Three Important Things You Need to Know about the IELTS Exam

Are you someone who is wondering why there is an IELTS or International English Language Testing System examination as a requirement for applications both for employment and education? It has been quiet sometime now since international companies and universities in other countries have required an IELTS score on any applicants to their institutions.

Why is it necessary? For starters, it is important to understand that the IELTS is an English language examination to assess the individual’s competency in using the English Language. It is needed as hiring managers need hires that will be productive and effective in an English speaking environment. As a candidate for the IELTS, what are three essential things that you need to know regarding the IELTS exam?

British Council and IDP
These two are the authorized agencies that deliver the IELTS examination. When you are to register for the examination, you have to options whether to register for the British Council or IDP. Candidates need not worry about the content of the exam on both agencies – it is just the same. They just differ on their cost upon registration. Also, both can have a little difference on the schedule of the exam. Here are the schedules for both:

British Council
DECEMBER
07 December (Saturday)
Academic & General Training Manila/ Bacolod /CDO/ Leyte/ Tagum
14 December (Saturday)
Academic & General Training Manila/Baguio/Cebu/Davao/Pampanga

IDP
NOVEMBER
November 30
Academic Manila
 
DECEMBER
December 7
Academic / General Training Manila / Baguio / Iloilo / CDO / Naga / Tagaytay / Baguio
December 14
Academic / General Training Manila / Cebu / Davao / Pampanga
December 21
Academic Manila



Academic and General Training Modules
On your applications, you have to be sure whether the institution needs an Academic or the General Training score. Both are different in terms of content and level of difficulty in some sections and the people taking the said modules. First, the Academic Module is usually taken by people seeking employment or those preparing to undergo education for more than six months. On the contrary, the General Training is for individuals applying to undergo training and education for less than six months. In both tests, the listening and the speaking sections are the same. However, the reading and writing tasks are different with the Academic Module content to be considered more difficult than the latter.

The Four Language Skills
Among other speaking tests, the IELTS speaking is conducted by a live native English speaker. This makes candidates apprehensive when taking the examination. The presence of an interviewer gives them cold feet. Most of the time, the speaking examination is done before the other written tests – listening, reading, and writing.

Familiarity with the skills for these sections is a must.

For more information on the IELTS, the best thing to do is to be in an IELTS review center. IELTS review centers provide orientations to candidates and lead them to success in the IELTS exam.

Get more IELTS tips here: http://www.ieltsexamstips.com/

What Makes IELTS Challenging?

Difficult and challenging – two common words to describe the IELTS or the International English Language Testing System examination or the IELTS. Indeed, there are a lot of test takers who claim that the IELTS is not an ordinary English examination. They always suggest enrolling in an IELTS review center where they can acquire experience and exposure to different exercises and training for the IELTS examination.
Many individuals are thinking why these people who have taken the said examination find the IELTS challenging. Is it because of the content? the test format? the lack of skills? Hence, below are some reasons why the IELTS is considered a challenging English competency examination.

1. Difficult reading passages.
The reading passages used in the Academic Module are harder than those used in the General Training. The passages are taken from books, newspapers and magazines. Passages usually contain a general academic content, a logical argument and a passage that includes graphs and diagrams. Moreover, passages are lengthy and candidates should focus on the meaning of the passages to fully complete the questions’

2. Accents used in the listening.
British and Australian accents are commonly used throughout the audio recordings. As for Filipinos, the usage of American English is more common than the mentioned accents. In addition, there are words that have a British English equivalent from an American English word like flat for apartment and trousers for pants.

3. Face-to-face interview
Facing a native English speaker is really nerve racking. The speaking test only runs for 10 to 15 minutes; however, sitting in front and being interviewed can cause apprehension and tension to the candidate. Some candidates go mental block during interview making them give responses that are not that strong and effective.

4. Interpreting graphs and diagrams
Creating an essay out of a pie chart or a line graph is not easy. Candidates taking the Academic Writing have to deal with this. With a little information presented on the chart, one must know the skill in writing essays that will provide an in-depth description of the given chart. To add more challenge, writing it in a limited number of words makes the candidate tensed and confused.
How to make these challenges lighter?

Be involved in classes pertaining to skill building for the IELTS. There are a lot of IELTS review centers that offer different programs to address the need for education and exposure of candidates for the IELTS examination. In addition, mock tests are given for these candidates to let them know how the real test feels like.

Get more tips here: http://www.ieltsexamstips.com/

Facts You Need to Know About an IELTS Taker

Is it your first time to take the IELTS or the International English Language Testing System examination? Do you know what it is for? Are you familiar with the test itself?

First time takers of the IELTS should be informed of what the IELTS is.  Now, here are some facts that candidates need to know about the IELTS.

1. The IELTS examination is an English competency examination which is recognized by a lot of companies and education institution around the globe. It is delivered by two agencies: British Council and IDP. The IELTS gauges the person’s abilities and skills in using the English language.

2. People taking the IELTS can either choose an Academic or General Training module. The Academic module is taken by individuals who are aiming to find work and study in course programs overseas. The General Training module is for individuals who are going to undergo training and studying for a less than 6-month courses.

3. The IELTS examination tests the candidates’ four language skills – reading, listening, speaking and writing. The listening section has four sections with forty questions. In the reading section, there are forty questions derived from three long passages taken from journals, books, magazines or books. The speaking has three tasks which topics are taken from various topics. And the writing which is composed of two tasks to be completed in an hour.

4. The score in the IELTS does not really say pass or fail. Companies and educational institutions set standard scores that applicants need to attain. The exam has a band scale from 1 to 9, 1 as the lowest and 9 as the highest. Some companies and academic institutions set specific scores on the speaking sections.

5. The IELTS result is given about two weeks after the examination. The certification is valid for two years; however, you can take the IELTS examination if you feel the need to get a higher score.

6. Registration for the IELTS can be done online or you can ask help from IELTS review centers.  Upon registering, candidates have the option to register in British Council which is Php 8986 and IDP that costs Php 8900.

With this information about the IELTS, who exactly is an IELTS examiner?

An IELTS examiner is an individual – whether a professional or a student – who needs an IELTS certification for employment or education purposes respectively. An IELTS examiner is someone who will be evaluated on his or her English skills through the four core skills. This person has undergone training in rigid review programs under IELTS review center.

For first time takers of the IELTS, it is advisable to enrol in IELTS review centers to be familiar with the questions together with the techniques and strategies for the examination. Moreover, getting training for the IELTS is beneficial especially with experience instructors and mentors that will guide candidates all throughout the review. In addition, IELTS review centers provide mock exams which expose the candidates to how the real test is, giving them an experience of the real test.

You can also get more tips here: http://www.ieltsexamstips.com/2013/07/ielts-exam-format-general-training-and.html#.UoxWbMSnptE

What Are the Difficulties Encountered by Takers in the IELTS Listening Exam?

The International English Language Testing System examination (IELTS exam) is a very popular English language test among non-native English speakers. The said examination is taken by different individuals worldwide with different purposes: employment, education, and immigration. Whatever purpose one has, getting the target score required is important.
It is usual to hear people commenting how difficult the IELTS exam is. Is there an advantage for an individual to know the difficulties on had in taking the test? Yes! Definitely. Knowing the part where one can experience a possible difficulty can help a future candidate for the examination to prepare for this section. At this point, let us focus on the difficulties encountered by test takers in the listening section of the IELTS exam according to a survey done to those who have taken the IELTS exam.
1. Audio quality
In the IELTS, candidates are not given individual headsets while listening to the audio tracks. One test taker said that he had a hard time listening to the audio as he could not focus well on the minimal noises he could hear made by the other test takers. Well, there is nothing a candidate can do about this. No headsets are provided; hence, the candidate should practice on listening to audio passages in speakers just like what they do in IELTS review centers.

2. Room Temperature
Rooms can be pretty cold during the test. A candidate stated that it was too cold for him that he found it hard to focus on the questions as he was already shivering halfway of the test. Unfortunately for him, some test takers were wearing jackets and coats; hence, they did not feel cold all throughout the examination. The best thing for candidates to do is wear a jacket or any clothing that can keep them warm during the examination. Being distracted with the room temperature can affect your performance in listening in the examination.

3. Accents used in the audio tracks
Well, IELTS listening audio tracks are usually in the Australian or British accents. As for Filipinos, we are more accustomed in listening to American English. This is the very reason why some candidates get confused while listening to the passage or the conversation. To overcome this difficulty, exposure to the said accents can be practiced. Candidates can start watching Australian or British movies or even enrol in IELTS review centers where coaches give listening exercises to their enrolees to be familiar with the accents.
To avoid possible difficulties in the listening exam, practice listening to passages as early as today an exposed you to the accents used in the IELTS. Better yet, join IELTS classes in the best review centers near you.

Get more tips here: http://www.ieltsexamstips.com/search/label/ielts%20listening#.Uom3oPmnptE

IELTS Score Requirement for UK Nurse Visa

The demand for nursing professionals has never gone down for many years. Different countries overseas still outsource nursing professionals from the different parts of the world. With this, it has opened an opportunity for Filipino nurses to gain more working experience and comply with the different requirements that they need for their visa application.  One of the countries that Filipinos are targeting is the United Kingdom.
To be able to work as a nursing professional in the United Kingdom, Filipino nurses have to take note of the following.

Applicants should first register in the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). To apply, one must be a practicing the profession for at least a year. If an individual has been qualified for longer than this, the certain individual should have undergone practice for at least three years. A payment is made to process the application one registered which is valid for three years.  The processing may take some time for about six months.

Next, Filipino nurses have to take an English language test which is the IELTS or the International English Language Testing System examination. The IELTS test is a paper-based test that will measure the candidate’s ability in understanding and using the English language. In connection to this, Filipino nurses are required to get a score a score not lower than 6.5 on the Academic Module. The Academic Module is known to be more difficult compared with the General training. Both exams have the same listening and speaking examination contents; however, they differ with the reading and writing. Reading passages are much more complicated and lengthy and writing tasks are more difficult in the Academic Module.

One registration has been completed, nurses will then have to apply for UK migration visa either the work permit holder or the Tier 1 – General skilled visa routes. The Work Permit is generally the fastest option for nurses outside Europe who already have a job offer to migrate in the UK.  The Tier 1 – General Skilled Migration visa allows non-European citizens still waiting for a job offer to live and work in the United Kingdom.

Since IELTS score is very important in the application, candidates should highly consider taking review classes in IELTS review centers. Through this training, candidates will be exposed to different techniques and strategies that will lead them to a successful examination. Surely, candidates will get the desired score needed for their applications.

For more information, visit http://www.visabureau.com/uk/nurse-visa.aspx.

Other source: http://www.ieltsexamstips.com/2013/11/ielts-for-candidates-with-special-needs.html#.UoW15vmnptE

How to Find the Best TOEFL Review Center in the Philippines

TOEFL or the Test of English as a Foreign Language is one of the most taken English proficiency exams in the country today. Its popularity is caused by a lot of Filipinos who started looking for reviews for the TOEFL. People who take the TOEFL can be both professionals and students both aiming to work or study overseas. With this purpose in mind, individuals aiming to get their target scores in the TOEFL seek for TOEFL classes from TOEFL review centers.  With hundreds and even thousands of  TOEFL review centers around the country, it is quite confusing to find the best TOEFL review center. To make the decision faster and better, here are a few things to take into consideration when looking for the best TOEFL review center.

VENUE
The place where you are taking the review is important for starters. The center should be situated in an accessible area for its candidates can easily locate. The TOEFL review center should be a place where the candidate can find focus and gain concentration in studying. Moreover, the TOEFL review center should be large enough to handle large group of people but not to the point of becoming too crowded. The TOEFL review center should be a stress-free place so candidates need to consider this badly.

QUALITY OF INSTRUCTORS
You gain knowledge and expertise from these individuals; thus, it is just right to get training from only the best people who know TOEFL. The mentors and coaches in TOEFL review centers are responsible in bringing the experience and know-how candidates need to know to excel the TOEFL examination. Instructors should be able to answer any questions related to the TOEFL examination. What’s best is if these coaches have already completed the test and have gotten very high scores.

MATERIALS
The modules they will be using in the classes should be up-to-date and current. Research online on new books for the TOEFL test and inquire the center if they have these resources. It will be a good help for the enrolees to be trained on the newest TOEFL books as questions on the TOEFL could be changed.

PRICE
Do not compromise the quality of the review with cheap rates. It is best to know what the course program the center offers. Some are too pricey with reviews that are just average. Look for one with intensive trainings that can address your needs for knowledge in the TOEFL examination. The best thing to do is compare and contrast and weigh the pros and cons of these centers.

Reviews are essential; thus, being with the best TOEFL review center is crucial. Start looking for one today and be prepared for the TOEFL review center.

Here are some tips: http://toeflreview.blogspot.com/

Butcher Training in Tagum City

Skilled work is a very popular job in Australia. The country has opened its door of opportunity for those skilled workers in butchery. This is exactly the reason why some individuals start undergoing training in butchery in different cities here in the Philippines. It is known to a lot that this skilled work can earn a lot in Australia making it one of the most desired job vacancies of Filipinos in that country. Here in Mindanao, there is a city which has been pretty famous for giving quality training for butchers aiming to find work in Australia – Tagum City.

Tagum City is the capital city of the province of Davao del Norte. The city started as mainly an agricultural area, but now it has grown to be one of the urban cities in the Philippines. As part of the city’s progress, Tagum City local government units (LGUs) have become serious in giving quality training and equipping their butchers with the necessary expertise they need. The community skills training program the city has been giving is more than enough for these butchers to hone their skills and be qualified for work in Australia.

Citizens from Davao City can take advantage of this free training offered in Tagum City. Contrary to the belief that only Tagum city residents can join the program, it is for free for everyone. However, there is a requirement applicants have to complete before they can enrol in the program. It is to take the International English Language Testing System test or the IELTS examination.

The first thing candidates should do is to get an overall band score of 5 in the IELTS General Training module. To be able to get this score, butchers need to undergo a great deal of training in IELTS review centers. IELTS review centers provide materials and classes that aim to develop the English skills of these butchers. Why do they need the IELTS?

Butchers will be working with other nationalities who basically speak English in Australia. For them to be productive at work, there is a need for them to communicate effectively both inside and outside work. Hence, employers need to be sure that the applicants they are getting should be good English speakers.
Indeed, butchers should practice their English first by taking IELTS review courses for the IELTS examination. They have to undergo extensive and good training from the best IELTS review centers and be qualified for free butchery training in Tagum City.

Read more here: http://www.ieltsexamstips.com/

IELTS for Filipino Physical Therapists (PT) and Occupational Therapists (OT) Who Wish to Work in Australia

A better salary and possible career improvement – these what drives Filipinos to find work overseas.  For many working professionals, to find work abroad is the easiest way to get a high pay to support their families with what they basically need – shelter, food, and education. Opportunities to work abroad are a lot, most especially in Australia.

Aside from Filipino nurses, physical therapists and occupational therapists are also in demand in Australia. The demand may not be as high as nurses but the market has been opened to Filipino Physical therapists. However, before they can work in Australia, they need to prepare their requirements for the job opportunity. One of these is getting the target score in an English language examination like the IELTS or the International English Language Testing System examination.
Many professionals have been asking why there is a need for them to pass the said examination. The reason behind this is that employers need to have hires that can communicate well in the English language. They need to have professionals who can effectively communicate with their patients and with their co-workers as well. Additionally, these professionals will also be using the English language outside work; hence, it is really important for Filipino physical therapists to show their abilities in using the English language.

Moreover, the need for the IELTS is not only limited for work. If these candidates want to pursue their studies in Australia, they will also need this score in schools they will be applying for. Candidates just need to be sure that these scores are valid. IELTS certification is valid for two years. Candidates can take the test again if they need a higher score or if the certificate already expires.

For physical therapists and occupational therapists, they have to take the Academic Module and get an overall band score of 6.5. This score should be attained as the lodging of applications relies on the completed requirements of the candidates.

To be able to reach the target score, one must prepare for the examination. One vital preparation for the IELTS is taking review classes in IELTS review centers. Through these review centers, physical therapists and occupational therapists will have the chance to understand the IELTs and experience the feel of the real test with mock tests in review centers. Though it can be pricey, a lot still choose to be educated and trained in review centers.

Read more here: http://www.ieltsexamstips.com/