Blog category: IELTS news and research

Which part of the IELTS test is the most difficult?

By Pete on in IELTS news and research. No comments »

Hi

I often get asked which part of IELTS is the most difficult or if one part of the test is easier than others and so I’ve done some research.

According to a poll we carried out on our Facebook page, most IELTS candidates find the writing test the most difficult part of the IELTS test.

This isn’t surprising because the part of the test where candidates get the lowest band score on average is the IELTS Writing test.

Here are the statistics for 2010 (the latest figures available) from the official IELTS website:

  • the average band score for IELTS Academic Writing is 5.6 for females and 5.4 for males
  • the average band score for IELTS General Training Writing is 5.9 for females and 5.8 for males

Read the full post »

Which test is more widely recognised: IELTS or TOEFL?

By Pete on in IELTS news and research. No comments »

Hi

I often get asked about whether IELTS or TOEFL is more widely recognised, and so I thought I’d post the latest figures from both the official IELTS website and the official TOEFL website.

IELTS is taken by over 1.4 million candidates each year and is recognised by more than 6000 institutions in over 135 countries.

The TOEFL test is recognized by more than 8000 colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries.

Read the full post »

Finger-scanning on IELTS test days

By e-englishteacher.com on in IELTS news and research, Videos. No comments »

Hi

As you may already have heard, IELTS have started introducing finger-scanning on test days to improve the security of the IELTS test.

At a recent information session we went to in Auckland, IELTS Australia said that their test centres in New Zealand will be finger scanning candidates on test days by October this year, and that test centres around the world will be introducing finger-scanning over the next 12 months.

Check out the video below to see Kevin from China talk about his experience of the finger-scanning process at a test centre in Australia.

(If you can’t view the video above, try viewing it directly on our YouTube channel or our YouKu channel). Read the full post »

Do you need to get an IELTS band score 8.0?

By e-englishteacher.com on in IELTS news and research. No comments »

Hi

If you think it’s difficult to get an IELTS 6.5 or an IELTS 7.0, spare a thought for those candidates taking IELTS in order to immigrate to Australia.

From the 1st of July, many people who want to immigrate to Australia will need to get an IELTS band score 8.0 or above in each of the four skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

As I’m sure a lot of you will be interested in what you need to do to get a band score 8.0, we’ve interviewed some candidates who have previously got an 8.0 in one of more of the four skills.

We’ll be posting the first of these interviews on this blog tomorrow.

Watch this space!

The e-englishteacher.com team.

See our IELTS tutor profiles to find out more about our qualified and experienced English language teachers.

A record 1.5 million IELTS tests taken in 2010

By e-englishteacher.com on in IELTS news and research. No comments »

Hi

The latest figures released reveal that 1.5 million IELTS tests were taken around the world last year, with Australia, China and India being the top three counties in terms of the number of tests taken, and North America, the Philippines and Hong Kong seeing the largest growth.

The press release also says that:

“IELTS continues to help change people’s lives as they look for opportunities around the world – whether that be in education, for migration or employment.“

If you’re finding it difficult to motivate yourself to prepare for the IELTS test, just remember that IELTS represents an opportunity for you to change your life and we’re here to help you make that change.

You can read the full press release in the media centre of the official IELTS website.

Best wishes,

The e-englishteacher.com team

See our IELTS tutoring options to find out more about how we can help you improve your English for the IELTS test.