Before you decide to take the IELTS test, you need to know some essential things. In this article, we review the most 7 common questions about IELTS. Firstly, what Is IELTS?

IELTS Test Guide

IELTS is the abbreviation for International English Language Testing System; the world’s proven English language test. In simple terms, IELTS is a standardized English language test designed for foreign speakers who decide to study, work and live in an English-speaking environment; it is the examination that evaluates your English language skills in terms of spoken and written English. Anyone above the age of 16 can take the IELTS test, so an impressive number of candidates take the IELTS exam every year.

Types of IELTS test

The IELTS test measures your skills through two test formats, namely IELTS Academic vs General Training.

 IELTS Academic

The Academic IELTS is for those who want to study abroad in an English – speaking country either for undergraduate or postgraduate studies and those seeking professional registration, and the General version of the test is for those who seek to work abroad in an English – speaking environment or migrate to an English – speaking country. We choose between the IELTS Academic vs General depending on our personal goals. For universities, whether it is a graduate, postgraduate or undergraduate program, you will need the academic IELTS module. The same is for corporations to work with companies in the English – speaking country.

Here’s a full guide about: IELTS registeration in UAE.

IELTS General training

However, the general IELTS is the right one for those who want to follow a vocational training that does not require any higher degree of education or those who intend to migrate.

IELTS components

The IELTS consists of listening, reading, writing, and speaking module.

Prepareing and Studying for IELTS Test  

Preparing for the IELTS test, you may need to take many steps to succeed in your IELTS skills. In this article, we will share with you the 14 most important steps you must complete in your preparation for the IELTS test.

• The first one is to learn about the IELTS test; you shouldn’t enter the examination room until you know as much as possible about the test. You need to learn about the content of the different sections of the test: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. You also need to learn about the format of each of these tests. And, of course, when you are learning about IELTS test, you also need to look at the timing. If you have so much time when you are doing the reading and the writing, that means you are given an hour to accomplish a certain number of tasks or passages, and it is your choice to manage your time, so understanding the timing is very important. In addition, you need to know how your band score is assessed; for listening and reading, assessment is very easy because you get points for every correct answer; for speaking and writing, it is different because an examiner will assess you. And the more you understand the way you are assessed, the better your results will be. Finally, you should learn well about FAQ. The more you know about the test, the more you often have questions. So, if you look at the answers to frequently asked questions, you will learn a lot about IELTS test. If you want to know how to deal with the different sections of the IELTS exam to be familiar with the IELTS test structure.

• Moving on step number two, once you understand what IELTS is, it’s time to look at the different IELTS tests. We have two IELTS tests: IELTS Academic and IELTS general training. For listening and speaking, they are the same. For writing and reading, you need to choose. You must know which one you want to do before you start preparing. The academic test is for university entrance, and the general training test is if you are moving abroad, so make sure you know which test you are going to take and prepare for that.
• Let’s move on to step number three, and I think this is one of the most crucial steps you should take; it’s being realistic about your goals. Have a fixed aim for IELTS. First, decide what band score you are aiming for. Then, have your English checked; you need to make sure that the level of your English is equal to the band score you are aiming for. Once you know your level of English, you can make a plan; you may have to study English fast to bring your level English up to the right level, or if your English is already at the right level, then you can just study your IELTS skills which means the skills for doing the exam. Or, maybe, your English is somewhat below the appropriate level for your band score, so you want to study English and IELTS together. That is very important about being realistic; what band score can you realistically get with your level of English?
• That comes to the point number four which is to have a time frame; how much time will it take you to make sure your English is at the right level for the band score? Then you need to know the requirements of that band score; what the examiner is looking for. Concerning speaking and writing tests, the examiner is looking for specific things in your language and skills. When you understand more about the band score, you will start improving.
• Step number five is learning about the question types. For listening and reading, there are over ten different types of questions that you can get in the test. That’s a lot, so you don’t have time to look at a question and try to understand what you need to do. It is better to know the types of questions before you enter the exam room.
• For step number six, It is helpful that you did develop the tips and techniques to deal with each type of question. For example, IELTS test has specific essay questions, and you need to know what they are. Don’t waste your time learning from an essay question; there’s a lot of information on the internet, and it can be confusing, so you must study the right types of questions for these in IELTS.
• Let’s have a look at step number seven. It is all about topics. There are common topics in IELTS exam, and you need to prepare them. Prepare vocabulary to be able to speak about these topics. That is particularly important in speaking because you need to give your answer directly. You should have all vocabulary on the tip of your tongue, which means to be ready to use it without hesitation, so preparing all these topics and vocabulary is essential.
• The next point is to develop your ideas, and you can do this from several sources. If you have time for your IELTS preparation, have a look at documentaries, the New Scientist, and other interesting magazines that cover a range of topics, take a look at BBC and some new world issues and listen to radio programs. All of this will help you develop your English, and it will help you in listening, reading, writing, and speaking .If you don’t have much time before your test or have only a couple of weeks, you probably cannot do that. But if you have time, it is an excellent way of preparing. You may ask, should we only listen to documentaries and radio programs in British English. The answer is No because IELTS is an international English language test. That means you can have a variety of accents in your listening test, and even the examiners might have different accents.

• Let’s move on to step number nine. You need to do practice tests to assess your listening and reading. The best books that enable you to practice for IELTS exams are (Cambridge IELTS). They are nine books published by IELTS, and they contain a sample of old IELTS exam papers. Each book of the nine has four tests.

• Number ten is obviously to plan your development and practice. It is almost impossible to give a schedule because, first, students have different strengths, different weaknesses, and different times available.

• Step number eleven is for reading and writing. To prepare well for the IELTS test, you will need to spend some time building speed and getting time management ability. Reading and writing have a fixed time limit, and it can be difficult for students to finish all forty questions in one hour or write two tasks in one hour, so building speed and learning to manage your time is very important. Practice at home; check how long it takes you to write, skim read a passage, or scan and find answers.

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• Number twelve is to do a full practice test under exam conditions. That means to do your listening, reading, and writing altogether. It will take you two hours 40 minutes, during that time you will have no breaks. That will give you an idea of how difficult and tiring the IELTS exam can be, so this is a very important part of your preparation. Before you do your real test, you should at least do one practice test under exam conditions. You can do it at home. You do not have to pay for it; you can sit at home, set your alarm clock, and do listening, reading, and writing tests in two hours and 40 minutes.

• Now let’s move on to the last two steps in your IELTS preparation – step number thirteen is to get training if you can. Obviously, professional training is the best, so if you can find a very good ILETS school, that is the place to go. You have the British Council and ID, or you might find a local school. But the most important thing is to choose a school that really does know about ILETS and can support you and understand your aims for ILETS. Don’t just choose any school which claims to be the best. Make sure you choose wisely, and of course, you can visit our website we have online training courses that will help you get the highest band scores.

• The last step is very important but unfortunately not possible for all students; take your test when your English and IELTS skills are at their strongest. That is the time to take it. Not all students have this choice. Many students are under a deadline but if you do have a chance, take it on the time when you are scoring the band score you want.

Discover more to make a decision: To choose between IELTS or TOEFL.

Cancel IELTS Test guide

You can request for cancellation of your IELTS test and even receive a refund. But there are certain conditions to it.

• First: you should request for cancellation only via mail or in-person; no telephonic request is accepted. Also, the request should be at least 5 weeks prior test date.
• Second, you will receive a full refund, if you cancel your IELTS test more than five weeks ahead. However, you will receive no refund, if cancellation was done less than five weeks ahead of the test date.
• To sum up, you should make a notification if you intended not to attend the exam, other than that no refund will be issued, and if you want to take the test on another date, you must register and pay again. However, there is an exception for those who can provide evidence within 5 days that they failed to appear for the test because of serious illness (hospital admission or serious injury), loss or bereavement (death of a close family member), hardship/trauma (victim of a crime or victim of a traffic accident), or military service. In this case, they can receive a refund (less a 25% administrative fee) if they attach appropriate evidence; such as a medical certificate from a qualified medical practitioner, a death notice, or a police report.

IELTS Results early guide  

As we know, there are two types of IELTS tests: CBT (computer-delivered test) and PBT (paper-delivered test)

• Therefore, If you need a fast result for the IELTS test, you can opt for IELTS CBT. You can get your result online within 3–7 days after you have taken the test. When your results become available, your test center will notify you, and you will receive a link to view your IELTS scores.
• On the other hand, for IELTS PBT, you have to wait longer; you have to wait for a minimum of 13 days. On the 13th day after your test date, they will announce the result on their official website. Finally, If you need fast results for the IELTS test whether it is Academic or General, go for a computer-delivered IELTS test.

Got confused? Here’s how you can check IELTS result.

IELTS Without Coaching  

The good news is that nothing is impossible. There are many examples of ILETS candidates who got 8.5 overall in their first attempt without any coaching. In addition, you can follow our website as we will write more articles about how to improve your IELTS skills at home.

Getting IELTS Certificate

Over 1,600 locations around the world provide IELTS tests, so getting IELTS certificate has become so easy.

• First, you should choose the center nearest to you.
• Second, register for your IELTS test and choose the type of the test and the date suitable for you.
• Third, pay the fees and wait for confirmation of the date and time of your test. Once you receive the result of the test, you will have the IELTS certificate and it is valid up to 2 years from the date of the exam.

After we knew the most common questions about IELTS, preparing for the IELTS test has become easier.

You can visit our website, you will find many special courses to help you prepare for the IELTS test and pass it easily.

For preparing for the IELTS exam, Preparation IELTS course for the IELTS test will help you a lot. You can book the course now.

Also, if you need practical training sessions, book it if is suitable for you.