Author: Lara Mendoza
The world has never been “smaller” as it is today. What used to be thousands of miles away can now be reached with one plane ride. This and many other developments made it much easier for people to work, study, or live abroad. It’s not surprising then that the world’s migration rate is now higher than ever before. This is why we all need to prepare ourselves for globalization; and we can get started by taking the IELTS.
What is IELTS
With millions of test-takers annually, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the world’s most in-demand English language proficiency test for study, work and migration. IELTS results are recognised by more than 9,000 organisations, including educational institutions, employers, professional associations and governments, in over 140 countries around the world. If you intend to study or live in an English-speaking country, you will be required to take the IELTS.
IELTS Format
IELTS is divided into four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking sections. Each section tests a particular language skill. The test is administered in two parts, one being the Speaking Test and the other being the Listening, Reading and Writing Tests.
Listening Test: 30 minutes
Reading Test: 60 minutes
Writing Test: 60 minutes
Speaking Test: 15 minutes
The whole test runs for 2 hours and 45 minutes.
IELTS Test Types
There are two types of the IELTS test: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. IELTS academic is what’s required by educational institutions from international students. Meanwhile, IELTS GT is generally accepted by employers. Listening and Speaking are the same for both tests, but the subject matter of the Reading and Writing components differs depending on which test you take.
Assessment
Only professionally-certified examiners are allowed to evaluate your IELTS Listening and Speaking Tests. For the Listening Test, assessors will be looking for evidence of your ability to understand the main ideas and detailed factual information, the opinions and attitudes of speakers, the purpose of an utterance and evidence of your ability to follow the development of ideas. Meanwhile, for the Speaking Test, you will be evaluated based on your fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammar, and pronunciation.
IELTS Test centers
The IELTS is co-owned by three organizations namely British Council, IDP Education (through its subsidiary IELTS Australia Pty Ltd) and Cambridge Assessment English. In the Philippines, there are two official test centers:
IDP Education
16/F Marco Polo Ortigas Sapphire Road, Ortigas Business Center Pasig City, Philippines
Phone: +632 535 3320
Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00am-4:00pm, Saturday: 8:30am-3:00pm
Website: www.idp.com/philippines
British Council
7th Floor The Curve, 32nd Street corner 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Phone: +63 2 555 3000
Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00am-4:00pm, Saturday: 9:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Website: www.britishcouncil.ph
Announcement: You can now take the IELTS on computer!
IDP Philippines and British Council now administer the IELTS on computer. It’s a new and innovative way to take the IELTS. If you choose the new option, you will take the Listening, Reading, and Writing sections using a computer. The Speaking test will remain face-to-face.