Know What to Expect Before You Take Your IELTS Test

IELTS also known as International English Language Testing System is an English language proficiency test designed for students and professionals willing to study or work abroad. IELTS is jointly conducted by British Council, IDP, and Cambridge Assessments since 1989, it is accepted mostly worldwide.
There are two types of forms i.e. IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Those who are applying for higher studies opt for IELTS Academic and those willing to go for migrating to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. For appearing in the IELTS exam one has to be above 16 years of age. Students also have the option of giving the either through paper based or computer delivered. 

When is the test held?

IELTS paper based test is organized four times in a month and the dates are available on the IELTS online website. The computer delivered IELTS is held almost every day with exception of Sundays. To sit for the exam students can visit the online website and need to select their country of residence and the centre nearby to their location along with the type of test they want to give. It is always advisable to book the test one month beforehand as the places fill up quickly.

Where are the test centers located?

In India the test centers are Ambala, Amritsar, Barnala, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Delhi, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Karnal, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Moga, Noida, Patiala, Rudrapur, Angamaly, Bangalore, Calicut, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Kannur, Kochi, Kollam, Kottayam, Madurai, Mangalore, Trivandrum, Thrissur, Trichy, Vijayawada, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Kolkata, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Siliguri, Ahmedabad, Anand, Baroda, Bhopal, Goa, Mehsana, Mumbai, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Navsari, Pune, Rajkot, Surat and Thane.

Which countries accept IELTS?

Most popular countries where IELTS test are accepted for University admissions are the UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Europe, and Canada.

What does the test comprise of?

The exam is divided into four parts i.e. Listening, Speaking, Writing and Reading. Every section has own pattern with specified questions and time duration. In Listening section there are 40 questions in the span of 30 minutes, Reading Section 40 questions with 60 minutes, writing task with 60 minutes and Speaking 3 parts with 11 – 14 minutes of duration.

How to prepare?

The best way to prepare is to start familiarizing with the test format and working on your time management skills. Next is to solve sample test papers which allow you to gauge your performance. It is also advisable to sit for a timed mock test and create test center atmosphere at home. Some students also prefer to attend IELTS classes which are delivered across most cities in the country.  

Before the test

Before the test date try to get relaxed and refresh your mind to be active in listening, reading, writing or speaking. Also check and understand the location where you have to reach for the test. On the day of test try to reach little early before the time so that can go through the check in and all other necessary process.

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