IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. It is a test of a person's English language ability and is managed by three bodies - the University of Cambridge ESOL examination board, the IDP Educational Pty Ltd, and the British Council. There are versions for people wishing to enter academia in the English language and for people who need just a basic grasp on the language in order to experience life in an English speaking country, including finding employment. The IELTS test and scoring system is used by academic institutions to decide whether people are proficient enough in the English language to enter their institution and by countries to assess how well a person will integrate with society when considering granting their immigration.
The scoring of the tests is done using a banded system, with nine bands overall, although marks can be rounded to the nearest half or whole band. Depending on the difficulty of the test, the bandings are applied to the test scores as follows, and a band: Score format:
9:40, 8:35-36, 7:28-32, 6:23-25, 5:18-20, 4:12-14, 3:8-9, 2:4-5, 1:1.
For scores in-between, and average scores ending with a decimal remainder, any score ending in .25 is rounded to the next half band, and any ending in .75 is rounded to the next whole band. Average scores are determined by looking at results from the four different testing areas: Reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The whole examination lasts around 2 hours and 45 minutes, with the reading and writing parts taking the most time and the speaking part taking the shortest. The listening test is completed using an OMR multiple choice sheet.
The scoring of the tests is done using a banded system, with nine bands overall, although marks can be rounded to the nearest half or whole band. Depending on the difficulty of the test, the bandings are applied to the test scores as follows, and a band: Score format:
9:40, 8:35-36, 7:28-32, 6:23-25, 5:18-20, 4:12-14, 3:8-9, 2:4-5, 1:1.
For scores in-between, and average scores ending with a decimal remainder, any score ending in .25 is rounded to the next half band, and any ending in .75 is rounded to the next whole band. Average scores are determined by looking at results from the four different testing areas: Reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The whole examination lasts around 2 hours and 45 minutes, with the reading and writing parts taking the most time and the speaking part taking the shortest. The listening test is completed using an OMR multiple choice sheet.
