Farhad Uddin Ahmed Bhuiyan
The elaboration of today’s increasingly demanding standardized test IELTS stands for International English Language testing system. It is an acceptable standardized international test comprising of four modules such as Listening, Reading, Writing & speaking aiming to measure the proficiency and competence level of Non-native English speakers. Now a day, an acceptable IELTS score has been mandatory as the entry requirement of any university, college and/or higher studies institutions throughout the world. In fact, the United States of America is now also accepting the IELTS score as language Proficiency test. This kind of test is administered by the Cambridge University through different recognized test centers around the world. This test assesses the overall language skills of the users by focusing on the key modules of Reading, Writing, Listening & Speaking. Actually, IELTS is conducted on 9-score. Each module like Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening will have 9-score. Out of 9-score, the examinees have to get a certain acceptable score in each band, i mean, module. And then, the total achieved score of each band will be added and divided by 04(four) to calculate the overall IELTS Score of an examinee.
In the real IELTS test, the speaking examination is conducted by the Cambridge university certified Examiners. On the day of the test, the examinee will have to appear in a face to face interview or conversation with a certified examiner for more or less 14 minutes on different issues and all the conversation will be recorded for future reference and proof. In the interview, the examiner will ask the examinee different familiar and personal questions for more or less 3-5 minutes and then, the examiner will give you a cue card topic on any issue for speaking at least two minutes; before that you will be given (01) one-minute time to take notes on the given topic. After the examinee finishes the speaking on the issue, the examiner will then ask the examinee follow up questions on his/her speaking on the given issue. At this stage, examiner may take 3-4 minutes on the basis of the examinee’s performance. There after the examiner may ask the examinee on different argumentative and controversial issues to assess the overall influential capacity of the examinee on the language. Thus, the speaking test will be wrapped up.
In the listening module, candidates will have to listen pre-recorded conversation (s) between two persons and/or more than that. Wireless headphone will be provided to each of the examinees in the real IELTS examination. There will have 4 (four) sections in Listening module. Each of the section will be played once only. The examinees will be given 10 minutes’ time to transfer the answer to an answer sheet from the question booklet at the end of the test. Before starting the test, there would be a time period to read the instructions and questions carefully. Before each of the conversation, candidates will have 30 seconds to check their work what they have done. Candidates will have to listen the pre-recorded conversation at the same time they have to answer the questions. There will have more or less 40 questions on different categories. the listening test will require more or less 45 minutes to be ended. Generally, listening test is conducted at the inception of the test and then consecutively reading & writing modules are held.
In the real IELTS test candidates will have to face three full length passage comprising of more than 1500 words in each. There will be 40 to 44 questions on the given passages.1(one) hour time would be given to read & at the same time find out the questions’ answer from the given passages. Different kinds of question would be set in the passages that the candidates have to solve in the examination. There would be no extra time given to transfer the questions answer. That is, at the same time of reading candidates have to answer these and write on the answer sheet.
Actually, the content of writing module has 02(two) writing tasks; one is writing task-1 & another is writing task-2 Candidates will get only one-hour time for writing module. Generally, for writing task-1, 20-minute time allotment is reasonable and rest of the hour is to be allotted for the writing task-2. In fact, in writing task-1, candidates have to write at least 150 words on different figure like Bar diagram, pie chart, Line graph, table chart, picture chart, flow chart and so on. On the other hand, in writing task-2 candidates have to attempt for writing at least 250 words within the specific time on the given argumentative or persuasive or narrative topic in particular. Normally, argumentative or persuasive topic are set very often in the IELTS examination. But in fact, both in writing task-1 & writing task-2 equal score is considered. Writing up more than the required level of words are also acceptable but it has to be reasonable and relevant to the topic.
Secrets of scoring
How to score extra ordinary in speaking module:
* Answering the question to the point and in detail.
* Sticking to gun with the variety of structures usage.
* Speaking with standard Native pronunciation.
* Using good range of phrases & lexical resources.
* Maintaining coherence and correlation in the speaking interview.
* Ensuring Grammatical accuracy.
* Showing wide range of argumentative skills and expertise.
*Having hand on excellent fluency in speaking & intonation.
* Showing excellent performance in situational speaking.
* Capacity of spontaneous speaking.
How to score excellent in IELTS Listening:
* Acquiring operational command on pronunciation, tone of voice tuning & intonation.
* Following up of listening tap scripts for an acceptable period & practice accordingly.
* Mastering on listening question analysis & interpretation.
* Routine work on listening skills shaping.
* Long term well guided practice on listening.
* Lips mixing practice.
* Tongue twister lesson practice in detail.
* Above all, concentration development practice.
*Contracted form practice.
* Regional dialect practice.
* Concentration on Regional accent.
How to get extra- ordinary score in Reading Module of IELTS:
* Long term Reading habit.
* Increasing the capacity of speed reading.
* Cluster reading practice.
* Symbolic key words putting practice.
* Developing analogy and analytical.
senses.
* Reasoning & Comparing skill boosting up.
* paraphrasing & understanding the thematic sense.
* Having extra ordinary knowledge on text explanation.
* Tactics of signal words putting.
* Sketching approach of the text.
* Categorical text/journal Reading.
* Reading question analysis and interpretation knowledge development.
* Lexical Resources development.
* Practice of reading commentary.
* Synonym & antonym learning.
* well management of time.
How to be titled as an expert writer:
*Must acquire excellent Grammar, reasoning & argumentative knowledge.
* Should give task response accurately.
* Must use variety of lexical resources.
* Should maintain co-hesion & correlation.
* Punctuation putting skills must be shown.
* Run out sentences should be avoided.
* Sentence formation must be complex, compound & thematic.
* Logic & argument showing styles must be standard.
* Spelling accuracy, neat & cleanliness should be given priority.
* Not to repeat any word more than twice.
* Signal words must get well placed.
* Thesis statement and analysis putting in writing.
* Must use contracted clause or extra information.
* Must keep in mind the use of small and capital letters usages.
* Presentation of regional dialects in sentence formation.
* Example showing with argument & logic.
* Writing on the topic with required word limit. (The writer is an advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Head of Chamber, Farhad Ahmed Bhuiyan & Associates who can be reached at supremecourtlawyer.bd.uk@gmail.com
