At the bottom of the main IELTS Syllabus abbreviation appear the words ‘International English Language Testing System’. This has a suggestive connotation of a system that tries to find out both the student’s oral and written skills. Thus, asking for a language test in case one is living or employed permanently in an English-speaking state is one way to measure and monitor the level of English proficiency. It is a test to evaluate your command of language by the means that you can communicate in English in England, the USA or any of the corners of the world.
IELTS is made up of test bands for pupils. There are various uses of it for studying, for work, and for being in a country that uses English as the primary language. The simple fact is that a candidate is well-experienced with the test’s structure thus the question is whether he will take IELTS. During the IELTS exam, only the key skills are measured which include listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Such a way of knowledge will bring about the best training. This book will consider these IELTS Syllabus issues and tell you the best time to take the test.
What is IELTS?
IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System which is one of the most popular language skill tests for English. Also, it is opted for frequently by foreign students. It is run by the British Council, IDP, and also the Cambridge. Moreover, it measures how well you can listen, read, write, and speak English. You have to perform well in these sections in the IELTS exam to ace the test.
IELTS Syllabus
The IELTS exam tests your English skills for everyday use. So, it covers these real-world language skills. The IELTS syllabus teaches the lessons people often use while speaking English. It includes the skills required to comprehend and understand the language. These are:
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
Also, each section has its specific format and types of questions. Let us understand in detail.
1. Listening
The listening section is designed to measure how well you grasp the recorded speech of English. It typically lasts for 30 minutes and contains four passages of conversations and monologues. They are spoken by people of different accents. These are from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US, and Canada.
The two exercises are multiple-choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labeling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary completion. All of the tasks are connected to the listening material.
2. Reading
The two types of IELTS exams are Academic and General Training, both of them have a Reading section with three passages and about 12 tasks. You should do these tasks in the given time of 60 minutes.
Academic Reading: These texts vary in nature. Some texts may be descriptive and factual, whereas others may be discursive or intellectual. These texts are fetched from books, magazines, and newspapers.
General Training Reading: This examination has short passages. These are taken from different texts including books, newspapers, notices, magazines, advertisements, company handbooks, and guidelines. The topics of these materials are related to daily activities.
The reading module has comprehension and vocabulary exercises. The tasks include multiple-choice, identifying information, writer’s views or claims, matching information, headings, features, etc.
3. Writing
The Writing module in the IELTS syllabus is not the same for the Academic and General Training exams. The time allocated to each of the versions is fifty minutes and the ones consist of two tasks, each.
Academic Writing:
Task 1: The candidates have to provide a verbal description of the picture, table, chart, or any other sort of diagram. It should be written in the format of a brief report which should take at most 150 words. They need to put the data in their own words and summarize what they see.
Task 2: Each candidate has to write an essay. It should analyze their position on an issue. They can support, oppose, or offer a solution. The essay must be under 250 words.
General Training Writing:
Task 1: Instructors provide students with guidelines to attempt the question. This covers part of the process. The instructions help students complete the task successfully.
Task 2: The examiners will ask candidates to compose an argumentative article. This supports or opposes a particular viewpoint and overrides the notion of a problem in about 250 words.
4. Speaking
One-to-one assessed talk with a registered examiner is a component of the Speaking of the IELTS exam. This section only needs 11-14 minutes and has three sub-tasks:
Part 1: The examiner first greets the participants. They ask the participants to say hello and introduce themselves. This part usually takes 4-5 minutes.
Part 2: A participant gets a task card. They must talk about it for 1-2
minutes. The candidate has only 1 minute to prepare and make notes.
Part 3: The examiner inquires deeper related to section 2. This part of the test has a variation of 4-5 minutes.
Importance of Understanding the IELTS Syllabus and Exam Pattern
Understanding the IELTS syllabus and exam pattern is crucial for several reasons:
- Preparation by Focusing: Candidates can concentrate and pay attention to the particular kinds of problems and things they have to solve.
- Time Management: The time you get to answer is limited. So, familiarity with the IELTS exam pattern allows candidates to easily manage the deadline for the test.
- Dealing with Anxiety: Fear of the test can interfere with the ability to do well. Understanding the pattern and syllabus of the exam can make test takers less anxious and enhance their belief in themselves.
- Identify Weak Areas: Knowing the syllabus helps you find the topics you are weak in. You can focus on improving these areas. This will help you get better overall marks.
- Practice with a Goal: Studying without a purpose has no impact. Targeted practice is important to ace the test on the first attempt.
Conclusion
It is crucial to know the IELTS exam pattern to excel in it. Candidates who understand the test structure can prepare better and feel less anxious. This guide explains the IELTS syllabus sections. Knowing the format well is key to success. Careful preparation and using your strengths are the first steps to doing well on the IELTS.
