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About the PTE Academic English Test

About the PTE Academic English Test

PTE

PTE Academic is taken on a computer in a test centre. There are 3 sections: Speaking & Writing, Reading, and Listening, which include 20 different kinds of questions.

The test takes 2 hours to complete, and you do it in one sitting. Your answers are marked using sophisticated AI (Artificial Intelligence) rather than a human, so marking is consistent and you get your results quickly, normally within 2 days.

There are over 400+ test centres in 117 countries with many test dates.

What do you do in the test?

Here is a breakdown of the different sections of the PTE Academic English test.

Part 1: Speaking & Writing

The Speaking & Writing section of the test is 54 to 67 minutes long and has 7 different question types. You are tested on your speaking and writing skills, using the English you might hear in an academic environment.

  1. Read Aloud

A text of up to 60 words appears on your screen. Read the text aloud so it is recorded.

  1. Repeat Sentence

First listen to a recording of a sentence, then repeat the sentence. The sentence is 3 to 9 seconds long and you have 15 seconds to repeat it.

  1. Describe Image

An image appears on your screen. You have 40 seconds to describe the image in detail.

  1. Re-tell Lecture

First you watch or listen to a lecture. Yu then have 40 seconds to re-tell the lecture in your own words.

  1. Answer Short Question

Listen to a question and then answer it with a single word or a few words. The question is 3 to 9 seconds long and you have 10 seconds to answer it.

  1. Summarize Written Text

Read a text of up to 300 words, then write a one-sentence summary of the passage of no more than 75 words. You have 10 minutes to do this.

  1. Essay

Write an argumentative essay of 200 to 300 words on a given topic. You have 20 minutes to do this.

Part 2: Reading

The Reading section of the test is 29 to 30 minutes long and has 5 different question types.

  1. Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks

A text of up to 300 words appears on your screen with several gaps. By each gap there is a drop-down list of words. Select the word which you think best fills the gap.

  1. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer

Read a text of up to 300 words, and then answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the text. You need to select more than one response.

  1. Re-order Paragraphs

You see several text boxes on your screen. Put these in the correct order to form a whole text.  

  1. Fill in the Blanks

You see a text of up to 80 words on your screen with several gaps in it. Drag words from a box to fill the gaps. There are more words in the box than there are gaps, so you don’t use all the words.

  1. Multiple Choice, Single Answer

Read a text of up to 300 words, then answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the text by selecting one response from a selection.

Part 3: Listening

This Listening section of the PTE Academic test is 30–43 minutes long and has 8 different question types. The questions are based on audio or video clips, which play automatically. You only hear each audio or video clip once. You can take notes.

  1. Summarize Spoken Text

Listen to part of a lecture lasting between 60 and 90 seconds, and then write a summary of what you hear of between 50 and 70 words. You have 10 minutes to listen and write the summary.

  1. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

Listening to a recording of 40 to 90 seconds, then answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the recording by selecting more than one answer.

  1. Fill in the Blanks

You see a transcript of a recording on the screen, with several gaps. Listening to the recording and type the missing word in each gap. The recording lasts between 30 and 60 seconds.

  1. Highlight Correct Summary

You see a selection of summary paragraphs on the screen. Listen to the recording and select the one that matches it best. The recording lasts between 30 and 90 seconds.

  1. Multiple Choice, Single Answer

Listening to a recording of 30 to 90 seconds and select the correct answer to the question from the options given.

  1. Select Missing Word

Listen to a recording where the last word or group of words has been replaced by a beep sound. Select the most appropriate option to complete the recording. The audio is between 20 and 70 seconds long.

  1. Highlight Incorrect Words

Listen to a recording (15 to 50 seconds) while reading the transcript. Highlight the words which are different.

  1. Write from Dictation

Listen to a sentence, and then type the words into a box. The recording of the sentence lasts between 3 and 5 seconds.

Want to prepare for the PTE Academic English test?

SLC’s expert teachers help you learn the language, skills and techniques to perform at your best in the PTE Academic test. You can book private lessons with them here.

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Pearson exam

The Pearson Test of English (PTE): A Path to Academic and Career Success

The Pearson Test of English (PTE): A Path to Academic and Career Success

Pearson exam

Are you an international student looking to study in English-speaking countries like the United States, Australia, or the United Kingdom?

Or perhaps you’re a professional looking to boost your career prospects in a global marketplace?

If so, the Pearson Test of English (PTE) could be your ticket to success.

What is PTE and why does it matter?

The PTE is a computer-based English language proficiency exam. It’s designed to assess your speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills. PTE is recognised and accepted by thousands of academic institutions, governments, and employers worldwide.

It validates individuals’ language skills for various purposes, including academic admission, visa applications, and career advancement. It provides a globally recognised measure of your English abilities, opening doors to educational and professional opportunities worldwide.

As with other high stakes tests like IELTS and OET, achieving a strong PTE score not only demonstrates your language proficiency but can also improve your competitiveness, making it a useful tool for those pursuing international education and careers.

Understanding the PTE format

The PTE exam consists of three main sections: Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening.

The exam is computer-based and utilises cutting-edge technology, including AI, to ensure consistency and accuracy in scoring. With over 400 centres worldwide and frequent test dates, PTE also offers flexibility and convenience testing for those booking tests.

PTE Scoring: understanding your results

After taking the test, you’ll get a PTE Academic Score Report which gives you an overall score that ranges between 10–90 points, and a score for each of the communicative skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing) also scored between 10–90 points. The higher you score, the stringer this indicates your language skills are.

The organisations who recognise the PTE set specific scores. These will be your target and you should therefore study towards achieving the scores set by the institution you are applying to.

Your detailed score report provides insights into your performance, so you can identify areas of strength and areas that may require improvement.

Registering for the PTE exam

Registering for the PTE Exam is straightforward. First, visit the official Pearson PTE website and create a Pearson account if you don’t have one. Once logged in, select the right option for you, the PTE Academic option for example if you’re applying for study, and choose your preferred test centre, date, and time. Fill in your personal information, review your choices, and make the payment online. After confirming your payment, you’ll receive a confirmation email with important details, including your test centre location and test date. It’s essential to bring valid identification to the test centre on the exam day. Make sure you register well in advance to secure your preferred date and location, as availability may vary.

Tips for effective PTE preparation

As with any test, effective preparation is the key to success in the PTE exam. Here are some useful tips to help you prepare.

  • Use Official PTE preparation materials
    Official PTE practice tests and study materials can help you familiarise yourself with the exam format.
  • Practice regularly
    Lots of practice is essential for building proficiency in all sections.
  • Take mock tests
    Simulate exam conditions with mock tests to improve time management and reduce test anxiety.
  • Focus on weaker areas
    Identify your weaknesses and concentrate your efforts on improving those specific skills.
  • Seek professional guidance
    Consider enrolling on a PTE preparation course or hiring a tutor for personalised guidance.

The Pearson Test of English (PTE) offers a reliable and efficient way to demonstrate your English language skills for academic, professional, and immigration purposes. With proper preparation and a clear understanding of the exam format, you can embark on a successful journey toward achieving your goals.

Looking for preparing for the PTE exam?

SLC offers one-to-one PTE test preparation training which targets the areas you need to improve, and helps you prepare for success.

Our lessons can help you across a wide range of areas, from building your academic language to developing test strategies and techniques for each of the 20 question types. You’ll get expert advice and detailed feedback on your language throughout your lessons.

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Where is PTE Academic accepted for nurses?

Where is PTE Academic accepted for nurses?

PTE exam

PTE Academic is now accepted by a growing number of nursing boards, enabling healthcare professionals to use it to show their English language proficiency.

If you’re a nurse, you can use the PTE Academic test in Australia and the US.

Australia

The Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Authority (AHPRA) requires a score of 65 in each skill.

They only accept test results:

  1. from one test sitting, or
  2. a maximum of two test sittings in a six month period only if:
  • a minimum overall score of 65 is achieved in each sitting, and
  • you achieve a minimum score of 65 in each of the skills across the two sittings
  • no score in any of the skills is below 58.

See Ahpra & National Boards and Ahpra Nursing and Midwifery Board

The United States

The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) added PTE Academic to its list in 2022.

A growing number of State Boards of Nursing in the USA now accept PTE Academic test scores, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

Generally, nurses need an overall score of 55 with no score below 50 in any of the individual skills. However, there may be variances from state to state so it’s important to check.

Please note that while this information is correct at the time of writing, acceptance policies may change over time, so do check the PTE Academic website or contact the relevant institution directly to get the most up-to-date information on their score requirements and acceptance policies.

Check out this guide of how the PTE works:

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SLC offers one-to-one test preparation training which targets the areas you need to improve and gives you what you need to prepare for success, click here for more information.

We are Medical English, OET, PTE and IELTS preparation specialists. Our uniquely effective course design and delivery offers an unparalleled range of Medical- and exam-focused courses and tests.

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GMC

GMC English Language Requirements for International Doctors

GMC English Language Requirements for International Doctors

GMC

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The General Medical Council (GMC), the UK regulator for doctors, uses the following ways for an international medical graduate (IMG) to demonstrate their knowledge of English if they are applying to register to practise in the UK.

Evidence Type 1: Academic IELTS 7.5

Doctors should have an overall score of 7.5 in the academic version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) from the last 2 years. As part of this, a doctor must score a minimum of 7.0 in each of the four papers: reading, writing, listening and speaking. These scores must be achieved in one sitting of the test.

Evidence Type 2: OET Medicine B

Doctors should have an overall grade of B in OET Medicine from the last 2 years. As part of this, a doctor must score a grade B in each of the four papers: reading, writing, listening and speaking. As in IELTS, these scores must be achieved in one sitting of the test.

OET and IELTS are how most overseas doctors demonstrate their knowledge of English. The GMC may accept test scores that are more than 2 years old if a doctor can show that their English language skills have not deteriorated in that time. They may have worked in a country where English is the first language for example, or they may have taken a postgraduate course of study which has been taught and examined in English.

Evidence Type 3: A primary medical qualification (PMQ) that has been taught and examined in English.

The GMC requires the PMQ to have been taught and examined in English and to be from the last 2 years. As part of this, at least 75% of the doctor’s clinical interaction, including personal contact with patients, relatives, and other healthcare professionals, must have been conducted in English.

Evidence Type 4: a reference from an employer

The GMC may be able to accept confirmation from an employer if an IMG has worked in a medical capacity for at least the past two years in a country where English is the first and native language. A list of accepted countries is provided here.

Evidence Type 5: An offer of employment from a UK healthcare organisation

The GMC requires written confirmation from the UK healthcare organisation that an offer of employment has been made, and that the healthcare organisation must be a designated body. A detailed reference needs to be completed by the employer evidencing English language level.

Are you a student looking for IELTS or OET Preparation courses?

SLC’s ground-breaking online OET and IELTS Preparation courses gives you the language you need to work, study and collaborate in an English-speaking environment.

Just click in the course and start your preparation!

Are you working with recluting Doctors in the UK?

SLC’s online Medical English courses are perfect for international medical professionals who need to improve the English they use in the workplace to ensure safe and effective practice.

 

Have a look at our courses for Healthcare Employers and Recruiters clicking here:

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IELTS writing tips

IELTS writing tips

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The IELTS Writing paper is the most difficult of the four papers for the majority of candidates taking the Academic version of the test. Here are some essential tips to remember when you take the test.

TASK 1

  1. Decide what type of graph or table you have in task 1 – is it comparing information or describing trends? This will help you decide what language to use.
  2. Remember to write an introductory statement in task 1 – this should introduce what is shown in the diagram.
  3. Always write an overall comment in Task 1 – this can go at the beginning or the end of the task and should summarise the overall trend/feature of the diagram.

TASK 2

  1. Plan your answers – taking 5 minutes to make a brief paragraph plan will help you to organise your ideas and ensure that your answers are well-structured.
  2. Make sure you answer the question in Task 2 – many candidates go off topic in their essay and this can result in a lower score for Task Achievement.
  3. Don’t forget to write an introduction and a conclusion for Task 2 – this is essential for you to achieve a high score in the Writing paper.
  4. Don’t over-complicate your essay – trying to include too many abstract ideas in Task 2 can result in a long and confusing essay.
  5. Don’t forget to separate the ideas into logical paragraphs – both tasks should be around 4-5 paragraphs

TASKS 1 & 2

  1. Remember to use a range of linking phrases for both tasks – this will improve your score of coherence and cohesion
  2. Check your work for errors – try and leave 5 minutes at the end to review your writing and ensure a high level of accuracy

Remember, SLC’s Reach IELTS Writing course provides all the information, techniques and strategies you need on how to answer the two tasks. You can also sign up for the Premium version, so you can work with a specialist tutor to get vital feedback on your writing.

Want to pass the IELTS exam? We can help!

IELTS Preparation with Specialist Language Courses

We are IELTS preparation specialists. Our uniquely effective course design and delivery offers an unparalleled range of Medical- and exam-focused courses and tests.

 

Our courses will enable you to achieve a high score in the IELTS Academic English test.

Not sure what’s best for you? Then get in touch!

Specialist Language Courses (SLC) are experts in both IELTS and OET preparation. We work with thousands of candidates every year and specialise in working with healthcare professionals. Clients include many NHS Trusts and private healthcare groups in the UK.

Call or email SLC to talk about your OET and IELTS options.

 

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The IELTS Academic Test: An Overview

The IELTS Academic Test: An Overview

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The IELTS Academic test was originally designed for students who wish to study in English speaking universities at either degree or postgraduate level. It is now also required by the GMC and NMC to demonstrate that overseas-trained doctors and nurses have sufficient English skills to practise safely and effectively in the UK.

How is the IELTS Test Scored?

There is no pass or fail for the IELTS exam. Instead, learners receive a band score between 1 and 9 for each of the 4 papers – Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking, and an overall average.

Doctors require a minimum of 7.0 in all 4 papers and an overall 7.5. Nurses require a minimum of 7.0 in the Reading, Listening and Speaking papers, a 6.5 in the Writing paper and an overall 7.0.

How do the Scores Correlate to English Level?

IELTS CEFR

7.0 and 7.5 are within the advanced level C1 band. At C1, you can:

  • Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognise implicit meaning.
  • Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.
  • Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
  • Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.

7.0 is at the lower end of C1. According to IELTS, scoring 7.0 demonstrates the candidate ‘has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriateness and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning’.

How long does it take to go up a band in IELTS?

To up 1 band in IELTS typically takes the average student approximately 200 hours of input, consisting of face-to-face tuition and guided self-study.

 

Can candidates re-take the test?

 Learners receive their results 2 weeks after they take the IELTS test. If they do not achieve their required score, they may take the test again as soon as they can book a place in a relevant centre.

 

How long is the test result valid?

Both the GMC and the NMC state that an IELTS test needs to be less than 2 years old to be considered valid.

 

How much does an IELTS Test cost?

The IELTS for UKVI test costs around £200.

 

IELTS TEST FORMAT

What does the IELTS test consist of?

For both IELTS modules, there are 4 separate parts, each one focusing on a specific skill: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.

 

IELTS Reading (60 minutes)

There are 3 long texts on a variety of academic subjects. They are authentic and taken from books, journals, or magazines, and may be factual, analytical or opinion-based.

Candidates have to identify key points, important information, understand meaning, recognise the writer’s opinion, and summarise arguments effectively.

 

IELTS Writing (60 minutes)

Candidates must write 2 texts. The first is a report on some data, such as a statistical table or a graph. The second is a discursive essay in which candidates respond to an opinion or statement about a particular topic.

Candidates are marked on whether they have answered the question set, used an appropriate style of language, and organised their thoughts clearly. They are also marked on grammatical accuracy, range of vocabulary, and their ability to connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs correctly.

 

IELTS Listening (30 minutes)

There are 4 texts, 2 of them set in a social context, and 2 in a more educational or academic context. The texts may be conversations, discussions or a monologue, in a variety of accents.

Candidates need to listen for specific information, understand the main gist, and understand speakers’ opinions and attitudes.

 

IELTS Speaking (11-14 minutes)

This is a face-to-face speaking test with an IELTS examiner, divided into 3 parts. The first Is an introductory conversation; in the second, the candidate is given 1 minute to prepare a short presentation on a topic; in the third, the examiner and the candidate will discuss some questions connected with the topic in part 2.

Candidates are marked on their ability to express themselves clearly and accurately, to answer questions appropriately, their range of grammar and vocabulary, their level of ‘naturalness’, and their pronunciation and intonation.

Note: the test total time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. The Listening, Reading and Writing papers are always completed in one sitting. The Speaking test may be taken on the same day or up to seven days before or after the other tests.

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We are IELTS preparation specialists. Our courses will enable you to achieve a high score in the IELTS Academic English test.

Not sure what’s best for you? Then get in touch!

Specialist Language Courses (SLC) are experts in both IELTS and OET preparation. We work with thousands of candidates every year and specialise in working with healthcare professionals. Clients include many NHS Trusts and private healthcare groups in the UK.

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IELTS Writing Exam

WHITE PAPER: IELTS Writing – A Comparative Analysis of Different Band Scores

WHITE PAPER: IELTS Writing – A Comparative Analysis of Different Band Scores

IELTS Writing Exam

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What’s the difference between IELTS writing 6.5 and 7.0?

At the beginning of 2016, the NMC introduced a new regulation which required all nurses from outside the UK to achieve a score of 7.0 or above (out of 9.0) in all four areas of the Academic IELTS exam – reading, listening, writing and speaking – in order to obtain a license to practise as nurses in the UK.

The purpose of this was to address concerns over patient safety in relation to the ability of overseas nurses to communicate effectively in English. The score needed for Writing was recently reduced to 6.5. SLC’s Programme Manager Beth explores the difference between 6.5 and 7.0 in this detailed report.

Download the White Paper

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What is the difference between IELTS and OET?

What is the difference between IELTS and OET?

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Choosing the right exam for you...

Both IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and OET (Occupational English Test) are used to test the English language of healthcare professionals in different parts of the world.

They are chosen by regulatory bodies to ensure doctors, nurses and other professions have sufficient language skills to communicate at a high level with patients and colleagues, and so ensure safe and effective care.

Similarities

There are a number of similarities between the two tests:

  1. Each one consists of four sub-tests, one for each skill: reading, listening, writing and speaking.
  2. A test takes place on one day.
  3. There is no pass/fail, but a graded score – different institutions need test takers to achieve different scores, such as a 7 in IELTS or a B in OET. In the UK, for example, the GMC requires doctors to score B in OET with B in each paper, or IELTS 7.5 with a minimum 7.0 in each paper. The NMC requires nurses to score B in OET with B in each paper, or IELTS 7.0 with a minimum 7.0 in Reading, Listening and Speaking and 6.5 in Writing.
  4. In practice, the required scores in the two tests for professions such as nurses are for similar levels of language skill when measured on the Common European Framework of Reference, specifically a C1 or advanced level.
  5. Both tests were developed in the late 1980s and are part-owned by Cambridge Assessment English. IELTS ownership is shared with ID P and the British Council. OET ownership is shared with Boxhill Assessment.

However, that’s where the similarities end. As you will see, they are quite different tests in many ways.

Differences

1. Content

IELTS tests academic English – at least the version of IELTS used by healthcare regulatory bodies around the world. This includes the ability to write essays, follow lectures, understand academic articles and discuss a wide range of topics, from the environment to education to social trends to cultural values.

OET tests healthcare English, including the ability to communicate effectively in medical scenarios, write a referral or discharge letter, understand a patient consultation, or follow a text taken from a medical journal.

2. Versions

 IELTS offers 2 versions of the test – Academic as described, and General Training, used by organisations to test the more general language considered more appropriate for immigration or vocational purposes. The Listening and Speaking sections are the same for both. The Academic Reading and Writing is more geared to Higher Education than the General Training.

OET offers 12 versions of the test for different healthcare professions; nurses, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, optometrists, podiatrists, occupational therapists, vets, speech pathologists, dieticians, physiotherapists, and radiographers. The Reading and Listening sections are the same for both. The Speaking and Writing sections are tailored to the specific scenarios in which each profession uses English.

3. Format

IELTS has the following format:

IELTS format

OET has the following format:

ielts

4. Preparation requirements

Preparing for IELTS involves learning huge amounts of vocabulary on a wide range of academic subjects so test takers are prepared to read academic texts quickly and effectively, understand lectures and discussions, talk about abstract questions and give opinions in detail. Test takers need to learn how to write reports on a variety of data and a range of essay types. Written texts need to be at an advanced level and so include complex structures and grammar. Learning a set of key exam techniques is also crucial.

Preparing for OET involves learning a wide range of healthcare-related and profession-specific language, so test takers are able to follow, engage with and participate in a variety of clinical scenarios, as well as understand medical texts and talks. They need to be able to write a healthcare-related letter, such as a referral letter, at an advanced level. They need to acquire a range of exam techniques so they can work quickly and effectively in the test.

As a result, preparation courses for the two tests follow very different pathways and use very different materials.

5. Scoring

 IELTS is marked out of 9, with a separate score for each paper. Half marks are awarded as part of this.

OET is graded from A (best) to E, with an equivalent numerical score to show more precisely where in the grade a candidate sits.

Healthcare regulatory bodies which use both exams to test English for healthcare professions tend to specify an advanced C1 level of language, i.e. around 7 in IELTS and a B in OET.  The score equivalencies between the two tests are as follows:

OET and IELTS scores

6. Recognition

 IELTS is recognised by universities, regulatory bodies, immigration authorities and companies in many countries around the world. This includes universities in non-English speaking countries where a course may be delivered in English. There are over 1,100 test centres in over 140 countries.

OET is recognised by healthcare regulatory bodies and Higher Education healthcare educators, including those in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Dubai, Ukraine and Namibia. There are over 115 test centres in 40 countries.

7. Numbers of test takers

 Over 3 million people took IELTS in the past year, compared to the tens of thousands taking OET. This reflects the size and reach of the global Higher Education market on the one hand and the specialist nature of the OET on the other.

8. Preparation infrastructure

IELTS has a global infrastructure developed around preparing learners to take the test, including universities, specialist training organisations, private language schools, published materials, online content, and thousands of teachers and writers.

OET has a small but global preparation infrastructure, consisting of a growing number of specialist training providers and also a small but growing materials base. OET ’s Premium Preparation Provider scheme provides a framework for training organisations to undergo a rigorous accreditation process to demonstrate their ability to prepare candidates for the specialist nature of OET. SLC was the first provider to be accredited in Europe.

 

Pass your OET or IELTS with Confidence

We are Medical English, OET and IELTS preparation specialists. Our uniquely effective course design and delivery offers an unparalleled range of Medical- and exam-focused courses and tests.

Are you preparing for OET?

We offer a unique set of preparation services designed specifically for your success in the OET exam.

Are you preparing for IELTS?

Our courses will enable you to achieve a high score in the IELTS Academic English test.

Not sure what’s best for you? Then get in touch!

Specialist Language Courses (SLC) are experts in both IELTS and OET preparation. We work with thousands of candidates every year and specialise in working with healthcare professionals. Clients include many NHS Trusts and private healthcare groups in the UK.

Call or email SLC to talk about your OET and IELTS options.

 

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Nusing and Midwifery Council

NMC to Review English Testing Requirements for Overseas Nurses

NMC to Review English Testing Requirements for Overseas Nurses

Nusing and Midwifery Council

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SLC welcomes the NMC’s decision to conduct a stocktake of English language requirements for overseas nurses wanting to work in the UK, as reported in the Nursing Times.

While the establishment of an English language level for nurses working in high stakes environments makes complete sense, from the very start we have had concerns about the choice of test and level set by the NMC. These concerns have increased firstly with the research we conducted for the White Paper released earlier this year, secondly, our participation in a recent round table consisting of NHS Trusts and recruitment companies, and thirdly our experience of training 100s of nurses both in exam preparation and in nursing English.

The test, Academic IELTS, and the level set – 7.0 from a maximum of 9.0 in the four papers (writing, speaking, listening and reading) is the same as Oxford University require overseas applicants to achieve in order to study on their undergraduate programmes and higher than that required for overseas candidates attending Nursing degree programmes offered in the UK.

Moreover, Academic IELTS is designed specifically to test the academic English skills of students wanting to study in English-speaking universities. It does not test those vital clinical language skills required by nurses when discussing symptoms and treatments, giving accurate ward handovers, talking to distressed relatives, etc.

SLC works extensively with NHS Trusts, private healthcare organisations, and international healthcare recruitment companies preparing their candidates for the test. We see how nurses are having to spend 100s of hours in many cases learning how to write academic essays, understand seminars, and read articles on subjects ranging from history to the environment to the arts.

Many nurses – as well as their potential employers – cannot understand the relevancy of this and, understandably, motivation levels are low. The required score being so high only exacerbates this, as without the 100s of hours of tuition, achievement rates at this level remain depressed. Individuals and hospitals have to invest months of training and considerable amounts of money to learn language that they may never use in practice.

We believe that an English language test makes good sense and will reassure patients that nurses can deliver safe and effective care. We understand that IELTS has a global reach and nurses from all over the world can take a test in a local centre. However, given the content of the test and the level set, we recommend the NMC consider the following:

  1. requiring an average of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in the 4 papers,
  2. switching to the General IELTS test, designed for vocational purposes more explicitly than the Academic test designed for Higher Education, or
  3. having an optional alternative test focusing on clinical English – the language nurses use in practice – such as the Occupational English Test, already recognised and used in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Pass your OET or IELTS with Confidence

We are Medical English, OET and IELTS preparation specialists. Our uniquely effective course design and delivery offers an unparalleled range of Medical- and exam-focused courses and tests.

Are you preparing for OET?

We offer a unique set of preparation services designed specifically for your success in the OET exam.

Are you preparing for IELTS?

Our courses will enable you to achieve a high score in the IELTS Academic English test.

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Duolingo

Review of the Language Learning App “Duolingo”

Review of the Language Learning App “Duolingo”

Duolingo
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Review of Duolingo

In our blog, we presented the advantages and disadvantages of learning a new language via mobile apps and kicked off with a review of Babbel. This time we are taking a look at the incredibly popular Duolingo.

Duolingo has about 120 million users across the world – a large number which made me even more excited to try it and find out what their recipe for success might be.

Their strapline is “Learn a language for free. Forever.” Duolingo and all their courses are free of charge – definitely a huge bonus.

How does Duolingo work?

1.You can choose between 21 different languages:

Besides the common languages like English, French, German, Italian and Spanish you can also learn Portuguese, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Turkish, Esperanto, Norwegian, Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Welsh, Hebrew, Vietnamese and Hungarian.

2.It’s really simple to use:

  1. You choose between “beginner” (starts with basics) and “Not a beginner “(Placement test which evaluates your language level)
  2. Create a profile to save the progress you made
  3. Set your weekly goals: choose between casual, regular, serious, insane à 5/10/15/20 minutes per day
  4. Passing the “Checkpoint”: You can activate more lessons by finishing all the modules of one lesson or taking a test if you are already familiar with the topics.
  5. Shop: You can earn so called “lingos” and with those you can buy “powerups” e.g. Attempt to double your 5 lingots wager by maintaining a seven-day streak

Pros

Duolingo doesn’t work with pictures but with a lot of images and symbols which actually have the same effect and help to remember what you have learned.

The operation of Duolingo is very easy and you have a clear overview about the content and different options.

Phrases or vocabulary you learn are always spoken out loudly. There are also recording exercises to improve your speaking skills.

If you are unsure about a word in a translation task you can retrieve their meaning/translation.  Grammar rules are explained in mostly every task.

You are able to redo certain exercises or to strengthen the skills you already learned this helps to reinforce what you have learned.

Whole app is free of charge.

Duolingo is set up like a game (as described above). If you have reached your daily goal trumpets sound. You receive a reminder via email to complete your lessons.

Cons

There is no information in the beginning about how the whole course works.

If you want to learn a certain topic, you haven’t got any access to it unless you go through all the previous tasks.

Sometimes the language and the example sentences are unusual and would not be the kind of language you use in reality.

Conclusion

If you are a person who loses motivation very quickly, Duolingo is definitely the right choice for you. This game-like app teaches languages in a very playful and challenging way and is based on many visual as well as audio effects which are helpful to remember what you have learned. Another plus is that Duolingo varies the types of tasks and builds up every lesson in other ways which means more variety for the student. However, Duolingo can`t replace a “real” language school and especially for beginners I would recommend using Duolingo in combination with a teacher-led language course.

About the author

Jule Kirchner is a 19 year-old German high school graduate. She is currently working as an intern at SLC for three months. Jule loves learning languages and likes to test the various ways how to do so.

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In Specialist Language Courses we offer free lesson plans to teachers so they can have the best materials to teach their students about Medical English.

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Medical English courses for teaching

We also offer the latest in online medical English resources and materials to transform your teaching programmes and accelerate your students’ learning.

Teachers and institutions use the courses in multiple ways – as digital coursebooks, as supplementary learning, and as part of a flipped classroom approach. We can advise you how to integrate the materials to meet your objectives.

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Babbel

Review of the Language Learning App “Babbel”

Review of the Language Learning App “Babbel”

Babbel
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In our blog, we presented the advantages and disadvantages of learning a new language via Mobile Apps. If you are thinking about starting a course with an app but you don’t know which app to choose you are in the right place.

One of the leading Mobile Apps for language learning is Babbel. They deliver language courses completely online, both on their website and as an app. According to “Fast Company Magazine” Babbel is the most innovative education company worldwide, the 48th most innovative company overall and in February 2016 Babbel reached one million active paying customers.

How does Babble work?

  1. You can download the App for free
  2. You can choose between 14 different languages: Besides the common languages like English, French, German, Italian and Spanish you can also learn Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, Polish, Dutch, Indonesian, Danish or Norwegian.
  3. Each lesson is made up of the following:
    • New vocabulary words
    • A dialogue
    • Grammar instruction
    • Review and drilling of what you’ve learned
  4. Each lesson takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete
  5. There is a Review Manager – A bank of the vocabulary you have learned so far. It’s very effective in committing words to your long-term memory.

Pros

Babbel works with a lot of appealing pictures which help you to remember vocabulary and sentences.

Good overview of your progress, different tasks and other options.

The layout and the design is very pleasant and appealing.

All the things you learn are spoken out loud.

Beginners, middle school courses, grammar, business English, speak and listening, read and writing, country and people, extras, words and phrases.

Downloading the app is for free.

Cons

At the beginning there is no information about how the course is structured (e.g. How many questions? different tasks?).

You only have access to one section to begin with. If you want to have access to further tasks you need to subscribe – you can choose between 1,3,6 or 12 months. 10 – 5£ per month.

Some apps are set up like a game, while Babbel is set up more like traditional instruction and can become a little repetitive after a while.

Conclusion

I think if you’re a serious language learner, Babbel is great. What convinced me the most was the wide range of topics as well as the great visualisation – the use of photos really helps you to remember what you have learned. However, Babbel can’t replace a “real” language school and especially for beginners I would recommend to using Babbel in combination with a teacher-led language course. Babbel works best for beginner to elementary level learners. If you are an advanced learner, you will not find much to stimulate you as the course is based mainly on vocabulary building in simple scenarios.

About the author

Jule Kirchner is a 19 year-old German high school graduate. She is currently working as an intern at SLC for three months. Jule loves learning languages and likes to test the various ways how to do so.

Are you a student looking for Medical English courses?

SLC’s ground-breaking online Medical English courses gives you the language you need to work, study and collaborate in an English-speaking environment.

Just click on the course and start your Medical English preparation!

FREE Medical English materials for teachers

In Specialist Language Courses we offer free lesson plans to teachers so they can have the best materials to teach their students about Medical English.

You can subscribe to our newsletter where you will receive monthly email with the latest materials that SLC offers for free.

Medical English courses for teaching

We also offer the latest in online medical English resources and materials to transform your teaching programmes and accelerate your students’ learning.

Teachers and institutions use the courses in multiple ways – as digital coursebooks, as supplementary learning, and as part of a flipped classroom approach. We can advise you how to integrate the materials to meet your objectives.

Interested in using our courses? Click here:

 

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IELTS Reading Resources

10 Useful Academic IELTS Reading Resources

10 Useful Academic IELTS Reading Resources

IELTS Reading Resources

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The IELTS exam is perhaps the most widely taken international English language test. Over 2.5 million people sit the test every year from around the world. IELTS is recognised by universities, companies, professional bodies such as the GMC and NMC, immigration authorities, and government institutions all around the world as a measure of English language ability.

The IELTS Reading paper

The reading paper of the Academic IELTS test is a tough one. You have to read 3 academic texts taken from journals, reports and articles and answer 40 questions on them in 1 hour. The texts are long – up to 2,000 words each. This means you have to develop the ability to understand the main points quickly, as well as the ability to find the answers to the questions without reading every single word.

What you need to do…

  1. Develop your vocabulary, especially of key IELTS topics such as work, education, social trends, mass media, travel and tourism, and the environment.
  2. Improve your understanding of complex English, so you can quickly follow complicated ideas and arguments. You need to see how ideas are connected together – within sentences, between sentences, and between paragraphs.
  3. Practice answering IELTS style questions so you get used to them – work on practice test papers, get tips from your teacher, or use the SLC resource library (if you’re taking a course with us)

As part, of this it’s critical to READ!!

The best practice exercise to of all is to simply read. When you get used to reading articles from newspapers and magazines, you will have fewer problems with long articles in the test itself.

Practice reading quickly for understanding, then look for specific facts and figures of interest. Make notes as you go of new words and phrases.

As a starting point, we have compiled a list of 10 useful reading resources and websites which may help you practice your reading skills at home. They cover a very wide range of topics, so are very useful for the IELTS Test.

Free texts and exercises with a focus on business and work.

Read More>>

Good for academic English and also good to keep up with current world issues.

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Covering world politics, economics, science and technology, offering 3 articles a week for free if you sign up.

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Excellent site about technology, health, science and the environment.

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Covering environmental issues, culture, nature and animals. Very illustrative with a lot of amazing pictures.

Read More>>

Lots of short, easy to understand, contemporary articles drawn from the world of social media.

Read More>>

A site about science, health, ecology, biology and innovation.

Read More>>

American site focusing on history, both US and worldwide, with lots of current affairs articles too.

Read More>>

News, views and much more from the UK’s most famous media institution. All topics included – also a good site to practice listening.

Read More>>

Sometimes it’s good to expand your vocabulary by reading short stories – here are some funny ones, and there are plenty more on the website.

Read More>>

We hope these websites help you improve your reading skills for the IELTS, but let us know if you have any resources to add to this list!

Want to pass the IELTS exam? We can help!

IELTS Preparation with Specialist Language Courses

We are IELTS preparation specialists. Our uniquely effective course design and delivery offers an unparalleled range of Medical- and exam-focused courses and tests.

 

Our courses will enable you to achieve a high score in the IELTS Academic English test.

Not sure what’s best for you? Then get in touch!

Specialist Language Courses (SLC) are experts in both IELTS and OET preparation. We work with thousands of candidates every year and specialise in working with healthcare professionals. Clients include many NHS Trusts and private healthcare groups in the UK.

Call or email SLC to talk about your OET and IELTS options.

 

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What is IELTS?

What is IELTS?

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IELTS stands for the International English Language Testing System.

The IELTS exam is now taken by over 2.5 million people every year. It is recognised by universities, companies, professional bodies such as the GMC and NMC, immigration authorities, and government institutions all around the world as a measure of English Language ability.

The IELTS Exam Format

There are two different types of IELTS exam:

  1. The Academic Module. The IELTS Academic module is designed for students who wish to study in English speaking universities at either degree level or postgraduate masters or PhD level. It is also taken by those wishing to work in specific professions, such as medicine or dentistry.
  2. The General Training Module. The IELTS General Training module is for those hoping to migrate to the UK, Australia, New Zealand or Canada, or for those hoping to study in an English speaking country below degree level.

For both modules, there are 4 parts: reading, writing, listening and speaking. The reading and writing sections are different for the 2 modules, whereas the listening and speaking sections are the same.

IELTS Reading (60 minutes)

1. IELTS Academic module: there are 3 long texts on a variety of academic subjects. They are authentic and taken from newspapers, journals, and so on. They may be factual, analytical or opinion-based.

2. IELTS General Training module: there are a series of shorter, more factual texts — related to living and working in an English speaking country — and one longer, more complex text of general interest. They are also authentic texts and taken from notices, documents, magazines, etc.

In both modules, candidates have to identify key points, important information, understand meaning, recognise the writer’s opinion, and summarise arguments effectively.

IELTS Writing (60 minutes)

1. IELTS Academic module: candidates must write 2 texts. The first piece of writing is a report on some data, such as statistical tables or graphs. The second piece is an essay, in which candidates must respond to an opinion or statement about a particular topic.

2. IELTS General Training module: test-takers must also write 2 texts. The first is a letter written in response to a specific situation. The second is an essay responding to an opinion of statement. The writing here can be more informal than in the Academic module.

Candidates are marked on a range of criteria. These include whether they have answered the question set, used an appropriate style of language, and organised their thoughts clearly. They will also be marked on grammatical accuracy, range of vocabulary, and their ability to connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs correctly.

IELTS Listening (30 minutes)

There are 4 texts, 2 of them set in a social context, and 2 in a more educational or academic context. The texts may be conversations, discussions or a monologue. There will be a variety of accents used by the different speakers.

Test-takers will need to listen for specific information, understand the main gist, and understand speakers’ opinions and attitudes. There will be a variety of different types of question to answer.

IELTS Speaking (11-14 minutes)

This is a face-to-face speaking test with an IELTS examiner. There are 3 parts to the test. The first is an introductory conversation; in the second, the candidate is given 1 minute to prepare a short presentation on a topic; in the third, the examiner and the candidate will discuss some questions connected with the topic in part 2.

Candidates are marked on their ability to express themselves clearly and accurately, to answer questions appropriately, their range of grammar and vocabulary, their level of ‘naturalness’, and their pronunciation and intonation.

The IELTS Speaking Test may take place on a different day to the other parts of the exam.

IELTS Scores

There is no pass or fail for the IELTS exam. Instead, you receive a band score between 1 and 9. This may include a half point, such as 6.5 for example.

Most universities typically require a score of between 6 and 7. Some may also demand a minimum score in each of the 4 papers.

IELTS Fees

IELTS test centres set the fees, and therefore these may vary from country to country. However, candidates should expect to pay around £150 GBP, 190 Euros or $200 USD.

Re-taking an IELTS tests

If you did not achieve the score you required, then you can re-take a test as soon as you feel ready to do so. You can take as many tests as you like.

IELTS was created by and is jointly owned by the British Council, the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, and IDP: IELTS Australia.

Want to pass the IELTS exam? We can help!

IELTS Preparation with Specialist Language Courses

We are IELTS preparation specialists. Our uniquely effective course design and delivery offers an unparalleled range of Medical- and exam-focused courses and tests.

 

Our courses will enable you to achieve a high score in the IELTS Academic English test.

Not sure what’s best for you? Then get in touch!

Specialist Language Courses (SLC) are experts in both IELTS and OET preparation. We work with thousands of candidates every year and specialise in working with healthcare professionals. Clients include many NHS Trusts and private healthcare groups in the UK.

Call or email SLC to talk about your OET and IELTS options.

 

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Help to get your IELTS score to 7.0 or higher – Listening

Help to get your IELTS score to 7.0 or higher – Listening

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Overview

The listening component of the IELTS test is divided into four sections. The time allowed is roughly 30 minutes, followed by 10 minutes to transfer your answers to a machine readable sheet. It is worth knowing that questions and answers follow the same order as the listening. You will only hear the recording ONCE.

 

Questions may be any of the following formats. Multiple choice, matching, labelling a plan, map or diagram, completing forms, notes, tables of information, flow charts, and summaries. Other question types include sentence completion, where you are allowed only a certain number of words and/or a number. Always read the ‘rules’ of the question carefully sometimes the number of words varies. It can be one, two, three or four words, though usually it is three.

The speakers can be from any of the countries which use English as a major official language, this includes The UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. All the speakers talk clearly and do not have strong accents, however, it would be a good idea to make yourself familiar with a variety of accents. You can practise listening by watching or listening to the BBC or CNN news. Movies are not normally as good as the language tends to be less formal, but some are useful to practise listening skills.

From time to time throughout the recording you will hear phrases like “You now have 30 seconds to check your answers.” It is probably better use of the time to read the questions more thoroughly and try and predict what type of word the answer will require.

Part 1

This section, along with part 2, deals with every day or social situations. There will be two speakers in part 1, there will be a conversation, perhaps about arranging a party or similar. It will be fairly basic and not too fast, a good place to get easy marks. Always remember that the questions are asked in the same order as you hear the conversation. If you hear the answer to a later question, move on, you have missed the information.

Part 2

There is only one speaker in this part. The person will give information connected to an everyday or social occasion. This could be a short talk about a subject like facilities at a library, or on how to buy a monthly rail ticket. This part is also fairly easy as you do not have to distinguish multiple speakers. If you lose the flow of the conversation you should look ahead in the questions to find a question you can listen for the answer to. Sometimes you will need to do some simple maths to properly answer a question. For example, you might hear:

“About 1,000,000 cars are stolen annually in the UK. Only about 25% of these vehicles are ever re-united with their owners.”

The question might ask: How many cars are returned to their owners each year after being stolen in the UK?” _____________

If you wrote 25% that would be marked as incorrect, the right response is 250,000. The question asks for a number not a percentage.

Part 3

This part is set against an academic or training background and is between multiple speakers. Usually something like two students guided by a tutor or supervisor. It can be quite difficult to recognise who is speaking if all the speakers are male or all female. Sometimes the question asks you to say who agrees with a particular suggestion or similar. If you are having problems deciding who is speaking listen for clues at the hand over times. This is when one speaker is passing the turn to speak to another. You will hear phrases like. “What do you think John?” Obviously, John will speak next.

Or, “I don’t know what it’s like; Mary’s been there, tell us what you thought Mary?” Again, the next voice should be Mary. Sometimes the clue is in the next speaker’s first phrase. For example, a new speaker might thank or otherwise acknowledge the person who has just finished talking. “Oh, that’s useful Peter, good to know, thank you.” In this case the previous speaker’s name was Peter. The conversations tend to be orderly and polite so are not very difficult to keep track of.

As spoken English is much less formal than written English you may hear contractions, such as “I’ll be there, but Bob won’t be able to get there on time.” Make sure you are familiar with the sounds of these common contractions.

Part 4

The final section is, by far, the longest listening and is usually a university lecturer or other formal speaker talking about an academic subject. It is important to remember that, even if you know the topic very well, you should not bring in any outside information to inform your answer. Base your answer only on the material you hear.

Prediction is a very useful skill for this section, look at gaps and choices and think about what class of word is needed from a grammatical and logical point of view.

As an example look at the following summary which needs to be completed from a listening. Predict what type of information needs to be given.

Europe Goes Grey - Projections

You can see that question 1 requires a number, question 2 needs a place name, most likely in Europe. Number 3 would be a number. The final question requires a noun or noun phrase.

Tips and advice

From time to time a speaker ‘changes’ information you have been given. You may be listening for the nationality of someone who has been mentioned and the speaker says “She’s from America.” Just as you are writing down “the USA” or “American”, the speaker realises he has made a mistake and corrects himself. “Oh! I’m wrong, she’s actually from Canada.”

As the answers are written on a machine readable form be especially sure you are writing the answers next to the appropriate box number. Be VERY careful when doing this as the machine will only mark what you write in a certain box, it cannot notice that you have missed a line. Therefore, if you make a mistake in the first few lines then everything after that line will be incorrect.

Want to pass the IELTS exam? We can help!

IELTS Preparation with Specialist Language Courses

We are IELTS preparation specialists. Our uniquely effective course design and delivery offers an unparalleled range of Medical- and exam-focused courses and tests.

 

Our courses will enable you to achieve a high score in the IELTS Academic English test.

Not sure what’s best for you? Then get in touch!

Specialist Language Courses (SLC) are experts in both IELTS and OET preparation. We work with thousands of candidates every year and specialise in working with healthcare professionals. Clients include many NHS Trusts and private healthcare groups in the UK.

Call or email SLC to talk about your OET and IELTS options.

 

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Get updates and get the latest materials on Medical English, OET and IELTS

More to explore

How to get your IELTS score to 7.0 or higher – Speaking

How to get your IELTS score to 7.0 or higher – Speaking

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The speaking test consists of three sections. Together they take about 12-15 minutes. There will be you and an examiner, they may be either male or female and are native or near-native speakers of English. They may be from anywhere in the world, though the majority are British or Australian speakers of English.

The whole test is recorded for quality control purposes and possible disputes about the level awarded. The marking criteria are applied consistently from centre to centre and all examiners have to pass regular tests to ensure marking is fair. Appeals against marking decisions are rarely successful and cost more money; better to put the near miss down to experience and apply for another test.

Section 1

The first section lasts for about 4 minutes and features interview-type questions about yourself and your family. You will know the answers to these questions and they shouldn’t give you any difficulty.

However, be aware of length of answer. For example, the following question could be answered in many ways: “Tell me about the house or apartment you live in?”

Answer: 1) “In a house.” or, 2) “Well, at the moment I’m living in a house with my sister and two friends from university. It’s crowded, but I like everyone and we have fun together. We eat meals together and we like the same movies. Because of that we get on really well and there aren’t many arguments.”

Obviously, answer 2 is better, it is developed and is quite sophisticated with regard to grammar and cause and effect links. Also, at just over 50 words, it’s about right for length too. It is just about on topic throughout but is beginning to drift as the information about meals and arguments is not directly linked to the house. Much longer and the candidate might begin to drift off topic.

Remember too, that the examiner wants you to demonstrate as many different grammar structures as you can and this will be easier to do if you give answers of around 50 words maximum. He/she has plenty of questions to ask so get the balance right.

Also, after the initial introductions and checking of names and establishing what the examiner should call you, there will be a few ‘settling’ questions these are not assessed and are designed only to allow the candidate time to get used to the examiner’s voice, accent, pitch etc. You will get a clear signal that the test has really begun with a phrase like: “I’d like to talk about …” or “let’s move on to talk about…” So, don’t use up all your best phrases on the first couple of questions.

It is also worth pointing out that the examiner is not assessing your opinions, morals, decisions, etc. In fact, the examiner can only assess how you say something and is not really interested in what you say.

Section 2

This section takes about 3½ minutes and is designed to show how you can describe some kind of situation either ongoing or past or perhaps a wish or plan for the future. You will be given a card with a topic and some questions using ‘wh…’ words to prompt you, some paper and a pen or pencil.

You should make notes on the paper provided which remind you what you were going to say in answer to each wh… word. The examiner will tell you that you should talk for between one and two minutes, that you can take notes, and that you have one minute to prepare.

Make good use of that minute, write only short notes containing key words to help you remember against each section. This is then your plan. The examiner will tell you that you now have two minutes to talk about the topic on the card and that he/she will let you know when to stop.

Here is a typical topic card:

IELTS Speaking

You will need to say about 250 words to get to band seven or more. This is about the length of an essay, so the planning is important to help you remember. It is a good idea to base the response on true events or your own plans for the future. Stories and things which you don’t really know about are much harder to keep going for enough time. Ideally you should be rounding off when the examiner indicates that time is up.

It’s important to keep on topic and not to repeat yourself. To get higher grades you will need to demonstrate a wide range of grammatical structures and vocabulary.  Try never to repeat a word if you know another that means the same thing. For example: If talking about ‘soldiers’ say ‘troops’, ‘ground forces’, ‘infantry’, ‘armed personnel’.

The next couple of questions are directly related to the topic you have just talked about. For example the above topic about a specific holiday may be followed with: “Do you plan to visit that place again?” Then by: “Where do you plan on going for your next holiday?”

Don’t expect the examiner to ‘engage’ with you during your answer to section 2. They are told not to interact with the candidate, they should not even smile or nod, they are not being rude, just following rules.

Section 3

The final section lasts for about 5 minutes. This is again a two way conversation, however, unlike in section 1 you may not ever have thought about the subjects, scenarios and timeframes of these questions. They would usually be challenging questions for native speakers too. If you’ve performed well so far in the test this is where the examiner will finally decide if your English is good enough for a higher band score.

The first topic, at least, will naturally follow on from the section two topic. If following the above topic the first set of questions would be related to travel and holidays in some way. The first question would usually be a background type one, to set the context and topic. Followed by a more focussed, more targeted question. Finally one or two questions which require some thinking to answer.

Sometimes you will be required to compare and contrast a given situation with how it was in the past. Another question form asks you to speculate on how a given situation might develop in the future.

If you don’t understand a question in this section you can ask for clarification if you demonstrate enough understanding of the question. For instance, if you said “Can you repeat that please?” the examiner will ask EXACTLY the same question with no changes. However if you said “Do you mean holidays in my country or worldwide?” the examiner will let you know what they expect. A request from you to fully explain the meaning or context of a question will not be answered. For example: “What does that mean?” would not be explained.

Here is an example set:

Do you think it’s important for people to take holidays?

How long do you think is the ideal length for a holiday?

Do you think holiday habits have changed over the last 50 years? (How?)

What factors might limit the places we travel to in order to take holidays in the future?

As mentioned, these kinds of questions are challenging. Although most people who are taking an IELTS test will have experience of talking holidays, perhaps you have never given the subject of how holidays have changed over 50 years or how they might change again in future and, more importantly for your answer, why or how?

Because of this level of complexity, you are not really expected to give a faultless answer. It is acceptable to use words and phrases like “um” or “erm” “Oh! I would have thought…”, etc.  You may even begin a sentence and realise that you are going in the wrong direction with it and stop before beginning a new, more appropriate sentence. Do not worry, it is a natural part of English and a feature of native speaker English. The examiner would look more favourably on this type of English than to be met with huge chunks of silence. If you are really stuck, something like the following is better than nothing. “Oh, I haven’t really got any idea about that, it’s something I just know nothing about and can’t decide what direction it might take.” At least there is some sophisticated grammar to assess.

Another strategy is to talk about another aspect of a topic. For example if asked about where holidays might target as a destination you might say the following:

“Well, I don’t know any specific places, but people these days are more interested in adventure holidays than simply relaxing on a beach. Maybe a new destination will be discovered which could be developed for adventure holidays. I’m not sure where that might be though.”

So, although the question was not directly answered, it was close enough to be considered on topic.

Finally

Just bear in mind that the examiner wants you to do well and is giving you opportunities to display how much vocabulary, organisational skill, good pronunciation, and grammar you can use. The answers are not the test, but how you deliver those answers.

Philippine English in particular has (generally) poor and inaccurate use of prepositions. Try to revise these from a good source. Here are some common areas to begin with: on the bus, in a taxi, on a train, in a shop/store, at the cinema (outside) in the cinema (watching the film) at 3:00 pm on Friday. Listen to, talk about, interested in, and divided betweenOn the beach, in the water, on holiday, in a hotel.

The night before, relax, it’s too late to revise anyway. Get some quality sleep, and…

GOOD LUCK!

Want to pass the IELTS exam? We can help!

IELTS Preparation with Specialist Language Courses

We are IELTS preparation specialists. Our uniquely effective course design and delivery offers an unparalleled range of Medical- and exam-focused courses and tests.

 

Our courses will enable you to achieve a high score in the IELTS Academic English test.

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Help to get your IELTS score to 7.0 or higher – Reading

Help to get your IELTS score to 7.0 or higher – Reading

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The IELTS reading test is one hour long and consists of three passages taken from a variety of sources.  These sources might be journals, books, magazines, reports, etc. You have to answer 40 (usually) questions based on the texts. 12-14 questions per passage. The texts are usually of a similar level of difficulty, the three sections do become slightly more difficult from one to three, and this is achieved by making the questions more difficult.

Question Types

Question types could include any of the following: gap fill, multiple choice, labelling a diagram, sentence completion, notes completion, summary completion, selecting suitable headings for paragraphs or sections, selecting which person holds a particular view, selecting the most suitable title for a passage. Obviously, all the question types will not appear on every test, however, you should be familiar with all the types and the strategies used to successfully answer them.

What to read

The following information may seem surprising, but a good tip is to understand what you need to read and what can be ignored. There are potentially 2000 or so words per reading passage plus perhaps another 200 words in the questions. 6200 words or possibly a little more in total and only one hour to read, understand, and answer 40 questions. The answer is NOT to read all the texts. A native speaker would find reading and understanding this amount of text challenging. Clearly, we need to find a way to answer the questions correctly and speedily.

As an example, a text is about the Ford Motor Company from its beginnings until the present day. Your first task is to carefully read the questions, underline key words, take note of HOW MANY WORDS YOU CAN USE, this is in bold because it is important. It does vary and is not always three words. Then you should read the whole of the introductory paragraph. This gives an overview of what the whole topic is about and after reading this and the questions you will have a good idea of the text’s content.

Now because academic writing is following a formula we can reliably predict that each paragraph contains one idea only and everything in that paragraph will be either content or ‘signpost words’ to help a reader navigate through the text. Therefore, if we read the introductory or ‘topic’ sentence in each paragraph we can be sure we know what each paragraph is about. Once we have done this all the way through the text we can then begin to find the appropriate paragraph which will contain the answers we need.

Imagine the question you need to answer next is this: What strategies will the company employ to increase sales in the future?

Now using the first sentence knowledge we now have it would be easy to ‘dismiss’ many paragraphs after reading just a few words. For example, the following sentence beginnings are parts of the topic sentences of seven paragraphs:

  1. During the early years of the company…
  2. The First World War brought different challenges to the engineers…
  3. The inter-war years saw a slump in sales…
  4. The second worldwide conflict, WWII, saw the company struggle with outdated machines…
  5. Not until the sixties did sales show an upturn…
  6. Nowadays the firm have consolidated…
  7. Looking towards the future, in an attempt to increase market share…

What paragraph would you need to look at to find the answer to the question about increasing sales in future? _______

Now, how about this question: What was the main problem that the company faced during the Second World War? _______

As you can see, this strategy saves doing a lot of reading that is not required to answer the question.

Establishing the truth about YES / NO / Not Given questions

This type of question causes huge problems for some students. Mainly because they will not stop looking for the answer. Y/N/NG questions are still all about a particular topic and the same techniques can be employed to narrow down where any evidence for/against/or just not mentioned is. If you do not find positive or negative evidence to support Yes or No then it MUST be Not Given. You may have to look at two paragraphs if the main topic runs over both, occasionally three paragraphs in a section could potentially contain the answer. However, you do not need to read the whole text to establish that it is not there.

Here is a typical paragraph about rainforests:

There are many reasons why rainforests are being lost at such a high rate nowadays. Chief among these reasons is the never ending quest for new agricultural land. Secondary reasons of importance are timber extraction for profit and clearance to access the underlying resources just below the soil. Minor reasons include, man-made forest fires, expanding urban areas and flooding with associated landslides caused by changing and unusual rainfall patterns.

Now, answer this Y/N/NG question based on the paragraph.

Drilling for oil is a major factor in rainforest deforestation.  Y, N, Not Given

  • Can you find positive proof that this happens?
  • Can you find negative proof that this does not happen?
  • Do you think that drilling for oil is not mentioned?

There is neither positive nor negative evidence for oil drilling.  Although access to resources was mentioned, oil was not specifically mentioned. Therefore the answer is Not Given. There is no need to read any more of the text, this is the section which deals with reasons for the loss of rainforests.

Another point to remember is that in a series of questions featuring Y / N / Not Given options, at least one of each will be used. Look at the series of answers below. If you are sure that questions 1-4 have been correctly attempted, then the final answer MUST be Not Given as it has not yet been used.

  1. Y /  N  / Not Given
  2. Y /   /  Not Given
  3. Y /  N  /  Not Given
  4. Y /  N  /  Not Given
  5. Y /  N  /  Not Given

When we read there are some high frequency words which we know without having to ‘decode’ them. Words such as: and, because, sometimes, get, are most likely in everyone’s list of words which don’t need any effort to recognise. These words are in our sight vocabulary, those that we do not recognise, such as Madame Issac PeriereAsa Griggs Candler, 1896 AD, £14.6 million, are very often the answers to IELTS questions. We can use this to help to locate answers by scanning for either unrecognised words or specific words. See how quickly you can find the name of the place where the coldest temperature in the UK was recorded and what that temperature was?

The UK has what is known as a Northern Temperate climate. For its latitude it is relatively warm. The capital of Scotland, for example is Edinburgh, the temperature here varies from as low as -5°C for short periods to approximately 22°C in summer. This may not sound very warm; however, compared to Moscow, the capital of Russia, which lies on the same line of latitude as Edinburgh it is positively hot in winter. Moscow’s winter temperature regularly drops to below -10°C for weeks on end. There are, however, some places in the UK which do display more severe weather. The small town of Braemar, also in Scotland, regularly sees very low temperatures due to a freak of its geography. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the UK was in Braemar during winter 1982 when it plummeted to -27.2°C. Perversely, the town also regularly holds the record for both lowest and highest temperatures recorded in the UK during one day.

Endiburgh Airport

(Written by Ian Paul from data supplied by http://world-weather-and-climate.com, accessed 18/11/2015)

In some texts you are required to choose suitable headings for sections or individual paragraphs. These do mean you may have to read a little more than other question types. However, there will not be an exercise like this in all three passages.

You should also only use information from the text to inform your answer, even if it is about something you have studied or that you know very well. Do not be tempted to bring in extra information, all the information you need to answer the questions is in the texts.

You may read a word that you do not know. Do not worry about this, the meaning is usually available through context. If you need to know the meaning of a less frequent word in order to complete a task there may be a glossary at the bottom of the page. A glossary is a ‘mini dictionary’ giving definitions of more difficult words in a text. Alternatively there might be an explanation in the following sentence, such as you have just read to help explain the meaning of glossary.

Finally, the test is marked positively, in other words if you get an answer incorrect your score does not go down, it merely does not increase. Use this to your advantage and guess any questions you really get stuck with, or are running out of time with, you never know, the guess could be the difference of a band score.

So, to summarise, only read what you need to, the questions are a must, as is the first introductory paragraph and the topic sentences of the other paragraphs. Use the knowledge of the layout of the text to guide you to where the answers are. Use scanning techniques to locate words from the questions not in your sight vocabulary, these are often the answers. Never leave any blanks on your answer sheet

Good luck with your test.

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Our courses will enable you to achieve a high score in the IELTS Academic English test.

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SLC IELTS Writing Exam Guidelines Task 1

SLC IELTS Writing Exam Guidelines Task 1

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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 requires you to write a report on a set of data in 150 words in 20 minutes.

Types of IELTS Task 1:

There are 6 different types of data graphs/charts/diagrams that can come up in the exam and these are shown below.

Charts

How to Structure your Task 1 Answer

  1. It is very important that you (a) read the instructions carefully to understand what is required and (b) fully answer the question. A typical Task 1 answer should have:

    1. Introduction
    2. Overview
    3. Main Body

1. The Introduction

The introduction is usually very simple to write, as it should only explain what the chart/graph shows. To do this, the question should be paraphrased. This means it should be rewritten using your own words. 1 or 2 sentences is enough!

For example, if task description is: ‘The bar chart shows the number of overseas students enrolled in a Computer Science course at a Canadian college in 2010’.

A good way to paraphrase it would be: ‘The bar graph illustrates how many overseas students took a course in Computer Science at a specific school in Canada in a given year, 2010’.

Let’s have a look at another example:

Task description: The line graph shows the proportion of the population aged 65 and over between 1940 and 2040 in three different countries.

Introduction (paraphrase): The given line chart details the percentages of the elderly population in three different countries over 100 years, from 1940 to 2040.

The introduction should only take a maximum of 2-3 minutes to write!

2. The Overview

The overview is a paragraph which contains the key points and features of the chart/graph. It is very important as it directly affects the criteria called Task Achievement. In fact, it will be impossible to get above band 5 in that criteria if there is no overview.

The overview statement can go at the beginning or the end of the report. It shows that you can identify the most important points from the graph. No numbers/percentages are needed, only the most significant features.

Below is an example.

The line graph shows thefts per thousand vehicles in four countries between 1990 and 1999.

Line Graph 1990 and 1999

To show the key points, you should point out that in the given period,

  1. car theft in Great Britain was a lot higher compared to the other countries and
  2. Sweden was the only country to have more car thefts at the end of the decade compared to the beginning and therefore show an overall upward trend.

So, in this case, a good overview could be:

Overall, it can be seen that car thefts were far higher in Great Britain than in the other three countries throughout the 1990s, but that Sweden is the only country that showed a rise in numbers of thefts over the time concerned.

Writing an overview should take 3 minutes maximum!

3. The Main Body

The main body is where all the details are described – numbers, dates, percentages, and comparisons.

It is important to have 2 paragraphs and to identify similarities as well as differences. To do this you should group data together where there are trends or patterns. It is important that you bear in mind the time period described in the graph as this will determine the correct tenses to be used.

Here is an example (using the same line chart as above) of how to start the first paragraph:

What can be seen from the graph is that car thefts in Sweden, France and Canada started at a similar level at the beginning of the decade, at around 6 to 8 incidences per 1,000 vehicles. However, whereas the trend in Sweden was generally upwards, numbers in France and Canada saw a steady decline. By 1992, car thefts in Sweden overtook those of France and Canada and then rose steadily to around 13 per 1,000 cars by 1999. In France and Canada, there was a slight increase from 1993, with France rising more quickly to 1995, at which point it dropped gradually to equal the rate for Canada by the end of the decade at around 6 vehicles.

The second paragraph could then talk about Britain, describing the key trends and comparing it briefly with the other countries.

You should spend around 10 minutes on writing the Main Body.

Plan your Time in the Exam

You should spend 20 minutes on Task 2 in the exam. It is important that you organise your time well, you need enough time to brainstorm, plan, write and check/edit your essay.

Here is an example of how to plan your time

Brainstorm/Understand the question2 min
Plan1 min
Write15 min
Edit/Check2 mins

How is IELTS Task 1 graded?

IELTS Task 1 is graded on 4 criteria.

  1. Task Achievement – did you answer the question?
  2. Coherence and Cohesion – does your answer make sense? Have you organized the information clearly?
  3. Lexical Resource – have you used a wide range of vocabulary? Have you paraphrased well?
  4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy – have a you used a good range of grammar? Is your grammar accurate?

How can you Prepare for Task 1?

  1. Practice, practice, practice! Practice is the best way to improve. Also, reading past papers is very useful. There are many websites/course books/YouTube videos where you can do this!

 

  1. Learn the words which describe trends, for example:

 

  • A steady/gradual/sharp + noun in..
  • A rise/increase/growth in
  • A fall/decrease/drop in

 

  1. Learn different ways of comparing things, such as:

 

  • Whereas (idea 1), (contrasting idea 2)
  • Although/even though (idea 1), (contrasting idea 2)
  • Compared to (idea 1), (contrasting idea 2)
  • (Idea 1). However, (contrasting idea 2)

Want to pass the IELTS exam? We can help!

IELTS Preparation with Specialist Language Courses

We are IELTS preparation specialists. Our uniquely effective course design and delivery offers an unparalleled range of Medical- and exam-focused courses and tests.

 

Our courses will enable you to achieve a high score in the IELTS Academic English test.

Not sure what’s best for you? Then get in touch!

Specialist Language Courses (SLC) are experts in both IELTS and OET preparation. We work with thousands of candidates every year and specialise in working with healthcare professionals. Clients include many NHS Trusts and private healthcare groups in the UK.

Call or email SLC to talk about your OET and IELTS options.

 

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get updates and get the latest materials on Medical English, OET and IELTS

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SLC IELTS Writing Exam Guidelines Task 2

SLC IELTS Writing Exam Guidelines Task 2

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What is Writing Task 2?

Writing Task 2 requires you to write an essay in a minimum 250 words in 40 minutes. You should aim to write between 260 and 300 words. Click here to go to Writing Task 1.

What is an essay?

An essay is a piece of writing about a particular topic. It is a formal in style and is what students usually write when at school or at university.

What makes a good essay?

Although there are different approaches to writing essays, good essays all share some common features

  • Answer the question
  • Easy to understand
  • Clear paragraphs
  • Well signposted
  • Specific examples and supporting ideas

In the IELTS exam, you should aim to write an essay which illustrates your ideas on the topic and fully answers the essay question.

Types of IELTS Academic Essay

While, all good essays share similar structural features, there are different types of academic essays in the IELTS exam. In order to prepare for the exam, you should be familiar with the different types of academic essays listed below

  • Advantage and Disadvantage
  • Opinion
  • Discussion
  • Problem/Cause and Solution
  • Specific Questions, for example:

“There are many different types of music in the world today. Why do we need music? Is the traditional music of a country more important than the International music that is heard everywhere these days?”[1]

[1] Source: Cambridge Practice Tests for IELT 1. CUP. 1996. (Page 32)

For every IELTS essay, it is vital to read and understand the question. When you plan your essay, you must plan to answer all parts of the question. For example, a problem/solution essay that does not include any possible solutions cannot gain full marks.

Each IELTS essay includes the same instructions for supporting your ideas and providing evidence:

“Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.”

You do not need specialist knowledge of a subject in order to get a high score in an IELTS Task 2 essay.  You can use examples from your own knowledge and experience. However, you should not give personal examples from your own life. You should write in an ‘academic style’ and this does not involve personal details.

How to Structure your Essay

An essay must have clear, well-organised paragraphs that are relevant to the essay question. You should organise your ideas into 4 – 5 paragraphs.

  • Introduction
  • Main paragraph 1
  • Main Paragraph 2
  • Main Paragraph 3
  • Conclusion

When you plan and write your essay, you should make sure that each paragraph is relevant to the essay question. You do not need to include your own personal opinion in each paragraph, but you should make your ideas clear. Your paragraphs should follow a logical order and you should make sure there is a clear progression to your ideas.

How to Structure Paragraphs

Each paragraph in your essay must be clearly organised and structured.  A well-constructed paragraph includes a topic sentence and ideas which support your topic sentence.

  1. topic sentence is a sentence that states the main topic of your paragraph. Each topic sentence must be directly linked to the essay question.
  2. Supporting ideas are sentences that support the main idea in a paragraph, supporting ideas usually include specific examples or reasons to support the main point. You should have 2 or 3 supporting ideas for each paragraph.

The Writing Process

All good writers follow a process when writing. It is vital you develop these skills when preparing for your IELTS Academic exam. Following the stages in the writing process will help you to write coherent, concise essays that answer the question in a logical way.

In the IELTS exam, you should follow these steps:

1. Brainstorm

The first stage helps you understand the question and make notes on all of your ideas related to the topic. This is a free process which helps you develop ideas.

There are different ways to make notes during the brainstorm stage; many writers choose to use a mindmap. 

Brainstorm

2. Plan

After you have finished the brainstorm stage, you should organise your ideas and make a paragraph plan.  At the planning stage, you should select the best and most relevant ideas from the brainstorm. You probably won’t need all of the ideas from the brainstorm.

A paragraph plan should be notes of key words; you do not need to write full sentences in a plan. At the planning stage, you should also make a note of the examples and supporting ideas you will include in each paragraph.

3. Write

After you have planned your essay, you are ready to write. Make sure you follow your plan and check that each paragraph has a clear, logical and coherent structure.

4. Edit

It is vital to edit your essay. At the editing stage, you should check your work for accuracy – grammar and vocabulary – and make sure that each paragraph is relevant and directly linked to the essay question.

If you find some mistakes when you are editing, you should cross out the incorrect answer and write in the correct answer. You are not permitted to take eraser fluid into the exam.

Plan your Time in the Exam

You should spend 40 minutes on Task 2 in the exam. It is important that you organise your time well, you need enough time to brainstorm, plan, write and check/edit your essay.

Here is an example of how to plan your time

Brainstorm/Understand the question5 minutes
Plan5
Write20
Edit/Check10

While you are preparing for the IELTS exam, you should write practice essays in 40 minutes. This will give you a good idea of how you can use your time effectively during the exam.

How are IELTS Essays Graded?

IELTS essays are graded on 4 criteria.

1. Task Response

Task response looks at how well you answer the essay question. The examiner checks that you have presented a clear position – your opinion and ideas are evident throughout your essay – and that you have supported your main ideas with examples.

2. Coherence and Cohesion

Your essay should be logically organised and your ideas and paragraphs should link together. The examiner checks that you have one clear idea per paragraph and relevant supporting ideas and examples.

As part of this, the examiner also checks you have used a variety of cohesive devices to link paragraphs together and to link your ideas within each paragraph?

3. Lexical Resource

Lexical resource is about vocabulary.  The examiner checks you have used words and phrases that are connected to the topic. You should use a wide variety of vocabulary and you should avoid repeating words. The examiner checks your work for errors in word type (noun/verb/ adjective) and spelling. If you make frequent errors in these areas, it is unlikely you will score a band 7.

4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy

You should include a variety of grammatical structures to express your ideas in your essay.  The examiner will look at the range of different grammar points and their accuracy. If you make frequent mistakes with simple grammatical structures and punctuation, it is unlikely you will score a band 7.

Results

Your essay receives a band score for each of the 4 criteria; this is then averaged to create a single band score for Writing Task 2. The band scores from Task 1 and Task 2 will be combined and weighted to give one overall band score for Writing.

How can you Prepare for the IELTS Writing Task 2?

1. Read, Read, Read!

Reading academic texts and essays will help you to become familiar with the style and structure you are expected to use in the exam.

2. Learn how to write Different Types of Essay

Become familiar with the different types of essay for the IELTS exam. Review and study how to structure each type of essay and complete lots of practice essays.

3. Learn Topic-specific Vocabulary

Although you cannot anticipate the specific question in the IELTS, there are some common topic areas you can review before the exam. These include:

  • Education
  • Crime
  • Environment
  • Work and training

4. Learn B2 and C1 level Grammar

In order to get a band 7 in the IELTS writing exam, you must use complex grammatical structures. If the sentences that you use are too simple or contain too many mistakes, it is unlikely you will score a band 7. You should study grammatical structures that are presented at B2 and C1 level. These include the following:

  • The passive voice
  • Conditionals (if…)
  • Modals (will, would, may, might, can, could, shall, should, must)
  • Relative clauses
  • Inversion

If you are not sure what these are, speak to your teacher or look them up.

5. Learn how to Use Cohesive Devices

Learn and revise a variety of phrases to link your ideas. Practise using these phrases in a sentence and learn and understand the grammatical structure that follows a linking phrase.

For example, “In spite of increasing the number of buses available in the city centre, London still suffers from lengthy traffic jams during rush hour.”

The phrase here is “In spite of + verb+ing/noun phrase”

Practice using these:

  • Introducing a contrasting idea: in contrast, in comparison, however, although, whereas
  • Ordering ideas: firstly, secondly, finally, next
  • Adding information or another idea: furthermore, in addition, also, as well as
  • Giving an example: for example, for instance, such as, to illustrate this
  • To show the result of something: as a result, consequently, therefore

How to Ace the IELTS Listening Test – Preparation is key

How to Ace the IELTS Listening Test – Preparation is key

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Students generally think that the IELTS listening paper is going to be the easiest, however often find its fast pace challenging.

Try these techniques to get yourself prepped for the big day!

Listen to English Radio and Podcasts:

Listening to English is always going to be the best way to prepare for an English Listening Test. However, you don’t need to bore yourself by continuously listening to dry practice tests or dull old scripts! With the internet your options are endless, there are radio and podcasts for every category/topic, most of which can be downloaded straight to your smartphone. Pick something that interests you and you’ll be more likely to stick to it!

You’ll find a great selection of podcasts in English via the links below:

Underline Important Words:

In the exam you will be given a few seconds to read the questions before listening to the recording. Try and get into the habit of underlining or circling important words within the question.

Look at this example question below and see if you can identify the key words:

You will hear an interview with Jane Sanders who sailed around the world last year.

Put a tick next to the correct answer

Jane wanted to do this trip to:

  • impress her friends
  • be the first woman to sail around the world alone
  • achieve a personal goal

By highlighting the words you focus on them and this enables you to recognise them more easily during the recording.

Don’t get stuck on one question:

Many candidates fall into the trap of getting stuck on one question and run out of time to do the rest. The recording is only played once, so if you don’t know the answer, move on and focus on getting the rest right!

Don’t fall at the last hurdle!

At the end of the test you have 10 minutes to correctly transfer your answers to the answer sheet. Take this time to make sure your spelling is accurate and fill in any blanks with guesses.

Three steps to success:
  • Listen to English radio and podcasts
  • In the exam underline key words and don’t get stuck on one question
  • Be accurate when transferring your answers to the answer sheet

By highlighting the words you focus on them and this enables you to recognise them more easily during the recording.

[Referenced from International House Blog – http://www.ihlondon.com/blog/posts/2015/how-to-prepare-for-the-ielts-listening-test/]