Understanding the IELTS: Strategies for Success – 7 min read ⏰

I'll start with an obvious statement, but one that many IELTS test-takers fail to appreciate at the beginning of their journey: The same IELTS is taken by all levels of students. Unlike other Cambridge ESOL exams, which are set for specific levels of students (e.g., PET for B1, FCE for B2, CAE for C1, and CPE for C2),there is only one IELTS exam for all levels, whether students have studied English for six months or six years. Consequently, the test setters face the challenge of creating a fair exam. This fairness is crucial not just for students, but also for the stakeholders of the IELTS, such as visa departments for governments and university admissions departments.

To meet this challenge, the IELTS composers set a range of questions that encompass various difficulties. That's why there are so many different question types in IELTS—according to various sources, there are between 10 to 14 types of questions. This allows IELTS to include a mix of questions, rather than just standard comprehension questions. For example, in the IELTS reading test, you won't just find straightforward “Who, what, when, and why” type questions. Instead, there are some easier questions for less advanced students, some hard questions for more advanced students, and some questions that fall in between.

Imagine if all the questions were set at an advanced level. It wouldn't be a fair benchmark, as less advanced students would struggle to answer any questions. This could have significant consequences, such as governments not being able to receive their necessary migration workforce due to the lack of IELTS passers (e.g., those who need a band score of 4 to work in the UK). Conversely, if all the questions were “super-easy,” the main rationale of the IELTS would be undermined. The IELTS was established to ensure non-native students could successfully complete a degree at an English-speaking institution. If the test were too easy, students might be admitted to universities but then fail to complete their courses due to insufficient English proficiency. This would have dire financial consequences for universities, which rely heavily on the tuition fees from international students—anywhere between fifty to eighty thousand dollars per student over a typical degree course.

With this knowledge, IELTS students can plan accordingly. Let's take the listening test as an example. It’s useful for students to understand the structure of all the component parts of the IELTS. The same listening test material is used for both the Academic (A) and General Training (GT) modules. With 40 questions in total (10 in each section),a student needing a band score of 4 for a UK work visa needs to answer 21 out of 40 questions correctly. This means that averaging six correct answers per section will result in a total of 24 correct answers, or a band score of 4.5. Therefore, for the IELTS GT test, students do not need to correctly answer all 10 questions per section—three questions in each section might be beyond their current level anyway.

I'm not suggesting that students shouldn't attempt all questions (and the golden rule is never to leave a space blank—make an educated guess if possible),but rather to focus on those questions they have a greater chance of answering correctly.

The IELTS is a unique assessment. Unlike other tests, such as a history test where you can cram and then forget the material, the IELTS measures current English ability on a scale compared to a native speaker. A score of 9 indicates native-level proficiency. A 7 indicates sufficient proficiency to study and produce academic materials at university. A 4 indicates the ability to communicate sufficiently in a work environment.

By understanding this information, planning, and preparing appropriately, students can be more effective and efficient in their study, especially if they are limited on time and need to take the IELTS within a short period. Of course, I always recommend long-term preparation, ideally studying regularly for up to a year before taking the IELTS. However, for those who need to achieve a band score within 1 to 3 months, this approach can be invaluable.

Good luck!