Welcome to the

Essential Guide

1
Thanks for downloading
The Essential Guide to the
IELTS.

This book is your first step

to success on the IELTS.

Read on...
Section 1
Welcome to The
Essential Guide
CONTENTS
1. Welcome to the Essential Guide
2. Introduction to the IELTS
3. The Listening Test
4. The Reading Test
5. The Writing Test
6. The Speaking Test
7. Top Tips for Success
8. Assessment Criteria
Let me begin by introducing
myself.
My name is Charles Cornelius. I
am an online English teacher
from England. I am a fully
qualified teacher with a Pass A in
the CELTA (Certificate in English
Language Teaching to Adults). I
also have a Masters degree in
Education.
I have been teaching English for
almost 20 years at international schools and language schools
all over the world, most recently at the British Council. I have
been teaching online since 2008.
For much of that time I have been helping students to prepare
for the IELTS test so I understand the problems that many
students have. I also understand how important the test is to
students, and how it can peoples lives. To help students
prepare for the IELTS test, I also run a website. You can find it
at ieltscharlie.com.
So read my guide and get on the road to IELTS success!
Good luck!
2
Introduction to the
IELTS

2
Ive written this guide to
the IELTS to help you get
the key information quickly.

This key information is

designed to help you get
the best score possible in
the shortest possible time.

So lets start with some of

the basic information about
the IELTS that every
candidate needs to know.
What is the IELTS?
IELTS stands for International English Language Testing
System. It is a globally recognized English language exam,
designed to assess the language proficiency of people who
need to work or study where English is the language of
communication.
IELTS scores are recognized for entry into the majority of
universities and colleges in the United Kingdom, Ireland,
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. Its also
becoming increasingly used by universities and colleges in the
United States.
IELTS scores are also recognized by many professional bodies,
immigration authorities and government agencies.
3 Types of IELTS Exam
You can take any one of 3 exam types.
General Training
The general training IELTS is suitable for candidates planning
to undertake non-academic training or work experience, or for
immigration purposes.
Academic
The academic IELTS is suitable for students wishing to enter an
undergraduate or postgraduate course.
In 2015, 80% of candidates took the Academic IELTS, with 20%
taking the General Training IELTS.
Life Skills
IELTS Life Skills is a new test. It is a test designed for people
applying for a visa to live in the United Kingdom. It tests only
your speaking and listening skills. There are 3 different levels of
difficulty in the test, matched to the CEFR levels A2, A1 and B2.
4
The Exam Format Band scores
You will take the listening, reading and writing parts of the test The IELTS is NOT a pass or fail examination. Instead, you
at the same sitting. The total time for the test is 2 hours 40 receive a band score. The bands go from 9.0 (an expert user
minutes. There are no breaks between each part of the test. of English) down to 0 (someone who didnt even attempt the
test!). You can score whole (e.g. 5.0, 6.0, 7.0) or half (e.g. 5.5,
The speaking part may be taken on a different day, but it must
6.5, 7.5) bands in each part of the test.
be within 7 days before or after the other parts of the test. Its
normal for the speaking test to be arranged on the same day as Band 9: Expert user
the other tests.
You have a full operational command of the language. Your use
The only difference between General Training and Academic is of English is appropriate, accurate and fluent, and you show
in the reading and writing parts of the test. The speaking and complete understanding.
listening parts of the test are the same for both General and
Band 8: Very good user
Academic IELTS.
You have a fully operational command of the language with
only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate
Listening
usage. You may misunderstand some things in unfamiliar
4 sections (30 minutes + 10 minutes transfer time) situations. You handle complex detailed argumentation well.
Reading (Academic) Reading (General Training)
Band 7: Good user
3 texts (60 minutes) 5-6 texts (60 minutes)
You have an operational command of the language, though
Writing (Academic) Writing (General Training)
with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and
2 tasks (60 minutes) 2 tasks (60 minutes) misunderstandings in some situations. Generally you handle
Speaking complex language well and understand detailed reasoning.

3 tasks

5
Band 6: Competent user Band 1: Non-user

Generally you have an effective command of the language
despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and
misunderstandings. You can use and understand fairly complex
language, particularly in familiar situations.
Band 5: Modest user
You have a partial command of the language, and cope with
overall meaning in most situations, although you are likely to
make many mistakes. You should be able to handle basic
communication in your own field.
Band 4: Limited user
Your basic competence is limited to familiar situations. You
frequently show problems in understanding and expression.
You are not able to use complex language.
You have no ability to use the language except a few isolated
words.
How are the band scores calculated?
You will get a band score (in whole or half bands) for each part
of the test (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
The average of the four band scores will be your overall band
score.
The score is rounded up or down to the nearest whole or half
band. (If your average score ends in .25, it will be rounded up to
the next half band, and if your average score ends in .75, it will
be rounded up to the next whole band.)
For example:

Band 3: Extremely limited user Band

Listening Reading Writing Speaking Average
score
You convey and understand only general meaning in very
Candidate
familiar situations. There are frequent breakdowns in 6.5 6.5 5.0 7.0 6.250 6.5
A
communication.
Candidate
4.0 3.5 4.0 4.0 3.875 4.0
Band 2: Intermittent user B

Candidate
You have great difficulty understanding spoken and written 6.5 6.5 5.5 6.0 6.125 6.0
C
English.
6
 Where and when can I take the IELTS test?
Frequently asked questions
IELTS is available at more than 1,100 locations, including over
50 locations in the USA and there are 48 test dates a year.
Who runs IELTS?

IELTS is jointly managed by Cambridge Examinations (formerly

the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations), the British
Council and IDP.

How many people take the IELTS test?

Over 2.7 million people took the IELTS in 2015.

What if I dont get the band score I need?

You can retake the test as many times as you want. However, it
is a good idea to do some extra study and practice before
retaking the test.

How long is an IELTS score good for?

It is up to each organisation to set a validity period for an IELTS

score, but the normal recommended validity period (after which
time you should retake the IELTS test) is 2 years.

7
The Listening Test

3
The listening test is the
first part of the exam. It
takes about 30 minutes.

Read on for some key

information and some tips
for doing well.
The listening test is the first part of the exam. There are four
sections to the listening exam, each with one audio recording.
Section 1: two speakers have a conversation in a social setting
(e.g. renting a house)
Section 2: one speaker talks about a non-academic topic (e.g.
the benefits of exercise)
Section 3: up to 4 speakers have a discussion in an
educational or training situation
Section 4: one speaker gives an academic lecture
You usually have to answer 10 questions in each section.
Each section is harder than the previous section, so section 1 is
the easiest of them all and section 4 is the hardest. The
listening test takes 30 minutes.
What types of question are there?
In the exam there will be a variety of different question types.
Here are some of the common question types:
! Multiple choice
! Short answer questions
! Sentence completion
! Completion of a diagram, notes or table
! Labelling a diagram
! Classification
! Matching
How is listening assessed?
The number of correct answers (out of 40) is added up and
totalled. There are no half marks. The total number of correct
answers is then converted into a band score for listening.
Important points to remember
You listen to each recording once only.
At the start of each section, you have a few seconds to quickly
read the questions before the recording is played. Use this time
to predict what kind of answers you should listen for (e.g.
numbers, names, places).
While you listen, quickly write down your answers on the
question paper.
At the end of the test, carefully transfer your answers to the
official answer sheet.
You must spell correctly. A misspelled word will be marked as
incorrect.
9

Tips for the listening test
The answers in the listening exam come very fast, so you
need to write down answers to one question while listening for
the answer to the next question. For example, if you think you
heard the answer to question 3, write it down while at the
same time listening carefully for the answer to question 4.
This is quite difficult to do, which is why you should practise a
listening test before you do the exam.
Write your answers down on the question paper next to the
questions while you listen. Dont write the answers on the
answer sheet until after section 4 because its easy to make
mistakes.
Beware of distractors! Information is often thrown into the
audio recording which is designed to make you think that you
have heard the answer, when in fact its the wrong information.
How to prepare for the listening test
You must practise the listening test at home. The listening
test is difficult and requires you to listen and write at the same
time, so it is something you have to practise. Even native
English speakers find the listening test difficult (especially task
4!) There are lots of materials online and in bookshops to help
you prepare.
Listen to TED Talks and to podcasts, especially those on
topics that often come up in the IELTS test, such as education,
health and the environment.
10
The Reading Test

4
The second part of the test
is the reading test. It takes
an hour.
The reading test is the second part of the exam. It lasts 60
minutes and there will be 40 questions.
In the Academic IELTS there are 3 texts, taken from books,
magazines, newspapers and journals.
How is reading assessed?
The number of correct answers is added up and totalled. There
are no half marks. The total number of correct answers is then
converted into a band score for reading.

In the General Training IELTS there are at least 5 texts, taken The table below indicates the approximate average number of
from more everyday texts such as public information leaflets, marks required to achieve a particular band score in reading.
advertisements, instruction manuals and brochures. You can see that to get the same band score, you need more
marks in the general training test. This is because the texts in
Question Types the General Training test are usually easier to understand than
Multiple choice those in the Academic test, because the language is less
advanced and less specialised.
Short answer questions
For example, to get a band score of 6.0 on the General Training
Sentence completion test you need to get 30 answers correct, whereas you only
need to get 23 correct answers on the Academic reading test to
Completion of a diagram, notes or table
get the same band score.
Matching headings to paragraphs
Academic General Training
Yes / no / not given questions Raw score Band score Raw score Band score

True / false / not given questions 15 5 15 4

23 6 23 5
Classification
30 7 30 6
Matching lists and phrases
35 8 34 7

12
Important Points to remember
Write your answers on the official answer sheet straight away.
You are not given any time at the end of the test to transfer your
answers to the answer sheet.
Tips for the reading test
Together, the texts have around 2,500 words so you do not
have time to read the texts word-for-word. Instead, you must
use skimming and scanning techniques
Skimming is when you read a text quickly to get the general
idea of a text and what is contained in each paragraph. You can
skim a text by looking at headings and pictures, by looking at
the first sentence in each paragraph, and by seeing which
special words jump out at you.
Scanning is when you search a text for specific information,
such as dates or facts. In the IELTS test you should scan the
texts for answers to the questions.
How to prepare for the reading test
Try to read something every day in English. Set yourself a
goal of at least 20 minutes a day of reading in English. Read
articles from magazines or news websites on topics that
interest you and that come up regularly in the IELTS test, such
as health, education or the environment. This will help build
your confidence when reading and it will also help you grow
your vocabulary.
The BBC News Magazine is a great place to find articles
that are similar to IELTS texts.
Practise doing actual IELTS tests, because this will give you
a better understanding of what to do. When you begin to
practice tests, have the answers in front of you so that you
can see the answers while you do the questions. This will help
you to understand how the reading test works. Only later, when
you are confident with what is expected of you, should you start
timing yourself.
13
The Writing Test

5
The third part of the test
involves writing 2 short
essays in an hour.
The writing test is the third part of the exam.

It lasts 60 minutes and consists of 2 tasks.

Academic IELTS
Task 1: You write a report about a piece of visual information,
such as a table, graph, chart, diagram or map.

You must write at least 150 words.

Task 2: You write a discursive essay about a topic of general

interest.

You must write at least 250 words.

General Training IELTS

Task 1: You write a letter in response to a situation (e.g. you
ask for information or you complain about a problem).

You must write at least 150 words.

Task 2: You write a discursive essay about a topic of general

interest (the topic is slightly less abstract than the writing task in
the Academic IELTS).

You must write at least 250 words.

15
Section 1

Task 1 General Training IELTS

In the General Training IELTS, you write a letter in response to
a certain situation. For example, you might have to write:

a request for information

a complaint

Academic IELTS On the following pages, you can see some examples of Task 1
In the Academic IELTS, you write a report about a piece of tasks for both Academic and General Training IELTS.
visual information, such as:

a bar chart

a pie chart

a line graph

a data table

a map

a diagram showing a process

a diagram showing how something works

16
ACADEMIC IELTS TASK 1 ACADEMIC IELTS TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The table below shows the average band scores for
students from dierent language groups taking the
IELTS Academic paper in 2015.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting
the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
The diagram shows how a transaction works from an
ATM (automated teller machine).
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting
the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Listening Reading Writing Speaking Overall

German 6.8 6.3 6.6 6.9 6.7

French 6.3 6.1 6.5 6.6 6.5

Indian 6.3 6.1 6.1 6.7 6.3

Malay 6.2 6.4 6.0 6.6 6.4

17
ACADEMIC IELTS TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the total number of people
travelling within the London area over a typical 24-hour
perios using three forms of transport (car, bus and
underground).
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting
the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
ACADEMIC IELTS TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The map below is of the town of Mtwipi. A new
industrial plant is planned for the town. The map shows
the two proposed sites (A and B)
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting
the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
18
GENERAL TRAINING IELTS TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You are going to visit Manchester in the UK for a short
training course but you have not arranged
accommodation yet.
Write a letter to the accommodation oce of your
future college. In your letter
introduce yourself
explain what type of accommodation you are looking
for.
request information on that type of accommodation.
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir/Madam, ...
GENERAL TRAINING IELTS TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You are a student at a language school in New Zealand
studying Business English. Part of the course is a
summer school work placement programme.
Unfortunately, you have just learnt from the school that
this programme has now been cancelled.
Write a letter to the School Principal. In your letter
state your reason for writing
describe the problem and your concerns
explain what you would like the Principal to do.
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir/Madam, ...
19
Section 2

Task 2 Essays as something negative which should be avoided. (two

opposing opinions)

Educational research is increasingly based around classroom

observation rather than experimental studies. (factual
statement)

Although modern life has brought with it improvements in

In both the Academic and General Training IELTS, Writing Task peoples standard of living, people are not generally happy
2 is a discursive essay. with their lives. (a problem)

You write either:

an argument essay (you discuss two sides to an issue), or

2. How you should respond to the
an opinion essay (you discuss one side of an argument)
statement
The task description is made up of 2 parts: Secondly, you are asked to respond to this statement. Most
commonly, you will be asked:
1. The Discursive Statement
do you agree or disagree?
Firstly, you are given a discursive statement (e.g. an opinion,
a factual statement or a problem). Examples of discursive to what extent do you agree or disagree?
statements are:
what solutions can you suggest?
There is no need to telephone people any more. We can
simply use email, instant messaging and SMS. (one opinion) To respond to these kind of questions, you can either:

1. discuss both sides of the issue - also known as an

Some people view conflict between teenagers and their
parents as a normal part of growing up, while others view it argument or argument-led essay

20
2. discuss your opinion - an opinion essay, also known as a reasons why, then choose the opinion essay - but only when
thesis-led essay the question allows for this.

On the next following pages you can see some examples of

Task 2 essays.
Less commonly, you will be asked to:

discuss the advantages and disadvantages

discuss both views

In your response to these kinds of questions, you must write an

argument-led essay because you are asked to discuss both
sides of an issue.

In other words, you can always write a argument essay but

you can only sometimes write an opinion essay.

In my opinion, you should always write an argument essay,

for these reasons:

you dont need to think about choosing the correct essay type

if you write about both sides of an argument, you have twice

as much to write about.

However, if you do have a very strong opinion about a particular

point of view, argument or problem, and can give lots of

21
ACADEMIC IELTS TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people view conflict between teenagers and
parents as a necessary part of growing up, while others
view it as something negative which should be avoided.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant
examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
ACADEMIC IELTS TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Most high-level positions in companies are filled by
men even though the workforce in many developed
countries is more than 50 per cent female. Companies
should be required to allocate a certain percentage of
these positions to women.
To what extent to you agree?
Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant
examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
22
ACADEMIC IELTS TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
The problem with society today is that it is essentially
unbalanced, with some people being paid huge salaries
to work very long hours, whilst others do not have a job
and have too much time on their hands. There is no
middle ground.
Do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant
examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
GENERAL TRAINING IELTS TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Many people say we have a responsibility to look after
the elderly people in our family or community. Why is it
important to take care of them? How should we take
care of them?
Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant
examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
23
Section 3

How is writing Your overall writing band score is the average of these four
band scores.

assessed? Task 2 carries more marks than Task 1. For example if you get a
band score of 6.0 for Task 1 and a band score of 7.0 for Task 2,
your final band score will be 7.0 (not 6.5).

Assessment Criteria
Examiners compare your writing with descriptions of writing at It is important to understand these assessment criteria. You
each different band; these descriptions are called assessment need to know what the IELTS Examiner wants, and to make
criteria. Examiners give you a band score based on the best him/her happy! So, lets look at these assessment criteria in
match between your writing and these descriptions. more detail.
I have included the detailed assessment criteria for writing (and
speaking) at the back of this eBook.

The assessment criteria are based around four different areas.

You get a band score for each of these four areas:

Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2)

Coherence and Cohesion

Vocabulary

Grammar

24
Task Achievement (Task 1) Vocabulary

The examiner assesses you on how appropriately, The examiner assesses you on the range of vocabulary
accurately and relevantly you meet the requirements of the you use and how appropriately you use the language.
task.

Grammar
Task Response (Task 2)
The examiner assesses you on the range and accuracy of
In an opinion essay, you are assessed on how well you your language.
present and support your opinions.

In an argument essay, you are assessed on how well you

summarise and evaluate the arguments, supporting both
points of view with clear supporting evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion

The examiner assesses you on the overall clarity and

fluency of the message, how well you structure your ideas
and how well you link your ideas.

25
Section 4
Tips for the writing
test
Timing is very important. Make sure you spend around 20
minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2. Many students
spend too long on Task 1, which means they do not have
enough time to write a good Task 2 essay. Therefore...
...do task 2 first. Remember, Task 2 is worth twice the
marks of Task 1. Its better to write a good Task 2 essay first,
and run out of time while writing Task 1 than the other way
around!
Planning your writing is extremely important. For Task 2,
spend 5 minutes planning: think about some ideas and
examples to include, and think about how to structure your
essay. It is much better to think before you write than having to
think while you write. Decide what to write before you write
it.
For task 1, you should learn a wide variety of vocabulary to
describe trends (e.g. soared upwards, declined steadily) and to
compare features of the graphs and charts.
You must write the minimum number of words (150 words
for task 1, 250 words for task 2). If you go below the minimum,
you will lose a lot of marks.
Dont just try to write the minimum number of words - go well
past the minimum. I would suggest aiming for 200 words in
Task 1 and 300-350 words in Task 2. If you write a longer
essay, you are able to give the IELTS Examiner more evidence
of good language. Just make sure the language you write is
good quality language!
Read the question carefully, especially in Task 2. Do not
write an opinion essay if asked to discuss two sides of an
argument (e.g. discuss the advantages and disadvantages).
Take 5 minutes planning your task 2 essay. Think about
your ideas and supporting arguments. Think about the
structure. Think about good language to include in your essay.
In the Academic IELTS, Task 1 is a descriptive essay. Do
not write your opinion about it! For example, do not say why
you think the line graph went up or down. Leave your opinions
for Task 2!
Try to avoid repeating the same words and phrases. Use a
variety of words/phrases and grammatical structures.
Remember, the IELTS examiner is looking for a range of
vocabulary and grammar.
26
 Paraphrase the language in the task - do not copy it into
your writing. Paraphrasing means you write something using
your own words.

Spend a few minutes at the end checking your spelling and

grammar. Simple mistakes can mean a lower band score.

27
The Speaking Test

6
The final part of the test is
the speaking test, where
you speak with an IELTS
examiner for about 15
minutes.
The speaking test is the fourth and final part of the exam,
Task 1: Introduction (4-5 minutes)
although it doesnt need to be taken on the same day as the
The examiner will ask you questions about familiar topics, such
other three parts. You can take it either 7 days before or 7 days
as your home town, your family, your work or studies, what you
after the other tests, but its usually done on the same day as
like to do in your free time and your plans for the future.
the other tests.
The aim of Task 1 is really to help you relax and to get you
speaking about an easy topic, so that when you attempt Tasks
2 and 3, you feel a bit more relaxed and confident.

Task 2: Mini-presentation (3-4 minutes)

Also known as the long turn, this is your chance to talk about a
topic for between 1 and 2 minutes. The examiner will give you a
card that gives you a topic to speak on. The topic is usally
related to a personal experience youve had. Before you talk,
you have a minute to prepare your talk and the examiner will
give you a piece of paper to write notes on. Use this time to
prepare!

When you are talking, the examiner will sit and listen. The
In the speaking exam you sit with an IELTS examiner for about
examiner will not say anything for at least one minute, even if
15 minutes and attempt three speaking tasks. The tasks get
you stop talking. Remember, its a one-way presentation, not a
increasingly more difficult because they require more complex
conversation. Many candidates panic here, and forget what to
language to perform them successfully.
say, which is why it is so important to make some notes before
you start talking. After around 2 minutes, or between 1 and 2
minutes if it is obvious to the examiner that you have run out of
things to say, the examiner will interrupt and may ask you 1 or 2
questions about the topic.
29
Task 3: Two way discussion (4-5
minutes)
This flows on naturally from Task 2. You will now talk with the
examiner about issues related to the topic in task 2. However,
the discussion will now be less familiar, less personalised
issues. For example, in task 2 you may have had to talk about
your favourite teacher at school, whereas in task 3 you might
discussion educational issues with the examiner.
How is speaking assessed?
Examiners use assessment criteria to award a band score for
each of these four areas:
Fluency and Coherence
Lexical Resource (i.e. vocabulary)
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Pronunciation
Your final speaking band score is the average of the four
scores.
Tips for the speaking test
In task 1, do not just say yes or no to a question add
more information. So if the examiner asks you are you
studying at university at the moment, say something like yes, I
am, Im studying economics at Unversity X right now. In fact,
Im in my seocnd year.
In task 2, write notes before you talk. Write either a list of
keywords to help you remember what to say, or do a quick mind
map.
In task 2, talk for at least 1 minute
Use fillers such as well, actually, I guess
Use linking words such as because, so that
Paraphrase the questions asked in parts 2 and 3. This
means rephrase the question asked by the examiner to show
that you understand it
If you dont understand the question, tell the examiner, but
do so using good language, such as Im sorry, I dont quite
understand the question. Do you mean.? Using language to
ask for clarification will get you more marks!
In part 3, listen very carefully to the questions. The
questions might ask you to predict something, to speculate, to
hypothesise about something, so listen carefully to the
30
language used by the examiner to know what you are being Your accent should only have a small effect on
asked to do. understanding for the examiner.

Also in part 3, you will need to use more complex

grammatical structures, such as the second conditional: if I
won the lottery, I would buy a big house for my mum.

Smile at the examiner

How to get a 7.0 in the Speaking Test

You need to speak at length (especially in part 2), without
noticeable effort, but you can hesitate and repeat yourself at
times as long as what you say is easy to understand.

You need to use a wide range of vocabulary, including some

less common and idiomatic words, and show an awareness of
collocation.

You should be able to paraphrase the questions asked by

the examiner.

Your grammar should mostly be error free, although a few

errors are ok.

You use some complex grammatical structures

31
Top Tips for
Success

7
Here are some more tips to
help you succeed in the
IELTS test

What about grammar and vocabulary?
There are no grammar or vocabulary tests, but grammar and
vocabulary are also very important because they are also
assessed. The examiner will assess the accuracy of your
grammar and the range of the vocabulary you use during the
speaking and writing tests. Having a wide range of vocabulary
is also vital if you are to do well on the reading and listening
tests.
It is essential to have wide vocabulary to do well on the IELTS
test.
Give the examiners what they want
In the speaking and writing exams, its not enough to do what
you think is right. You might think youve written two great
essays and given a really interesting talk in Speaking task 2.
And the examiner might agree. BUT the examiner has to grade
you according to some very detailed assessment criteria. Your
Speaking task 2 talk may well have been really interesting, but
did you use a wide range of vocabulary and did you include
some advanced language structures? Your writing essays may
well have been very detailed and show how intelligent you are,
but did you use linking phrases correctly and did you include
some advanced language structures?
So what you should do is read through the examiners
assessment criteria. These are published by IELTS, and Ive
included them at the back of this book.
Read through the criteria so you know what the examiners are
looking forthen, in the exam, give the examiners what they
want!
Be an active learner
If you want to improve your speaking and pronunciation in
English, you need to speak more in English. If you want to
improve your English reading skills and your vocabulary, read
more in English. If you want to improve your writing skills in
English, write things in English, such as a blog or diary, or write
Facebook posts in English. If you want to improve your listening
skills in English, listen to movies and videos in English.
In my IELTS classes at the British Council, I can usually tell
who is going to do well in the IELTS test. Its the students who,
as I come in, are talking to their classmates in English, not in
their native language. Its the ones who watch TED Talks at
home. Its the ones who read websites written in English.
Make videos of yourself talking in English. These could be
about your day, or you could make some videos of your town,
your pets or your favourite hobby. I know a student who loves to
take photographs and he creates a videos of his photos, in
33
which he describes the photos. Once you are almost confident
enough, post your videos to a Facebook group, a blog or your
own YouTube channel.

34
Assessment
Criteria

8
IELTS makes the
assessment criteria used
by examiners for the
speaking and writing tests
available publicly. You can
read them here. This will
help you understand what
the examiners want from
you.
Section 1

How is the IELTS pronunciation

Writing
assessed? The writing test is graded by an IELTS examiner, but usually not
the same one as you had in the speaking test. They grade you
against 4 assessment criteria:

task achievement or task response

Listening and Reading
The listening and reading tests are usually graded by an IELTS coherence and cohesion
administrator. Your answers are either correct or inciorrect.
lexical resource
There are no half marks.
grammatical range and accuracy
Remember, if you spell a word incorrectly, it will be marked as
incorrect.. You can read the assessment criteria on the next 3 pages.

You get a mark out of 40 for each of these tests, and this mark
is converted into a band score.

Speaking
The speaking test is graded by the IELTS examiner who does
the test with you. They grade you against 4 assessment criteria:

fluency and coherence

lexical resource

grammatical range and accuracy

36

Band Fluency and coherence
9 speaks fluently with only rare repetition or self-correction;
any hesitation is content-related rather than to find words
or grammar
speaks coherently with fully appropriate cohesive features
develops topics fully and appropriately
8 speaks fluently with only occasional repetition or self-
correction; hesitation is usually content-related and only
rarely to search for language
develops topics coherently and appropriately
7 speaks at length without noticeable effort or loss of
coherence
may demonstrate language-related hesitation at times, or uses some less common and idiomatic vocabulary and
some repetition and/or self-correction
uses a range of connectives and discourse markers with
some flexibility
6 is willing to speak at length, though may lose coherence at has a wide enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length
times due to occasional repetition, self-correction or
hesitation
uses a range of connectives and discourse markers but not
always appropriately
5 usually maintains flow of speech but uses repetition, self
correction and/or slow speech to keep going
may over-use certain connectives and discourse markers
produces simple speech fluently, but more complex
communication causes fluency problems
SPEAKING: Band Descriptors (public version)
Lexical resource
uses vocabulary with full flexibility and precision in all
topics
uses idiomatic language naturally and accurately
uses a wide vocabulary resource readily and flexibly to
convey precise meaning
uses less common and idiomatic vocabulary skilfully, with
occasional inaccuracies
uses paraphrase effectively as required
uses vocabulary resource flexibly to discuss a variety of
topics
shows some awareness of style and collocation, with some
inappropriate choices
uses paraphrase effectively
and make meaning clear in spite of inappropriacies
generally paraphrases successfully
manages to talk about familiar and unfamiliar topics but
uses vocabulary with limited flexibility
attempts to use paraphrase but with mixed success
Grammatical range and accuracy Pronunciation
uses a full range of structures naturally and appropriately uses a full range of pronunciation features with precision
produces consistently accurate structures apart from slips and subtlety
characteristic of native speaker speech sustains flexible use of features throughout
is effortless to understand
uses a wide range of structures flexibly uses a wide range of pronunciation features
produces a majority of error-free sentences with only very sustains flexible use of features, with only occasional
occasional inappropriacies or basic/non-systematic errors lapses
is easy to understand throughout; L1 accent has minimal
effect on intelligibility
uses a range of complex structures with some flexibility shows all the positive features of Band 6 and some, but not
frequently produces error-free sentences, though some all, of the positive features of Band 8
grammatical mistakes persist
uses a mix of simple and complex structures, but with uses a range of pronunciation features with mixed control
limited flexibility shows some effective use of features but this is not
may make frequent mistakes with complex structures sustained
though these rarely cause comprehension problems can generally be understood throughout, though
mispronunciation of individual words or sounds reduces
clarity at times
produces basic sentence forms with reasonable accuracy shows all the positive features of Band 4 and some, but not
uses a limited range of more complex structures, but these all, of the positive features of Band 6
usually contain errors and may cause some comprehension
problems

4 cannot respond without noticeable pauses and may speak is able to talk about familiar topics but can only convey produces basic sentence forms and some correct simple uses a limited range of pronunciation features
slowly, with frequent repetition and self-correction basic meaning on unfamiliar topics and makes frequent sentences but subordinate structures are rare attempts to control features but lapses are frequent
links basic sentences but with repetitious use of simple errors in word choice errors are frequent and may lead to misunderstanding mispronunciations are frequent and cause some difficulty
connectives and some breakdowns in coherence rarely attempts paraphrase for the listener

3 speaks with long pauses
has limited ability to link simple sentences
gives only simple responses and is frequently unable to
convey basic message
2 pauses lengthily before most words
little communication possible
uses simple vocabulary to convey personal information attempts basic sentence forms but with limited success, or shows some of the features of Band 2 and some, but not
has insufficient vocabulary for less familiar topics relies on apparently memorised utterances all, of the positive features of Band 4
makes numerous errors except in memorised expressions
only produces isolated words or memorised utterances cannot produce basic sentence forms Speech is often unintelligble

1 no communication possible
no rateable language
0 does not attend

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 WRITING TASK 1: Band Descriptors (public version)
Band Task achievement
9 fully satisfies all the requirements of the task
clearly presents a fully developed response
8 covers all requirements of the task sufficiently
presents, highlights and illustrates key features/ bullet
points clearly and appropriately
7 covers the requirements of the task
(A) presents a clear overview of main trends, differences or
stages
(GT) presents a clear purpose, with the tone consistent and
appropriate
clearly presents and highlights key features/bullet points
but could be more fully extended
6 addresses the requirements of the task
(A) presents an overview with information appropriately
selected
(GT) presents a purpose that is generally clear; there may
be inconsistencies in tone
presents and adequately highlights key features/ bullet
points but details may be irrelevant, inappropriate or
inaccurate
5 generally addresses the task; the format may be
inappropriate in places
(A) recounts detail mechanically with no clear overview;
there may be no data to support the description
(GT) may present a purpose for the letter that is unclear at
times; the tone may be variable and sometimes
inappropriate
presents, but inadequately covers, key features/ bullet
points; there may be a tendency to focus on details
4 attempts to address the task but does not cover all key
features/bullet points; the format may be inappropriate
(GT) fails to clearly explain the purpose of the letter; the
tone may be inappropriate
may confuse key features/bullet points with detail; parts
may be unclear, irrelevant, repetitive or inaccurate
3 fails to address the task, which may have been completely
misunderstood
presents limited ideas which may be largely
irrelevant/repetitive
2 answer is barely related to the task
1 answer is completely unrelated to the task
0 does not attend
does not attempt the task in any way
writes a totally memorised response
Coherence and cohesion
uses cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention
skilfully manages paragraphing
sequences information and ideas logically
manages all aspects of cohesion well
uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately
logically organises information and ideas; there is clear
progression throughout
uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although
there may be some under-/over-use
arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a
clear overall progression
uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within
and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical
may not always use referencing clearly or appropriately
presents information with some organisation but there may uses a limited range of vocabulary, but this is minimally
be a lack of overall progression
makes inadequate, inaccurate or over-use of cohesive
devices
may be repetitive because of lack of referencing and
substitution
presents information and ideas but these are not arranged uses only basic vocabulary which may be used repetitively uses only a very limited range of structures with only rare
coherently and there is no clear progression in the
response
uses some basic cohesive devices but these may be
inaccurate or repetitive
does not organise ideas logically
may use a very limited range of cohesive devices, and
those used may not indicate a logical relationship between errors may severely distort the message
ideas
has very little control of organisational features
fails to communicate any message
Lexical resource
uses a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and
sophisticated control of lexical features; rare minor errors
occur only as slips
uses a wide range of vocabulary fluently and flexibly to
convey precise meanings
skilfully uses uncommon lexical items but there may be
occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation
produces rare errors in spelling and/or word formation
uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some
flexibility and precision
uses less common lexical items with some awareness of
style and collocation
may produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling
and/or word formation
uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task
attempts to use less common vocabulary but with some
inaccuracy
makes some errors in spelling and/or word formation, but
they do not impede communication
adequate for the task
may make noticeable errors in spelling and/or word
formation that may cause some difficulty for the reader
or which may be inappropriate for the task
has limited control of word formation and/or spelling;
errors may cause strain for the reader
uses only a very limited range of words and expressions
with very limited control of word formation and/or spelling
uses an extremely limited range of vocabulary; essentially
no control of word formation and/or spelling
can only use a few isolated words
Grammatical range and accuracy
uses a wide range of structures with full flexibility and
accuracy; rare minor errors occur only as slips
uses a wide range of structures
the majority of sentences are error-free
makes only very occasional errors or inappropriacies
uses a variety of complex structures
produces frequent error-free sentences
has good control of grammar and punctuation but may
make a few errors
uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms
makes some errors in grammar and punctuation but they
rarely reduce communication
uses only a limited range of structures
attempts complex sentences but these tend to be less
accurate than simple sentences
may make frequent grammatical errors and punctuation
may be faulty; errors can cause some difficulty for the
reader
use of subordinate clauses
some structures are accurate but errors predominate, and
punctuation is often faulty
attempts sentence forms but errors in grammar and
punctuation predominate and distort the meaning
cannot use sentence forms except in memorised phrases
cannot use sentence forms at all

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Copyright and disclaimer

Charles Cornelius 2016

All Rights Reserved

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