IELTS as Permanent Resident Requirement in Australia

When applying for permanent resident status under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 119/857) or Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 121/856), depending where you are based, one of the requirements you'll encounter is to pass the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

However, if the medium of instruction in the conduct of your college education was English, you can also request a certification from your school to attest to it. If accepted, this may possibly waive the IELTS requirement.

An IELTS exam rates your speaking, reading, writing, and listening in English capability. If you are taking the exam, here are some personal tips that I'd like to share:

Listening:

• Take time to review.
  I think it is practical to join an IELTS review especially the "listening" part to get used to the British and Aussie tone of voice.
  
  
• Take notes during the exam
  Especially the last listening task as taking notes, keywords, will help you not get confused in figuring out the answers.
  

Writing:

• Practice "writing" again
  If you have not been writing too much and using the computer most of the time, your hand may ache from doing the essay part. I experienced that on the 2nd task. If I'll get to do it again, I would have done the 2nd task first.
  
  
• Grammar review
  No harm in doing it especially since the writing task needs to get done in a short span of time.

Reading:

• If you haven't been reading much, it is important to get yourself to do it.
  
  
• During the exam, read the questions first before the reading task.
  
  
• While reading, underline the important points so you can refer to them when answering the questions.

Speaking:

• Get yourself interviewed. Talk about:
  
• Yourself and what you do.
  
• Family members.
• The things you like.
• Your point of view on issues affecting our lives
  
  
• Elaborate your answers
  Be able to fully explain what you meant is important.
  
  
• Be natural
  Talk to the interviewer like being interviewed for a job. Put your best foot forward and show your "pleasing personality".

Take the online sample review. Don't be surprised if some of them will really show up in the exam. ;-)

P.S. I took the exam last August 2008 in Manila. Result was released last September 2008 and got a total band score of 8.0. The highest band I got is 9.0 in speaking.