Hey there fellow nursing enthusiasts, I hope you are doing well and pursuing your dream. Well in this post I will give you some information about The IELTS exam.
What's the deal with IELTS?
Alright, first things first. IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. It's a globally recognized test that assesses your English proficiency, which is crucial for working in an English-speaking environment like the UK.
Why is it Important in Nursing?
Well, Picture this: you're on the job, communicating with patients, fellow nurses, and doctors. Clear communication is key right? That's where IELTS comes. It ensures you're equipped to handle the language demands of your nursing role.
What does the Exam cover?
So no surprises here! it tests your listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. The good news is, that it's tailored to everyday situations, it doesn't matter whether you know about the topics or not it is just about the English language it's about your English knowledge, so you won't be fielding questions about obscure vocabulary.
Let's Break it Down
I will be talking about the following parts individually with greater detail in the future so let's just break it down simply for now.
1. Listening:
You will be listening to a recording that includes conversations and monologs. It's like eavesdropping on a casual chat. Piece of cake right? There will be a question paper containing many types of questions like mcq, filling blanks, etc. There are a total of 40 questions in this part. The entire listening part is about 40 minutes.
2. Reading:
Think of it as a treasure hunt for information. You will skim and scan texts to find the answers. Trust me, it's way more fun than a regular exam. So there will be some texts for you to read and a total of 40 questions to be answered in about 60 minutes.
3. Writing:
It's more about expressing yourself! You'll tackle tasks like describing graphs or writing a letter. Think of it as a mini creative writing session. There are two parts to this and you will have to complete them both in about 60 minutes.
4. Speaking:
Just a friendly chat with an Examiner. They are not there to grill you, but to get a sense of how well you can communicate. the whole speaking exam part is about 15 minutes.
There are a few types of IELTS exams namely the General Exam, the UKVI exam, and the Academic Exam. Each differs a little from the other but I will mainly talk about the Academic Exam because it is the one needed for Nurses. So to become a Registered Nurse in the UK you will need to get the following band scores,
- Listening: 7
- Reading: 7
- Speaking: 7
- Writing: 6.5
Preparation Tips:
Don't be afraid of the exam that's the first mistake a lot of people make when they study. That's not going to help you at all. Yes IELTS exam is a bit different that doesn't mean it's hard and impossible.
Practice, Practice, Practice: it's really important. Familiarize yourself with the test format. There are plenty of resources and sample tests online. Stay tuned I will tell you where to find them.
Brush up on English Skills: Watch movies, read articles, and engage in conversations to naturally improve your language skills. And if you don't have someone to speak to start thinking in English it really helps a lot.
Practice Time Management: because it is very important in the exam.
Find good YouTube channels and follow their videos. I will attach a few that I recommend below go check them out.
Check out these YouTube channels and pick one that is suitable for you,
Use the following sites to practice,
you can find many sample essays on this site for part one writing and part two writing. Go check them out and read them again and again so that you will get an idea.
Use this site for practicing listening and Reading Tests they are free you can get your test score at the end of the tests too for free. If you want to get writing and speaking tests marked you have to pay for that. You just need to create a profile using your email and you are good to go.
I will discuss more details in a separate article in the future about question types, strategies, and how to get your required score be sure to check them out. Good luck with your exam guys.....
Cheers,
Hasitha Senarathna
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