Contents
There are many people who want to get a perfect score in IELTS, but how much English do you need to get a perfect score? In this article, we have summarized the difficulty level of IELTS perfect score, evaluation criteria, and what you need to get the perfect score.
There are two types of IELTS, academic modules and general modules, but this article explains what they have in common, so please refer to them.
What is the perfect score for IELTS? How does the score work?
IELTS is a test that evaluates the four skills of listening, reading, writing, and speaking in 0.5 increments with a score of 1-9. Listening and reading are graded by the examiner, and writing and speaking are graded by the examiner.
Since it is a format that evaluates English proficiency by score, there is no pass or fail like Eiken. The test time is about 170 minutes in total for all four skills, and not only English proficiency but also time allocation and concentration are required.
In addition, the individual evaluation of each of the four skills is called the "band score", and the overall evaluation is called the "overall". Overalls are characterized by being determined by the average band score. Please consider that the IELTS perfect score in this article is the overall evaluation of "Overall 9.0".
How difficult is the IELTS perfect score?
For those who aim for a perfect ELTS score, the difficulty level may be the most worrisome. The hurdle to get a perfect score in IELTS is very high, and it is said that it is difficult even for native speakers.
For example, admission to prestigious schools around the world, such as Oxford University and Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, is generally 7.5 or higher. 7.5 is a level that native speakers can finally acquire after taking IELTS measures. Aiming for a perfect score of 9.0 will take a lot of time and effort.
Also, since IELTS 7.5 is said to be 970 to 990 when converted to TOEIC, it can be seen that the perfect score of 9.0 is an area that cannot be converted by TOEIC.
Why is it said that IELTS cannot get the perfect score?
The reason why it is difficult to get a perfect score in IELTS is that "IELTS is an exam that cannot be passed by English ability alone".
For example, TA (Task Achievement) is one of the evaluation criteria for writing. This TA is an item that evaluates whether or not you are properly answered to what you are asked. Even if you have abundant vocabulary and can write advanced English sentences, you will not get a perfect score unless you understand the essence of the question and write an appropriate answer.
You should think that you cannot get a perfect score without not only writing skills but also understanding and logic.
In addition to improving your comprehension and logic, it is also important to understand the IELTS evaluation criteria, what points you should be aware of in order to get a perfect score.
What are the IELTS perfect score evaluation criteria and correct answer rate?
Here, we will take a closer look at the IELTS perfect score evaluation criteria and the percentage of correct answers.
Reading and listening require a correct answer rate of 97.5% or higher
In the previous section, I mentioned that "TA", which is one of the evaluation criteria for writing, is a barrier to getting a perfect score. Overalls 9.0 inevitably require high scores in reading and listening, as the walls that get the perfect score in writing are very high.
Specifically, each skill requires a correct answer rate of 97.5% or higher. Reading and listening each have 40 questions, and the exam time is 60 minutes for reading and 40 minutes for listening. Correct and incorrect questions are asked for each, and the maximum number of questions that can be mistaken is only one. While being aware of time allocation, accuracy is required to ensure that no mistakes are made.
It is safe to aim for 8.5 for writing! 9.0 is difficult
Writing is a big turning point in aiming for a perfect score in IELTS, and it is said that whether or not you can get 8.5 or higher here is the game.
For example, CC (Coherence and Cohesion) is another evaluation standard for TA introduced earlier. The feature of CC is that you can see the composition of sentences in detail, such as whether the paragraphs are divided in consideration of the reader. In addition, writing ability is measured from various aspects such as vocabulary and grammar.
Even natives are well-educated, and if you can't construct the structure logically, the perfect score is severe. Therefore, if you are aiming for a perfect score for IELTS, one strategy is to aim for 8.5 for the time being in writing. And it is a good idea to take 9.0 in other places and aim for overall 9.0.
Speaking is a level that does not work just by speaking English
Similar to the three skills introduced so far, speaking is a fairly high level test.
Speaking evaluation criteria include fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. In the speaking exam, the native speaker will act as an examiner, so it is a good idea to practice with a native instructor and become accustomed to the exam in advance.
Also, as a recommended reference material, the official video of IELTS that shows the level feeling of getting 9.0 in speaking is posted on youtube. It is easy to imagine the actual exam in an interview format, so if you want to know the difficulty of the speaking exam, please check it as well.
What do I need to do to get a perfect IELTS score?
Now, I will explain three things that are necessary to get a perfect score for IELTS.
Well-educated university graduate native level English proficiency
The level of English required to get a perfect score in IELTS is at the level of a university graduate and a well-educated native speaker. If this isn't the base anymore, you can never get a perfect score.
When it comes to English exams, we tend to focus on "writing correct English" and "speaking English fluently", but at IELTS, there are many questions about general education such as newspapers, books, and magazines. No matter how much you study English, it is difficult to give a perfect answer unless you know the background of the theme to be asked.
Therefore, if you are aiming for a perfect score in IELTS, it is recommended that you receive guidance from a well-educated native speaker instructor, not just an instructor who can teach English.
Amount of knowledge to express opinions no matter what topic comes up
As I mentioned above, the topics covered in IELTS issues are mainly academic and social topics. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire a wide range of knowledge by touching various English sentences on a daily basis so that we can respond to any topic.
Especially when it comes to writing, it's not uncommon for people to be completely toothless without knowledge. When a subject outside your area of expertise, such as education or globalization, is given, it will be difficult to write your opinion on the day of the exam unless you are always interested in that subject.
It is important not only to touch newspapers, books, and magazines, but also to keep an antenna on a daily basis to touch various information.
Ability to answer by making full use of logical thinking
Some IELTS exams have the problem of logically explaining one's opinion. In writing, you have to think about the composition of the sentence with the reader in mind and write your own opinion so that there is no contradiction. Since the evaluation items include logic, you cannot expect a high score unless you can answer logically.
Also, regarding speaking, you will be given the task of expressing your opinion on a certain subject. It takes about 1 minute to assemble an opinion in your head, and then it takes about 2 minutes to talk, so it is also a difficult point to be aware of the time.
Logical thinking has both merits and demerits and is not something that you can learn immediately. Also, it is difficult for me to judge whether or not I have a logical answer. Therefore, it is better to overcome your weaknesses while having a reliable native speaker correct it.
As for the specific level of English proficiency, I have come into contact with university entrance exam English for reading, and I can get around 400 points in the reading part of TOEIC. As for listening, I can hear the general content of the native speaker, but I still have a mistake.
Furthermore, regarding speaking, although I can say what I want to say, there is a sense of discomfort in the connection of sentences, and there are occasional mistakes in pronunciation and words. And with regard to writing, it can be said that although it is possible to answer questions appropriately and divide them into paragraphs, there is a slight lack of vocabulary and grammatical mistakes.
Conclusion
IELTS perfect score is a high wall that is difficult even for native speakers. However, even if it is difficult to get a perfect score, learning to get a perfect score will greatly contribute to improving the score.
As you study for IELTS, be sure to be aware of a wide range of themes and keep in mind logical thinking.
It is also important for IELTS to know the evaluation criteria, so be sure to check the contents again.
