IDP or British Council: Which is best for IELTS?

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Which is best for IELTS, British Council or IDP? Where should you take your IELTS test?

  • There is no difference between the IELTS test at the BC and in IDP.
  • There is also no difference between examiners and marking in the BC and IDP.

Who owns IELTS?

Both IDP and the British Council are part owners of IELTS along with Cambridge English Language Assessment. This means they are all one company. Learn more information about the IELTS Test.

IELTS Test Difficulty Level

IDP and British Council conduct IELTS tests but they do not write them. All tests used at the BC and IDP are compiled by Cambridge English Language Assessment who is one of the joint owners of IELTS.

This means you will get the same tests if you are at BC or IDP.

IELTS Examiners & Marking at IDP & BC

All examiners for IELTS, both IDP and BC examiners, are trained in the same way, following the same guidelines.

Listening and Reading answers are marked clerically. They are based on right or wrong answers. Each right answer gives one point and your score is calculated based on the number of right answers. So, this never differs between test centers.

Writing and Speaking are marked by an examiner. All IELTS examiners, for both IDP and BC, complete the same training course, follow the same marking criteria and also the same band score descriptors. Examiners are also checked regularly to ensure they are not marking too high or too low.

Accents

IDP is Australian and BC is British but they both use a range of accents. In the listening test, you will get a range of accents (even American sometimes). In the speaking test, the examiner could come from any country and have any accent. You can use any accent you want in your speaking test: Australian, British or American.

IELTS Band Scores:

How to Choose: British Council or IDP?

  1. Choose a test center close to your home.
    1. The listening, reading and writing test is 2 hours and 40 mins. You will need to arrive at your test center feeling fresh and ready to concentrate. Choosing a test center near your home will help you do this.
  2. Check if the listening test uses speakers or head phones.
    1. Most students prefer to use head phones because they can concentrate better. You might want to check with your test center which they use.
  3. Test Dates in IDP or BC
    1. Decide which center offers you the test date you want. You should always take the test when your IELTS skills and English language is strongest. Also make sure you frequently hit the score you want in practice tests before booking your real test.

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Post a comment with your experience of BC or IDP for an IELTS test. Give some tips to other students.

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Future Prediction Model Answer

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Below is an IELTS table with dates in the future and past for writing task 1. This means you will need to use a combination of tenses to write this table task. IELTS Tables in writing task 1 can be complicated because of of all the data given to you. The model answer below shows you how to organise information and write an answer with different grammar tenses.

IELTS Table: Past & Future  Dates

IELTS Table Model Answer

Note: I’ve highlighted examples of future forms to show the options you have for presenting future predictions.

The table gives information about the proportion of the population aged 65 years and over in 3 countries (Canada, Germany and the UK) in 1988, 2000 and an estimated percentage for 2030.

Overall, the population of elderly people is predicted to rise in all three countries over the period given. The highest percentage of older people was in Germany, which is forecast to continue to remain the highest for the entire period, while the lowest proportion can be seen in the UK.

Between 1988 and 2000, the aging population of Canada and Germany went up by around 5% to 20.67% and 25.32% respectively. The UK, on the other hand, showed relatively little change in the proportion of its population who were 65 years old and above remaining at just under 15% in both years.

By 2030, it is expected that the population of people aged 65 and above will increase by approximately 5.5% in all three countries. The percentage is predicted to reach 30.42% in Germany, 26.35% in Canada and 20.35% in the UK.

(176 words)

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Table with Future Predictions

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The IELTS table below shows information with both past and future predictions. This IELTS writing task 1 table appeared in the exam recently and has been reproduced as accurately as possible with data provided by a student called Oyon (April 16th). This table is the IELTS academic writing test.

I will post a model answer for the table below next week.

If you want to try this task 1 table with future predictions, please post your writing in the comments box below. However, I am not currently available to comment on your writing. This will solely be for the purpose of practice and to compare with my model when it is published.

IELTS Table with Future Predictions

ielts table future predictions

Useful Links for Writing Task 1

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IELTS: Using a Pen or Pencil?

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Should you use a pen or a pencil in your IELTS test? Learn the IELTS rules for using pens and pencils and get tips.

Pen or Pencil in IELTS?

In IELTS listening and reading, you MUST use a pencil for filling in the answer sheet. This means you should also take an eraser into the test with you so you can erase mistakes.

In the IELTS writing test, you can choose if you want to use either a pencil or a pen.

Tips on Using Pens and Pencils

Pens:

  • Your answers can look messy if you need to delete mistakes.
  • Don’t just put a thin line through mistakes, put many lines through mistakes to delete the word completely. This will make it easier for the examiner to see which words are mistakes and which are not.
  • Make sure your pen doesn’t run out. Don’t use a very old pen.A

Pencils

  • Make sure your pencil is sharp and not too light in colour. It must be easy to read.
  • Don’t use a pencil that is easy to break as you can miss answers in your listening test, while you sort it out.
  • When you erase a word, make sure it is completely erased so that the new word is clear.

Good Handwriting Tips

You can use any style of hand writing you want  in IELTS and you can delete mistakes without losing marks. However, if your handwriting or words are difficult to read, it will reduce your score. If the examiner can’t read it, it’s wrong.

If you wish to put another word into a sentence in your IELTS writing test, you can use the ^ sign. However, make sure the word is easy to read.

You should practice writing your answers on the official answer sheets for listening and reading before your test. You should also practice writing your essays on the official writing paper. See this page for tips on using the official writing paper and to download it for free: Using the Official Writing Paper. Follow these links to get the listening and reading answer sheets: Listening Answer Sheet and IELTS Reading Answer Sheet

Know more about IELTS

  • Capital letters?
  • Wearing a watch?
  • Writing on the question paper?
  • Writing T instead of True?
  • Indenting your paragraphs ?

Check the pen and pencil rules on the BC website: IELTS Listening Test Rules. You will find links on that page to the reading, writing and speaking test rules.

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IELTS Listening Practice: Selecting Names from a List

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This IELTS listening practice is based on multiple choice when you must choose names from a list. Be prepared to hear many names – try to listen out for the names which answer the question.

Health Care Conference

Multiple Choice Questions 1-3

Who will be lecturing at the conference today?

Choose three letters, A-G.

  • A = Dr Christopher Lord
  • B = Dr David Bishop
  • C = Dr George Ripley
  • D = Dr William Benson
  • E = Dr Roger Dean
  • F = Dr Daisy Mandalay
  • G = Dr Ralph Morris

 

 

Answers

Answers

E  A  B (any order). This question counts for answers 1, 2 and 3. This means three points – one point for each correct answer.

  • E = ‘Dr Roger Dean who will be presenting his speech…’
  • A = ‘Dr Christopher Lord will address everyone…’
  • B = ‘Dr David Bishop, as I mentioned earlier, will take the floor to tell you about…’

Comments: The answer is not C (Dr George Ripley) because he is talking tomorrow not today. The answer is not D (Dr William Benson) because he is running a debate. He is not giving a lecture. The answer is not F (Dr Daisy Mandalay) because she is showing a video not talking. The answer is not G (Dr Ralph Morris) because he is collecting feedback and not speaking.

The key to success in this listening practice is to identify the word “lecture” as the key word in the question. Many names are mentioned but only three people are actually lecturing today.

Transcript

Transcript

Today’s topic under discussion is the health care system both past and present. We have a number of guests for today’s lectures, videos and debates, one of them the notable Dr David Bishop.

The morning will be kicked off by Dr Roger Dean who will be presenting his speech summarising the major changes and challenges of the health care system from the year 2000 to around 2012. Following him, will be Dr William Benson who will oversee the debate on today’s problems for hospitals. After lunch, Dr Daisy Mandalay will be showing a revealing video relating to the current trends in health problems faced by today’s society. Dr Christopher Lord will then address everyone on the problems faced by family doctors and the vital role they play in the health care system. Last, but not least, Dr David Bishop, as I mentioned earlier, will take the floor to tell you about his current research. Dr Ralph Morris will be responsible for collecting your feedback on the various parts of the conference at the end of the day. That will conclude our seminars for the day. Tomorrow’s conference details will be put up on the notice board later this afternoon but you will be all please to know that Dr George Ripley has agreed to lecture you all.

 Vocabulary

Vocabulary

give a lecture / to  lecture Synonyms:

  • give a talk about / on
  • to address people on
  • give a seminar on
  • hold a seminar on
  • to take the floor (to talk)
  • to instruct people on
  • to give a speech about / on
  • to present a speech / talk on about

 

Recommended for IELTS Listening:

Listening for Names Practice & Tips

List of Common English Names – Pronunciation

Multiple Choice Practice for Listening & Reading

All IELTS Listening Lessons, Tips & Free Videos

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IELTS Reading Practice: Marie Curie

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IELTS reading practice for matching sentence endings questions. This topic is a biography of Marie Curie, a famous scientist. Skim read the passage before attempting the questions. Please note this is not a practice test but just IELTS reading practice to develop skills and understanding of this type of question.

Download the PDF file for the passage and questions: IELTS Reading Practice Marie Curie

Marie Curie

During the 19th century scientists knew little about what went on inside an atom. However, by the end of the century there were startling new ideas about the structure of the atom resulting from the discoveries of X-rays, radioactivity and the electron.

Marie Sklodowska was born in Warsaw in 1867. She was a brilliant student and dreamed of studying at the Sorbonne in Paris but it took eight years of scrimping and saving before she could afford to go. Despite very poor living conditions and a lack of French she graduated in physics in 1893 and mathematics in 1894.

While looking for a laboratory in Paris to continue with her experiments she was introduced to Pierre Curie, a highly regarded professor at the School of Physics. At 35 years old, Pierre was already an internationally recognised physicist. With his brother Paul-Jacques, he discovered piezo-electricity: the fact that crystals under pressure produce electric currents. He also studied crystal symmetries and the magnetic properties of bodies at different temperatures. His papers had been well received by distinguished colleagues but he was still an outsider in the French academic community. Like Marie he did not care for outward distinctions or a career. They married in July 1895.

During her studies Marie had heard about Henri Becquerel’s discovery of some sort of radiation emitting from uranium salts and decided to investigate these mysterious ‘uranium rays’ for her doctoral thesis. She soon discovered that the intensity of the rays was in direct proportion to the amount of uranium in her sample. Nothing she did to the uranium affected the rays. This, she said, ‘shows that radioactivity is an atomic property’. She also found that two minerals, pitchblende and chalcite, were much more radioactive than uranium itself, and realised that they must contain a new radioactive element.

After the exciting results of Marie’s early experiments, Pierre abandoned his study of crystals to join her in her search for new substances. The couple laboured over their work, Marie carrying out the chemical separations and Pierre taking the measurements. They continued with the painstaking refining and by December 1898 the couple announced the discovery of an even more radioactive substance in pitchblende which they called radium. This discovery had far-reaching effects; opening up the fields of radiotherapy and nuclear medicine.

Matching Sentence Endings

Complete the sentences by selecting the correct ending, A-L (not all letters will be used).

  1. In the early 20th century, scientists….
  2. It took Marie 8 years…
  3. Marie tolerated sub-standard accommodation but still…
  4. The research of Pierre Curie was received well …
  5. Both Marie and Pierre shared the same belief that…
  6. The research by Henri Becquerel …
  7. On discovering that there must be a hitherto unknown substance …
  8. The revelation of radium had a momentous  impact on …

Endings

  • A) by the college where he worked.
  • B) lacked French.
  • C) had already made novel discoveries about the atom.
  • D) by notable fellows in his field.
  • E) recognition or vocation was not the main goal.
  • F) graduated in two subjects.
  • G) had rediscovered the x-ray.
  • H) nuclear medicine and radiotherapy.
  • I) prompted her to investigate his discovery further.
  • J) pitchblende.
  • K) her husband relinquished his work for hers.
  • L) of economising prior to  realise her goal of studying in Paris.
Answers
  1. C
    • novel = new / by the end of the 19 century means that this was already happening at the start of the 20th century
  2. L
    • Second paragraph. economising = being careful with money and not overspending = saving
  3. F
    • The answer can be found here: “Despite very poor living conditions and a lack of French she graduated in physics in 1893 and mathematics in 1894.”
  4. D
    • notable = distinguished / colleagues = fellows in his field. Please note that colleague and college do not have the same meaning.
  5. E
    • The answer can be found at the end of the third paragraph: “Like Marie he did not care for outward distinctions or a career.” Please note that “he” refers to her husband, Pierre. outward distinctions = recognition / career = vocation
  6. I
    • The answer can be found in the fourth paragraph: “During her studies Marie had heard about Henri Becquerel’s discovery ………and decided to investigate these mysterious ‘uranium rays’ for her doctoral thesis.”. Prompted means that she was persuaded or it caused her to.
  7. K
    1. The answer can be found in the last paragraph: “Pierre abandoned his study of crystals to join her in her search for new substances.”.  “he reliquished his work” means that he abandoned (gave up) his work.
  8. H
    1. The answer is in the last sentence of the passage: “This discovery had far-reaching effects; opening up the fields of radiotherapy and nuclear medicine. “. The word far-reaching is paraphrased as momentous.

Article from sciencemuseum.org.uk

More Practice with Matching Sentence Endings:

IELTS Reading Passage: Crime & Punishment 

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IELTS Tips: How words are counted

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Learn how your words are counted in IELTS. This page explains about counting words, numbers and symbols. You need to know how words are counted for IELTS listening, reading and writing. If you make mistakes with the number of words, you can lose points which can affect your band score.

How words are counted in IELTS

1. Numbers, dates and time are counted as words in writing. For example 30,000 = one word  /  55  = one word  /  9.30am = one word / 12.06.2016 = one word. “Six million” is counted as two words in IELTS writing. In listening, 30,000 is counted as one number and 9.30AM is also counted as one number.

2. Dates written as both words and numbers are counted in this way: 12th July = one number and one word in IELTS listening and as two words in IELTS writing.

3. Symbols with numbers are not counted. For example, 55% = one number (the symbol “%” is not counted as a word). However, if you write “55 percent” it is counted as one word and one number.

4. Small words such as “a” or “an” are counted. All prepositions, such as “in” or “at” are also counted. All words are counted.

5. Hyphenated words like “up-to-date” are counted as one word.

6. Compound nouns which are written as one word are also counted as one word. For example, blackboard = one word.

7. Compound nouns which are written as two separate words, are counted as two words. For example, university bookshop = two words.

8. All words are counted, including words in brackets. For example in IELTS writing, “The majority of energy was generated by electricity (55%).”. This sentence is counted as 9 words. The number in brackets is counted. Brackets can be used in IELTS Writing Task 1, but not in IELTS Listening or IELTS Reading.

9. Some people have asked me if words such as “the” are counted only once regardless of how many times they are used. It is best to illustrate: “The man walked into the shop for the newspaper” = 9 words.

10. Contractions are counted as: it’s = one word / it is = two words.

Tips

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Answer for IELTS Writing Task 1 2016

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The IELTS model answer below is for a recent IELTS writing task 1 which was reported in early 2016. The two pie charts and bar chart are illustrated beneath the report. Further down the page, you will also find examiner comments and a download link for this model answer and task. Also note the useful links provided for more IELTS writing task 1 lessons. This is for the IELTS writing task 1 academic test.

IELTS Model Answer, Reported 2016

The pie charts give information about how the world’s water is distributed, whereas the bar chart illustrates the percentage of water used in agriculture, domestic use and industry in three countries (Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Canada).

Overall, salt water makes up an overwhelming majority of the world’s water. Fresh water is made up of mainly water from ice and glaciers. While most water in Egypt and Saudi Arabia is used for agriculture, in Canada it is predominantly used for industry.

The pie charts show that 97% of global water is salt water compared to a mere 3% which is fresh water. Water from ice and glaciers accounts for 79% of all fresh water as opposed to ground water and surface water (20% and 1% respectively).

In terms of the use of water, both Egypt and Saudi Arabia use almost 80% of their water for agriculture in comparison to domestic usage and industry which account for approximately 15% and 10% respectively. The reverse is seen in Canada where only 10% of water is used for agriculture and domestic purposes in contrast to industry, which uses 80% of water in Canada.

Words = 189

IELTS Writing Task 1 Charts Jan 2016

Download this writing task 1 with model answer: IELTS Writing Task 1 Charts & Model 2016

Examiner Comments:

The information is well organised into logical paragraphs. The overview paragraph contains the key features of all charts. Information is accurate and no irrelevant information is given. There is a flexible range of linking devices for showing comparisons. Vocabulary is well used and this report contains complex sentence structures.

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