Security, Integrity, Quality:

Celebrating 20 Years of IELTS

NAFSA Regional Conference

Fall 2009
IELTS Fundamentals

• Numbers
• Test format: Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking
• Band scoring system
• Stakeholder services
• Test center network
• Q&A
What is IELTS?

- assessment of communicative proficiency for study or work

- 2 modules - Academic and General Training
- the original four skills test
- over 1,200,000 global test takers in 2008
- Over 2,500 stakeholders in US, and 6,000 globally
- managed by 3 international partners
Global Candidature Breakdown 2008

25.0%

General

Academic

75.0%
“Top 10” Countries—Global Candidates 2008
• China
• India
• Australia
• UK
• Pakistan
• Hong Kong
• Philippines
• UAE
• Korea
• Bangladesh
IELTS is not a new test

• 1970s – ‘ELTS’ (English Language Testing Service) test

introduced by the British Council
• 1989 – international joint partnership formed
• 1995 - major content revision
• 2001 - revised speaking test
• 2005 - revised writing assessment
• 2005 - CBIELTS launch in some countries
• 2008 – new web administration system
• 2009 – 20th anniversary year!
IELTS Research

Alan Davies, Assessing Academic English: Testing English

Proficiency, 1950-1989—The IELTS Solution
Studies in Language Testing Series (Cambridge
University Press) Volume 23

Anthony Green, IELTS Washback in Context: Preparation for

Academic Writing in Higher Education
Studies in Language Testing Series (Cambridge
University Press) Volume 25
 Test Format
Total time = 2 hours 44 minutes

Listening
4 sections, 40 items (30 minutes)

Academic Reading General Training Reading

3 sections, 40 items (60 minutes) 3 sections, 40 items (60 minutes)

Academic Writing General Training Writing

2 tasks (60 minutes) 2 tasks (60 minutes)

Speaking
1:1 oral interview (11-14 minutes)
Listening
30 minutes, 40 questions

4 sections

• Sections dealing with social needs and educational or

training contexts

• IELTS includes a variety of native-speaker accents (North

American, British, Australian)

• Content vetted for cultural specificity and bias during test

production
Academic Reading
60 minutes, 40 questions
3 passages, 2,000-2,750 words total

• Authentic, non-specialist texts from journals, books, and

newspapers

• General interest topics that are interesting, appropriate, and

accessible to all test takers

• Technical terms are defined for test takers

Variety of task types = fairness in language testing

• short-answer questions
• sentence completion
• notes, summary, diagram, flow chart, table completion
• classification
• matching
• multiple choice
• identification of writers’ views, attitudes, claims
Academic Writing
60 minutes, 2 mandatory writing tasks

Writing Task 1 is 20 minutes, 150 words

y Describing visual information from a chart, table, graph or

diagram in the candidate’s own words

Writing Task 2 is 40 minutes, 250 words

y Present a solution to a problem, justify an opinion, compare

and contrast evidence or opinions, or evaluate and challenge
an argument or idea
Sample Task 1
The graph below shows the different modes of transport
used to travel to and from work in one European city in
1950, 1970 and 1990.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the
main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Sample Task 2

It is inevitable that as technology develops so traditional cultures

must be lost. Technology and tradition are incompatible - you
cannot have both together.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer.

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support
your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.
Writing Assessment Criteria

Written performance is assessed using detailed

performance descriptors on four analytical subscales for
assessment:

• Task Achievement or Task Response

• Cohesion and coherence
• Lexical resource
• Grammatical range and accuracy
Speaking
11-14 minutes

The speaking module assesses effective communication

in English and is conducted by an experienced ESL
professional who is trained and tested to examine, and
monitored
IELTS Speaking Test Format
Part 1 Examiner introduces him/herself and 4 - 5 minutes
Introduction and confirms candidate's identity.
Interview
Examiner interviews candidate using
verbal questions based on familiar topic
frames.
Part 2 Examiner asks candidate to speak for 3 - 4 minutes
Individual 1-2 minutes on a particular topic based (includes
long turn on written input in the form of a general 1 minute
instruction and content-focused preparation
prompts. Examiner asks one or two time)
questions at the end of the long turn.
Part 3 Examiner invites candidate to 4 - 5 minutes
Two-way participate in discussion of more
discussion abstract nature, based on verbal
questions, thematically linked to Part 2
prompt.
Sample Part 1
Introduction and Interview
Let’s talk about your home town or village.
• What kind of place is it?

• What’s the most interesting part of your town/village?

• What kind of jobs do people in your town/village do?

• Would you say it is a good place to live? [Why?]

Sample Part 2
Individual Long Turn

Describe a teacher or lecturer who has significantly inspired

you in your education.

You should say:

• where you met them
• what subject they taught
• what was special about them

Explain why this person inspired you.

Sample Part 3
Two-way Discussion
Developments in education
- (describe) changes over the last ten years in your country
- (compare) your experience of education with that of your parents or grandparents
- (speculate) on likely changes in the next fifty years
A national education system
- (describe) your country’s aims for education
- (compare) expectations of today’s school-leavers with previous generations
- (evaluate) advantages/disadvantages of grouping learners by ability
Different styles/methods of teaching and learning
- (describe) teaching styles/methods for different age-groups in your country
- (suggest) your preferred method of learning
- (evaluate) advantages/disadvantages of grouping learners by ability
Speaking Assessment Criteria

Spoken performance is assessed using detailed

performance descriptors on four analytical subscales for
assessment:

• Fluency and coherence

• Lexical resource
• Grammatical range and accuracy
• Pronunciation
IELTS band score descriptors
Nine band scoring system to measure and report
test scores consistently

9 Expert User
8 Very Good User
7 Good User
6 Competent User
5 Modest User
4 Limited User
3 Extremely Limited User
2 Intermittent User
1 Non User
0 Did Not Attempt the Test
Secure Score Reporting

- Either paper Test Report Form

(TRF) or electronic scores sent
directly to the receiving institution

- Test takers can order copies up

to 2 years following the test date
Stakeholder Benefits

Test Report Form Verification Site

Electronic Score Downloads
Online search
for
recognizing
organizations
The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Pellissippi State Community College, Knoxville, TN
USA Says Yes to IELTS

• campaign to inform candidates globally that they can

use their scores in over 2,500 US institutions

• 10 participating countries, including the largest senders

of US-bound students:
• China
• India
• Korea
• Taiwan
• Japan
How often is the test given?
• IELTS is offered up to 4 times per month
• Saturday and Thursday test dates available globally

How much does the test cost?

• US test fee $170
• Fees are set locally by country to reflect the local
economy and payable in local currency

Where can test takers find information on test centers

and dates?
• Search for your local test center on www.ielts.org.
• Register online!
US Test Center Network

• 39 locations in major metropolitan areas

• Test centers at ESL schools, university campuses,

community colleges

• On site testing at your location – we come to you!

• US test center network is expanding -

www.ieltsusa.org/becomecenter.html
Online Teaching
Resources:

• Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking
“IELTS Scores Explained” DVD
Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking

• Video excerpts and downloadable pdfs

• Band score descriptors in detail

• Samples of performance for each of the 4 modules

• Explanations and comments from senior examiners on the

scoring for each Writing and Speaking performance
“Official IELTS Practice Materials”

• Full sample Listening and Reading tests with keys

• Sample Academic and General Training Writing tasks,

rated with examiner comments

• Sample Speaking tests at different levels, with examiner

comments
How can we help you, your faculty and your students?

• Presentations to your faculty

• Presentations to your students

• On site testing

• Recognition process advice

IELTS International

ielts@ieltsintl.org
tel: 1 - 323 - 255 2771
www.ieltsusa.org

Support for Recognizing Organizations

US Test Center Network management

Your local test centers www.ielts.org

Florida Fort Lauderdale

Melbourne
Orlando
St Petersburg
Georgia Marietta
North Carolina Charlotte
Tennessee Murfreesboro
Questions ?

Daiva Berzinskas
IELTS Administrator
ELS Language Centers
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN
nsh@els.edu