The full form of IELTS is summarized form of International English Language Testing System. As per as IELTS full form is a non-native English language speaker’s international standardised exam of English language competency. It is co-managed by the British Council and the IDP. The Cambridge English Language Assessment and the British Council together launched the English Language Testing Service in 1980. It had a unique format that reflected current trends in language learning and instruction.During the 1980s, test taker numbers were low, and giving the test proved problematic.
The International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges (IDP) teamed up with Cambridge English Language Assessment and the British Council to form the international IELTS partnership, which still administers the test today. The new name for the test, IELTS, reflects this international collaboration. IELTS full form is “International English Language Testing System.” In 1995, IELTS was designed again on the basis of three major changes:
- A single academic reading module and a single academic writing module were available.
- To prevent confusing the assessment of reading and writing skills, the thematic relationship between the Reading and Writing problems was deleted.
- The Academic Reading and Writing modules were made to align with the General Training Reading and Writing modules. Additional Info Also Check CGPA Full Form
Characteristics of IELTS Exam
The IELTS Academic and General Training tests are designed to assess a wide range of abilities, from beginner to advanced. Take the Academic version if you want to study at a tertiary level in an English-speaking nation or get a professional licence. The General Training version is recommended for test takers who plan to work, train, study at a secondary school, or migrate to an English-speaking country.
Both the Academic and General Training versions of IELTS include the following features:
- The speaking section of the IELTS exam is very significant. It is conducted in the form of a one-on-one interview with an examiner. The examiner examines the test taker while he or she is speaking. In the event of a score challenge, the speaking session is also taped for monitoring and re-marking.
- Test materials contained a variety of accents and writing styles to reduce linguistic discrimination. The majority of the accents heard in the listening section are British, Australian, and New Zealander, with a tiny fraction of others.
- Listening, reading, writing, and speaking are all used to test your ability to communicate in English in IELTS.
- For each language sub-skill, band scores are used (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). The Band Scale goes from 0 which indicates that the candidate “did not attempt the test” to the scale of 9 which indicates that the candidate is an “Expert User”.
Pattern of IELTS
- 30 minutes of listening (plus 10 minutes of transfer time)
- 60 minutes of reading
- 60 minutes of writing
- 11–14 minutes of speaking
- The duration of the test is 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Listening, reading, and writing are all done at the same time. The Speaking test can be done on the same day as the other tests or up to seven days before or after. The Listening and Speaking tests are the same for all test takers, however the Reading and Writing tests alter depending on whether they are taking the Academic or General Training versions of the examination. Additional Info Also Check ETA Full Form
Scoring in IELTS
There is no such thing as a pass or a fail. The IELTS exam is graded on a nine-band system, with each band corresponding to a certain level of English proficiency.
The following is a list of the nine bands:
- 9 which indicates Expert User and suggests that the candidate taking the exam has comprehensive operational command of the language.
- 8 which indicates Excellent User and suggests that the candidate has complete grasp of the language, who makes only few unsystematic mistakes and inappropriacies.
- 7 which indicates that the candidate is a good User and suggests that the person has functional mastery of the language, albeit with certain inaccuracies, inappropriateness, and misunderstandings in some situations. In general, he or she is good at dealing with sophisticated language and comprehending thorough logic.
- 6 which indicates that the candidate taking the exam is a competent User and has a general efficient grasp of the language.
- 5 which indicates that the person taking the exam is modest and has a limited grasp of the language but is prone to making numerous errors.
- 4 which indicates that the person taking the exam has a lot of difficulty comprehending and expressing and is unable to communicate in a complicated manner.
- 3 which indicates that the person taking the exam simply conveys and understands general meaning and his communication breakdowns occur frequently.
- 2 indicates that the person taking the exam has a hard time comprehending spoken and written English.
- 1 indicates that the person taking the exam is unable to use the language in any way other than a few isolated words.
- 0 indicates that the person didn’t take the test.