Mingshern’s Blog

    Yep… the title says it… I’m gonna be taking my IELTS test tomorrow… Well… for those of you who dunno what the heck is IELTS, it stands for International English Language Testing System. Which means that, tomorrow’s test will be on my ability to communicate in English. IELTS test will test on the ability to communicate using all four language skills, namely Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Check out www.ielts.org for more info. =)

    Well, some of my friends have already took the test earlier than me, some will be taking at the same time as me (two of them actually), and others might be taking their IELTS test some other time in the future. And some might ask, why would i need to take this test? Well, the reason is mainly for higher education. Most (overseas) universities require their students to have a certain standard of English before being accepted. Its something like MUET (Malaysian University English Test)

    The few universities that I’ve checked so far require a minimum of band 6 to band 7. The highest band score for IELTS is band 9 by the way. I’m aiming for band 7. =D Lets take a look at the nine bands and their description :

9: Expert User
Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.
8: Very Good User
Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional
unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may
occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation
well.
7: Good User
Has operational command of the language, though with occasional
inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations.
Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed
reasoning.
6: Competent User
Has generally effective command of the language despite some
inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and
understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.
5: Modest User
Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in
most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able
to handle basic communication in own field.
4: Limited User
Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent
problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex
language.
3: Extremely Limited User
Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur.
2: Intermittent User
No real communication is possible except for the most basic information
using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to
meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty understanding spoken and
written English.
1: Non User
Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.

(Source: http://www.ielts.org/candidates/afterthetestresults/article281.aspx)

There… Like i said on top, I’m aiming for Band 7. I believe that my English level is that equivalent to the description for band 7.

    According to some of my friends who had took the test, it seems that the first 3 parts of the test, Listening, Reading and Writing is the easier part of the test. The hardest part will be the Speaking part. I’m worried on the Writing and Speaking section. I’m getting really nervous right now just thinking about it… Sigh… hope everything goes well tomorrow… Guess thats all for this post… For those reading this tonight (before my IELTS test tomorrow), do wish me luck… =D Thanks~!

This entry was posted on Friday, March 9th, 2007 at 8:44 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.