IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. If English is not your first language, the IELTS test allows you to demonstrate that your English-language skills are sufficient to study in English at a university or other educational establishment. There are no entry requirements for the test and you can resit the exam as often as you like.
There are two test versions:
the Academic Module
the General Training module
If you want to study at a university, you should opt for the Academic Module. If you want to undertake training or secondary school education, the General Training Module is recommended.
IELTS classes The University of Worcester Language Centre can help you prepare for the IELTS test. The Centre runs 6-week courses that consist of two two-hour evening classes per week. Sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 18:00-20.00. The fee is £160.
If you are interested in this course, please contact us at languagecentre@worc.ac.uk with your details, so we can provide you with further information. Depending on the number of enquiries received, our next course will run from 28th September until 4th November 2010.
Clickherefor further information, including how to contact us and register for a course.
The listening test consists of 40 questions and lasts for 30 minutes. You will be asked to:
complete notes (using no more than 2-3 words)
choose the best answer out of 3-4 options
select answers from a list (2 answers from 6 choices)
complete a summary (using no more than 3 words)
say whether an answer is true or false
complete a diagram
Tip Always read and follow the instructions for each type of question carefully before answering the questions. By not following the instructions and for instance, using 4 instead of 3 words, you will lose marks.
Practice material
Click on 'Listening test practice material' to practise for the listening module with exam-style material.
Source The listening material has been taken from the undergraduate module Research Methods, which you can choose as part of a degree course in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Worcester (code: MECS2002, click here for more information about this module)
5
Reading module
Below you will find:
Information about the reading test
Reading test practice material
General information
The reading test (Academic Module) consists of 3 passages about which you need to answer 40 questions in total. You get 60 minutes to answer the questions.
The following types of question may be asked:
matching paragraph headings
matching text content to paragraphs
short answers
multiple choice ( 3/4 choices)
sentence completion ( no more than 3 words)
classifying items
yes/no/not given
true/false/not given
completion of notes, summary, diagram, flow chart, table (no more than 3 words)
matching lists/phrases
selecting from a list
identifying writer's opinion/ideas
Tip First read a question and then scan the text to locate the part with the answer. When scanning you are looking for particular information, such as names, dates or specific phrases, without actually reading the text.
Practice material
Click on 'Reading test practice material' to practise for the reading module with exam-style material.
The examiner will ask you questions about yourself, on topics such as:
family
background
current situation
hobbies
skills
abilities
future aims
ambitions
You can prepare yourself by thinking about various subjects, which tenses you will use to describe your answers, any specific items of vocabulary. Questions you can expect are: Where are you from? How long have you been studying English? Why are you taking the IELTS exam? Which university/course would you like to apply to? Do you come from a large family? What hobbies do you enjoy? Do you have any children/pets? Do you enjoy sports? What do you like doing in your free time?
Tip Try to give more information in your answer; give reasons or explain the situation clearly and without too much hesitation. You do not need to ask the examiner questions – they are examining you. If you realise you have made a mistake, correct yourself. Use a range of vocabulary, tenses and grammatical structures.
Practice material
Click on 'Speaking test part 1 practice material A/B'to practise for this section of the speaking module.
You are given a card with the topic for your talk written on it. The instructions tell you to talk about the topic for 1 to 2 minutes. You have a minute to prepare what you are going to say and you can make notes in this time if you want to. At the end of your talk, the examiner will ask you one or two questions to conclude this part of the test.
Sample topic card Describe an occasion; this could be a lesson or an incident, when you learned something particularly valuable or memorable. You should say:
when it happened
what particularly did you learn
why you remember this particular learning experience
Examples of follow-up questions: Do you think you were a good student in school? Have you learnt much from your parents?
Practice material
Click on 'Speaking test part 2 practice material' to practise for this section of the speaking module.
The examiner will ask you further questions related to the topic in Part 2, to promote a discussion of wider issues.
Tip Don't be afraid to take the initiative in part three of the speaking test. This is your chance to demonstrate how fluent you are, how well you can give and support your opinion and how extensive your vocabulary and grammatical knowledge is.
Practice material
Click on 'Speaking test part 3 practice material' to practise for this section of the speaking module.
Welcome to the University of Worcester's
Guest User