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The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a set of tests meant to assist you in working, studying, or migrating to a country where English is the primary language. This covers Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. During the test, your abilities to listen, read, write, and communicate in English will be evaluated. The IELTS exam is scored on a scale of 1 to 9. The British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge Assessment English jointly own IELTS.
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You must be able to demonstrate a high level of English language competence if you want to work, reside, or study in an English-speaking nation. With 379 million speakers globally, English is the world’s third most spoken language. The ability to speak the local language of the nation where you want to work or study offers several advantages. It’s also necessary for getting a job and integrating into the community. IELTS is the most widely used test for those who want to move to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 businesses, colleges, schools, and immigration agencies throughout the world recognise it, including 3,400 in the United States. IELTS Score scale is as given below.
| Band score | Skill level |
| 9 | Expert user |
| 8 | Very good user |
| 7 | Good user |
| 6 | Competent user |
| 5 | Modest user |
| 4 | Limited user |
| 3 | Extremely limited user |
| 2 | Intermittent user |
| 1 | Non-user |
| 0 | Did not attempt the test |
The higher your IELTS score, the better your knowledge and ability to communicate in English are. IELTS score criteria will vary by immigration body, university, workplace, or institution. The score you’ll need will be determined by what you want to accomplish in the nation, whether it’s a job or study.
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) was created to give a fair and reliable evaluation of English language competency. Language experts from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States create the test questions. Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking are the four components of the test. The material of the IELTS test is based on real-life scenarios. It is objective and fair to all exam takers, regardless of their background.
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Is IELTS English Difficult to Learn?
Many people who desire to take this exam have the same question: “Is IELTS easy?” Aside from that, several candidates are unsure about the exam’s difficulty level. To these queries, the simple response is: it depends! Candidates must examine their grasp of English to determine if IELTS is simple or tough. The sections that follow provide a comprehensive overview of all of the IELTS components and how to approach them.
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How to Tackle Difficult Sections in IELTS
1: Which of the sentences below is grammatically correct?
- Students are frequently lost in thought when attempting to determine the test’s difficulty level. The reading phase includes a one-hour time limit, during which applicants must answer 40 questions while reading about 2,000 words. Reading materials of any kind, be it academic, general, or online substance, and attempting to absorb the information within the time limit are a few approaches to facing a difficult reading part. If you’re having trouble comprehending a term, try visualising it in several situations and then figuring out what it means.
- Many students wonder if IELTS is challenging or easy. The examiner hands out a task card to the applicants in the speaking segment, on which they must talk for two minutes. One of the most typical errors applicants make in this part is telling the same story over and over again. Furthermore, ending the real plot in around 50 seconds and then repeating the same content is a worse blunder. One can use past, current, and future tactics to tackle this. Candidates should be able to relate three separate stories according to the assignment card using this method.
- Candidates must ensure not to fall short of the specified word count when writing for IELTS academic. Many contenders fall short of the 250-word mark. If such a mistake is made, the entire band point may be lost.
- Keep the following factors in mind as you prepare for the IELTS academic writing section. Outlining the topics and then drafting the essay around them is a good way to start. Look for example essays on the internet to get a sense of the kind of questions that will be asked on this examination. For task 1, write at least 150 words, and for task 2, write at least 250 words. If you don’t understand the meaning of a complex term, don’t use it.
- Candidates must be familiar with the kind of questions that will be asked during the listening portion of the exam. This is because the examiner will not give you enough time to understand the questions. This test, on the other hand, is held in a peaceful environment, which will allow you to concentrate better.
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How Long Does It Take to Learn English for IELTS?
The amount of time a student needs to progress varies depending on the learner. However, on average, it takes 6 weeks for a Studio student to improve their IELTS score by 0.5. To master the exam abilities, you’ll need to study for another 6 weeks.
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Is IELTS more Difficult than TOEFL?
Both the IELTS and the TOEFL are fundamental English proficiency assessments. The majority of test-takers believe that IELTS is simpler than TOEFL.
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IELTS Scores for Different Countries?
Different countries and their minimum band score requirement are discussed in the table below.
| Country | Band score |
| UK | A 6.5 overall band score in IELTS is required for bachelors and postgraduate degrees. At prestigious colleges like Harvard and Cambridge, this cut-off may be as high as 7.5. |
| USA | A minimum IELTS score of roughly 7.0 is commonly required by leading schools and institutions in the United States of America. IELTS band scores of 6.0 or above are accepted by colleges such as Carnegie Mellon University. As a result, the IELTS score required will differ depending on the sort of university to which you are applying. |
| Australia | The band score in Australia is determined by the course you are enrolled in. Medical courses need a 7.0 overall score, whereas bachelor’s courses require a 6.0 overall score and postgraduate studies require a 6.5 overall score. |
| Canada | The minimum band score necessary in each section is 5.5, and a 6.0 total score is required for graduate programmes. A minimum of 6.0 in each section and a total score of 6.5 are required for postgraduate studies. |
| New Zealand | While an IELTS score of 7.0 is required for teaching and engineering courses, an overall band score of 6.0 and 6.5 are required for graduate and undergraduate courses, respectively. Candidates for diploma courses must have an IELTS score of at least 5.5. |
| France | When it comes to IELTS, French colleges are relatively liberal. While most institutions demand an IELTS band score of 6–6.5 to enrol, other universities, such as ISC Paris, do not. |
| Ireland | A minimum score of 5.5–6.0 is required for undergraduate courses in Irish universities. The minimal score for postgraduate courses is usually between 6.0 and 6.5. |
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Which is Easier: IELTS General or Academic?
The level of IELTS academic and general training is nearly the same. Instead of thinking if IELTS is simple or not, applicants should prepare similarly for both. Both of these exams include the same listening and speaking components. The reading and writing components, on the other hand, are distinct. Furthermore, both tests take the same amount of time and have the same number of questions. Furthermore, there is no quick way to prepare for these tests. Candidates must put in a comparable amount of effort and assess their level of understanding.
The key difference between both tests is that students in general training must demonstrate their working understanding of English. The examiner analyses a candidate’s ability to communicate complex topics during the academic examination. The general training exam may be a little easier depending on the examination arrangement. Furthermore, the grading technique for the reading parts of both of these tests is different. A candidate will receive an 8 band score in academic reading if their raw score is 37-38 out of a possible 40. In general training, on the other hand, a candidate will receive an 8.5 band score if he or she receives a raw score of 37-38 out of a possible 40.
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How to Get a Better IELTS Score
- The examiner assigns a score to each applicant based on a set of assessment criteria. Candidates must be aware of these ahead of time. This will provide an individual with a thorough knowledge of the abilities he or she will need to demonstrate in the test.
- To make the sentence clear to the examiner, proper grammar is required. Additionally, using proper grammar will help you boost your IELTS score. As a result, applicants should employ good grammar to enhance their confidence and raise their scores.
- Students must devise an effective study strategy that is tailored to their preferences and requirements. This strategy will assist them in completing a thorough IELTS preparation.
- Candidates must learn at least ten new terms every day. They should, however, know the meaning of these terms in addition to knowing them. Using the right phrases to highlight your skills will impress the examiner and help you get a better grade.
- Practice, practise and practice should be the most significant success motto for IELTS candidates. Candidates should use the internet to get materials and practise answering example questions to improve their English language abilities.
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How Tough is the IELTS Exam in India?
Many Indian candidates attempt to add a distinguishing accent to score well on the IELTS exam, however, this is not appropriate. The manner you pronounce the word is a critical factor in achieving a good IELTS score; your Indian accent does not influence the speaking section’s grading.
- It is preferable to talk with a natural accent rather than a phoney one.
- If you don’t understand something spoken by the examiners, you should ask for it to be repeated.
- Inquire with a senior instructor for further insight, and remember that there is always space for development.
- For a better outcome, always think before you speak.
When people ask if IELTS is simple, I always say yes. They also have trouble answering the question – how tough is it to acquire a decent IELTS band score? This question has a straightforward answer. The complexity of an exam is dependent on the candidate’s objectives and requirements. It would be simple for a candidate to achieve a decent IELTS score if they demonstrate an exceptional desire and practise often. Because the amount of difficulty is subjective and based on your weaknesses, you must be aware of your flaws to narrow down your attention on what and how to improve. Begin by exposing yourself to as much English as possible, which you can do by watching your favourite shows on TV and reading English newspapers, articles, and other materials, all of which will aid in your exam preparation. Furthermore, if you are unfamiliar with the exam, you will find it more difficult; studying the approaches associated with each assignment can help you get the desired marks.
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Many educational institutions, companies, and other organisations in English-speaking nations recognise IELTS since it is regarded as the most reliable and fair test. The IELTS test is more generally accepted for migration reasons than any other test because of its dependability. The IELTS test is not tough. If you prepare well and have a good knowledge of the course and test, the difficulty level can be reduced. Your goal score is well within reach; all you need to do now is formulate tactics that will assist you in getting a high IELTS score.
You can seek outside assistance from a professional tutor or see online tutorials to gain a better grasp of the test in any areas where you are having difficulty. Remember to repeat practise tests as your English abilities develop in each of the exam categories so you can see whether the portions appear tough to finish or not. Download the Entri app to join online classes to boost your English-speaking expertise for IELTS.
