Passing the IELT system

How to best improve your English reading, writing, listening and speaking skills

From very humble beginnings, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test has grown exponentially. As of 2012, the test is available in 140 countries, with over 800 test centres and, according to the official IELTS statistics, 1.9 million tests were conducted in 2012 alone. Not bad for a test that started with 4,000 candidates in 1981 and was unheard of outside of the UK.

The origins of the IELTS, originally known as The English Language Testing System (ELTS), can be traced back to 1980, when the British Council decided to replace the EPTB (English Proficiency Test Battery), which was a fairly traditional multiple choice test, with a new exam that better reflected current theory and innovations in language testing. The aim of the new test was to reflect the growth in popularity of ESP or English for Specific Purposes and ‘communicative’ language learning. The design of the new test tasks were based on an investigation into the ways language was employed in academic contexts and were intended to reflect the application of language in the ‘real world’.

Since 1980, the test has gone through a complete metamorphosis to arrive at the test we see today. Originally it was content specific and catered to candidates who were seeking a particular course of study. The original choices for the IELTS were Life Sciences, Social Studies, Physical Sciences, Technology, and Medicine. This, however, proved to be extremely limiting and made the administration and grading of the test rather difficult. It also limited the amount of candidates who could take the test. By 1985, for example, there were a mere 10,000 candidates who sat the newly designed ELTS. As a result, a decision was made to make the test more appealing and more inclusive so, in 1989, a new test was designed that attempted to do just that.

The test we see today is offered as two modules, the general and the academic, and both tests focus on the four linguistic skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. All tests are scored on a banded system from 1 (the lowest) through to 9 (the highest possible band score). IELTS Academic aims to measure the English language proficiency required for university study and entry into particular occupations. The IELTS General Training on the other hand, attempts to measure English language proficiency in a practical, everyday context.

In Australia, however, the most common reason for sitting the exam is for migration purposes, though there are also a high number of candidates who are seeking places in higher education. Also in Australia, as is the case in most countries, the average band score is 6, though most candidates are hoping to achieve far higher scores than this.

Finally, the best advice for any candidate of IELTS is to become acquainted with the test and its structure. Merely being a proficient user of the English language is no guarantee that you will do well on an IELTS test. And to achieve this familiarity, the best advice is to seek out a tutor or language by highly trained and professional staff. They have had great success with assisting students achieve the band score they need. To enrol in an IELTS course or to make a general inquiry about IELTS, please call 0469 165 076.

Located in Burwood and Footscray www.educationhub.net.au