IELTS Academic

The necessity to qualify for English Language Proficiency tests is one of the foremost concerns of those who want to attain overseas education. One such exam out of the many is the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The students, who belong to countries where English is not an official language have to qualify for this test if they aspire to study abroad. One of the most prestigious competitive exams, IELTS is available under two formats namely, IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. IELTS Academic is taken by the individuals who possess a student visa and want to study abroad whereas the IELTS General Training is taken by the working professionals who are now employed under an organization abroad and intend to permanently settle there. Stay tuned to our blog to know more about the insights of Academic IELTS.

IELTS Academic: Overview 

The IELTS exam is bifurcated into 4 parts-Reading, Speaking, Writing and Listening on which students are evaluated. The tests for all the categories are taken separately and distinct scores for each section are given. The score band of ILETS Academic is a cumulative score of the 4 aforementioned sections and the maximum score one can fetch is 9. Just like any other exam, IELTS also has a set of parameters that one has to fulfil before giving this exam. Read our blog on IELTS Eligibility with FAQs to gain insight. Let us go through the exam pattern to get a better understanding of the test.

Click Here to register for Online IELTS classes and kickstart your career in the right direction!

Subscribe to Leverage IELTS for more such information

IELTS Academic Mean Performance

According to available IELTS data, IELTS Academic is taken by a bigger proportion of candidates than IELTS General Training. The majority of test takers aspire to travel to English-speaking countries in order to better their futures. In comparison to employment, test takers write IELTS Academic to pursue academic achievement in English-speaking countries.

According to the graph above, female test-takers outperform male test-takers in all parts. Every year, thousands of students take IELTS Academic in order to get admission to the world’s leading colleges. According to the statistics obtained, the average IELTS Academic score band is 6.1. To gain admission to the best universities in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or the United States, test takers must achieve a minimum score of 7 out of 9. It is also observed in the IELTS Academic writing portion, where test takers score the lowest. A thorough IELTS Preparation programme should be followed before taking the IELTS. It takes at least 6 months to achieve a good IELTS score. To improve, concentrate on weak areas.

IELTS Academic Exam Format

The dilemma regarding how to prepare for IELTS can be easily resolved once you understand the intricacies of the format of the exam. As discussed, there are 4 major sections in the test.  It is necessary to qualify each of the sections to get a promising score in the IELTS Academic. Be it Academic or General Training, students must remember that all the sections of the IELTS are time-bound tests. Thus, it is necessary to attempt all or the maximum number of questions in the given period of time only as no extra time will be given. Following is a critical analysis of the IELTS Academic test format: 

Listening

Under this section, candidates will be thoroughly evaluated on their listening ability. You will have to attentively listen to the recordings that will be played. In the listening test, there will be a total of 40 questions under 4 sections which the students have to solve in a duration of 30 minutes. 

• Section 1: A conversation between two people 
• Section 2: It will be a monologue based on everyday situations
• Section 3: In the educational or training context, a conversation between 4 people will be given 
• Section 4: A monologue on an academic topic will be given 

Speaking

Considered as one of the trickiest sections in the exam, the IELTS Academic Speaking section test will be more like an interview. The maximum duration of the test will be around 15 minutes and it would include questions on general topics. Here are the details of the probable IELTS speaking questions under this section:

• Part 1: General Introduction 
• Part 2: Individual Long Turn (In this part, you will have to speak on a particular topic)
• Part 3: Two-way discussion (It would be an interactive session wherein the examiners will put forward questions related to the topic of Part 2)

Reading 

Although the Reading section of the IELTS Academic exam is comparatively easier than the others, it requires a great amount of concentration to comprehend the plausible answers from the passages. There will be 3 long reading passages including 40 questions with a time limit of 40 minutes. 

Academic Reading Practice Test PDF

Writing 

It is the best platform to showcase your skills and proficiency in the language. By writing thoroughly in this section, you can impress the examiners and score well. You will be presented with parts 1 and part 2. Here are the details regarding the IELTS Academic Writing section:

• Part 1: Elaborate on the information given in a graph, table, chart or diagram
• Part 2: This would be an essay question

Academic Writing Test PDF

Academic Sample Papers

IELTS Academic requires much practice in order to achieve a high overall band score. Test takers will need to practise study tools available online in addition to books. To gain a general concept of the exam, practise IELTS sample papers.

Whether Academic or General, IELTS is a crucial examination on which your dream of obtaining higher education in top universities relies. Thus, it is important that one must wisely select the best books for IELTS preparation and should consult experienced professionals in the domain. Amid the havoc of COVID-19, our experts at Leverage Edu are here to provide you with interactive IELTS Academic preparation sessions through live classes, test series, and one-on-one sessions with industry experts!