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IELTS Guide for Teachers
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Transcript of IELTS Guide for Teachers
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Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Appendix i
Appendix ii
Contents
IELTS overview
IELTS test format
IELTS scores and interpretation
What makes IELTS an international test?
Tips from teachers
Becoming an IELTS examiner
Continual research-based development
IELTS assessment criteria (band descriptors)
How IELTS maps to the Common EuropeanFramework of Reference (CEFR)
IELTS makes for aconfident student.
Senior Teacher, Turning Point, India
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IELTS Guide for Teachers
A test of four skills
Test takers can choose between IELTS Academic andIELTS General Training, depending on their academicor professional aspirations, or visa requirements.
The distinction with IELTS Academic lies in the subjectmatter and tasks of the Reading and Writing components.The Listening and Speaking components are the same.
Listening MINUTESTest takers listen to four recorded texts, monologues andconversations by a range of native speakers, and write theiranswers to a series of questions.
Reading MINUTESThe Academic version includes three long texts which rangefrom the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical.The texts are authentic and are taken from books, journals,magazines and newspapers, all of which have been selectedfor a non-specialist audience.
The General Training version requires test takers to readextracts from newspapers, advertisements, instructionmanuals and books. These are materials test takers could
encounter on a daily basis in an English speaking country.
Writing MINUTESThe Academic version includes two tasks. Topics are ofgeneral interest to, suitable for and easily understood by testtakers entering undergraduate or postgraduate studies orseeking professional registration.
Task 1Test takers are presented with a graph, table, chart ordiagram and are asked to describe, summarise or explainthe information in their own words. They may be asked todescribe and explain data, describe the stages of a process,how something works or describe an object or event.
Task 2Test takers are asked to write an essay in response to apoint of view, argument or problem.
Responses to both tasks must be written in a formal style.
The General Training version also includes two tasks,and is based on topics of general interest.
Task 1Test takers are presented with a situation and are asked towrite a letter requesting information or explaining the situation.The letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style.
Task 2Test takers are asked to write an essay in response to a pointof view, argument or problem. The essay can be slightly morepersonal in style than the Academic Writing Task 2 essay.
Speaking 1114 minutes4HE3PEAKINGCOMPONENTASSESSESTHETESTTAKERSUSEOFspoken English, and takes between 11 and 14 minutes tocomplete. Every test is digitally recorded and consists ofthree parts:
Part 1Test takers answer general questions about themselvesand a range of familiar topics, such as their home, family,work, studies and interests. This part lasts between fourand five minutes.
Part 2
Test takers are given a booklet which asks them to talk abouta particular topic. They have one minute to prepare beforespeaking for up to two minutes. The examiner may askone or two questions on the same topic to finish this partof the test.
0ARTTest takers are asked further questions which are connectedto the topic in Part 2. These questions give the candidate anopportunity to discuss more abstract issues and ideas. Thispart lasts between four and five minutes.
The format of the Speaking test is common across both theAcademic and General Training modules. It is structured insuch a way that does not allow test takers to rehearse set
responses beforehand.
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2 IELTS test format
IELTS General TrainingIELTS Academic
IELTS General Training module measuresEnglish language proficiency in a practical, everydaycontext. The tasks and texts reflect both workplaceand social situations.
IELTS Academic module measures English languageproficiency needed for an academic, higher educationenvironment. The tasks and texts are accessible to alltest-takers, irrespective of their subject focus.
Listening* (30 minutes)s&OURRECORDEDMONOLOGUESANDCONVERSATIONS
Reading (60 minutes)s4HREELONGREADINGPASSAGESWITHTASKSs4EXTSRANGEFROMTHEDESCRIPTIVEANDFACTUALTOTHEDISCURSIVEANDANALYTICALs)NCLUDESNONVERBALMATERIALSSUCHAS
diagrams, graphs or illustrationss4EXTSAREAUTHENTICEGTAKENFROMBOOKS journals and newspapers)
Writing (60 minutes)s7RITINGTASKOFATLEASTWORDSWHERE
the candidate must summarise, describeor explain a table, graph, chart or diagrams3HORTESSAYTASKOFATLEASTWORDS
Speaking (11 to 14 minutes)s&ACETOFACEINTERVIEWs)NCLUDESSHORTQUESTIONSSPEAKINGAT
length about a familiar topic and astructured discussion
Listening* (30 minutes)s&OURRECORDEDMONOLOGUESANDCONVERSATIONS
Reading (60 minutes)s4HREEREADINGPASSAGESWITHTASKSs3ECTIONCONTAINSTWOORTHREESHORTFACTUALTEXTSs3ECTIONCONTAINSTWOSHORTWORKRELATED
factual textss3ECTIONCONTAINSONELONGERTEXTONATOPIC
of general interests4EXTSAREAUTHENTICEGTAKENFROMCOMPANY
handbooks, official documents, booksand newspapers)
Writing (60 minutes)s,ETTERWRITINGTASKOFATLEASTWORDSs3HORTESSAYTASKOFATLEASTWORDS
Speaking (11 to 14 minutes)s&ACETOFACEINTERVIEWs)NCLUDESSHORTQUESTIONSSPEAKINGAT
length about a familiar topic and astructured discussion
Key similaritiess4HEListening and Speaking components are the same
FORBOTHVERSIONS4HEDISTINCTIONBETWEEN@ACADEMICAND@GENERALLITERACYHASTRADITIONALLYBEENSEENASMOSTMARKED
in relation to reading and writing skills. The more socially-oriented language skills of listening and speaking are equallyimportant in an academic study or professional context
s4HESAMEAMOUNTOFTIMEISALLOCATEDTOCOMPLETETHEListening and Speaking components in both the GeneralTraining and Academic Versions
s4HEReading and Writing components are the samelength in both versions
s"OTHMODULESHAVETHESAMEMINIMUMWORDREQUIREMENTs4HESAMEASSESSMENTCRITERIAANDBANDSCALEISUSEDto grade both modules.
DifferencesThe Reading component of the Academic and GeneralTraining versions is differentiated in terms of:sTHECHOICEOFTEXTSTOPICGENRELENGTHNUMBERETC
sTHELEVELOFDIFlCULTYOFTHETESTITEMS4HE!CADEMIC2EADINGMODULEHASMOREITEMSPITCHEDATBANDSwhereas the General Training has more items pitched atBANDS4HISISAREmECTIONOFTHEDIFFERENTDEMANDSOFAcademic and General Training.
ForWriting, the Academic and General Training modulesare differentiated in terms of:sTHECONTENTANDNATUREOFTHETWOWRITINGTASKSsTHECONTEXTUALPARAMETERSOFTHETASKS
However, given the level of differentiation describedabove, this does not mean that the scores acrossAcademic and General Training Reading or Writingmodules are interchangeable.
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IELTS Guide for Teachers
The IELTSBANDSCALE
There is no pass or fail in IELTS. Rather, all test resultsare reported on a clear 9-band scale (from 1, the lowest,to 9, the highest), as shown in the table opposite.
Test takers receive an overall band score as well as individualscores for each test component (Listening, Reading, Writingand Speaking).
The IELTS test provides an accurate picture ofACANDIDATESLANGUAGESKILLSANDABILITIESATAcertain point in time. Skills and abilities inevitablydiminish over time if not used. It is recommendedthat a Test Report Form more than two years oldshould only be accepted if it is accompanied byevidence that a candidate has actively maintainedor improved their English.
How to interpret IELTSTest takers receive scores on a band scale from 1 to 9.A profile score is reported for each skill. The four individualscores are averaged and rounded to produce an overall bandSCORE/VERALLBANDSCORESANDSCORESFOREACHCOMPONENT(Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) are reported inwhole bands or half bands.
/VERALLBANDSCORETest takers receive a Test Report Form including or listing theiroverall band score and their sub-scores on each of the fourcomponents: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.Each of the component scores is equally weighted. Theoverall band score is calculated by taking the mean of thetotal of the four individual component scores.
/VERALLBANDSCORESAREREPORTEDTOTHENEARESTWHOLEORHALFband. The following rounding convention applies; if theaverage across the four skills ends in .25, it is rounded up toTHENEXTHALFBANDANDIFITENDSINITISROUNDEDUPTOTHEnext whole band.
Thus, a test taker achieving 6.5 for Listening, 6.5 for Reading,FOR7RITINGANDFOR3PEAKINGWOULDBEAWARDEDANoverall band score of 6.5 (25 4 = 6.25 = Band 6.5).
,IKEWISEATESTTAKERACHIEVINGFOR,ISTENINGFOR2EADINGFOR7RITINGANDFOR3PEAKINGWOULDBEAWARDEDANOVERALLBANDSCOREOF"AND
/NTHEOTHERHANDATESTTAKERACHIEVINGFOR,ISTENINGFOR2EADINGFOR7RITINGANDFOR3PEAKINGWOULDbe awarded band 6 (24.5 4 = 6.125 = Band 6).
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IELTS Guide for Teachers
)NTERNATIONALDELIVERYANDACCESSIBILITYIELTS tests are offered up to four times a month at overTESTVENUESINMORETHANCOUNTRIES4HECOSTof taking the test is set locally and payable in the localcurrency, making registration more convenient forCANDIDATES2ESULTSAREISSUEDTOCANDIDATESCALENDARdays after the test. IELTS test centres can send Test ReportForms directly to an organisation or institution (provided ithas been nominated by the candidate), either by mail or as
an electronic download.
View the worldwide list of IELTS testcentres at www.ielts.org/testcentres
International EnglishIELTS recognises both British and American Englishin terms of spelling, grammar and choice of words.It also incorporates a mix of native speaker accentsfrom Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK andUS in the Listening component.
What does this mean in practice?
The number of people migrating and studying abroad hasMULTIPLIEDOVERTHELASTYEARS4HISHASTRANSFORMEDLIFEin educational institutions. In English-speaking countries,more and more universities recruit staff internationally,and this is matched by an increasing student intake of non-native speakers of English. Simultaneously, in non-Englishspeaking countries, more organisations are using English asa common language of communication, as well as employingrising numbers of staff from English-speaking countries.Consequently, more people are teaching, studying andworking with others who speak different varieties of English.
International partnersIELTS is owned by a global partnership of education andlanguage experts: British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia and5NIVERSITYOF#AMBRIDGE%3/,%XAMINATIONS4HESEBODIESare dedicated to academic excellence, cultural understanding,student recruitment, and creating success worldwide.Benefitting from the shared expertise of the three partners,the IELTS test combines the world-renowned assessmentANDRESEARCHEXPERTISEOF#AMBRIDGE%3/,ANDTHE
international delivery, evaluation and security expertise ofthe British Council and IDP:IELTS Australia.
International consultationIELTS has been developed in close consultation withacademics, professional bodies and immigration authoritiesaround the world.
International contentThe IELTS approach is recognised by academics andadmissions professionals as being fair, reliable andvalid to all candidates, whatever their nationality, culturalbackground, gender or specific needs. The test questionsare developed by item writers in Australia, Canada,New Zealand, the UK and the US.
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IELTS Guide for Teachers
Becoming anIELTS examiner
Examiners participate in refresher workshops and are requiredto formally demonstrate their marking proficiency throughthe certification process. The marking performance of thePLUSGLOBAL)%,43EXAMINERSCOHORTISTHENSYSTEMATICALLYand regularly monitored. Examiner marking standards aremaintained through the IELTS Professional Support Network,a quality assurance system designed and managed by British
Council and IDP: IELTS Australia to ensure consistency.
Setting IELTS band score requirements forrecognising organisations
IELTS test scores are just one element of the assessmentOFATESTTAKERSSUITABILITYTOENROLATANINSTITUTIONORTOjoin an organisation. The level of English needed fora test taker to perform effectively in study, work ortraining varies from one situation to another. That is whyeach individual organisation sets its own minimumIELTS score for applicants, depending on specificrequirements. Admissions professionals may also wishto take into account whether their organisation providesongoing language support to students or employeesto improve their English.
The IELTS Scores Explained DVD provides detaileddescriptions of the test components and sample testmaterials. The DVD contains real examples of test
TAKERSWRITINGANDSPEAKINGPERFORMANCESATDIFFERENTband score levels.
Ensuring consistency across test centres:sSAMEOPERATIONALPROCEDURESAREADHEREDTOBYALLtest centres globally
sSAMEEXAMINERSYSTEMSSTANDARDSANDMONITORINGsafeguard results.
Becoming an IELTS examiner is one of the many possibleprofessional development opportunities available toteachers familiar with IELTS.
The training and support provided to IELTS examiners canimpact positively on classroom practice. IELTS examinersgain a good understanding of what language learning
involves, the study skills which will be useful to studentsfollowing a university course in English and the conventionsof English Academic Writing. Given the worldwiderecognition of IELTS, and the continually increasingnumbers of IELTS test takers, there is a growth in demandfor IELTS examiners, depending on local conditions.
As IELTS examiners are qualified to examine for IELTS allover the world, IELTS examining is a practical and flexible wayto supplement income from teaching.
How to become an IELTS examinerAll IELTS examiner applicants must:sBENATIVESPEAKERSOF%NGLISHORANONNATIVESPEAKER
with an IELTS band score of 9 in the Speaking and
Writing componentssHOLDRELEVANTQUALIlCATIONSIN4EACHING%NGLISHTO3PEAKERS
OF/THER,ANGUAGESOREQUIVALENTsHAVESUBSTANTIALRELEVANTTEACHINGEXPERIENCE
post-qualification.
Applicants fulfilling the above minimum global requirementsto become an examiner undergo a comprehensive andsystematic recruitment process which includes the followingstages: interview, induction, training, standardisation andcertification. An applicant must successfully pass each stageto progress to the next and can be rejected at any stage.
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IELTS Guide for Teachers
Title Author/Organiser Volume and date
of publication
An impact study into the use of IELTS byprofessional associations and registrationentities in the United Kingdom, Irelandand Canada
'LENYS-ERRIlELD'"-!SSOCIATESAustralia
6OLUME
Investigating IELTS exit score gains inhigher education
+IERAN/,OUGHLIN3OPHIE!RKOUDIS The University of Melbourne, Australia
6OLUME
)NVESTIGATINGSTAKEHOLDERSPERCEPTIONSOFIELTS as an entry requirement for highereducation in the UK
David Hyatt, Greg Brooks, The Universityof Sheffield, UK
6OLUME
An impact study into the use of IELTS as anentry criterion for professional associationsin Australia, New Zealand and the USA
'LENYS-ERRIlELD'"-!SSOCIATESAustralia
6OLUME
Does the computer make a difference? The
reaction of candidates to a computer-basedversus traditional hand-written form for theIELTS Writing component: effects and impact
Cyril Weir, The University of Bedfordshire,
5+"ARRY/3ULLIVAN4HE5NIVERSITYOFReading, UK; Jin Yan, Jiao Tong University,China; Steven Bax, Canterbury University,Christchurch, UK
6OLUME
IELTS as a predictor of academic languageperformance, Part 1
David Ingram, Amanda Bayliss; MelbourneUniversity Private, Australia
6OLUME
Investigating the relationship betweenintensive English language study and bandscore gain on IELTS
Catherine Elder, The University of AucklandAND+IERAN/,OUGHLIN4HE5NIVERSITYOFMelbourne, Australia
6OLUME
Exploring difficulty in Speaking tasks
An intra-task perspective
"ARRY/3ULLIVAN2OEHAMPTON
University, UK; Cyril Weir, The Universityof Bedfordshire, UK; Tomoko Horai,Roehampton University, UK
6OLUME
IELTS Research Reports include:
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Appendix i
)%,433PEAKINGASSESSMENTCRITERIABANDDESCRIPTORSnPUBLICVERSION
Band &LUENCYANDCOHERENCE Lexical resource
9s3PEAKSmUENTLYWITHONLYRAREREPETITIONORSELFCORRECTION
any hesitation is content-related rather than to find wordsor grammar
s3PEAKSCOHERENTLYWITHFULLYAPPROPRIATECOHESIVEFEATURES
s$EVELOPSTOPICSFULLYANDAPPROPRIATELY
s5SESVOCABULARYWITHFULLmEXIBILITYANDPRECISIONINALLTOPICS
s5SESIDIOMATICLANGUAGENATURALLYANDACCURATELY
8s3PEAKSmUENTLYWITHONLYOCCASIONALREPETITIONORSELF
correction; hesitation is usually content related and only rarely
to search for language
s$EVELOPSTOPICSCOHERENTLYANDAPPROPRIATELY
s5SESAWIDEVOCABULARYRESOURCEREADILYANDmEXIBLYTOCONVEY
precise meaning
s5SESLESSCOMMONANDIDIOMATICVOCABULARYSKILFULLYWITH
occasional inaccuracies
s5SESPARAPHRASEEFFECTIVELYASREQUIRED
7s3PEAKSATLENGTHWITHOUTNOTICEABLEEFFORTORLOSSOFCOHERENCE
s-AYDEMONSTRATELANGUAGERELATEDHESITATIONATTIMESOR
some repetition and/or self-correction
s5SESARANGEOFCONNECTIVESANDDISCOURSEMARKERS with some flexibility
s5SESVOCABULARYRESOURCEmEXIBLYTODISCUSSAVARIETYOFTOPICS
s5SESSOMELESSCOMMONANDIDIOMATICVOCABULARYANDSHOWSSOME
awareness of style and collocation, with some inappropriate choices
s5SESPARAPHRASEEFFECTIVELY
6s)SWILLINGTOSPEAKATLENGTHTHOUGHMAYLOSECOHERENCEAT
times due to occasional repetition,self-correction or hesitation
s5SESARANGEOFCONNECTIVESANDDISCOURSEMARKERSBUTNOT
always appropriately
s(ASAWIDEENOUGHVOCABULARYTODISCUSSTOPICSATLENGTHAND
make meaning clear in spite of inappropriateness
s'ENERALLYPARAPHRASESSUCCESSFULLY
5s5SUALLYMAINTAINSmOWOFSPEECHBUTUSESREPETITIONSELF
correction and/or slow speech to keep going
s-AYOVERUSECERTAINCONNECTIVESANDDISCOURSEMARKERS
s0RODUCESSIMPLESPEECHmUENTLYBUTMORECOMPLEX
communication causes fluency problems
s-ANAGESTOTALKABOUTFAMILIARANDUNFAMILIARTOPICSBUTUSES
vocabulary with limited flexibility
s!TTEMPTSTOUSEPARAPHRASEBUTWITHMIXEDSUCCESS
4s#ANNOTRESPONDWITHOUTNOTICEABLEPAUSESANDMAYSPEAK
slowly, with frequent repetition and self-correction
s,INKSBASICSENTENCESBUTWITHREPETITIOUSUSEOFSIMPLE
connectives and some breakdowns in coherence
s)SABLETOTALKABOUTFAMILIARTOPICSBUTCANONLYCONVEYBASICMEANING
on unfamiliar topics and makes frequent errors in word choice
s2ARELYATTEMPTSPARAPHRASE
3s3PEAKSWITHLONGPAUSES
s(ASLIMITEDABILITYTOLINKSIMPLESENTENCES
s'IVESONLYSIMPLERESPONSESANDISFREQUENTLYUNABLETOCONVEY
basic message
s5SESSIMPLEVOCABULARYTOCONVEYPERSONALINFORMATION
s(ASINSUFlCIENTVOCABULARYFORLESSFAMILIARTOPICS
2
s0AUSESLENGTHILYBEFOREMOSTWORDS
s,ITTLECOMMUNICATIONPOSSIBLE
s/NLYPRODUCESISOLATEDWORDSORMEMORISEDUTTERANCES
1s.OCOMMUNICATIONPOSSIBLE
s.ORATEABLELANGUAGE
0 s$OESNOTATTEND
View official sample
tests at www.ielts.org
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IELTS Guide for Teachers
Grammatical range and accuracy Pronunciation
s5SESAFULLRANGEOFSTRUCTURESNATURALLYANDAPPROPRIATELY
s0RODUCESCONSISTENTLYACCURATESTRUCTURESAPARTFROM@SLIPScharacteristic of native speaker speech
s5SESAFULLRANGEOFPRONUNCIATIONFEATURESWITHPRECISIONANDSUBTLETY
s3USTAINSmEXIBLEUSEOFFEATURESTHROUGHOUTs)SEFFORTLESSTOUNDERSTAND
s5SESAWIDERANGEOFSTRUCTURESmEXIBLY
s0RODUCESAMAJORITYOFERRORFREESENTENCESWITHONLYVERYOCCASIONAL
inappropriateness or basic/unsystematic errors
s5SESAWIDERANGEOFPRONUNCIATIONFEATURES
s3USTAINSmEXIBLEUSEOFFEATURESWITHONLYOCCASIONALLAPSES
s)SEASYTOUNDERSTANDTHROUGHOUTACCENTHASMINIMALEFFECT
on intelligibility
s5SESARANGEOFCOMPLEXSTRUCTURESWITHSOMEmEXIBILITY
s&REQUENTLYPRODUCESERRORFREESENTENCESTHOUGHSOMEGRAMMATICAL
mistakes persist
s3HOWSALLTHEPOSITIVEFEATURESOFBANDANDSOMEBUTNOTALL
OFTHEPOSITIVEFEATURESOFBAND
s5SESAMIXOFSIMPLEANDCOMPLEXSTRUCTURESBUTWITHLIMITEDmEXIBILITY
s-AYMAKEFREQUENTMISTAKESWITHCOMPLEXSTRUCTURESTHOUGHTHESE
rarely cause comprehension problems
s5SESARANGEOFPRONUNCIATIONFEATURESWITHMIXEDCONTROL
s3HOWSSOMEEFFECTIVEUSEOFFEATURESBUTTHISISNOTSUSTAINED
s#ANGENERALLYBEUNDERSTOODTHROUGHOUTTHOUGHMISPRONUNCIATION
of individual words or sounds reduces clarity at times
s0RODUCESBASICSENTENCEFORMSWITHREASONABLEACCURACY
s5SESALIMITEDRANGEOFMORECOMPLEXSTRUCTURESBUTTHESEUSUALLY
contain errors and may cause some comprehension problems
s3HOWSALLTHEPOSITIVEFEATURESOFBANDANDSOMEBUTNOTALL
of the positive features of band 6
s0RODUCESBASICSENTENCEFORMSANDSOMECORRECTSIMPLESENTENCES
but subordinate structures are rare
s%RRORSAREFREQUENTANDMAYLEADTOMISUNDERSTANDING
s5SESALIMITEDRANGEOFPRONUNCIATIONFEATURES
s!TTEMPTSTOCONTROLFEATURESBUTLAPSESAREFREQUENT
s-ISPRONUNCIATIONSAREFREQUENTANDCAUSESOMEDIFlCULTYFOR
the listener
s!TTEMPTSBASICSENTENCEFORMSBUTWITHLIMITEDSUCCESSORRELIESON
apparently memorised utterances
s-AKESNUMEROUSERRORSEXCEPTINMEMORISEDEXPRESSIONS
s3HOWSSOMEOFTHEFEATURESOFBANDANDSOMEBUTNOTALL
of the positive features of band 4
s#ANNOTPRODUCEBASICSENTENCEFORMS s3PEECHISOFTENUNINTELLIGIBLE
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Appendix i
)%,434ASK7RITINGASSESSMENTCRITERIABANDDESCRIPTORSnPUBLICVERSION
Band 4ASKACHIEVEMENT Coherence and cohesion
9s&ULLYSATISlESALLTHEREQUIREMENTSOFTHETASK
s#LEARLYPRESENTSAFULLYDEVELOPEDRESPONSE
s5SESCOHESIONINSUCHAWAYTHATITATTRACTSNOATTENTION
s3KILFULLYMANAGESPARAGRAPHING
8s#OVERSALLREQUIREMENTSOFTHETASKSUFlCIENTLY
s0RESENTSHIGHLIGHTSANDILLUSTRATESKEYFEATURESBULLET
points clearly and appropriately
s3EQUENCESINFORMATIONANDIDEASLOGICALLY
s-ANAGESALLASPECTSOFCOHESIONWELL
s5SESPARAGRAPHINGSUFlCIENTLYANDAPPROPRIATELY
7s#OVERSTHEREQUIREMENTSOFTHETASK
s!CADEMICPRESENTSACLEAROVERVIEWOFMAINTRENDSDIFFERENCES
or stages
s'ENERALTRAININGPRESENTSACLEARPURPOSEWITHTHETONE
consistent and appropriate
s#LEARLYPRESENTSANDHIGHLIGHTSKEYFEATURESBULLETPOINTS
but could be more fully extended
s,OGICALLYORGANISESINFORMATIONANDIDEASTHEREISCLEAR
progression throughout
s5SESARANGEOFCOHESIVEDEVICESAPPROPRIATELYALTHOUGH
there may
be some under-/over-use
6s!DDRESSESTHEREQUIREMENTSOFTHETASK
s!CADEMICPRESENTSANOVERVIEWWITHINFORMATIONAPPROPRIATELY
selected
s'ENERALTRAININGPRESENTSAPURPOSETHATISGENERALLYCLEAR
there may be inconsistencies in tone
s0RESENTSANDADEQUATELYHIGHLIGHTSKEYFEATURESBULLETPOINTSBUT
details may be irrelevant, inappropriate or inaccurate
s!RRANGESINFORMATIONANDIDEASCOHERENTLYANDTHEREISACLEAR
overall progression
s5SESCOHESIVEDEVICESEFFECTIVELYBUTCOHESIONWITHINANDOR
between sentences may be faulty or mechanical
s-AYNOTALWAYSUSEREFERENCINGCLEARLYORAPPROPRIATELY
5s'ENERALLYADDRESSESTHETASKTHEFORMATMAYBEINAPPROPRIATE
in places
s!CADEMICRECOUNTSDETAILMECHANICALLYWITHNOCLEAROVERVIEW
there may be no data to support the descriptions'ENERALTRAININGMAYPRESENTAPURPOSEFORTHELETTERTHAT
is unclear at times; the tone may be variable and sometimes
inappropriate
s0RESENTSBUTINADEQUATELYCOVERSKEYFEATURESBULLETPOINTS
there may be a tendency to focus on details
s0RESENTSINFORMATIONWITHSOMEORGANISATIONBUTTHEREMAYBE
a lack of overall progression
s-AKESINADEQUATEINACCURATEOROVERUSEOFCOHESIVEDEVICES
s-AYBEREPETITIVEBECAUSEOFLACKOFREFERENCINGANDSUBSTITUTION
4s!TTEMPTSTOADDRESSTHETASKBUTDOESNOTCOVERALLKEY
features / bullet points; the format may be inappropriate
s'ENERALTRAININGFAILSTOCLEARLYEXPLAINTHEPURPOSE
of the letter; the tone may be inappropriate
s-AYCONFUSEKEYFEATURESBULLETPOINTSWITHDETAIL
parts may be unclear, irrelevant, repetitive or inaccurate
s0RESENTSINFORMATIONANDIDEASBUTTHESEARENOTARRANGED
coherently and there is no clear progression in the response
s5SESSOMEBASICCOHESIVEDEVICESBUTTHESEMAYBEINACCURATE
or repetitive
3s&AILSTOADDRESSTHETASKWHICHMAYHAVEBEENCOMPLETELY
misunderstood
s0RESENTSLIMITEDIDEASWHICHMAYBELARGELYIRRELEVANTREPETITIVE
s$OESNOTORGANISEIDEASLOGICALLY
s-AYUSEAVERYLIMITEDRANGEOFCOHESIVEDEVICESANDTHOSEUSEDMAY
not indicate a logical relationship between ideas
2s!NSWERISBARELYRELATEDTOTHETASK s(ASVERYLITTLECONTROLOFORGANISATIONALFEATURES
1s!NSWERISCOMPLETELYUNRELATEDTOTHETASK s&AILSTOCOMMUNICATEANYMESSAGE
0s$OESNOTATTEND
s$OESNOTATTEMPTTHETASKINANYWAY
s7RITESATOTALLYMEMORISEDRESPONSE
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IELTS Guide for Teachers
Lexical resource Grammatical range and accuracy
s5SESAWIDERANGEOFVOCABULARYWITHVERYNATURALANDSOPHISTICATED
CONTROLOFLEXICALFEATURESRAREMINORERRORSOCCURONLYAS@SLIPS
s5SESAWIDERANGEOFSTRUCTURESWITHFULLmEXIBILITYANDACCURACY
RAREMINORERRORSOCCURONLYAS@SLIPS
s5SESAWIDERANGEOFVOCABULARYmUENTLYANDmEXIBLYTOCONVEY
precise meanings
s3KILFULLYUSESUNCOMMONLEXICALITEMSBUTTHEREMAYBEOCCASIONAL
inaccuracies in word choice and collocation
s0RODUCESRAREERRORSINSPELLINGANDORWORDFORMATION
s5SESAWIDERANGEOFSTRUCTURES
s4HEMAJORITYOFSENTENCESAREERRORFREE
s-AKESONLYVERYOCCASIONALERRORSORINAPPROPRIATENESS
s5SESASUFlCIENTRANGEOFVOCABULARYTOALLOWSOMEmEXIBILITY
and precision
s5SESLESSCOMMONLEXICALITEMSWITHSOMEAWARENESSOFSTYLE
and collocation
s-AYPRODUCEOCCASIONALERRORSINWORDCHOICESPELLINGANDOR
word formation
s5SESAVARIETYOFCOMPLEXSTRUCTURES
s0RODUCESFREQUENTERRORFREESENTENCES
s(ASGOODCONTROLOFGRAMMARANDPUNCTUATIONBUTMAYMAKE
a few errors
s5SESANADEQUATERANGEOFVOCABULARYFORTHETASK
s!TTEMPTSTOUSELESSCOMMONVOCABULARYBUTWITHSOMEINACCURACY
s-AKESSOMEERRORSINSPELLINGANDORWORDFORMATIONBUTTHEYDONOT
impede communication
s5SESAMIXOFSIMPLEANDCOMPLEXSENTENCEFORMS
s-AKESSOMEERRORSINGRAMMARANDPUNCTUATIONBUTTHEYRARELYREDUCE
communication
s5SESALIMITEDRANGEOFVOCABULARYBUTTHISISMINIMALLYADEQUATE
for the task
s-AYMAKENOTICEABLEERRORSINSPELLINGANDORWORDFORMATIONTHAT
may cause some difficulty for the reader
s5SESONLYALIMITEDRANGEOFSTRUCTURES
s!TTEMPTSCOMPLEXSENTENCESBUTTHESETENDTOBELESSACCURATETHAN
simple sentences
s-AYMAKEFREQUENTGRAMMATICALERRORSANDPUNCTUATIONMAYBEFAULTYerrors can cause some difficulty for the reader
s5SESONLYBASICVOCABULARYWHICHMAYBEUSEDREPETITIVELYORWHICH
may be inappropriate for the task
s(ASLIMITEDCONTROLOFWORDFORMATIONANDORSPELLINGERRORSMAYCAUSE
strain for the reader
s5SESONLYAVERYLIMITEDRANGEOFSTRUCTURESWITHONLYRAREUSEOF
subordinate clauses
s3OMESTRUCTURESAREACCURATEBUTERRORSPREDOMINATEANDPUNCTUATION
is often faulty
s5SESONLYAVERYLIMITEDRANGEOFWORDSANDEXPRESSIONSWITHVERY
limited control of word formation and/or spelling; errors may severely
distort the message
s!TTEMPTSSENTENCEFORMSBUTERRORSINGRAMMARANDPUNCTUATION
predominate and distort the meaning
s5SESANEXTREMELYLIMITEDRANGEOFVOCABULARYESSENTIALLYNOCONTROL
of word formation and/or spelling
s#ANNOTUSESENTENCEFORMSEXCEPTINMEMORISEDPHRASES
s#ANONLYUSEAFEWISOLATEDWORDS s#ANNOTUSESENTENCEFORMSATALL
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Appendix i
)%,434ASK7RITINGASSESSMENTCRITERIABANDDESCRIPTORSnPUBLICVERSION
Band Task Response Coherence and cohesion
9s&ULLYADDRESSESALLPARTSOFTHETASK
s0RESENTSAFULLYDEVELOPEDPOSITIONINANSWERTOTHEQUESTION with relevant, fully extended and well supported ideas
s5SESCOHESIONINSUCHAWAYTHATITATTRACTSNOATTENTION
s3KILFULLYMANAGESPARAGRAPHING
8s3UFlCIENTLYADDRESSESALLPARTSOFTHETASK
s0RESENTSAWELLDEVELOPEDRESPONSETOTHEQUESTIONWITH
relevant, extended and supported ideas
s3EQUENCESINFORMATIONANDIDEASLOGICALLY
s-ANAGESALLASPECTSOFCOHESIONWELL
s5SESPARAGRAPHINGSUFlCIENTLYANDAPPROPRIATELY
7s!DDRESSESALLPARTSOFTHETASK
s0RESENTSACLEARPOSITIONTHROUGHOUTTHERESPONSE
s0RESENTSEXTENDSANDSUPPORTSMAINIDEASBUTTHEREMAY
be a tendency to over generalise and/or supporting ideas
may lack focus
s,OGICALLYORGANISESINFORMATIONANDIDEASTHEREISCLEAR
progression throughout
s5SESARANGEOFCOHESIVEDEVICESAPPROPRIATELYALTHOUGHTHERE
may be some under-/over-use
s0RESENTSACLEARCENTRALTOPICWITHINEACHPARAGRAPH
6s!DDRESSESALLPARTSOFTHETASKALTHOUGHSOMEPARTSMAYBE
more fully covered than others
s0RESENTSARELEVANTPOSITIONALTHOUGHTHECONCLUSIONSMAY
become unclear or repetitive
s0RESENTSRELEVANTMAINIDEASBUTSOMEMAYBEINADEQUATELY
developed/unclear
s!RRANGESINFORMATIONANDIDEASCOHERENTLYANDTHEREISACLEAR
overall progression
s5SESCOHESIVEDEVICESEFFECTIVELYBUTCOHESIONWITHINANDOR
between sentences may be faulty or mechanical
s-AYNOTALWAYSUSEREFERENCINGCLEARLYORAPPROPRIATELY
s5SESPARAGRAPHINGBUTNOTALWAYSLOGICALLY
5s!DDRESSESTHETASKONLYPARTIALLYTHEFORMATMAYBE
inappropriate in places
s%XPRESSESAPOSITIONBUTTHEDEVELOPMENTISNOTALWAYSCLEAR
and there may be no conclusions drawn
s0RESENTSSOMEMAINIDEASBUTTHESEARELIMITEDANDNOTsufficiently developed; there may be irrelevant detail
s0RESENTSINFORMATIONWITHSOMEORGANISATIONBUTTHEREMAYBE
a lack of overall progression
s-AKESINADEQUATEINACCURATEOROVERUSEOFCOHESIVEDEVICES
s-AYBEREPETITIVEBECAUSEOFLACKOFREFERENCINGANDSUBSTITUTION
s-AYNOTWRITEINPARAGRAPHSORPARAGRAPHINGMAYBEINADEQUATE
4s2ESPONDSTOTHETASKONLYINAMINIMALWAYORTHEANSWERIS
tangential; the format may be inappropriate
s0RESENTSAPOSITIONBUTTHISISUNCLEAR
s0RESENTSSOMEMAINIDEASBUTTHESEAREDIFlCULTTOIDENTIFY
and may be repetitive, irrelevant or not well supported
s0RESENTSINFORMATIONANDIDEASBUTTHESEARENOTARRANGED
coherently and there is no clear progression in the response
s5SESSOMEBASICCOHESIVEDEVICESBUTTHESEMAYBEINACCURATE
or repetitive
s-AYNOTWRITEINPARAGRAPHSORTHEIRUSEMAYBECONFUSING
3s$OESNOTADEQUATELYADDRESSANYPARTOFTHETASK
s$OESNOTEXPRESSACLEARPOSITION
s0RESENTSFEWIDEASWHICHARELARGELYUNDEVELOPED
or irrelevant
s$OESNOTORGANISEIDEASLOGICALLY
s-AYUSEAVERYLIMITEDRANGEOFCOHESIVEDEVICESANDTHOSEUSED
may not indicate a logical relationship between ideas
2s"ARELYRESPONDSTOTHETASK
s$OESNOTEXPRESSAPOSITION
s-AYATTEMPTTOPRESENTONEORTWOIDEASBUTTHEREISNO
development
s(ASVERYLITTLECONTROLOFORGANISATIONALFEATURES
1s!NSWERISCOMPLETELYUNRELATEDTOTHETASK s&AILSTOCOMMUNICATEANYMESSAGE
0s$OESNOTATTEND
s$OESNOTATTEMPTTHETASKINANYWAY
s7RITESATOTALLYMEMORISEDRESPONSE
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Lexical resource Grammatical range and accuracy
s5SESAWIDERANGEOFVOCABULARYWITHVERYNATURALANDSOPHISTICATED
CONTROLOFLEXICALFEATURESRAREMINORERRORSOCCURONLYAS@SLIPS
s5SESAWIDERANGEOFSTRUCTURESWITHFULLmEXIBILITYANDACCURACY
RAREMINORERRORSOCCURONLYAS@SLIPS
s5SESAWIDERANGEOFVOCABULARYmUENTLYANDmEXIBLYTOCONVEY
precise meanings
s3KILFULLYUSESUNCOMMONLEXICALITEMSBUTTHEREMAYBEOCCASIONAL
inaccuracies in word choice and collocation
s0RODUCESRAREERRORSINSPELLINGANDORWORDFORMATION
s5SESAWIDERANGEOFSTRUCTURES
s4HEMAJORITYOFSENTENCESAREERRORFREE
s-AKESONLYVERYOCCASIONALERRORSORINAPPROPRIATENESS
s5SESASUFlCIENTRANGEOFVOCABULARYTOALLOWSOMEmEXIBILITY
and precision
s5SESLESSCOMMONLEXICALITEMSWITHSOMEAWARENESSOFSTYLE
and collocation
s-AYPRODUCEOCCASIONALERRORSINWORDCHOICESPELLINGANDOR
word formation
s5SESAVARIETYOFCOMPLEXSTRUCTURES
s0RODUCESFREQUENTERRORFREESENTENCES
s(ASGOODCONTROLOFGRAMMARANDPUNCTUATIONBUTMAYMAKE
a few errors
s5SESANADEQUATERANGEOFVOCABULARYFORTHETASK
s!TTEMPTSTOUSELESSCOMMONVOCABULARYBUTWITHSOMEINACCURACY
s-AKESSOMEERRORSINSPELLINGANDORWORDFORMATIONBUTTHEYDONOT
impede communication
s5SESAMIXOFSIMPLEANDCOMPLEXSENTENCEFORMS
s-AKESSOMEERRORSINGRAMMARANDPUNCTUATIONBUTTHEYRARELY
reduce communication
s5SESALIMITEDRANGEOFVOCABULARYBUTTHISISMINIMALLYADEQUATE
for the task
s-AYMAKENOTICEABLEERRORSINSPELLINGANDORWORDFORMATIONTHAT
may cause some difficulty for the reader
s5SESONLYALIMITEDRANGEOFSTRUCTURES
s!TTEMPTSCOMPLEXSENTENCESBUTTHESETENDTOBELESSACCURATETHAN
simple sentences
s-AYMAKEFREQUENTGRAMMATICALERRORSANDPUNCTUATION
may be faulty; errors can cause some difficulty for the reader
s5SESONLYBASICVOCABULARYWHICHMAYBEUSEDREPETITIVELYORWHICH
may be inappropriate for the task
s(ASLIMITEDCONTROLOFWORDFORMATIONANDORSPELLINGERRORSMAY
cause strain for the reader
s5SESONLYAVERYLIMITEDRANGEOFSTRUCTURESWITHONLYRAREUSE
of subordinate clauses
s3OMESTRUCTURESAREACCURATEBUTERRORSPREDOMINATEANDPUNCTUATION
is often faulty
s5SESONLYAVERYLIMITEDRANGEOFWORDSANDEXPRESSIONSWITHVERY
limited control of word formation and/or spelling errors may severely
distort the message
s!TTEMPTSSENTENCEFORMSBUTERRORSINGRAMMARANDPUNCTUATION
predominate and distort the meaning
s5SESANEXTREMELYLIMITEDRANGEOFVOCABULARYESSENTIALLYNOCONTROL
of word formation and/or spelling
s#ANNOTUSESENTENCEFORMSEXCEPTINMEMORISEDPHRASES
s#ANONLYUSEAFEWISOLATEDWORDS s#ANNOTUSESENTENCEFORMSATALL
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IELTS Guide for Teachers
The current alignment is based upon a growing body ofinternal and external research, some of which has alsoappeared in peer-reviewed academic journals, attesting toTHEIRQUALITYEG(AWKEY"ARKER4HISRESEARCHHASbeen further combined with long established experience oftest use within education and society, as well as feedbackfrom a range of stakeholders regarding the uses of testresults for particular purposes.
As further work, such as that being undertaken in the EnglishProfile project, enriches our understanding of the CEFRlevels, further refinements may be possible.
&URTHERINFORMATION
Q1. Some IELTS band scores are shown as borderline(e.g. it is not clear whether band 5 is B1 or B2). Howshould institutions and organisations interpret this?As IELTS preceded the CEFR, IELTS band score thresholdshave never aligned exactly with the CEFR transition points.0REVIOUSLY4AYLORAWEPROVIDEDADVICEASTOTHEscore on IELTS that a candidate who was at a given CEFR
level might achieve. However, our research shows that a#MINIMUMTHRESHOLDWOULDFALLBETWEENTHEANDthresholds on the IELTS scale. Therefore, whilst many 6.5candidates would be at C1, a number will be marginallybelow. The present table makes this clearer. So if aninstitution requires a high degree of confidence that anAPPLICANTISAT#THEYMAYWISHTOSETAREQUIREMENTOFrather than 6.5.
1$OES)%,43DIFFERENTIATEAT#LEVEL"ANDSCORESOFANDHIGHERCONSTITUTE#LEVELPERFORMANCE"ANDISBORDERLINE
Q3. If a student has an IELTS score of 6.5 shouldTHISBETREATEDASA"EQUIVALENTSCORE
6.5 is borderline B2/C1. It is for institutions to decidealignment to a particular level of the CEFR is critical./THERWISEOURGENERALADVICEREMAINSTHATANOVERALL)%,43BANDWILLPROBABLYMEETTHELANGUAGErequirements of most university courses, though 6.5may be adequate for courses which are less linguisticallydemanding. Institutions need to consider a range of factorsin setting their requirements, including, for example theamount of pre-sessional or in-sessional language-learningsupport which will be available to prospective students,and whether a minimum standard should also be specifiedin a particular individual skill.
Q4. How does this compare to the mappings thatOTHERLANGUAGETESTERSHAVEPUBLISHED
We do not comment on the benchmarking exercisesthat other language testers have provided.
References
s#OUNCILOF%UROPE4HE#OMMON%UROPEANframework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching,assessment, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
s$AVIDSON&&ULCHER'4HE#OMMON%UROPEANFramework of Reference and the design of language tests:
!MATTEROFEFFECT,ANGUAGE4EACHING
s(AWKEY2"ARKER&$EVELOPINGACOMMONSCALEfor the assessment of writing.s!SSESSING7RITINGPs-ILANOVIC-#AMBRIDGE%3/,ANDTHE#%&2
2ESEARCH.OTESs3AVILLE.!NINTERVIEWWITH*OHN4RIMAT
,ANGUAGE!SSESSMENT1UARTERLYs4AYLOR,A)SSUESOFTESTCOMPARABILITY2ESEARCHNotes 15, 2-5.
s4AYLOR,B)%,43#AMBRIDGE%3/,EXAMINATIONSand the Common European Framework Research Notes
s7EIR#*,IMITATIONSOFTHE#OMMON%UROPEANFramework for developing comparable examinationsANDTESTS,ANGUAGE4ESTING
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Notes
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BRITISH COUNCILBridgewater House7HITWORTH3TREETManchester M1 6BBUK4%, &!8 Email: [email protected]
IDP: IELTS AUSTRALIA,EVEL"OURKE3TREET-ELBOURNE6)#Australia
4%, &!8 Email: [email protected]
5.)6%23)49/!-"2)$'%ESOL EXAMINATIONS1 Hills RoadCambridge CB1 2EUUK4%, &!8 Email: [email protected]
IELTS INTERNATIONAL#OLORADO"OULEVARD3UITELos Angeles#!USA4%, &!8 Email: [email protected]
&EBRUARY
IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge%3/,%XAMINATIONS#AMBRIDGE%3/,