What is the best IELTS band score to get a job overseas?: If you intend to work and live in an English-speaking country, you should know that a high IELTS band score can take you one step closer to your ambition of living and working overseas.
The International English Language Testing System, or IELTS, is a well-known and widely accepted English proficiency exam. IELTS is used for employment, immigration and study purposes, especially in Canada, the United States (U.S), Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Singapore and the United Kingdom (U.K). Language abilities are essential for a successful career in a foreign country, and they are regarded as a great asset in addition to all other work criteria. As a result, proving your language skills and demonstrating the best IELTS score is crucial in acquiring a visa and finding work in another country.
How is the IELTS Band Score determined?
The IELTS band score is divided into two parts: overall and section-based. Individual portions of the IELTS exam are used to calculate section-based IELTS scores (Reading, Speaking, Writing and Listening), whereas the overall band score is an aggregate of all the scores received in each section of the IELTS exam.
| For example: Section-based scores :
Writing (7.0) + Speaking (8.0) + Listening (7.5) + Reading (8.5) = Overall Band score (8.0) |
Why is it essential to score a high IELTS band score?
If you want to find employment in an English-speaking nation, a good IELTS score can open many doors. A high IELTS band score can help you in your work while also opening doors to international opportunities. There is no pass and fail in IELTS exam, rather it just follows a band scoring format. 9 is the highest band score and 0 is the lowest.
Role of a good IELTS band score
Before learning the ways to score the best IELTS band score, know that there are two types of IELTS exams. IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. The IELTS General Training exam is suitable for those who want to settle and work in foreign countries.
A good IELTS score primarily depends on your organization’s needs. Even though countries set a benchmark to work visas based on the immigration program criteria, the organization to which you intend to apply may have a different set of IELTS band score requirements.
If you’re looking for a job in a foreign country that accepts the IELTS exam, you’ll need to have the required job experience and look into the IELTS requirements of the work visa for which you are planning to apply. For example, if your work visa demands a minimum IELTS score of 7, you should aim for an 8 band score rather than a 7 or 9.
IELTS Preparation Tips
Preparation for IELTS is the essential step towards achieving your desired band score. As a result, we’ve included some IELTS preparation tips below to assist you in scoring a high band score.
Section-wise IELTS Preparation Tips
Candidates must acquire good marks in each of the areas in order to achieve a good overall band score on the IELTS. Each component has its own set of evaluation standards, necessitating its preparation and strategy.
Writing
- It is critical to first systematically arrange one’s thoughts and ideas in relation to the writing tasks, rather than diving right into them.
- It’s also crucial to set aside some time in the end to proofread the responses.
Listening Test
- Instead of being in a hurry to write the answer, one must carefully listen to the audio as well as understand the context.
- Candidates are recommended to read the entire question rather than focusing on just a few essential areas or phrases.
Speaking Test
- Instead of blabbering random things, keep the responses short and to the point.
- Students will be asked questions on random topics. As a result, candidates should focus on practising speaking tests and improving their ability to talk eloquently and logically rather than rote-learning speeches or lines.
- Candidates should clear their doubts, if any, before answering the questions.
Reading Test
- It’s critical to divide your time properly. Candidates will have 60 minutes to answer 40 questions, each of which will take one and a half minutes to answer. However, more effort should be spent on longer sections and less time on easy and shorter problems.
Other important factors to consider
Plan early: Giving yourself adequate time to prepare is essential to achieve a high band score. You will not have enough time to practise if you begin your preparation 15 to 20 days ahead of your actual IELTS exam. Hence, you should give yourself a minimum of 1 to 2 months to prepare so that you have adequate time to practise each section of the IELTS exam. It will also assist you in grasping the exam’s basics and gaining a better knowledge of the test structure.
Practise enough: One of the profound ways to score a high band score is to practise enough. Practising can help you get more comfortable with different types of questions and ameliorate your time management abilities.
It is a good idea to use eBooks from reputed websites for practice. IELTSMaterial.com is one such website that will help you prepare for the exam. It not only gives you questions that have previously appeared in the IELTS exam, but it also provides you with sample responses to compare and analyze your errors.