Top Information For IELTS Writing

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is something that many people around the world take prior to entering a college or university or for a general training program. There are many different reasons why someone may have to take the test prior to interacting with the location that is supplying the test. A main portion of this test is the IELTS writing exam.

The IELTS was developed in 1989 and is used in two different formats. The first is for students to use to verify that they are proficient enough at the English language that they can understand the course material. The second format is used in several countries to show that a prospective immigrant understands enough English to communicate in their country.

Testing is broken into four parts, speaking, writing, reading, and listening. The total duration of the entire testing procedure is two hours and forty five minutes with each category being broken into specifically timed segments. Scoring is by a band rating which ranges from 0 for not attempting the test to 9 for being an expert user.

For the writing portion the test taker is given 60 minutes to complete the test. It does not matter if the person is taking the academic or general test, the time and format of this section remains the same. There are different questions involved in the different types of testing though. The individual taking the test will have to complete two writing tasks, which require different writing styles.

When taking the general writing exam someone will have two questions to answer and write about. The first is to write a letter of 150 words and the second is to write an essay based on a given topic that is 250 words long. This is to be completed in 60 minutes.

If an individual is taking the academic version of the writing exam they will also have two questions to answer. The first will be at least 150 words written describing a graphic or picture that is shown. The second is a more intense challenge as it is at least 250 on a written argument on a given topic. This exam is 60 minutes so it is important to properly separate time between the two tasks.

The IELTS is a commonly given test to record the proficiency of the individual taking it. There are two variations that someone may see, the academic and the general. A person needs to prepare for the IELTS writing section of the exam by understanding the type of questions that may be asked.