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    Guidefor educational institutions,governments, professional

    bodies and commercialorganisations

    www.ielts.org

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    IELTS. Ensuring quality, consistency and fairnessin international language testing

    The International English Language Testing System

    (IELTS) is a test that measures the languageprociency of people who want to study or work inenvironments where English is used as a languageof communication.

    IELTS provides a valid and accurate assessment ofthe four language skills: listening, reading, writingand speaking. An easy to use 9-band scale clearlyidenties prociency level, from non-user (bandscore 1) through to expert (band score 9).

    IELTS treats all candidates with the utmost fairnessand respect by actively avoiding cultural bias andby accepting all standard varieties of native-speakerEnglish, including North American, British, Australian

    and New Zealand English.

    Fair and consistent delivery of the test is ensured

    by secure technology and the continual monitoringof examiners and test results as well as test centremanagement and facilities.

    This high quality and secure test helps organisationslike yours (whether an educational institution,government professional body or commercialorganisation) identify people with the appropriatelevel of English language prociency.

    Contents

    A choice of two versions to 1better meet your needs

    Helping you select the right people 2from around the world

    The test you can trust 4

    Meeting your needs 6

    Continual research based 8development

    The four components of IELTS 10

    The IELTS 9-band scale 12

    IELTS gives us areliable indication ofentry level. Other testsare less satisfactoryat providing this.

    Lecturer in Academic English and StudySkills, Kings College London, UK

    Each year, more IELTS tests are taken than anyother high stakes English language tests.

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    IELTS is the four-skills test that has become the

    worlds most popular English language prociencytest. IELTS offers a choice of two versions, to serveboth academic and non-academic purposes.

    The format each version takes has remainedconsistent since 1995.

    You can select the version that best suits the needsof your organisation.

    Both Academic and General Training versions are

    graded using the same criteria. The distinctionbetween the Academic version and the GeneralTraining version lies in the subject matter of theReading and Writing components.

    For a detailed breakdown of IELTS test components,please refer to page 10.

    A choice of two versionsto better meet your needs

    *The Listening and Speaking components are the same for both versions.

    IELTS General TrainingIELTS Academic

    IELTS General Training measures English languageprociency in a practical, everyday context. The tasksand texts reect both workplace and social situations.

    IELTS Academic measures English languageprociency needed for an academic, higher learningenvironment. The tasks and texts are accessible toall test-takers, irrespective of their subject focus.

    Listening* (30 minutes)

    Four recorded monologuesand conversations

    Reading (60 minutes)

    Three long reading passages with tasks

    Texts range from the descriptive andfactual to the dis cursive and analytical

    Includes non-verbal materials such asdiagrams, graphs or illustrations

    Texts are authenti c (e.g. taken frombooks, journals and newspapers)

    Writing (60 minutes)

    Writing task of at least 150 words wherethe candidate must summarise, describeor explain a table, graph, chart or diagram

    Short essay task of at least 250 words

    Speaking* (11 to 14 minutes)

    Face-to-face interview

    Includes short questions, speakingat length about a familiar topic and astructured discussion

    Listening* (30 minutes)

    Four recorded monologuesand conversations

    Reading (60 minutes)

    Three reading passages wit h tasks

    Section 1 contains two or three shortfactual texts

    Section 2 contains two short,work-related, factual texts

    Section 3 contains one longer text ona topic of general interest

    Texts are authenti c (e.g. taken fromcompany handbooks, ofcial doc uments,books and newspapers)

    Writing (60 minutes)

    Letter writing task of at least 150 words

    Short essay task of at l east 250 words

    Speaking* (11 to 14 minutes)

    Face-to-face interview

    Includes short questions, speakingat length about a familiar topic and astructured discussion

    IELTS Guide for educational institut ions, governments, professional bodies and commercial organisations 1

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    Over 8,000 organisations in 135 countriesrely on IELTS to help select the right people.These recognising organisations include:

    all universities and the vast majority of educationproviders in Australia, New Zealand and the UK,as well as most universities in Canada

    more than 3,000 higher educational institutions andprogrammes in the US

    immigration authorities in Australia, Canada,New Zealand and the UK

    professional registration bodies worldwide,

    covering areas such as accounting, engineering,law, medicine and nursing

    a wide range of employers from sectors such asbanking and nance, government, construction,energy and natural resources, aviation, healthand tourism

    universities in non-English speaking countrieswhere English is the language of instruction.

    Reach out to new candidatesLet candidates know that your institution/organisation accepts IELTS results by listing theentry requirements of your institution/organisation onthe IELTS website via the IELTS Global RecognitionSystem. See page 6 for details.

    Helping you select the rightpeople from around the world

    International partnersIELTS is owned by a global partnership of educationand language experts: the British Council,IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge EnglishLanguage Assessment. These organisationsare dedicated to academic excellence, culturalunderstanding, student placement andenabling success worldwide.

    International consultationIELTS has been developed in close consultation withacademics, professional bodies and immigrationauthorities from around the world.

    International contentThe IELTS approach is recognised as beingfair, reliable and valid to all candidates, whatever

    their nationality, cultural background, gender orspecial needs. The test questions are developed bya network of IELTS test material writers in Australia,Canada, New Zealand, UK and US.

    International delivery and accessibilityIELTS tests are offered up to four times a month inover 900 test venues in more than 130 countries.The cost of taking the test is set locally and payablein the local currency, making registration moreconvenient for candidates. Results are issued tocandidates 13 calendar days after the test.

    IELTS test centres can send Test ReportForms directly to your organisation orinstitution (provided it has been nominatedby the candidate), either by mail or as an electronicdownload.

    View the worldwide list of IELTS test centres atwww.ielts.org/testcentres

    International EnglishIELTS accepts all standard varieties of native-speaker English, including North American, Britishand Australian. The listening component alsoincludes a variety of native speaker accents from

    Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and US.

    The international English language test

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    Relevant test content

    Over the past three decades, feedback provided byorganisations and institutions which recognise IELTShas been instrumental in developing the IELTS testto better meet your needs. One such developmentwas to introduce a choice of two IELTS versions:

    Academic or General Training (See page 1).

    IELTS General Training is recognised by employers,professional bodies and immigration authorities andtheir feedback has inuenced the content sourcesused. For example, section two of the Readingcomponent of IELTS General Training was changedto focus more on a work context (e.g. applying forjobs, company policies, pay and conditions, workplacefacilities, staff development).

    Real life contexts

    The IELTS test consists of questions that are relevantto the way test takers need to use English in theirstudies or working lives. IELTS has always includeda face-to-face Speaking component which promptsthe most realistic performance from candidates.The use of the face-to-face component in a highstakes test is supported by a body of currentacademic research and continues to set IELTSapart from other English language tests.

    IELTS makes the worlda bigger, more open place.Learning English hastransformed me into acitizen of the world.

    Analyst at global accounting rm

    IELTS Guide for educational institut ions, governments, professional bodies and commercial organisations 3

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    The test you can trust

    We want qualiedapplicants whocan communicateeffectively. The IELTSexamination is a strong,well-constructed test thatcaters to this demand.

    Graduate Program Administrator,Brigham Young University, USA

    Setting the standard

    First released in 1989, IELTS is a test of all four

    language skills. The IELTS test has establishedstrong credentials for consistently assessingprociency in listening, reading, writing and speaking.The effectiveness of IELTS rests on four keytest qualities:

    Validity the extent to which test results can beconsidered a true measure of underlying ability

    Reliability the extent to which test results are bothconsistent and accurate, and therefore dependable

    Impact the positive effect of a test on candidatesand society as a whole

    Practicality

    the extent to which a test is workablein terms of the resources needed.

    Evidence based

    The ongoing development, improvement andvalidation of the IELTS test is supported byresearch encompassing applied linguistics,language pedagogy and language assessment.

    You can read more about IELTS relatedresearch initiatives on page 8.

    Strength in partnership

    IELTS is jointly owned by a partnership of education

    and language testing experts British Council,IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge EnglishLanguage Assessment. Benetting from theshared expertise of these three global partners, theIELTS test combines the world renowned languageand research expertise of Cambridge EnglishLanguage Assessment and the international delivery,evaluation and security expertise of the British Counciland IDP: IELTS Australia.

    IELTS examiners

    All IELTS examiner applicants must have:

    an undergraduate degree or qualication(s) thatcan be demonstrated to be equivalent to anundergraduate degree

    a TEFL/TESOL qualication from a recognisedinstitution

    substantial relevant teaching experience. Themajority of this teaching experience must relate toadult students (16 years and over).

    Applicants fullling the above minimum professionalrequirements to become an examiner undergo acomprehensive and systematic recruitment processwhich includes the following stages: interview,induction, training, standardisation and certication.

    Examiners attend regular training sessions andare required to formally demonstrate their markingprociency through a re-certication process.The marking performance of the 7,000-plus IELTSexaminers is systematically and regularly monitored.Examiner marking standards are maintained throughthe IELTS Professional Support Network, a qualityassurance system designed and managed byBritish Council and IDP: IELTS Australia.

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    Rigorous test development

    The IELTS test is developed to provide a fair,

    accurate and reliable assessment of Englishlanguage prociency for non-native speakers.The IELTS test development process ensurestest consistency and fairness to all candidatesregardless of their culture or where the test is taken.

    Each IELTS test contains a unique combinationof questions.

    Every test is carefully constructed to ensure aconsistent level of difculty. This involves pre-testing(or trialling) each question on a culturally diverserange of language students to determine its suitabilityand fairness. Statistical analysis is then undertakento ensure every question performs as designed.

    Strict security

    IELTS is a high stakes test which leads to local and

    international opportunity. Therefore test integrity is ofparamount importance to recognising organisationsand to candidates alike. The IELTS partners arescrupulous in the management of test delivery.British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia managethe security and quality control of IELTS test centresglobally, and are highly selective in the identicationof prospective test centres.

    Each prospective IELTS test centre must undergoa demanding selection process and agree to astringent set of contractual conditions. IELTS testcentres adhere to a detailed code of practice andstrict test centre operating conditions, including acomprehensive audit programme involving onsite

    scheduled and/or spot audits.

    Identity resolutionBiometric registration systems are used torecord candidate identity and process the results.

    A high resolution photograph of each candidateis taken at the time of registering for the test.This photograph is used to verify that the personwho sits the test is the person that registered.

    Checking the resultThe IELTS partners strongly recommend youuse the online results verication service. Thisallows you to check the authenticity of paper testreport form results. If you have any questionsregarding a test result, follow the links as instructedby the verication service. For more informationabout the IELTS Verication Service see page 6.

    _________________________________________

    More information relating to IELTS security protocolscan be obtained by attending information sessionsand face-to-face meetings organised by the IELTSpartners for recognising organisations. If youhave any questions, or would like to nd out aboutinformation sessions in your region, please contactthe stakeholder relations teams at the British Counciland IDP:IELTS Australia.

    __________________________________________

    IELTS Guide for educational institut ions, governments, professional bodies and commercial organisations 5

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    Verify IELTS results online

    The IELTS Verication Service is a free, secureonline service which lets you:

    quickly verify that an applicant is presenting agenuine Test Report Form by checking that theresults you receive match the results held onthe IELTS database

    conveniently download electronic Test ReportForms in batches.

    Please note:The IELTS partners recommend thata Test Report Form which is more than two years oldshould only be accepted if it is accompanied by proofthat a candidate has actively maintained or tried toimprove their English.

    Gain access to the IELTS Verication Service atwww.ielts.org/verify

    Once your organisation is acceptedinto the Global Recognition System,you can request access to the IELTSVerication Service by downloadingand completing the Administrator

    Application Form at www.ielts.org/verify

    For further information please refer to the IELTSVerication Servicebrochure, available at www.ielts.org/institutions

    Meeting your needs

    Setting IELTS band scorerequirements for yourorganisation

    IELTS test scores are just one element of yourassessment of a candidates suitability to join yourinstitution or organisation. The level of Englishneeded to perform effectively in study, workor training varies from one situation to another.Each individual organisation can therefore set itsown minimum IELTS score, depending on its ownspecic requirements.For more band score setting advice, see page 13.

    IELTS Scores Explained DVDThis DVD includes examples of candidates writingspecimens and lmed footage of candidates

    speaking performances at different band score levels.The DVD can be ordered via www.ielts.org

    Reach out to morecandidates with the IELTSGlobal Recognition System

    In the last 12 months, www.ielts.orgreceived morethan eight million unique visitors from more than200 countries. Benet from this interest by listingyour organisation or institution on the IELTS website,within the IELTS Global Recognition System. Thisonline database lists the thousands of organisationsaround the world which accept IELTS results.

    Listing your organisations URL and minimum bandscore requirements on the IELTS Global RecognitionSystem database will increase your reach to millionsof existing and potential test takers. This systemalso makes it easy for you to compare your bandscore requirements with those of other organisationsaround the world.

    Registering your organisation is easy atwww.ielts.org/recognition

    To register you will simply need to provide thefollowing information via the online registration form:

    contact details for your organisation

    minimum IELTS band scores required for entry toyour organisation

    a relevant URL for your organisation(e.g. admissions page, international student page).

    Have your IELTS minimum entryrequirements changed?

    If so, update your organisations listing onthe IELTS website by completing the IELTSRecognition Form which can be downloaded atwww.ielts.org/recognition

    British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia havestakeholder relations teams ready to respond toquestions and provide further information. TheIELTS partners also deliver regular informationsessions and newsletters to keep you up-to-datewith the latest IELTS developments.

    To keep updated with information sessions or toreceive the newsletter please complete the onlineenquiry form via www.ielts.org/contact

    Dedicated team

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    To avoid therisk of acceptingfraudulent documents,we use the IELTSVerication service

    International Section Manager andRegistered Nurse, Australian Nursingand Midwifery Council, Australia

    Support for test takersand teachers

    The IELTS partners publish a wealth of support

    material for test takers and teachers.

    The Ofcial Practice Materialsbooks (two volumesavailable) can be purchased at IELTS Test Centresor ordered fromwww.ielts.org

    The Information for Candidates booklet and sampletest materials can be accessed, free of charge,within the Test Takers section of the IELTS website.

    Research

    IELTS related research can be found at

    www.ielts.org/researchers

    Support materials

    A range of support tools for organisations can befound at www.ielts.org/institutionsincluding:

    Ensuring Quality and Fairness in internationalEnglish language testing

    The IELTS Annual Review

    IELTS Guide for Teachers

    IELTS Guide for Agents

    IELTS Results Verication Serviceapplication formand brochure

    Analysis of test data and candidate performance

    Answers to frequently asked questions.

    IELTS Guide for educational institut ions, governments, professional bodies and commercial organisations 7

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    Studies in Language Testing.Volumes include:

    Volume 25: IELTS Washback in Context:Preparation for academicwriting in higher education

    Volume 24: Impact Theory and Practice:Studies of the IELTS test andProgetto Lingue 2000

    Volume 23: Assessing Academic English:

    Testing English prociency,1950-1989 - the IELTS solution

    Volume 19: IELTS Collected Papers:Research in speaking andwriting assessment

    Volume 4: The Development of IELTS:A study of the effect ofbackground knowledge onreading comprehension

    Continual research baseddevelopment

    The IELTS partners have a longstanding commitmentto remain at the forefront of developments in Englishlanguage testing.

    The steady evolution of IELTS is in parallel withadvances in applied linguistics, language pedagogy,language assessment and technology. This ensuresthe ongoing validity, reliability, positive impact andpracticality of the test. Adherence to these fourqualities is supported by two streams of research.

    Internal research

    Cambridge English Language Assessment has been

    creating English examinations for speakers of otherlanguages since 1913 and has unrivalled experiencein the eld. Internal research activities are managedby Cambridge English Language AssessmentsResearch & Validation unit. The Research andValidation unit brings together specialists intesting and assessment, statistical analysis anditem-banking, applied linguistics, corpus linguistics,and language learning/pedagogy, and providesrigorous quality assurance for the IELTS test atevery stage of development.

    Through publications and presentations in the publicdomain the division makes a valuable contributionto the wider eld of language assessment moregenerally. In particular, Studies in Language Testingis a series of academic volumes edited by Dr MichaelMilanovic (Chief Executive of Cambridge EnglishLanguage Assessment) and Prof Cyril J Weir of theUniversity of Bedfordshire.

    It is published jointly by Cambridge English LanguageAssessment and Cambridge University Press (CUP).The series addresses a wide range of importantissues and new developments in language testingand assessment and is an indispensable resourcefor test users, developers and researchers. There arecurrently over 30 titles available; a number of thesedeal specically with IELTS.

    Research Notes

    Research Notesis a quarterly publicationthat reports on Cambridge English Language

    Assessments research, test development andvalidation activities. You can download issues atwww.cambridgeenglish.org/researchnotes

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    External researchAn external IELTS research scheme, funded byIDP: IELTS Australia and the British Council, ensuresan ongoing relationship with the broader linguisticsand language testing community and demonstratesthe partners commitment to continuous improvementof the test.

    Since 1995, over 100 external studies by over140 unique researchers from a wide cross-sectionof countries have attracted funding under thisjointly-funded scheme.

    Such research has become a key componentin securing external validation of IELTS.

    IELTS Research Reports include:

    Below is a sample of the articles which have been published in IELTS Research Reports. The majority ofIELTS-funded research is published in theIELTS Research Reportswhich can be accessed online throughwww.ielts.org/researchers/research_reports

    Title Author/OrganisationVolume and dateof publication

    Investigating IELTS exit score gains in

    higher education

    Kieran OLoughlin, SophieArkoudis, The University of

    Melbourne, Australia

    Volume 10, 2009

    Investigating stakeholders perceptions ofIELTS as an entry requirement for highereducation in the UK

    David Hyatt, Greg Brooks, TheUniversity of Shefeld, UK

    Volume 10, 2009

    Determination of appropriate IELTS bandscore for admission into a program at aCanadian post-secondary polytechnicinstitution

    Katherine Golder, British ColumbiaInstitute of Technology, KennethReeder, University of BritishColumbia and Sarah Fleming,Simon Fraser University, Canada

    Volume 10, 2009

    Achieving English prociency forprofessional registration: The experience ofoverseas-qualied health professionals in

    the New Zealand context

    John Read and Rosemary Wette,The University of Auckland, NewZealand

    Volume 10, 2009

    An impact study into the use of IELTS as anentry criterion for professional associationsin Australia, New Zealand and the USA

    Glenys Merrield, GBM &Associates, Australia

    Volume 8, 2008

    IELTS as a predictor of academic languageperformance, Part 1

    David Ingram, Amanda Bayliss;University of Melbourne, Australia

    Volume 7, 2007

    Exploring difculty in Speaking tasks:An intra-task perspective

    Barry OSullivan, RoehamptonUniversity, UK; Cyril Weir,The University of Bedfordshire,UK; Tomoko Horai, RoehamptonUniversity, UK

    Volume 6, 2006

    An impact study of two IELTS user groups:

    candidates who sit the test for immigrationpurposes and candidates who sit the testfor secondary education purposes

    Brent Merrylees, LTC Languageand Testing Consultants Pty Ltd

    Volume 4, 2003

    IELTS Guide for educational institut ions, governments, professional bodies and commercial organisations 9

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    The four componentsof IELTS

    Listening30 minutes

    Candidates listen to four recorded texts, monologuesand conversations by a range of native speakers,and write their answers to a series of questions.

    These include questions which test the abilityto understand main ideas and detailed factualinformation, ability to understand the opinions andattitudes of speakers, ability to understand thepurpose of an utterance and ability to follow thedevelopment of ideas.

    A variety of voices and native-speaker accents isused and each section is heard only once.

    Section 1A conversation between two people set in aneveryday social context, e.g. a conversation inan accommodation agency.

    Section 2A monologue set in an everyday social context,e.g. a speech about local facilities.

    Section 3A conversation between up to four people set in aneducational or training context, e.g. a university tutorand a student discussing an assignment.

    Section 4A monologue on an academic subject,e.g. a university lecture.

    Reading60 minutes

    The Reading component consists of 40 questions.A variety of question types is used in order to testa wide range of reading skills.

    These include reading for gist, reading for main ideas,reading for detail, skimming, understanding logicalargument, recognising writers opinions, attitudesand purpose.

    IELTS AcademicIELTS Academic includes three long texts which

    range from the descriptive and factual to thediscursive and analytical. The texts are authenticand are taken from books, journals, magazinesand newspapers. These have been selected fora non-specialist audience but are recognisablyappropriate for candidates entering undergraduateor postgraduate courses or seeking professionalregistration.

    IELTS General TrainingIELTS General Training requires candidates toread extracts from books, magazines, newspapers,notices, advertisements, company handbooks andguidelines. These are materials candidates are likelyto encounter on a daily basis in an English speakingenvironment.

    IELTS provides areliable and internationallyaccessible means fordoctors coming fromoverseas to demonstratetheir language prociencybefore they start work.

    Director of Registration and Education,General Medical Council, UK

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    Writing60 minutes

    IELTS AcademicThe Writing component of IELTS Academic includestwo tasks. Topics are of general interest to, andsuitable for candidates entering undergraduateor postgraduate studies or seeking professionalregistration.

    Task 1Candidates are presented with a graph, table, chartor diagram and are asked to describe, summariseor explain the information in their own words. They

    may be asked to describe and explain data, describethe stages of a process, how something works ordescribe an object or event.

    Task 2Candidates are asked to write an essay in responseto a point of view, argument or problem. Responsesto both tasks must be written in a formal style

    General TraininThe Writing component of IELTS General Trainingincludes two tasks which are based ontopics of general interest

    Task 1Candidates are presented with a situation and askedto write a letter requesting information or explainingthe situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style.

    Task 2Candidates are asked to write an essay in responseto a point of view, argument or problem. The essaycan be slightly more personal in style than the

    Academic Writing Task 2 essay.

    Speaking11 to 14 minutes

    The Speaking component assesses the candidatesuse of spoken English, and takes between 11 and14 minutes to complete. Every test is recorded.The Speaking component is delivered in such away that does not allow candidates to rehearseset responses beforehand.

    Part 1Candidates answer general questions aboutthemselves and a range of familiar topics, such

    as their home, family, work, studies and interests.This part lasts between 4 and 5 minutes.

    Part 2Candidates are given a card which asks them to talkabout a particular topic. They have one minute toprepare before speaking for up to two minutes. Theexaminer then asks one or two questions on thesame topic to nish this part of the test.

    Part 3Candidates are asked further questions connectedto the topic in Part 2. These questions give thecandidate an opportunity to discuss more abstractissues and ideas. This part lasts between four andve minutes.

    The Listening and Speaking component is the samefor both the Academic and General Training versions.

    IELTS Guide for educational institut ions, governments, professional bodies and commercial organisations 11

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    IELTS 9-band scale

    9 Expert userHas fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate anduent with complete understanding.

    8 Very gooduserHas fully operational command of the language with only occasionalunsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings mayoccur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well.

    7 Good userHas operational command of the language, though with occasionalinaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations.Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.

    6 Competent userHas generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies,inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complexlanguage, particularly in familiar situations.

    5 Modest userHas partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in mostsituations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle

    basic communication in owneld.

    4 Limited user Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problemsin understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language.

    3 Extremelylimited userConveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations.Frequent breakdowns in communication occur.

    2 Intermittent userNo real communication is possible except for the most basic information usingisolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediateneeds. Has great difculty understanding spoken and written English.

    1 Non user Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a fewisolated words.

    0 Did not attemptthe test No assessable information provided.

    There is no pass or fail in IELTS. Rather, all testresults are reported on a clear 9-band scale (from1, the lowest, to 9, the highest). The scale hasremained consistent and acquired currency around

    the world over the past three decades.

    Candidates receive an overall band score as well asindividual scores for each test component (Listening,Reading, Writing and Speaking).

    The IELTS test provides an accurate picture of acandidates language skills at a certain point in time.Language ability diminishes over time if not activelymaintained.

    Read more about band scores, examiners, markingand assessment criteria at www.ielts.org/researchers

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    IELTS test score guidancefor educational institutions

    The level of English needed for a non-nativespeaker student to perform effectively varies bysituation and institution. That is why each individualinstitution should set its own minimum IELTS scorefor applicants, depending on specic institutional andprogramme requirements.

    Read more about band score setting on page 6of this brochure and at www.ielts.org/institutions

    Please note:The table below gives guidance onacceptable IELTS band scores for different courses.It should be noted, however, that many diversevariables can affect performance on courses, ofwhich language ability is but one.

    Band score

    Linguisticallydemandingacademic

    courses

    Linguisticallyless demandingacademic

    courses

    Linguisticallydemandingtraining

    courses

    Linguisticallyless demandingtraining

    courses

    7.5 9.0 Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable

    7.0Probablyacceptable

    Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable

    6.5English studyneeded

    Probablyacceptable

    Acceptable Acceptable

    6.0English studyneeded

    English studyneeded

    Probablyacceptable

    Acceptable

    5.5English studyneeded

    English studyneeded

    English studyneeded

    Probablyacceptable

    IELTS Guide for educational institut ions, governments, professional bodies and commercial organisations 13

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    BRITISH COUNCILBridgewater House58 Whitworth StreetManchester M1 6BBUKTEL: +44 (0) 161 957 7755FAX: +44 (0) 161 957 7762Email: [email protected]

    IDP: IELTS AUSTRALIALevel 8535 Bourke StreetMelbourne VIC 3000AUSTRALIATEL: +61 (0)3 9612 4400FAX: +61 (0)3 9629 7697Email: [email protected]

    CAMBRIDGE ENGLISHLANGUAGE ASSESSMENT1 Hills RoadCambridge CB1 2EUUKTEL: +44 (0) 1223 553355FAX: +44 (0) 1223 460278Email: [email protected]

    IELTS USA825 Colorado BoulevardSuite 201Los Angeles CA 90041USATEL: +1 323 255 2771FAX: +1 323 255 1261Email: [email protected]

    IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council,IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge EnglishLanguage Assessment.

    www.ielts.org


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