English Language Proficiency, IELTS. Cost Of Test, Duration And How to register.

Many times I have written the words IELTS/TOEFL, SAT/ACT, GRE/GMAT and people tend to ask me the meaning of the exams, which is easier to write, what are they used for, what's the cost of registration etc. some even go to the extent of asking me if it is necessary to write all the exams. Well today I'm going to be writing about IELTS, How you can register, how to choose venue, method of payment and so on. In some days to come I will write about the other exams.

                              IELTS

International English Language Testing System(IELTS) is an international standardised test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment, and was established in 1989. The exam has more than 1,100 test centers in over 140 countries with over 3 million annual number of test takers. It is written up to four times in a month and up to 48 times in a year. The purpose of the test is to assess the English language proficiency of non-native English
speakers. The knowledge is tested in four categories including Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking of the English language. IELTS is valid for two years and is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand academic
institutions, by over 3,000 academic institutions in the United States, and by various professional organisations across the world.

IELTS is available in two modules: Academic module and General Training module.

* IELTS Academic is intended for those who want to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education and for
professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practise in an English-speaking country.

* IELTS General Training is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.

The IELTS Test Has Four Parts

• Listening: 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes transfer time)
• Reading: 60 minutes
• Writing: 60 minutes
• Speaking: 11–14 minutes

The test total time is: 2 hoursand 55 minutes. Listening, Reading and Writing are completed in one sitting while the Speaking test may be taken on the same day or up to seven days before or after the other tests. All test takers take the same Listening and Speaking tests, while the Reading and Writing tests differ depending on whether the test taker is taking the Academic module or General Training module of the test.

Listening Test

The module comprises four sections, with ten questions in each section. It takes 40 minutes: 30 minutes for testing, plus 10 minutes for transferring the answers to an answer sheet.

* Sections 1 and 2 are about everyday, social situations.

• Section 1 has a conversation between two speakers (for example, a conversation about travel arrangements).
• Section 2 has one person speaking (for example, a speech about local facilities).

* Sections 3 and 4 are about educational and training situations.

• Section 3 is a conversation between two main speakers (for example, a discussion between two university students, perhaps guided by a tutor).
• Section 4 has one person speaking about an academic subject.

Each section begins with a short introduction telling the test taker about the situation and the speakers. Then they have some time to look through the questions. The questions are in the same order as the information in the recording, so the answer to the first question will be before the answer to the second question, and so on. The first three sections have a break in the middle allowing test takers to look at the remaining questions. Each section is heard only once. At the end of the test students are given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to an answer sheet. Test takers will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.

Reading Test

The Reading paper has three sections and texts totaling 2,150-2,750 words. There will be a variety of question types, such as multiple choice, short-answer questions, identifying information, identifying writer’s views, labeling diagrams, completing a summary using words taken from the text and matching information/ headings/features in the text/sentence endings. Test takers should be careful when writing down their answers as they will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.

Texts in IELTS Academic
Three reading texts, which come from books, journals, magazines, newspapers and online resources written for non-specialist audiences. All the topics are of general interest to students at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

Texts in IELTS General Training
* Section 1 contains two or three short texts or several shorter texts, which deal with everyday topics. For example, timetables or notices – things a person would need to understand when living in an English-speaking country.

* Section 2 contains two texts, which deal with work. For example, job descriptions, contracts, training materials.

* Section 3 contains one long text about a topic of general interest. The text is generally descriptive, longer and more complex than the texts in Sections 1 and 2. The text will be taken from a newspaper, magazine, book or online resources.

Writing Test

The Writing paper has two tasks which must
both be completed. In task 1 test takers write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. In task 2 test takers write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes. Test takers will be penalised if their answer is too short or does not relate to the topic. Answers should be written in full sentences (test takers must not use notes or bullet points).

IELTS Academic
Task 1: test takers describe a graph, table, chart or diagram in their own words.

Task 2: test takers discuss a point of view, argument or problem. Depending on the task, test takers may be required to present a solution to a problem, present and justify an opinion, compare and contrast evidence, opinions and implications, and evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence or an argument.

IELTS General Training
* Task 1: test takers write a letter in response to a given everyday situation. For example, writing to an accommodation officer about problems with your accommodation, writing to a new employer about problems managing your time, writing to a local newspaper about a plan to develop a local airport.

* Task 2: test takers write an essay about a topic of general interests. For example, whether smoking should be banned in public places, whether children’s leisure activities should be educational, how environmental problems can be solved.

Speaking Test

The speaking test is a face-to-face interview between the test taker and an examiner.

The speaking test contains three sections.

Section 1: introduction and interview (4–5minutes). Test takers may be asked about their home, family, work, studies, hobbies, interests, reasons for taking IELTS exam as well as other general topics such as clothing, free time, computers and the internet.

Section 2: long turn (3–4 minutes). Test takers are given a task card about a particular topic. Test takers have one minute to prepare to talk about this topic. The task card states the points that should be included in the talk and one aspect of the topic which must be explained during the talk. Test takers are then expected to talk about the topic for 2 minutes, after which the examiner may ask one or two questions.

Section 3: discussions (4–5 minutes). The third section involves a discussion between the examiner and the test taker, generally on
questions relating to the theme which they have already spoken about in Section 2.

The test results are out 13 days after the test. The test is grade from each components- Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking from a band of 0 to 9. The individual scores are then averaged and rounded to produce an Overall Band Score from 0 to 9 with 0 being the lowest and 9 the highest.

The bands are described below:
9- Expect 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- Nor user
0- did not attempt the test.

How To Register For IELTS In Nigeria

To register for IELTS in Nigeria you need to have a passport photograph, ID card(International passport) without these you can't register or sit for the test.

• Register here
• Choose the date you want to write the test
• Choose the venue you want your test to be, Note that there are only seven states in Nigeria that you can write the test- Abeokuta, Abuja, Benin city, Enugu, Ibadan, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
• Choose the module test, either Academic or General Training
• Upload your photo and international passport.
• Make payment. The cost is 68,000 Naira and payment can be made by bank transfer or bank draft. 

* Bank transfer can be done online using MasterCard or Visa card.
* For Bank draft, go to any Bank in Nigeria and request you want to make a Bank draft of 68,000 Naira in favour of British Council (please note the name) after the Bank draft is made take it to their office in Lagos or Abuja. The Bank draft can also be send by post.

If you have done the test and like to share how it is like please hit the comments box below, thanks.