The Canadian IELTS Examination – Important Facts

Canada is a country that keenly welcomes immigrants from all over the world to work or study there. The Canadian government, in order to tighten the visa procedures, has kept a high IELTS score as a criteria for immigration purposes. But, since this stops many future immigrants to study or work there, they have decided to lower the minimum score that is required to gain entry in to the country for immigrants.The government has also decreased the IELTS band requirement criteria for Canada Skilled worker Immigration points.

How to Register for the IELTS

IELTS registration is mandatory before a candidate appears for the examination. This process is very simple and can be done around two weeks before the exam. However that is subject to availability of dates, since there are limited number of days on which the exam is conducted and even the number of centers where it takes place. So, taking all these issues into consideration, one is advised to book the IELTS exam at least a month before the day of the exam.The registration process is very easy and can be done by three simple ways.

IELTS FAQs

What is the IELTS?
IELTS , International English Language Testing System is a test of the English language. It is an examination that is required to be taken compulsorily by international students, professionals who including doctors, nurses, and teachers and prospective immigrants into countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.K. These countries require a valid IELTS score as a part of their visa processes to allow people to work or study in their country. Some organizations like CGFNS, Irish nursing and NHS accept the IELTS as a reliable test of the English language. Now-a-days it is recognized as an alternative to TOEFL by many American universities and could soon start replacing the test.

IELTS Australia – All that you need to Know

The IELTS test was launched in the1989 and is still today the world’s most popular test of the English language. IELTS Australia, in association with the British Council and the Cambridge ESOL is involved in the development of the test. IELTS Australia continues to partner with the British Council and Cambridge ESOL to administer, improve and deliver the IELTS test globally. IELTS Australia Pty Ltd is a part of the IDP Education, a company co-owned by 38 Australian universities and SEEK. IELTS Australia is a global company that administers and conducts the IELTS test in various centers in more than 35 countries and aids over 6,000 organizations such as universities, governments, professional bodies and commercial organizations that recognize the IELTS as a criterion for admission/immigration purposes. The IELTS test is globally recognized and valued; there were more than 1.5 million candidates took the test in 2010, and the number will increase this year and the next. Moreover, there are 6,000 organizations worldwide that recognize this test as a valid test of the English language. Almost 3000 US universities also recognize the test.

The IELTS General Test

The IELTS General Reading Section:

IELTS General Training Test lasts for an hour, in which three passages are presented, from which 40 questions will be asked. Texts are usually taken form notices, instruction manuals, office documents, newspapers, advertisements, magazines, booklets, and books. The first passage covers a topic that is concerned with social survival of non-native candidates in an English speaking country. The second passage is concerned with survival in an education, training or welfare context. The third section tests the candidates' reading abilities with a longer and more complex passage.

The IELTS Academic Test

The IELTS Academic Reading:

This is a 1 hour test with 3 sections which have 40 questions each, based on 1 reading text per section. The length of each passage will be between 2000 and 2750 words. Candidates are given a question paper and an answer sheet. They may write on the question paper but they should not remove it from the test room after they complete the test. All answers must be written on the reading answer sheet before the end of the hour. Unlike the listening section, there is no extra time for the transfer of answers on to the answer paper. A variety of question types is used. Questions types that you will see will usually come from the following list:

15 Important Essay Topics for the IELTS Writing Section

1. State your opinion whether government should intervene in the rights of the individual with regard to family planning?

2. The shocking levels of congestion and air pollution found in most of the major cities in the world can be attributed directly to the rapidly increasing number of private cars in use. Discuss the various ways to encourage people to use the public transport.

3. In certain countries, when someone gets old, they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government pays for this care. Who should be responsible for the old people in your country? Give reasons.

IELTS Scores Explained

After the completion of the IELTS examination, the test is graded by experienced examiners at the test center. This is to make sure that the results are available without any kind of delay. Usually the standardized scores are available about two weeks after the test. They are sent to the students by mail and are strictly not revealed by any other means. The main objective of taking the IELTS test is to show the university administration department how able the student is in English communication. The score is scaled to a band of 1 to 9. A different score is taken for the different sections of the test and is averaged and rounded off to determine the overall score. The rounding off is done by using a conversion table. Half band scores can be possible for the overall scores, the reading section score and the listening section score. The writing and speaking sections’ scores are reported only in full bands.

What One Needs to Know about the IELTS Speaking Test

They could be from any country in which English is the native language, so they are undoubtedly native English speakers. The IELTS examiners are all invariably experienced teachers with advanced degrees of education. They know the difficulty level of the test and will be patient with the candidate as long as they can allow. They will want us to do well and be fair and honest with us. They would have received special IELTS training for judging on the day of the exam.

Tackling Different Sections Of The Ielts

The IELTS test is split into four divisions, called the sections that comprise of, Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. All sections are compulsory and candidates must attempt to write all questions in all the sections to score a good band score. The difficulty level of all the sections is equal. There are different ways to prepare for each section, these are discussed below:

How to prepare for the Listening Section:

An Introduction To The IELTS Examination

The IELTS or the International English Language Testing System is an examination that thousands of students write, every year, all over the world. The test was devised comparatively recently than that of the other tests, in 1989. It is even today, used as a medium to select students for higher studies in colleges and universities, by testing their English proficiency. The exam has become popular all around the globe and is accepted by many universities.