IELTS Exam Highlights

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Why is the IELTS exam required?

IELTS is a widely taken, standardised test of English Here are the two reasons why it’s so popular:

● Top global universities consider IELTS scores during admissions

● It can help clear visa interview in a hassle-free manner

How to Register for IELTS

If you plan to appear for IELTS, you can register online on the IELTS website or reach out to our counsellors to get guidance on how to register and prepare.

IELTS Online Registration

● Visit the official IELTS website

● Select the “Register for IELTS” option

● Fill out the form, specifically adding your preferred test date, city, and time slot

● After filling the form, pay the test fee using a valid authorised credit/debit card which is MasterCard or Visa-approved

● Upon submitting, confirmation will appear on the screen Print the confirmation page for your future reference

● Send a photocopy of your passport’s first and last page to the IDP head office before the exam

IELTS Exam Fees & Dates

You can pay the IELTS exam fee online through net banking If you plan to reschedule your exam, you will have to pay additional charges. Check out the details of the IELTS exam fees below.

IELTS Exam Pattern

IELTS comprises four sections, unrelated and carrying an equal percentage of the overall band score:

● Listening

● Reading

● Writing

● Speaking

Let’s have a look at each section’s format:

Section Number of Questions Time Allotted (in minutes)

Description of each section

Listening 40 30

You will have to listen to four audio clips. Based on those, you need to solve MCQs and other questions

This section will test your listening skills

Reading 40

60

You have to attempt MCQs based on three paragraphs The factual, descriptive, and analytical understanding of each paragraph will help you answer the MCQs

Writing 2

60 The first question will be either a diagram, data, or table; you have to write the information you understand from the image in 150 words

The second question will evaluate your opinions, ideas, and thinking on an argumentative topic The word limit for this task is 250 words.

Speaking 3 11-14 For the first 4-5 minutes, you need to give a small-yet-brief introduction about yourself

In the next section, a topic will be given to you, and you will have to speak on it for 2-3 minutes in English

You will be given an extra 5-6 minutes to discuss the same topic in detail

How to Prepare for IELTS?

Here are some actionable tips to prepare for the IELTS exam at home:

Understand the Test Format

Once you know the sections, the next step is understanding the test format A good score is difficult to achieve if the context of the test is unclear to you All you need is to familiarise yourself with the test pattern and review the context of the test, including the task types for each section

Remember, each section of IELTS has a time frame, for which you need to practise individually Prepare for them under the time limit to get accustomed to the test

You will not be able to concentrate if you don’t spend enough time on them It would help if you take full-length mock tests to practice managing time and getting familiarised with the sections.

Practice Your Listening Skills

Listening is the most challenging of the four sections of the IELTS exam.

The listening module has four different recordings and 40 questions to complete. These questions include tasks such as sentence completion, form completion, and multiple-choice questions

What makes it even more challenging is that the recordings are played only once So, it would be best if you listened very attentively. Besides practice tests, you can also watch English movies or daily news to practice active listening in English

Practise Reading

Reading modules should be paid attention to, as they have multiple sections After reading the material, you must understand the logical arguments and recognize the writer’s attitude, opinion, and purpose Then, you have to answer questions related to those modules, like complete sentences, provide short answers, & infer diagrams.

One of the major positives of this module is that you will have a lot of time to read the texts. If it is done correctly, you can score high in this module by following a few strategies These include a few practices, such as skimming through the text, focusing on the keywords, and more

Enhance Your Writing Skills

The writing module tests your writing skills and creativity The module is divided into two tasks

● Task 1: The test takers are asked to understand the data and prepare charts on the topics

● Task 2: Test takers will be writing an essay on a given topic

Practice writing essays containing content types such as

● Agree or disagree

● Discuss two opposing opinions

● Advantages and disadvantages

● Problems and solutions

● Causes and solutions

● Causes and effects, etc