The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the main test used to assess the language proficiency of students from a non-English-speaking background who want to study in an English-speaking country, especially Australia or the UK. It has four subtests, or sections.

The Reading and Writing Subtests

In the first two sections, reading and writing, students take one of four modules. Which module they take depends on what they hope to study. Modules A, B, and C are for university entrance. People who want to study Maths, for example, or Computing, Physics or Engineering take Module A (Physical Sciences). People who want to study Biology, Nursing or Medicine take Module B (Life Sciences). People who want to study Business, Economics, Journalism or Drama take Module C (Humanities). In Australia people who want to study at high school, in TAPE (colleges of Technical and Further Education), in Foundation Studies courses, or at colleges take the General Training Module. The General Training Module is easier than the other modules, but it is not possible to score above Band 6 on it, nor is it acceptable for university entrance.

The Listening and Speaking Subtests

The second two subtests, listening and speaking, are general and are taken by all students. The listening test takes 30 minutes. The last test is the speaking test. It takes the form of an interview and lasts 11-15 minutes.

The Band Scores

You cannot pass or fail the IELTS test. Your score will be reported in a series of band, Band 9 is the highest level, band 1 the lowest. Different colleges and universities require different band scores before they will admit you. Different institutions indicate what ban, levels they want students to achieve. These may be between 5.5 and 7 for university entrance.

The band levels indicate a candidate's ability to use English as follows:

9             Expert User

8             Very Good User

7             Good User

6             Competent User

5             Modest User

4             Limited User

3             Extremely Limited User

2             Intermittent User

1             Non User 

Advantages of the IELTS Test

What are the advantages of the IELTS test over the other tests which are often used? Unlike the TOEFL it tests all four skills. Some students who have very high TOEFL scores are not able to function in English when they arrive at university because they cannot speak or write the language. Unlike some other tests IELTS is an international test. This means that if you change your mind about the country you want to study in, your test results will still be recognized (outside the USA) if you have taken the IELTS test. It also means that you can take the test in your own country or in the country where you hope to study.

The IELTS test is available at least once a month, at some centers it is run fortnightly and, at busy times of the year, every week. You can take the test as often as you like, but not less than three months apart. So for example, if you take the test in January you can take it again in April. This way you are able to keep track of your improvement in English.

The results are published quickly. They are sent to you and to the college you want to enter within two weeks. It is considered that students need anything from 100 hours to 200 hours of teaching to improve by one step in the band scale; all students differ from each other but most need more time at the higher levels than they do at the lower levels.