FASTAIMS

IELTS

The IELTS – International English Language Testing System – is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. IELTS is accepted as evidence of English language proficiency by over 10,000 organizations worldwide, including universities, employers, professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies.

IELTS - Academic and General Training

The IELTS test has two types – academic and general training – which reflect different purposes of taking the test. Candidates take the academic or general training version of the test, depending on their goals:

- Academic – for those planning to study or train at institutions where English is the medium of instruction

- General Training – for those planning to migrate to an English-speaking country (Australia, Canada, New Zealand), or apply for work where English is not the primary language of communication.

The test has four components – listening, reading, writing and speaking. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking tests but different Reading and Writing tests.

Test format

IELTS consists of four sections: Listening (30 minutes), Reading (60 minutes), Writing (60 minutes) and Speaking (11–14 minutes). The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Reading: 3 sections, 40 items (questions). Sections include a variety of question types, such as matching, true and false, multiple-choice, short answer and sentence completion.
Writing: 2 tasks, 150 and 250 words. Candidates are assessed on their ability to write two different types of texts, such as an essay or report.
Listening: 4 sections, 40 items (questions). Sections include questions on general topics such as work, family or education.
Speaking: 3 parts, 11–14 minutes. The Speaking test assesses candidates’ ability to communicate effectively in English, using a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.