Basic Information of The IELTS Exam

IELTS  (International English Language Testing System) is an international standardised test to check the English language proficiency.  It is managed by three international organisations namely British Council, IDP Education Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. IETLS tests are held up to four times a month in over 500 centres.  It is accepted by thousands of organisations throughout the world and IELTS result is valid for two years.

IELTS is mainly categorised into two versions:  the Academic Version and the General Training Version.  The Academic Version is advised for those who want to enrol in universities and other institutions for higher studies in an English-speaking country.  The General Training Version is for those who want to work or migrate.  The Academic and the General modules both are divided into four groups:  Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.  IELTS is evaluated and graded on the basis of nine-band scale.  The nine bands are described as follows:

Band 9: Expert User: Has fully operational command of the language:  appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.

Band 8: Very Good User: Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies.  Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well.

Band 7: Good User: Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations.  Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.

Band 6: Competent User: Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings.  Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.

Band 5: Modest User: Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes.  Should be able to handle basic communication in own field.

Band 4: Limited User: Basic competence is limited to familiar situations.  Has frequent problems in understanding and expression.  Is not able to use complex language.

Band 3: Extremely limited user: Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations.  Frequent breakdowns in communication occur.

Band 2:  Intermittent user: No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs.  Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.

Band 1:  Non-user: Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.

Band 0:  Did not attempt the test: No assessable information provided.