IELTS FAQ

Here are some questions we often got from people coming to our centre.

What is IELTS?

I got asked this question a lot, by people just passing by our centre.  International English Language Testing System or IELTS is an English proficiency exam used by companies, schools and embassies to gauge your level of competency in the language they use to communicate.

Why do I need to take the IELTS?

The quick and easy answer for this would be; the institution you're applying for or migrate to requires you to take the exam. 

The long version would be; I believe that the company trying to hire you would want to make sure you can do your job properly and follow instructions; I don’t think you’ll be able to do that if you can’t understand your employers or read their employee handbook; same thing for school, imagine enrolling and not understanding your teachers, you won’t learn anything.  As for immigration, they want to make sure you’re able to live a normal life and be able to communicate with other people, not to mention their laws are written in English. 

What is the passing score?

Technically, there’s no such thing as a passing score in IELTS.  It’s an English proficiency exam; the score reflects your level of proficiency, that’s all. 

But, embassies, companies and schools may require a minimum level of proficiency.  In 2010 a number of schools in the UK, Australia and New Zealand increased the minimum score to 7 on all 4 modules.  Meaning, even if your overall score was 8 and you had a 6.5 or less in any of the modules, you do not meet the minimum requirement.  On the other hand, some companies would only look at the overall score. 

Is the exam hard?

This is probably the question that is asked the most. The level of difficulty would always vary from person to person.

First thing to consider is that IELTS has 2 versions, Academic and General Training.  The most obvious difference would be their writing exam, general training requires the examinee to write a letter and the academic version requires an interpretation of graphs, charts or maps.  If the examinee was trained to read graphs, charts or maps, they would not find this difficult. 

Second thing to consider is that IELTS has 4 different modules, Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking.  Some people find some of the modules more challenging than others.  Some find the prospect of an interview terrifying.  But at the end of it all, just remember that the exam will only reflect your proficiency in English.

Which version of IELTS should I take?

The best thing to do here is to ask the institution you’re applying for, ask which version they require. As a general guide, the academic test is for those who want to study at a tertiary level.  Nurses wanting to study in an English-speaking country would take this version.  The general training test is for those that would be working or migrating to an English-speaking country. 

I’ll repeat my initial answer, it is still best to ask the institution which version they require you to take.

Here is a link to ielts.org for other FAQs

Good luck with your exam.