What is IELTS?

‘IELTS’ stands for the International English Language Testing System.  In recent years, tertiary education institutes, employers and government departments/agencies are increasingly using IELTS as a valid proof of applicants’ English language skills as part of their recruitment or admission procedures.  The University Grants Committee of the HKSAR has also adopted IELTS as a standard yardstick for measuring the English proficiency of graduating university students.  To conclude, you will benefit from a good IELTS score in seeking a job and applying for university admission.

IELTS is jointly managed by Cambridge ESOL, British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia.  An internationally recognised qualification, IELTS aims at testing candidates’ ability to use the language in real life communication.  Its four papers – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking – cover fully the skills that test takers are required to master.

Here we wish to focus on some tactics that are unique to, and useful in, the Listening and Reading tests.

Listening Test (Time limit = 30 minutes)

(i) Pay attention to Grammar, Spelling and Restrictions on Word Count
All details count.  Even if you know the answer, you get no mark if you make grammatical/spelling mistakes or simply ignore restrictions on the number of words allowed for the answer.  So please read the instructions very carefully and double check your answers before submitting the test paper.

(ii) Make notes while you are listening
You need to guess what the speaker is going to say.  Try to take down all ‘suspected’ answers for further analysis.  If you’re not sure whether the answer is correct, just try it and see.  Never leave any question unanswered.

Reading Test (Time limit = 60 minutes)

(i) Manage you time
The Reading Test is quite demanding, as you will be asked to read three texts of 2,500 words in total and to answer 40 questions within one hour.  Therefore, it is of critical importance that you manage your time effectively.  First, have a look at the questions and get a general idea of what they are asking.  This step helps you identify relevant parts of the text that you should read in details.  As all questions carry equal marks and no mark will be deducted for a wrong answer, attempt all questions and don’t leave any of them unanswered.  

(ii) Polish your reading skills
Only a habitual reader knows how to read efficiently and effectively.  So, read more in everyday life.  It is only with adequate reading experiences that you can find out the reading style (such as skimming, scanning or focusing on the main points) that suits you most and improve your ability to systematically analyse the texts during examinations.  

After you develop a good understanding of the examination techniques and marking scheme, you can then identify your strengths, weaknesses and areas subject to improvement.

In the next issue, we shall discuss strategies for dealing with the test papers on Writing and Speaking.