What to Consider When Reviewing for the IELTS?

Preparation has always been emphasized to any test takers of the International English Language Testing System examination or the IELTS. Since it is an important requirement for visa applications in countries like Australia and Canada, getting the required minimum score is very important. Though sometimes the score is not that high, a lot of candidates still fail to meet the requirement as they lack practice for the test.

Information about the test can be found on the Internet. There are different websites that include details about the test, its sections and even practice tests for free. Unlike before, test takers now have different ways to know about the test.

Reviewing for the test is a basic knowledge every test taker should know. What should one consider when reviewing for the IELTS? Here are some things to consider when planning out your review for the IELTS.

• Know whether you need to register for the British Council or IDP.
• Be informed on what test you should take – Academic or General Training. Determine the purpose of your going to English-speaking country. You better ask your consultancy firm or the institution you are trying to apply to abroad.
• If you are taking the Academic Test, be ready for longer texts on the reading and graph interpretation on the writing.
• Plan your review about three months before the actual test. This will give you more time to get ready for the test.
• Read a lot for the IELTS.
• Improve your vocabulary.
• Listen to English conversations and classic songs.
• Watch English movies to learn new vocabulary and word expressions.
• Practice speaking in front of a mirror. Listen to yourself and be conscious of your gestures when speaking.
• Seek a speaking partner to practice your speaking skills and improve confidence in speaking.
• Be familiar with different Australian, British, and American English accents.
• Study skimming and scanning – two techniques that will make reading passages easier.
• Improve note taking skills needed for the listening test.
• Choose a very convenient schedule for the IELTS review.
• Study at home for at least three hours.
• Be on track by making a schedule of your study. Make a list of what to study in a particular day of the week.
• Read blogs before purchasing books. Always get manuals that are newly released in the market.
• Create a study group. Share ideas among groups and learn from group mates.
• Do practice tests online. There are free exercises from British Council and IDP’s webpages.
• Enrol in a review center and be coached by IELTS review instructors.

Reviewing for the IELTS is easy. Always remember to give a lot of time for it before taking the test.

Get more IELTS tips here www.ieltsexamstips.com.

How are the IELTS Scores Calculated?

Have you ever wondered how the International English Language Testing System examination is rated?

The IELTS test is given a rating from 1 to 9 to each part of the exam: listening, reading, speaking and writing. A perfect score in the IELTS is given a score of 9.0. Candidates can get a whole score or half bands depending on the scores on each part of the test. Examiners are trained well to rate the test to ensure consistency in the quality of the assessment.

How is the IELTS test calculated?

The listening and reading tests have 40 items each. Each correct answer is given one point. The score is then converted to their respective IELTS score. For example, when a candidate gets a score of 38 out of 40, he or she is likely to get an 8.5 score. There are a lot of IELTS score calculators online. Here is a sample of a free IELTS test score calculator: http://www.ieltscalculator.com/

Rating the speaking and writing is a different thing. Examiners use descriptors to score these two sections. These descriptors assess the performance in four categories: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. For speaking, the descriptors are fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy and pronunciation. A score of 1 to 9 is given to each descriptor. The total will then be divided into four to have your speaking and writing scores, respectively.

Here is an example:

Reading (35/40)	Listening (38/50)	Speaking	Writing	Overall Band Score
8	8.5	7	7.5	8

Understanding the band scores

Band Score	Skill Level	Description
9	Expert user	-full operational command of the language
8	Very good user	-fully operational command of the language with occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate usage
7	Good user	- operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstanding in some situations
6	Competent user	-general effective command of the language
5	Modest user	-partial command of the language
4	Limited user	-basic competence is limited to familiar situations
3	Extremely limited user	-convey and understand only general meaning in very familiar situations
2	Intermittent user	-great difficulty understanding spoken and written English
1	Non-user	-no ability to use the language except few isolated words
0	Did not attempt the test	-did not answer the questions

The IELTS test is a difficult exam once you do not have enough time in practicing and reviewing your English skills. It is best to prepare for the test by enrolling in an IELTS review center for a guided and comprehensive review for the test. 

Get more IELTS tips here www.ieltsexamstips.com.

Is IELTS Important When Taking Master's Degree Online?

Are you planning to take a master’s degree but you do not have the time to be in school because of your hectic schedule and workload in the office? Have you ever considered taking a master’s degree online?

Studying master’s degree online has been a course program offered by different universities that has brought convenience to students. Here in the Philippines, the University of the Philippines has their Open University which offers online courses for people who want to pursue a master’s degree online. Furthermore, there are also a number of master’s degree online courses offered by different prestigious universities overseas.

With this availability of online courses for master’s degree, a lot of Filipinos are wondering on what the requirements are for them to enrol in a particular program. Here are the requirements for most online programs for master’s degree:

• Application fees
• Sealed transcript of records from all previous universities attended
• A GRE score
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited US institution or equivalent from a foreign institution
• Letters of recommendation
• Letter of intent
• Resume
• English proficiency test score (applicants can take the IELTS or the International English Language Testing System examination and get a score of 6.5 in the Academic Module)

Because the IELTS score is important, candidates should prepare for the examination by attending review classes in IELTS review centers. Furthermore, these IELTS review centers have designed course programs that will help candidates learn and develop skills necessary for the examination. These programs include classroom discussions and lectures to expose candidate on the different sections of the IELTS examination – reading, listening, speaking and writing. Moreover, IELTS review centers provide mock exams for candidates to have them feel what the IELTS test is like. With this, candidates become familiar and used to answering questions related to each task.

The availability of online master’s degree programs has brought a lot of advantages for people. One advantage of this is that more people can gain their degrees without quitting their jobs. A good number of students are working professionals. Thus, this online courses will let them work and study at the same time. Another advantage is that Filipinos do not need to spend a lot of money to get good quality education for the said degree. Studying abroad can be very costly as you have to pay for visa, plane ticket, accommodation and daily living expenses. Having it online lets someone save money.

Students should take note of these requirements mentioned above so as to be accepted in their choice of program. Make sure to prepare for the IELTS as it is a major requirement for individuals whose native language is not English.

You can get more IELTS tips here www.ieltsexamstips.com.

Butcher Training in Tagum: Number of Hours and Other Information You Need to Know

Skilled work in Australia and New Zealand is one of the jobs that are in high demand overseas. Seeing this is an opportunity not only to work and earn money but also to visit countries that are known to be rich in economy and their cultures. Filipinos have started looking for training that will make them qualified to a skilled work position. Amongst the skilled work in these countries mentioned, butchery is getting more and more popular.

Butchery has been in high demand since these two countries are famous for their meat industry. Luckily, Tagum City is offering butchery training to individuals who are willing to seek greener pastures abroad. The training is also supported and sponsored by different meat companies overseas as they want only the best butchers to work for them.

As one of the cities improving in the country, the local government of Tagum City is working hard to promote and improve the quality of training they are giving to butchers. To better equip their skills, community skills training are given to these individuals to hone their skills and be competitive in the market.

The city government of Tagum’s butchery program runs for six months of hands-on training. The training is done in Tagum’s slaughter house located in Barangay East. Here, candidates are provided classroom lectures in enhancing skills in butchery plus onsite demonstration. Course programs are specially designed to make learning the skills of butchery easy and educational. Together with the University of Mindanao-Tagum Campus and the local government, students are also provided with English classes known as SWEEP or Skilled Workers English Enhancement Program that will make them ready to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination.

Butchers need to get an overall band score of 5 in the IELTS General Training module to proceed with their applications. The IELTS examination is quite a challenge for individuals who are not often exposed to the English language. As Australia and New Zealand use English as their first language, butchers should not only be good at speaking English but also understanding the language. Aside from the English classes offered by UM Tagum, some butchers are sponsored to attend IELTS review classes in different IELTS review centers. IELTS review centers have special General Training program for butchers for them to manage their schedules between honing their butchery skills and improving their English communication abilities. 

Get more IELTS tips here www.ieltsexamstips.com.