Dear student,

If you did not know by now, IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System and it is an exam meant to assess your English level for all four linguistic abilities – reading, writing, listening and speaking. IELTS is suited for those of you who want to study or work in countries where English is the language of communication.

IELTS is accepted by major academic institutions in Great Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand for graduate and postgraduate studies. In the United States, IELTS is recognized by over 3000 institutions (including Ivy League Universities).

It is also acknowledged by employers all over the world and is used for recruiting and/or promotion.

The IELTS test consists of six components. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking tests, but there is a choice of Reading and Writing tests according to whether a candidate is taking the Academic or General training module. The Academic one is suitable for those who wish to study at undergraduate/ postgraduate levels or for those seeking work, whereas the General training module is a valid option for candidates wishing to migrate to an English-speaking country (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK) and for those who want to study.

The structure of the exam is as follows:

  1. Listening (4 sections, 40 items) – 30 minutes
  2. Academic Reading (3 sections, 40 items) – 60 minutes or General Training Reading (3 sections, 40 items) – 60 minutes
  3. Academic Writing (2 tasks) – 60 minutes or General Training Writing (2 tasks) – 60 minutes
  4. Speaking – 11 to 14 minutes.

In order to prepare yourself for the exam, here are a few exercises designed especially to help you with the IELTS test:

I. Unscramble the following sentences:

1. the present number / to feed / of people / to provide / even / in poor countries / enough food / difficult / it is

2. child / have / than / are / one / one / they / if / more / China / financially / couples / in / penalized

3. cause / large / more / unemployment / population / further / only / in / and / overcrowding / increases / crime

II. Match the following to form phrases

  1. to be interested
  2. to be surprised                                                                               a. by something
  3. to be rude                                                                                       b. to somebody
  4. to be annoyed                                                                                 c. in something
  5. to be impressed                                                                              d. to something
  6. to be similar
  7. to be generous
  8. to be shocked

Next time we shall discuss the Reading part of the exam in greater detail. Till then, take care of yourselves!

Autor: Alexandru Macovescu – Trainer intern A_BEST Limba Engleză, Italiană şi Limba Română pentru Străini

Alexandru este absolvent al Facultăţii de Limbi şi Literaturi Străine, specializarea Engleză-Italiană. În 2010, a absolvit un masterat specializat în Traducerea Textului Literar Contemporan. Alexandru are o bogată experienţă atât în predarea limbilor engleză şi italiană cât şi în traduceri şi interpretariat şi exerciţiu în utilizarea, în contexte diferite, a limbilor străine. În prezent, Alexandru predă inclusiv cursuri A_BEST de limba engleză şi italiană, limbaj general şi de afaceri, precum şi cursuri de limba română pentru străini, în cadrul companiilor.