IELTS Exam Pattern in 2023 (IELTS Test Format)
Today we will discuss IELTS Exam Pattern, when teaching IELTS being an English language teacher will fulfill some of the needs of the candidate, but not all of them. Knowledge of English is important but knowing the language of IELTS is far more important.
Meaning of IELTS is International English Language Testing System
IELTS is divided into topics, such as Health, Environment, Education, Globalization, Transport, Crime, Youth issues, Technology, and Government. There are a few others but these are the most common. What IELTS does is to ask the candidate to do is talk or write about these topics in a context that is specific to the candidates’ country and they also ask them to compare them to other countries that they may know about.
So, vocabulary is important but the candidate needs to know how to collocate it and use it in phrases and formulas for each topic. Using it in an academic style when writing and in a much less formal way for speaking, where the use of less common phrases and vocabulary – the kind that native speakers use – is what will elevate a candidate’s band score. Accuracy in grammar is also important because IELTS tends to ask questions that require the candidate to use a range of tenses, which are correct to the line of query.
Another requirement of the teacher/instructor is to make the candidate fully aware of how the test is structured. and the entire IELTS exam lasts two hours and forty-five minutes.
Also read: IELTS Exam Dates 2023
IELTS Listening Exam Pattern
Listening: 30 minutes, plus ten minutes for transferring answers to an answer sheet.
The test has 4 parts with ten questions in each section. The test gets incrementally more difficult so the candidate is advised to answer the early sections of the test correctly to maximize their score. If the candidate scores of 25 out of 40 they will score band 6, 30 scores 7, 35 scores 8 and 40 scores band 9.
IELTS Exam Reading Pattern
Academic Reading: 60 minutes. 3 passages with an average of 900 words per text, with 40 questions worth one mark per question. The task types vary and they are chosen from the following: multiple choice; identifying information; identifying the writer’s views or claims; matching information; matching headings; matching features, matching sentence endings; sentence completion; summary completion; note completion; table completion; flow-chart completion; diagram label completion and short-answer completion.
IELTS Exam Writing Pattern
Academic Writing: 60 minutes: 2 tasks that must be both completed.
In IELTS writing Task 1, IELTS test candidates are asked to describe some visual information (graph, table, chart, diagram) in their own words. They need to write 150 words in about 20 minutes.
In IELTS writing Task 2, they respond to a point of view or argument, or problem. IELTS candidates need to write 250 words in about 40 minutes.
The table below shows the range of scores from 4 – 9 with descriptions of how this is achieved.
Also Read: IELTS Exam Preparation in 30 Days Plan 2023
IELTS Exam Speaking Pattern
IELTS Speaking: 11 – 14 minutes: 3 Parts.
IELTS Speaking Part 1: The IELTS candidate is asked Common questions about themselves and a range of familiar topics like home, family, work, study and interests. This part lasts for 4 -5 minutes.
Part 2: The candidate is given a card, asking about a particular topic. They are given 1 minute to prepare before speaking for up to 2 minutes. They are also asked 1 or 2 follow up questions on the same topic.
Part 3: The candidate is asked further questions about the same topic in part 2. The candidate is expected to discuss more abstract ideas and issues. This part of the test lasts between 4 to 5 minutes.
Materials and Resources.
There are many past test and mock test questions available on the internet and in good bookshops. The best way to prepare a candidate for IELTS is to practice test questions with coaching techniques provided in the instruction and preparation. The candidate is constantly given feedback with suggestions for improvement. Practice and precision is the way that a candidate will achieve their highest band scores.
Also Read: How to Check IELTS Result in 2023
