IELTS - The International English Language Testing System
As an international student, English is probably your second language, or even your third. Most universities in Ireland require you to provide some proof showing your mastery in the English Language. You can prove your expertise by taking an English Language Test. IELTS and TOEFL are the two most widely accepted scores by universities in Ireland for English language assessments. These exams are recognized by most universities in Ireland. These standardized English language exams assess – reading, speaking, writing and listening abilities. Both of these exams are widely acknowledged by the universities in Ireland and have somewhat similar testing patterns, but we personally recommend the IELTS as a better option.
This section will help you out with all the phases involved in the IELTS exam.
IELTS - The International English Language Testing System
As an international student, English is probably your second language, or even your third. Most universities in Ireland require you to provide some proof showing your mastery in the English Language. You can prove your expertise by taking an English Language Test. IELTS and TOEFL are the two most widely accepted scores by universities in Ireland for English language assessments. These exams are recognized by most universities in Ireland. These standardized English language exams assess – reading, speaking, writing and listening abilities. Both of these exams are widely acknowledged by the universities in Ireland and have somewhat similar testing patterns, but we personally recommend the IELTS as a better option.
This section will help you out with all the phases involved in the IELTS exam.
Typical time required: 2-8 weeks
Test Fee: Rs. 12,100- Rs. 13,250 as of June 2019
Before You Start
- Note down the minimum IELTS band score necessary to be eligible to apply for the master’s program of your choice.
- Some universities may also have a minimum band score per section.
- The IELTS language test can be attempted as either a computer-based exam or a paper-based one.
Required Documents
- Your Passport
- Credit/Debit card
- List of 5 universities to which the TRFs are to be sent (optional)
Step by step guide
- Visit the official website for the IELTS Test Registration.
- Go to the “Find Test Date” option and give the criteria mentioned below and click on ‘Find’.
- Date: Enter the month you will be attempting the test (e.g. May 2017)
- Town/City: Select the location closest to you(e.g. Bengaluru)
- Module: Academic
- As you need this exam for the Master's application, you need to write the Academic Module.
- (Find test date and check availability): You will then get a list of available dates at your chosen town and the respective fee of the exam. If nothing is displayed, change the city or the test date and retry. Choose a suitable date and ‘Apply’ for the test.
- TERMS & CONDITIONS: Read the Terms and Conditions well, check the radio box and click ‘Continue’.
- CANDIDATE DETAILS: Enter the candidate information correctly. Almost every field is self-explanatory. Fill in all the critical details as they appear in your Passport. Then click on ‘Continue’.
- Once again go through all the details. Make sure your name and passport details are spelt correctly in Candidate details.
- PAYMENT DETAILS: You can pay using a debit/credit card. This is a convenient option.
- You can also choose to pay offline. In this case, the fee needs to be paid within the following three days. You can pay by cash at any ICICI Branch by filling in an ICICI challan. You can also pay by a DD by the name of “British Council” (payable at ‘New Delhi’).
After You Register
- You will get an email confirming the payment receipt. It will also contain access details to a free online IELTS preparation course called “Road to IELTS Points”.
- Your chosen Test Centre will send you a written confirmation of the test venue, date and time, about a week before the test.
- The Speaking test time may be either on the same day as the other three sections or be conducted on a different day as well. This would be within a 7-day window, any time before or after the written test. The test centre will also inform you about the Speaking test venue, date and time.
On the Test Day
- Arrive 20 mins earlier for the IELTS Exam. It will give you some time to calm down your nerves and get ready for the exam.
- At the test venue, the IELTS test staff will check your Passport. If you haven’t carried your Passport, you shall not be permitted to attempt the test.
- Mostly, your photograph will be clicked on the test day (for security purpose).
- Once you are present at the test centre, switch off any electronic devices you have. You will be instructed to keep all your personal items in a separate location. You shall only be permitted to take with you a pen/pencil, a sharpener, an eraser and your ID proof (Passport) on your desk.
- The Reading, Listening, and Writing sections are carried over a total duration of 2 hours 40 minutes, and there will be no/small breaks between each section. Speaking section takes about 11-14 minutes (mostly scheduled on a different day).
Test Results
- The IELTS band score (‘band’ from 1 to 9) is an indicator of your proficiency in the English language.
- The IELTS test results will be available after 13 calendar days from the day you have attempted the test. Test centres will send you the Test Report Form (TRF) by postal services about 13 days after the test.
- You can also view your results on their online portal 13 calendar days after the date of the test. The results remain online for 28 days.
- You need to have information like your test date, date of birth, your passport number and the candidate number to check the results online.
- You can request for five additional Test Report Forms (TRFs) to be sent to your preferred Colleges/Universities within a month of taking the IELTS exam.
Useful Tips
- It typically takes anywhere between two weeks to two months to prepare for the IELTS exam, depending on your current level of proficiency in the English language. Also, it takes 13 calendar days for the test results to be announced. If you need to submit the IELTS report along with your Master’s application, plan your exam date accordingly.
- If you are not sure if the IELTS exam is mandatory for the course you are interested in, search the university website, email the admissions committee of the University asking for the information. If you still don’t get the exact information, take the test and send your scores anyway.
- Attempt mock tests to get an idea of the exam.
- You can predict the overall band score using this IELTS score calculator when you do your mock tests.
- An overall test band score of 6.0 is usually the minimum requirement for the majority of the master’s program in Ireland.
- You can submit your IELTS scores to five colleges/universities within a month of your test results. Contact your test center for further queries.
- The IELTS TRF has a validity of two years.
- You can write the IELTS exam any number of times, and you can forward your best scores to the universities. But repeatedly writing the exam may/may not affect your results unless you identify your weaknesses based on your test report form.
Resources
You have many free resources available online to help you get the best score possible. A dedicated self-study should help you perform well at the IELTS. The resources mentioned below cover every aspect pertaining to the IELTS test.
You should make the optimum use of the free online preparation course – Road to IELTS. It offers four informative e-books, nine practice tests and advice videos given by the British Council IELTS experts. It will give you insights into your core strengths and weaknesses via tables and graphs.
Websites
Facebook Groups
YouTube Channels
Smartphone Apps
Websites
Facebook Groups
YouTube Channels
Smartphone Apps
Links and Downloads
