IELTS Academic Score

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. The test is conducted to measure the English comprehension of the candidates who want to work or study in an English- speaking country. People of all ages and groups take the IELTS exam.

Check: Get IELTS Coaching Centers

The main motive of the test takers is either searching for a job or applying to study at the University. IELTS is another common English comprehension test similar to TOEFL. The proficiency in the language is tested by the IELTS score obtained in the test.

There are two versions of the IELTS:

IELTS Academic is for people applying to admission at a college or university in an English-speaking country.
IELTS General Training is for individuals moving to an English-speaking country (usually the UK, Australia, or Canada) and/or applying to train programs or jobs in said countries.

IELTS Academic

IELTS Academic is for the students who wish to apply for admission to any foreign University or college in English- speaking country. IELTS Academic measures your English language proficiency needed for an academic, higher learning environment. The tests and tasks accessible to all the test-takers, irrespective of their subject focus.

The IELTS Academic test is intended only for the University students who apply for admission in Universities and programs in which English is the medium of instruction.

The candidates who wish to take admission to any foreign country for the Medical course or the engineering course or any other course have to appear for IELTS Academic test. The test is valid for countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, etc. The academic part of IELTS test asks you to demonstrate your reading and writing skills that aren't a necessary part of the everyday communicative experience of English speakers, unlike IELTS General training.

There are four different modules of IELTS Academics:

Listening: This is the first module which is of 30 minutes, while extra 10 minutes are provided to transfer the answers to the answer sheet. The IELTS listening module contains four recorded monologues, dialogues, and conversations. In this module, test takers are provided with a recording and they are given the questions on the basis of what they heard.
Reading: The IELTS reading module contains three long passages with the tasks given at the end of each one of them. It is a 60- minutes long module. The test is given ranges from descriptive to the factual text type. It also has paragraphs of analytical and discursive forms. This module also includes non- verbal materials such as diagrams, graphs, or illustrations. The texts are mostly an excerpt taken from different magazines or journals and are completely authentic. The candidates will have to answer multiple-choice questions and short questions after reading the text.
Writing: The writing module of the IELTS test paper is a 60- minute long module which comprises a writing task of at least 150 words where the candidate must summarise, describe or explain a table, graph or chart. The candidate is also given the task of writing a short essay of at least 250 words.
Speaking: In this speaking module of the IELTS exam, the test taker has to sit for the face to face interview with the examiner. This module has three sections: Introduction, Long turn, and discussions. The interview includes short questions where a candidate is asked to speak at length about a familiar topic which leads to a structured discussion.

How is the IELTS Test Scored?

Correct Answers Out Of 40	Estimated IELTSBand Score
4- 5	2.5
6- 7	3.0
8- 9	3.5
10- 12	4.0
13- 15	4.5
16- 17	5.0
16- 22	5.5
23- 25	6.0
26- 29	6.5
30- 31	7.0
32- 34	7.5
35- 36	8.0
37- 38	8.5
39- 40	9.0

The IELTS test covers four modules, i.e., Listening, Speaking, Writing, and Reading. A candidate is tested for each module and receives an individual score for each of them. IELTS overall score is also calculated by combining the score of each module and taking its average. All IELTS scores are between 0 to 9. Sometimes you can get 0.5 scores as well. Each score number (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 9) corresponds to a particular skill level. You can find the skill level table below:

Band Score	Skill Level	Description
Band 9	Expert User	The candidate scoring 9 bands has a fully operational command of the language. Your use of English is appropriate, accurate, and fluent, and you show complete understanding.
Band 8	Very Good User	Test takers scoring band 8 have fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate usage. The candidate might have misunderstood some of the unfamiliar situations but handle most of the complex detailed argumentation well.
Band 7	Good User	The candidates scoring average IELTS Academic band of 4 have operational command of the language and that too with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriate usage, and misunderstandings in some situations.They have a good understanding of well-detailed reasoning and can handle complex languages with ease.
Band 6	Competent User	Candidates who score band 6 in IELTS Academic have an effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage, and misunderstandings. They are comfortable with the complex language and understand it, particularly in familiar situations.
Band 5	Modest User	Candidates with band 5 in IELTS Academic have a partial command of the language and can cope up with the overall meaning in most of the situations. They are likely to make mistakes but can handle the basic communication in their own field.
Band 4	Limited User	Candidates scoring band 4 in IELTS Academic test have their basic competence limited to the familiar situations only. They often have problems in understanding and expressing. They are unable to use complex language and have difficulty in dealing with such words.
Band 3	Extremely Limited User	The candidates scoring band 3 are considered as the ones who convey and understand general English only and that too in very familiar situations. They have frequent breakdowns in their conversation.
Band 2	Intermittent User	Candidates have great difficulty in understanding spoken and written English.
Band 1	Non- User	Test takers have no ability to use the language except a few isolated words.
Band 0	Did not attempt the test	Candidate did not take the test or have not answered the questions.

IELTS Academic: Preparation Strategies

The IELTS Academic test can be easily qualified with time, work, and patience. With all these factors, one can surely crack the IELTS test with flying colors. There are some preparation strategies for IELTS that can be followed if you wish to achieve a perfect band score in the IELTS academic test.

Divide your time equally among all the four modules, i.e., Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. Practice each section of IELTS without making an exception. You can pick up 2 subjects on one day and other two subjects on the other day. This way of studying will definitely improve your skills and help you score a perfect band in the IELTS entrance test.
Use the technique of elimination while answering multiple-choice questions. Eliminate the options in a multiple-choice question if you find the option completely relevant. This will bring you closer to the correct answer. Listen for any clue that the speaker is about to answer the questions. They will probably use different words than those in the question.
For the writing module in the IELTS test, first of all, understand what the topic is and then make your opinion on it. Always present your thoughts and opinions in a structured format. The first paragraph is introductory, the next two or three are the actual essay body, and the last one is the conclusion. Make sure that you write your essay in the same format and conclude it with proper quotes and facts and figures. Remember to keep your language simple and easy.
The essays in the writing module must be presented in a structured format with facts, evidence, and information in it. Always begin your essay by giving an overview and the purpose of writing it. Discuss all the good and bad points about it and conclude it with examples and detailed facts and figures.
Many academic lectures are available in video format online. Viewing these lectures will help you practice and familiarize yourself with the paper format and the accent used in the original test recordings.
The greatest challenge for IELTS test-takers is pronunciation. Candidates can improve their pronunciation of English language by simply speaking along with or repeating the dialogues of English movies or plays or they can listen to the radio programs too. The candidates can also practice their speaking skills with the help of fluent English speakers. They can guide you and help you throughout your preparation.
Be familiar with number conventions, such as telephone numbers, decimal numbers, prices, fractions, thousands, and dates. Also, try to rephrase the notes and the questions given in your own words and language. This would help you in analyzing the question more effectively.

The IELTS exam is an English-language proficiency test. People take the IELTS as they prepare to attend university or get a job in an English-speaking country. You'll likely take the IELTS if you are moving to the UK, Canada, or Australia. You may take a different exam if you are moving to the United States.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College

Table of Contents