IELTS

Salam and good day readers!

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. It is an English test which widely used to assess the English proficiency of those who thought of studying abroad i.e UK, Canada, New Zealand and Aussie.  Sometimes, Immigrants who thought of applying a work visa in these countries also requires IELTS.

During my application for my masters, I took IELTS because I wanted to study in the UK. I took the test around February 2013. Back then, the fee was only RM596. But now, i think it has gone up to more than RM600+.

If I'm not mistaken, there are two places where you can sit for IELTS exam. I registered at IDP. The other one I think is at Cambridge English Institute.

Some people told me that the marking in Cambridge is more strict and would be difficult to get above 6.5. But I'm not sure how far this is true.

To register for an IELTS exam, you just need to go to the IDP office either on Jalan Ampang (Same Building as British Council - Wisma Selangor Dredging Building) or at Wisma MCA (the same place to do your VISA).

IELTS exam consists of four parts. Reading, Listening, Writing (Written exam which will be together) and Speaking. Speaking sessions are sometimes arranged either on the same day as the writing exam or on a different day. Writing exam usually will be held at Wisma MCA while the speaking exam sometimes are held at the IDP office at Jalan Ampang.

After you're done with the exam, it'll take a few weeks to wait for the result. You need to pick up the certificate at the office as it will be sent there. The cert will look like this:

The result will be stated below for each section of the exam and the overall score. The scoring is just like MUET system. Most universities that I apply in the UK require a score of either above 6.0, 6.5 or 7.0. Alhamdulillah, I've managed to get 7.5 on my test. Allah had helped me a lot. I just studied during the weekend before the actual exam. So, don't do that if you want a better grade. 

You can actually get a book of sample questions for the IELTS at any local book stores. They will ask questions just like the one in the real exam. You can also attend English classes at the British Council. Just know that the British Council no longer in charge with the IELTS exam. You need to go to IDP.

IDP actually also offers counselling if you need help with your university application...VISA or anything in particular with your study application process. They can even help you to apply...FOR FREE!!

I think that covers everything that I can think of IELTS. If there's any questions, you're welcome to ask. 

Until next time....