Contents
For those who are taking the IELTS test for the first time, the test content, scores, points, etc. are of concern. It is important to collect information in advance in order to aim for a high score in the test.
In this article, questions such as "How are IELTS scores scored?" And "I want to know more about the test contents of each part" are solved at once! By grasping and preparing the outline of the exam, you will be able to obtain the scores necessary for studying abroad and finding employment.
- What is the IELTS score?
- Test content and score allocation for each part
- If you can understand the listening score of IELTS
What is the IELTS score?
What I hear in IELTS is "band score" and "overall score". Here, we will explain each score in detail.
IELTS band score
IELTS consists of four skill tests: listening, reading, writing and speaking. The feature is that each test is evaluated with a score of 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest), not the evaluation of passing or failing as in Eiken. Scores are given in 0.5 increments. The table below is an officially announced evaluation of each score by IELTS.
| 9 Expert user | Has the ability to use English freely. He is also proper, accurate, fluent and fully understanding. |
| 8 Very good users | Although there are some inaccuracies and inadequacy, he has the ability to use English freely. Misunderstandings can occur in unfamiliar situations. It can handle complicated discussions. |
| 7 Excellent users | He has the ability to use English, although it may be inaccurate and inadequate and may be misunderstood in some situations. Can handle complicated language and understand detailed logic. |
| 6 Competent users | Although there are some inaccuracies, inadequacies, and misunderstandings, he generally has the ability to use English effectively. Especially under familiar circumstances, you can use and understand fairly complex language. |
| 5 Medium users | Incomplete but capable of using English, he can get a rough idea of the meaning in most situations. However, they often make mistakes. It is possible to have basic communication in one's specialty. |
| 4 Limited users | Only in familiar situations can you demonstrate your basic abilities. Problems of comprehension and expressiveness are frequently seen. I can't use complicated words. |
| 3 Very limited users | Can convey and understand only general meanings in very accustomed situations. Communication breaks occur frequently. |
| 2 Sporadic users | In a familiar situation, it is impossible to communicate realistically except to convey extremely basic information in one word in order to deal with the need on the spot. It is difficult to understand English conversations and sentences. |
| 1 Non-user | It is only a list of words and basically does not have the ability to use English. |
Source: IELTS Official Website | IELTS 9-grade evaluation (band score)
IELTS overall score
The average score obtained by summing the individual band scores of each skill and dividing by 4 is the "overall band score". The score is calculated in increments of 0.5. If the number after the decimal point is 0 to less than 0.25, it will be rounded down, if it is 0.25 to less than 0.75, it will be converted to 0.5, and if it is 0.75 or more, it will be rounded up. Let's look at the following example.
(Example 1)
When the acquired score is as follows:
-Listening 6.5
-Reading 7.0
-Writing 5.0
-Speaking 6.5
Average score = (6.5 + 7.0 + 5.0 + 6.5) ÷ 4 = 6.25
However, if the number after the decimal point is 0.25, it will be converted to 0.5, so the overall band score will be 6.5.
(Example 2)
When the acquired score is as follows:
-Listening 7.0
-Reading 6.5
-Writing 7.0
-Speaking 6.5
Average score = (7.0 + 6.5 + 7.0 + 6.5) ÷ 4 = 6.75
However, if the number after the decimal point is 0.75 or more, it will be rounded up, so the overall band score will be 7.0.
Test content and score allocation for each part
IELTS test divided into 4 parts. It is important to know the test content of each part in order to get a high score. Once you know what kind of questions you will be asked, you will be well prepared in advance. Here, we will explain the test contents of each part and the score allocation.
listening
I think one of the parts that Japanese people are not good at is listening. I want to get used to English on a daily basis and reduce my weaknesses as much as possible. The listening method differs depending on whether you are taking the paper exam or the computer exam, so choose the one that suits you best. If you are taking a computer exam, you can use headphones, which has the advantage of being easy to concentrate and listen to.
Here, let's take a look at the test contents, scoring method, score allocation, etc. of the listening test.
Test content
You will be given 30 minutes for the listening test and 10 minutes for writing the answers on the form. The exam consists of four conversations and monologues in English with various accents such as Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada, with a focus on British English. There are 10 questions in each section, for a total of 40 questions, and you can only listen to the audio once.
・ Section 1: Daily conversation by 2 speakers
・ Section 2: Monologue of daily scenes such as announcements of public facilities ・
Section 3: Conversation by 2 to 4 speakers at educational institutions such as professors and students, students, etc.
Section 4: Monologue of academic content such as university lectures
There are four main problem types:
・ Multiple choice problem
・ Matching problem
・ Drawing, map, chart labeling problem
・ Form, memo, table, flowchart, summary fill-in-the-blank problem
Scoring method and score allocation
In the listening test, it is evaluated whether you can understand the main points of the conversation, the opinions and attitudes of the speakers, and the development of the conversation. The number of correct answers in all 40 questions will be converted into a score. The score allocation is as follows.
| band score | The number of correct answers |
|---|---|
| 9.0 9.0 | 39-40 |
| 8.5 8.5 | 37-38 |
| 8.0 8.0 | 35-36 |
| 7.5 7.5 | 32-34 |
| 7.0 7.0 | 30-31 |
| 6.5 6.5 | 26-29 |
| 6.0 6.0 | 23-25 |
| 5.5 5.5 | 18-22 |
| 5.0 5.0 | 16-17 |
| 4.5 4.5 | 13-15 |
| 4.0 4.0 | 10-12 |
| 3.5 3.5 | 8-9 |
| 3.0 3.0 | 6-7 |
| 2.5 | 4-5 |
Source: BERKELY HOUSE ｜ Overview of listening section
If you aim for a score of 6.5, you need to answer 26 to 29 questions correctly.
Reading
The correct/incorrect question-style reading is a part where the more you study, the easier it is to aim for a higher score. However, since the test time is long, the point is to maintain concentration. Let's grasp the questioning tendency of the question and learn repeatedly using reference books. Here, we will explain the test contents, scoring method, score allocation, etc. of the reading part.
Test content
The reading test time is 60 minutes. Three long sentences including graphs, charts, and images will be given, and 13 to 14 questions will be given for each long sentence, for a total of 40 questions. Since one long sentence is about 900 words, you will read and answer about 2700 words in total. The genre of long sentences is wide-ranging, such as biology, medicine, geology, history, business, and philosophy, and it is characterized by highly specialized sentences quoted from books, magazines, newspapers, and so on.
There are five main question formats in the reading section:
・ TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
・ Multiple choice problem
・ Matching problem
・ Heading problem
・ Fill-in-the-blank problem
The question paper says that it is better to solve each of the three long sentences in 20 minutes, but in reality it is OK if the total is within 60 minutes. It is recommended that you do not rush and grasp your own pace distribution.
Scoring method and score allocation
Since the reading test is a correct/incorrect question, points are added for each correct answer. Therefore, the scoring method is different from the speaking and writing exams. The reading test is a test that measures a wide range of reading comprehension, such as reading the main points and details, speed reading, and discussion.
Please refer to the table below for the score allocation.
| band score | The number of correct answers |
|---|---|
| 9.0 9.0 | 39-40 |
| 8.5 8.5 | 37-38 |
| 8.0 8.0 | 35-36 |
| 7.5 7.5 | 33-34 |
| 7.0 7.0 | 30-32 |
| 6.5 6.5 | 27-29 |
| 6.0 6.0 | 23-26 |
| 5.5 5.5 | 19-22 |
| 5.0 5.0 | 15-18 |
| 4.5 4.5 | 13-14 |
| 4.0 4.0 | 10-12 |
| 3.5 3.5 | 8-9 |
| 3.0 3.0 | 6-7 |
| 2.5 | 4-5 |
Source: BERKELY HOUSE ｜ Overview of the reading section
If you aim for a score of 6.5, you need to answer 27 to 29 questions correctly.
Lighting
It takes some getting used to writing a cohesive amount of text. It is also recommended to practice writing what you want to say in English on a daily basis. By the way, IELTS has two exams, an academic module and a general module, and the writing exam has different questions.
Here, we will explain the writing test contents and scoring method of the academic module.
Test content
The writing test time is 60 minutes. Two questions, task 1 and task 2, will be asked.
Task 1: Summarize, explain, and describe charts and graphs (150 words or more)
Problem format
, summarize data,
explain processes,
summarize maps
Task 2: Essay (250 words or more)
Problem format
・ State how much you agree or disagree with an idea
・Discuss both issues and express your opinion about two ideas, A and B
・ Two for a topic answer the questions
The questions are suitable for those who want to go on to an overseas university or get a job at a specialized institution. Answer both tasks in a formal style. Estimated response time is about 20 minutes for task 1 and about 40 minutes for task 2. However, this is also a guideline time, so it is important to grasp your own time allocation as well as reading.
Scoring method and score allocation
The writing test is mainly evaluated based on the following four items.
| Response to the task |
・ Are you able to answer the question properly?
・ Are the ideas and conclusions clear? |
| Consistency |
・ Are the paragraphs properly structured?
・ Are conjunctions and adverbs used properly? |
| vocabulary |
・ Are you using the appropriate vocabulary?
・ Are you using the same vocabulary many times? |
| grammar |
・ Are you using proper grammar?
・ Are you using various syntaxes? |
These endpoints will be distributed at 25% each. The key to getting a high score is whether you can write easy-to-understand sentences that can be conveyed to the reader using appropriate English expressions. It is also important not to use difficult expressions, but to put them together in simple sentences.
Speaking
Like listening, many people are not good at speaking. Some people can understand it by following the text with their eyes, but they can't speak as if they were going to say it. Speaking practice is the same as muscle training. You need to practice speaking English over and over again. Here, we will explain the test contents and scoring method of the speaking test.
Test content
The IELTS speaking test is a one-on-one face-to-face test with the examiner, and the test time is about 10 to 14 minutes. You will need the ability to have short conversations with the examiner on familiar topics and to express your opinion on a particular topic. Not only will you be able to answer the question accurately, but you will also be checked to see if you have the power to spread the word. The exam consists of the following three parts:
Part 1: Questions about the examinee himself and questions about daily life (4-5 minutes)
・ Introduce yourself
・ Verify your identity with your passport
・ Answer questions about work, study, hobbies, family, etc.
Part 2: Speech (3-4 minutes)
-The examiner will hand you a card with the topic and points to include in the answer
-Read the card and prepare for the speech (1 minute)
-Speech (2 minutes)
- Answer the examiner's questions (2-3 questions)
Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)
・ Discuss the content of the speech in Part 2 more deeply
Scoring method and score allocation
Speaking test scoring is based on the following four criteria.
・ Fluency & coherence
・ Vocabulary resource
・ Grammatic range
・ Pronunciation
It determines whether you can speak without rephrasing or repeating, whether you can use words and idioms accurately and flexibly, and whether you can speak using different syntaxes. Also, the key to getting a high score is whether English is natural for native speakers.
No matter how high your grammar and vocabulary are, it will be difficult to get a high score such as 7.0 or higher unless you can pronounce naturally like a native speaker. It is recommended that you practice speaking in English on a regular basis, keeping in mind the correct pronunciation, accents, and ease of communication.
