Every year several students sit for IELTS exam to achieve their dream of studying abroad. However, it has been observed that a lot of aspirants fail to clear this test in a single attempt, majorly because of the writing module. This blog is mainly about this issue but before that let us talk about IELTS.
IELTS is a globally recognized English proficiency test taken by many people for various purposes. This test is available in two versions:
The IELTS Academic test
The IELTS General test
Both test types are further comprised of four modules
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Out of all the four modules, Reading and Writing modules differ for Academic and General test-takers. Bands allocation for all the modules are same but are not equally easy or difficult, for some listening sounds challenging whereas some get anxious while solving reading passages.
Writing, on the other hand, is one module which really takes a toll on students’ mind-set. Most test-takers find it daunting to score well because of the uncertain nature and marking standards linked to it. Hence, it is important for the aspirants to have prior knowledge about the parameters on which their writing skills are assessed.
Marking Parameters
Bands in IELTS Writing test are allocated on 4 parameters:
Task Achievement/ Task Response (TA/TR)
In this parameter it is assessed whether the student has properly addressed the question or not.
How many parts of the question have been answered and discussed.
Whether the position was well maintained till the end.
Quality of ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion (CC)
This parameter is about the organization of essay.
Whether the student has used linking devices or not.
Paragraphing is done in a logical sequence or not.
Lexical Resources (LR)
Use of vocabulary/ Range of words
Word formation
Spelling errors
Word choice
Collocation
Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA)
Use of different sentence structures i.e. Simple, Compound and Complex sentences.
Punctuation
Other grammatical errors
Deduction Parameters
Apart from band allocation parameters, Writing is the only module in which there are certain deductions that may affect band scores.
Word Count Penalty
The examiners generally count the number of words in both Task 1 and Task 2 if they think that the tasks are under desired word count. It is advisable that test takers should write 160-180 words in Task 1 and 250-280 words in Task 2 to avoid this penalty. There is no penalty for upper word limit, however, it is not recommended to do so as it might cause problems rather than achieving a better score.
Illegibility
If the examiner fails to understand the hand writing of candidate, it may result in serious band deduction.
Off-topic
While assessing writing tasks, evaluators may charge a penalty if they feel that some parts or phrases used in writing do not relate to the topic properly and are merely written to stretch the word limit.
Memorized
Lastly, the examiner may not accept any essay answers if they seem memorized.
Achieving good bands in IELTS test is just the first obstacle to cross. There are, however, many other hurdles to deal with while planning a career in abroad such as selection of a suitable program and the best educational institution along with some other crucial decisions. To get the best advises on these matters log on to iapply.io and talk to our expert advisors today to ask issues that concern you without any worry to pay.
