1. IELTS in the US
and Beyond: A
Truly Global
Experience
NAFSA Region XII 2012
Roger Fong
ELS Honolulu
www.ielts.org

2. What is IELTS?
The International English Language Testing
System, a global standardized English language
test designed to ....
•Test the English language abilities of non-native speakers
who plan to study or work where English is the language of
communication
• Provide a fair, accurate and reliable assessment of the 4
language skills – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
www.ielts.org

3. Top 5 Things You Should Know About IELTS
1. Paper-and-pencil test with a live, face-to-face Speaking
interview with a certified Examiner
2. 2 versions – Academic and General Training
3. 9-band scale from 1 (non-user) to 9 (expert user)
4. Accepted by over 7,000 organizations worldwide, including
over 3,000 US institutions and programs
5. Jointly owned by 3 global partners – British Council IDP:
IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL
Examinations, and includes all standard varieties of English –
American, Australia and British
www.ielts.org

4. IELTS Around the World
www.ielts.org

5. IELTS Increasing in Popularity
Global IELTS candidature New record:
1.7 million tests
taken in 2011
1,800,000
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
www.ielts.org

6. Global Candidature Breakdown (2011)
www.ielts.org

7. What are the Top Nationalities of
US-Bound IELTS Test Takers?
www.ielts.org

8. Top Nationalities of US-bound IELTS
Test Takers (Global) Hong Kong
1. China
2. Saudi Arabia Vietnam
Philippines
3. India India
4. France
Kuwait
5. Philippines
Nepal
6. South Korea
Saudi Arabia
7. Hong Kong China
8. Vietnam
9. Nepal
KuwaitFrance
10. South Korea
www.ielts.org

9. Academic General Training
Module Module
Test Format Listening Listening
30 minutes, 30 minutes,
4 sections, 40 items 4 sections, 40 items
Reading Reading
60 minutes, 60 minutes,
3 sections, 40 items 3 sections, 40 items
Writing Writing
60 minutes, 2 tasks 60 minutes, 2 tasks
Speaking Speaking
11 - 14 minutes, 11 - 14 minutes,
3 parts 3 parts
Total test time
2 hours 44 minutes
(+ 10 minutes transfer time)
www.ielts.org

10. Face-to-face Speaking Test
Part 1 Examiner introduces him/herself and 4 - 5 minutes
Introduction and confirms candidate's identity.
Interview
Examiner interviews candidate using
verbal questions based on familiar topic
frames.
Part 2 Examiner asks candidate to speak for 3 - 4 minutes
Individual 1-2 minutes on a particular topic based (includes
long turn on written input in the form of a general 1 minute
instruction and content-focused preparation
prompts. Examiner asks one or two time)
questions at the end of the long turn.
Part 3 Examiner invites candidate to 4 - 5 minutes
Two-way participate in discussion of more
discussion abstract nature, based on verbal
questions, thematically linked to Part 2
prompt.
www.ielts.org

11. Your turn…
Do you think this test taker has the language
proficiency skills necessary to be academically
successful on a campus?
www.ielts.org

12. Speaking Part 3: Celebrities
Band 7
This candidate can maintain the flow of speech without noticeable effort and there is no loss of
coherence. He uses a variety of linking words and markers (I would say; that’s a good question;
as I said; as long as), but he overuses the filler (yeah) and sometimes referencing is inaccurate
(for the one or the other reasons).
He uses a wide range of vocabulary, including some less common and idiomatic items and
effective collocation (easy to blame; global warming; financial crisis; he stands for something;
can’t stand the pressure). However, sometimes he lacks precision in his choice of words and
expressions (Greek instead of ‘Greece’; on the other side of the lake; environmentally
people/things; a big branch).
His grammar displays a good range of both simple and complex structures. Many of his
sentences are error-free but he makes some mistakes in subject/verb agreement (people who
wants; the people who admires him), articles (the normal person) and relative pronouns
(everything what happens).
His pronunciation is clear and easy to follow. He uses both sentence stress and intonation
effectively to convey meaning (you can’t blame a soccer player but it’s easy to blame the
politicians). He does have a noticeable accent, however, and his mispronunciation of a few words
results in occasional loss of clarity (wole model for ‘role model’; wong for ‘wrong’; serf the planet
for ‘serve the planet’).
This candidate is a clear example of a Band 7. www.ielts.org

13. IELTS
9-Point
Scale
Most frequently
used scores
for university
admissions
www.ielts.org

14. US IELTS Score Requirements
Levels/Sample Schools Scores
Undergraduate Range = 6.0 - 7.0
New York University 7.0
University of Illinois, Urbana- 6.5
Champaign
Arizona State University 6.0
Graduate Range = 6.0 - 8.5
Columbia University 7.0
Columbia School of Journalism 8.5
Professional schools Range = 6.0 - 8.5
Harvard MBA 7.0
LLM Range = 6.5 - 8.0
Duke University 7.5
Indiana University 7.0
www.ielts.org

15. Example of University of Southern California, Cinematic
Arts IELTS Score Requirements
www.ielts.org

16. Free Services Available to Recognizing Organizations
• Test Report Form Verification Service (TRFVS)
– To ensure the validity of IELTS results you receive are
authentic
– www.ielts.org/verify
• Electronic Score Download (e-downloads)
– Allows institutions to download IELTS results
electronically instead of receiving paper Test Report
Forms (TRFs)
– ieltstrf@cambridgeesol.org
www.ielts.org

17. Demonstration of TRFVS and E-downloads
www.ielts.org

18. TRFVS
• Log into the TRF verification website using the email address with
which your account has been associated – www.ielts.org/verify
• On left navigation menu, click on “TRF Query” and then enter the
applicant’s TRF number
www.ielts.org

19. TRFVS (continued)
www.ielts.org

20. E-downloads
• Log into the TRF verification website using the email address with which your
account has been associated – www.ielts.org/verify
• On left navigation menu, click on “Download Results”
www.ielts.org

21. E-downloads (continued)
• Specify a date range for the results you want to retrieve, which MUST
include the date the test was TAKEN
• Choose the format you want your results displayed, either CSV or XML*
*Candidate photos are only available in XML format
• Click “Submit” to see the results you have received within the specified date
range
www.ielts.org

22. Test version
Test date
Contact details
and photo
Average score
Stamps
TRF number
www.ielts.org

23. Example 1
www.ielts.org

24. Example 2
www.ielts.org

25. Example 3
www.ielts.org

26. Example 4
www.ielts.org

27. How Can IELTS Help you Recruit More
International Applicants?
• Global Recognition System (GRS) – online database of all IELTS receiving
organizations worldwide (https://bandscore.ielts.org)
• IELTS USA Recognition List – includes all US institutions and programs that
accept IELTS and their score requirements (www.ielts.org/usa)
• IELTS USA Facebook page – used to
promote “Featured” US institutions every
week to over 4,500 fans
(www.facebook.com/IELTSUSA)
www.ielts.org

28. New Security Enhancements:
Identity Authentication Management (IAM)
A procedure that enhances IELTS test security that involves taking and
authenticating photographs of test takers on the test day as well as a finger
scan for entry and re-entry to the different parts of the test.
The IAM promise: The person whose photo appears on the Test Report Form
is the person who sat the test.
As part of the application
process candidates sign the
application form consenting to
the following:
• have a photograph taken
• provide a sample signature
• have finger-scan taken
www.ielts.org

29. FAQs
• Who accepts IELTS?
Over 7,000 organizations worldwide, including 3,000 US
institutions and programs.
• When and where is IELTS available?
Offered up to 4 times per month (Saturdays and Thursdays) in over
800 testing locations around the world.
• When are IELTS results issued?
13 calendar days after the test is taken.
• How are test scores delivered to the colleges and universities?
Scores are sent directly to receiving organizations from the test
center where the test was taken by paper Test Report Form or via
electronic score download. www.ielts.org

30. Feel free to contact us if you
have questions!
IELTS USA
825 Colorado Blvd., Suite 201
Los Angeles, CA 90041
323 255 2771
ielts@ieltsusa.org
www.ielts.org