The Four Skills: What Each Test Really Measures

Many candidates prepare for IELTS by practising test questions without truly understanding what each component assesses. This lesson goes beyond surface-level descriptions to explain exactly what examiners and scoring systems are looking for in each of the four skills, so you can align your preparation with the actual assessment criteria.

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Skill 1: Listening

What Is Being Tested

The Listening test measures your ability to understand spoken English in a range of contexts. Specifically, it assesses whether you can:

• Understand main ideas and detailed factual information
• Follow the development of an argument or discussion
• Recognise a speaker's opinion, attitude or purpose
• Understand specific information such as names, numbers, dates and times

What Is NOT Being Tested