying for an EOR is one option for you. This is marked by a senior examiner who marks it independently from your first examiner. After this second assessment, your score either stays the same or is higher, depending on the senior examiner’s rating.

You can apply for a review of your band scores (called an Enquiry on Results) at your test centre within six weeks of the test date.\n\n\nYou must pay an enquiry fee, which is fully refunded if your band score changes. If your band score changes, you will be issued a new Test Report Form (TRF).

If your IELTS experience on the test date does not turn out the way you expected, the first step is to speak with IELTS invigilators at the test centre immediately after you finish the test. The test centre accepts your complaint related to the test on your test date only, and any complaint you make after this would not be considered.\n\nHow to Complain about the IELTS test · Complaint Form must be submitted on the test day\n· Ask our invigilators for the Complaint Form\n· Submit written Complaint Form to Test Day Supervisor with details. (We have an in-house QR code system)\n· IELTS Test Administrator will investigate and resolve the issue to the satisfaction of IDP\n· Result cannot be issued until the complaint is resolved.