Cambridge IELTS

A week of tension and damaging stress is finally announced over. I now officially look forward to the upcoming one week holiday even though it is again packed with tight schedule and a whole list of things to do. Just took the Academic Module of IELTS English Proficiency Test @ IDP Education Centre, Subang Jaya.

To give you a sneak peek of what IELTS Academic Module is like:

It constitutes 4 different parts of the language skills-

SPEAKING

Candidates are tested by an examiner in a small interview room, small enough for you to hear the echo of your own heartbeat. 3 parts to this section and candidates are required to speak on various topics, both at personal and a more general level. Examiners look for spontaneity, originality, clarity and fluency.

LISTENING

Remember to get all geared up and ready for this section as it is the most fast-paced and demanding section of all. If you miss a part of the audio conversation, you would most probably get panic and miss the rest as well. There are in total 4 different conversations that test your listening ability, in which you would need to listen carefully and answer questions regarding the audio script.

READING

I think this is the most relaxing section among all 4 parts of the test as it does not require much mental effort. Just pay attention to small details in the articles and be focused when reading the texts. Most of the answers to the questions can easily be detected. Only a couple needs analysis and thinking. A total of 3 articles are there in this reading section.

WRITING

A part that is feared by many as it requires data analysis and good communication skills in conveying information in the form of an essay. Candidates are supposed to analyse trends in graphs, charts, tables, diagrams and transfer the information into text in Task 1. In the next task, a minimum 250 word essay is written regarding general issues.

Out of a band of 9, candidates would be graded by a few examiners. Normally a band of 6.5 and above would be sufficient to get you into a university of your choice. And that same applies to myself. So, I cross my fingers and pray hard.

All the best to me! :)