If you are going to have an education abroad, you need to prove some of your qualifications with exam results. It will be an important advantage for you to have knowledge about these internationally recognized exams and to know how to proceed. You can find information about IELTS, one of the required exams for studying abroad, in our article. However, you should not forget that the exams required by countries and educational institutions vary.
WHAT IS IELTS?
It stands for International English Language Testing System. It is an internationally valid examination system in which the English language level is determined.
Launched in 1989, the examination system is regulated by Cambridge University, British Council, and IDP Education. There are two different types, academic and general purpose.
The International English Language Testing System is accepted by nearly all academic institutions in Australia, England, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa. It is also accepted by most institutions in the United States.
WHO SHOULD TAKE THE EXAM?
If you want to study or work in countries where the official language is English, you must prove that you can use the English language at the desired level by taking the IELTS exam.
WHAT ARE THE IELTS TYPES?
The examination system is applied in two different types. Depending on your purpose of going abroad, the types of exams you have to take vary. If you are going abroad to study such as a university or graduate education, you must take the academic education exam, if you want to work or be an immigrant, you must take the general education exam.
If you want to study or work in the UK, you must take the IELTS UKVI test.
• IELTS Academic: It is the type of exam you should take if your target is studying abroad at the university level. Your English language proficiency at the level of high school and academic level is measured by this test.
The desired score may vary depending on the educational institution you will apply for. For this reason, you should find out how many points are required from the institution you will apply for.
The IELTS Academic test result is valid for all institutions and recruitments that request the IELTS General Education test result.
The content of the exam consists of 4 parts: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. 30 minutes for the listening section, 60 minutes for the reading and writing section, and 11-14 minutes for the speaking section.
The speaking test is held on a separate day.
• IELTS General Education: This is the type of exam you need to take if you want to work or migrate to a country where the official language is English. Your English proficiency is measured in the field of daily life. The questions asked in the exam are also related to this.
The exam content consists of listening, reading, writing, and speaking parts as in the IELTS Academic exam.
• IELTS UKVI: If you want to work, live or study in the UK, you may need to take this exam. It is a Reliable English Language Exam approved by the British Ministry of Home Affairs that you can use for UK visa applications.
The UKVI exam has no difference in content, format, and difficulty level. However, this exam can be taken at the exam centers specified by the British Ministry of Home Affairs.
APPLICATION OF THE EXAM
The IELTS exam can be applied face-to-face or online. You can choose the method you want during the exam application.
SCORING IN THE IELTS EXAM
Scoring is done out of 9. Separate grades are given for the four different sections.
Then, the arithmetic average of the scores of these sections is taken and the result of the exam is calculated. Generally, universities and institutions require a score of 6 and above. However, since this situation may vary, you must learn the necessary score clearly.
VALIDITY OF THE EXAM RESULT
The IELTS test result is valid for two years. At the same time, you can take the exam as many times as you want during the year and use the score you want.
Exam quotas are limited. For this reason, it will be an advantage for you to apply for the exam a time before the date you intend to take the exam.
