IELTS

We at i-Chimes facilitate inclusive training for IELTS,PTE and OET to help you score exceedingly well in these fundamental language tests

i-Chimes is an authorized training and exam booking hub for IDP IELTS, an authentic training center for Pearson test of English and also for Occupational English Test(OET - English language test for healthcare professionals)

IELTS, (the International English Language Testing System), is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is used as the language of communication. IELTS is required for entry to university in most of the English-speaking countries.

Test Format

The IELTS test assesses your abilities in listening, reading, writing and speaking – in less than three hours.

There are two types of IELTS:

Academic Training Module: is a pre-requisite by the students who wish to study diploma, undergraduate, graduate or post graduate courses abroad and

General Training: this module is generally pursued by those candidates who wish to migrate and settle abroad.

Listening and Speaking are the same for both tests, but the subject matter of the Reading and Writing sections differ depending on which test you take.

The Listening, Reading and Writing sections of all IELTS tests are completed on the same day, with no breaks in between them.

The Speaking section, however, can be completed up to a week before or after the other tests.

The candidate has all the liberty to choose the date and venue as per their convenience.

The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Score

IELTS is graded on a scale of 0 – 9, known as Band Scale.

Generally, a score of at least 6 band for UG & 6.5 bands for PG is required in each section.

For migration, scores of individual 7 is required or as per the specific country’s requirement.

Scores are valid for two years.

Results are announced on the 13th day from the day of the exam and one need to wait for at least 15 working days to get the score card (hard copy).

IELTS exams are conducted approximately 4-5 times a month. Dates are announced from time to time.

Listening

Time taken is 30 minutes.
10 minutes are given to copy the answers in answers sheet
40 questions to be answered.
Questions are divided into 4 sections.
One mark is awarded for each correct answer in the 40-item test. Care should be taken when writing answers on the answer sheet as poor spelling and grammar are penalized.

Reading (Academic & General)

Time taken is 60 minutes
40 questions to be answered
Questions are divided into 3 passages
The Reading section is designed to test a wide range of reading skills like gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical argument and recognizing writers' opinions, attitudes and purpose.
One mark is awarded for each correct answer in the 40-item test. Care should be taken when writing answers on the answer sheet as poor spelling and grammar are penalized.

Writing

Academic Writing:

Total time given is 60 minutes

There are two tasks to be completed

Task 1 - you will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and asked to describe, summarize or explain the information in your own words. You may be asked to describe and explain data, describe the stages of a process, how something works or describe an object or event.

Task 2 - you will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. Responses to both tasks must be in a formal style.

Task 1& Task 2 responses are assessed on:

- Task achievement (in case of Task 1) Task Response (in case of Task 2)
- Coherence and cohesion
- Lexical resource
- Grammatical range and accuracy.

General Writing:

Total time given is 60 minutes

There are two tasks to be completed

Task 1 - you will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter requesting information, or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style.

Task 2 - you will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. The essay can be fairly personal in style.

Task 1& Task 2 responses are assessed on:

- Task achievement (in case of Task 1) Task Response (in case of Task 2)
- Coherence and cohesion
- Lexical resource
- Grammatical range and accuracy.

Speaking

Time taken is 11-14 minutes

The speaking section assesses your use of spoken English.

Every test is recorded.

Part 1 - the examiner will ask you general questions about the candidate and a range of familiar topics, such as home, family, work, studies and interests. This part lasts between four and five minutes.

Part 2 - the candidate will be given a cue card which asks him/her to talk about a particular topic. Candidate will have one minute to prepare before speaking for up to two minutes. The examiner will then ask one or two questions on the same topic.

Part 3 - The candidate will be asked further questions about the topic in Part 2. These will give you the opportunity to discuss more abstract ideas and issues. This part of the test lasts between four and five minutes.

Speaking will be assessed on:

Fluency and coherence

Lexical resource

Grammatical range and accuracy

Pronunciation

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