Hi everyone Do you know the details of how IELTS is run? ... | Writing One Love

Hi everyone

Do you know the details of how IELTS is run?

...

Here are a few technical details that people often want to know.

1. According to my sources (ex-IELTS examiners), IELTS writing tests are marked by one person. Your writing is scanned and sent to one of approximately 200 writing examiners in Canada, Australia and the UK. These same examiners mark all the writing from around the world.

Edit: IELTS (as an organisation) claims to use between two and four examiners to mark any particular writing test. This view contradicts what ex-examiners have told me. It is true that some essays will be marked by a senior examiner for benchmarking purposes (examiners need to be within .5 of the senior examiner's score, otherwise they may face retraining). Some essays will also be marked again if there is a request for a remark. However, is it guaranteed that every IELTS essay is marked by at least 2 examiners as IELTS claims? Myself and my sources are unconvinced. Either way, it isn't really relevant to us as test-takers.

2. IELTS writing examiners have no desire to see you fail. They don't know what score you need. They are just trying to be consistent and match you to the band descriptors. If they repeatedly fail to match you correctly, they might have to get retrained or even lose their job.

3. There is no grand conspiracy to limit you to a writing 6.5. A lot of people think this because 6.5 seems to be where a lot of people get stuck and 7 is where a lot of universities and immigration requirements are set. Keep in mind, immigration departments and universities are the ones deciding on a 7. This '6.5 problem' is something you should be more upset with universities and countries about. Usually students who come to me stuck at 6.5 are stuck for very obvious reasons, not because IELTS is evil (though I know it feels like it sometimes).

4. Scores often differ between examiners. For writing, it's often very difficult to decide if a particular aspect of the band descriptors is a 6 or a 7 (or 5 or 6 etc). Sometimes it's simply too close to tell. This means that even I might give something a 6.5 one day and a 7 the next. In other words, if you need a remark because you think your score is unfairly low, go for it. You might get lucky with an increased score.

5. Listening and reading tests are rumoured to be marked by computers. My guess is that there is also a manual element involved as well if the computer doesn't understand something (this isn't confirmed information). Unless the markers/computers are making a mistake, there is no reason to request a remark for your reading and listening. I've never heard of anyone getting a higher score on a listening or reading remark.

6. You don't need to write in all-caps in the reading or listening tests. You aren't being marked on capitals. That all being said, I believe you should always follow correct capitalisation rules. It's just good to stay in the habit of using correct English.

7. IELTS doesn't remark your writing if all your other scores are high. I don't know where this rumour started, but there is no evidence to support it. It's absolutely normal for people to get 9s in reading and listening but 6.5 in writing. Sometimes I think getting 9 in listening or reading is easier than getting a 7 in writing. It is for a lot of people anyway.

8. Your writing score is averaged out and then rounded down. By this I mean, if you get a TA 6, CC 7, LR 7, GR 7, you end up getting a 6.5 for your writing task. If you get 7 in your task 2, but only 6.5 in your task 1, your score is rounded down to 6.5. The same happens with speaking.

9. Your overall score is rounded up. If you get SP 6, L 7, R 7, WR 7, you will get a 7 overall.

10. IELTS examiners are all different. This might seem obvious, but they are just English teachers who got a different job. In other words, you may have seen contradictions between the approaches of some teachers with others. Now, imagine these teachers become examiners.