IELTS (the International English Language Testing System) is the most popular English language proficiency test in the world, serving the purpose of assessing the language ability of applicants wishing to migrate to a foreign country with English as the primary language of communication.
IELTS ACADEMIC
Based on the purpose of migration, the IELTS test is of two types: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Speaking and Listening sections are the same for both the tests, while the subject topic for the Reading and Writing sections will differ.
Let’s look at what IELTS Academic entails.
IELTS ACADEMIC TEST
The IELTS Academic is for applicants who wish to migrate for academic purposes, like pursuing their degree or a higher level of education, or for professionals such as medical doctors, and nurses who wish to study or practice in an English-speaking environment. The test assesses whether you’re ready or will be comfortable to begin studying or training in a place where English is the major language.
So in short, the IELTS Academic Test is for those who plan to migrate to a foreign country for:
- Studying at an undergraduate or postgraduate level anywhere in the world.
- Applying for Tier 4 Student Visa at a university that is a Tier 4 Sponsor in the UK
- Working in an English-speaking country for a professional organisation.
ACADEMIC TEST DURATION
The test duration for the IELTS Academic, same as the IELTS General, is 2 hours and 45 minutes.
IELTS TEST FORMAT
As mentioned above, the Listening and Speaking sections for both the tests are the same, while the topic subject in the Reading and Writing sections will differ.
The Listening, Reading and Writing sections of all IELTS tests are completed on the same day, with no breaks in between.
Reading Test
Both General Training and Academic Reading Tests take 60 minutes. While the General test contains 3 sections with the subject material mostly taken from advertisements, guidebooks or notices, the Academic test contains 3 long texts that are mostly taken from books, journals or newspapers. There will be 40 questions in total.
Writing Test
Both the Academic and General Writing tests take 60 minutes, with both the tests containing 2 tasks, where task 2 is an essay of at least 250 words. The difference comes in task 1, where, in the Academic test you will have to describe, summarize or explain the data information given in a table, chart or diagram.
Listening Test
The Listening test takes 30 minutes, where there will be 4 sections with 10 questions in each section. Each section is narrated only once.
Section 1: a conversation between two people
Section 2: a monologue set in an everyday social context
Section 3: a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context
Section 4: a monologue on an academic subject (e.g. a university lecture)
Speaking Test
The Speaking test takes 12-14 minutes and comprises of 3 parts
Part 1: Introduction (questions about your background)
Part 2: Individual talk (based on topic given on a cue card)
Part 3: Two-way discussion (The examiner asks further questions which are connected to the topic of Part 2).
For details on IELTS General module, click here