The Complete Guide to IELTS 2024 – IELTS is one of the most important exams for students who want to pursue study in abroad. Data shows that millions of international students attempt this exam because it is a major requirement for foreign universities. A good IELTS score can assure you to get into your dream university. Finally, if you have decided to go abroad, then you must get started with IELTS preparation. In many cases, students don’t know about the IELTS registration process or why the IELTS exam is important. Thus, to make you understand we are going to cover all the important factors regarding why IELTS is important, the IELTS fees, the IELTS eligibility criteria, Admission possible without IELTS, and more queries as we go along. So, let’s get started.
Brief About IELTS Exam 2024
In short, before you jump into understanding the IELTS paper pattern and other details, let us just have a brief overview of the IELTS exam pattern:
Name of the Exam – IELTS
IELTS Exam Full Form – International English Language Testing System
Who Conducts IELTS? – IDP
Who Conducts IELTS in India? – IELTS IDP India
Registration Fees for IELTS – INR 15,500
Exam Duration for IELTS – 2 hours 45 mins
IELTS Exam Pattern – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
IELTS Exam Mode – Computerized and Paper Based
Types of IELTS Exam – Academic and General Training
IELTS Score Scale – Band-1 (Lowest) and Band-2 (Highest)
Types of IELTS Exam 2024
There are two types of IELTS exams, which are Academic and General Training. The IELTS exam is categorized into the student’s requirement as per the Academic Test and General Training. Further, the IELTS exam is conducted in two ways that are Paper-Based and Computerized Systems.
1. IELTS Academic Test
The Academic Test is taken by students who have applied for higher education such as Undergraduate, Postgraduate, PhD, or MBA, where the English language is commonly used in the curriculum. The Academic Test assess the candidate’s ability to use the language in academics in terms of speaking, writing, listening, and reading.
2. IELTS General Test
The IELTS General Test is given by students who wish to go to English Speaking Countries such as USA, UK, Australia, and Canada for higher studies. This test is compulsory for all students who wish to take admission in training courses or want to gain experience in any of the countries in the world where English is a major communicative language. The General Test assess the candidate’s ability to use English in a practical way in a professional and social setting.
IELTS Exam Format
IELTS exam is formulated in four sections and each section holds importance in terms of understanding the knowledge of the English Language.
1. Listening
The first section of IELTS is Listening for both academic and general testing. The listening section consists of two monologues and two conversations. The candidates are required to listen carefully and answer the questions as follows. This test can only hear this once.
2. Reading
The second section of IELTS is the reading and comprehension skills of the candidates. In IELTS Academic Testing, the reading section consists of three passages, and the candidates would read, comprehend and answer the questions carefully. Otherwise, In IELTS General Test, it consists of three sections, and section 1 contains two or more shorter texts. Section 2 has two texts and section 3 has one long text. The candidates read, comprehend, and answer all the questions by reading the text carefully.
3. Writing
The writing section is designed to test the writing skills of the candidates. Henceforth, for the Academic Test, there are two tasks, the first chart consists of a table, graph, chart, or diagram where the candidate needs to summarize the entire information in their own words. The second task is to write an essay on a given topic from the point of view of argument, problem, or anything else. In the General Test, there are also two tasks, first is to write a letter to describe a situation or request information. The second task is to write the same as the Academic Test.
4. Speaking
The speaking test is similar for both the Academic and General Tests. The first task consists of face to face interviews on various general topics for 4 to 5 minutes. For the second task, candidates are given a card on which they can speak for 2 minutes. The candidate will get preparation time for one minute. The examiner will ask questions to the candidate related to the second task. Below is the chart describing the total number of questions in each section and its duration.
- Listening – MCQ, Summary Completion, Sentence Completion, Flow Chart, Labeling Diagram, Match the following (30 mins, 40 Questions)
- Reading – Short Answer, Sentence Completion, Flow Chart Completion, Diagram Labeling. Matching, Observing Writer Views (60 mins, 40 Questions)
- Writing – 2 writing tasks (60 mins, 2 Questions)
- Speaking – 3 section tasks (11-14 minutes)
Calculate your IELTS Score
Your main focus is to prepare well and score good IELTS scores as it will help in improving your application process.
- IELTS has a 9-band scale, and each score has a defined band competency in the English language. The band score ranges from band-1 (non-user), and band-9 (expert).
- There is no concept of passing or failing the IELTS exam. However, every institute has minimum requirements to be fulfilled to qualify for English proficiency.
- For each section, candidates will receive a score band such as for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking and the overall band score will be an average of individual scores of each section.
- IELTS Band 9 – Expert – Complete command over the language
- IELTS Band 8 – Very Good – Command over language with occasional unsystematic insecurities
- IELTS Band 7 – Good – Handling of complex language and understanding the reasoning, with some inaccuracies
- IELTS Band 6 – Competent – Can understand the language in familiar situations
- IELTS Band 5 – Modest – Should handle basic communication, however, prone to make mistakes
- IELTS Band 4 – Limited – Has a basic understanding of the language but not a frequent user of complex language
- IELTS Band 3 – Extremely Limited – Can understand the general meaning in familiar situations only
- IELTS Band 2 – Intermittent – Have difficulty in understanding written and spoken language
- IELTS Band 1 – Non-User – Does not have the ability to use language except for a few words
Conclusion
It is evident that in native English-speaking countries, English proficiency becomes mandatory because most of the courses are taught in English. After reading this blog, we are sure that you have all the information you need for IELTS 2024. However, once you have passed this exam, you have further steps to go. And in your academic journey, we are here to help you by sending your application to your dream university and offering you guaranteed scholarships. Why wait? Get in touch with us today.
Frequently Asked Questions for IELTS 2024
1. Is the IELTS exam difficult?
No, the IELTS exam is not tough. It is just an English Language Proficiency Test and if you have English medium in your school then you can definitely pass this exam with the right preparation.
2. What is the minimum band score required to pass the IELTS exam?
There is nothing to pass or fail in the IELTS exam. As per the IELTS exam syllabus and structure, the students are allotted IELTS band scores. If you feel you have a low band score, you can reappear the exam and improve your score.
3. Is it possible to clear IELTS on the first attempt?
Yes, it is possible to clear IELTS on the first attempt if you understand the demand of the exam.
4. Can I prepare for IELTS without coaching?
Yes, coaching is not necessary to clear the IELTS exam. You can practice the mock test to gain confidence and get familiarity with the exam.
