IELTS Online: How to Take your IELTS at Home

Did you know that you can

take

the IELTS at

home

? That's right, you can now

take

your

IELTS test on

your

own computer from your own

home

. If this sounds appealing to you, you might want to click the link in the description of this video. This link will take you to a website where you can book both your

online

speaking test and your

online

reading, listening and writing test. Now, if you are interested in learning how IELTS Online works and hearing about my experience taking the test, keep watching. We've partnered with IDP, the IELTS test provider, to teach you everything you need to know about IELTS Online.

Before seeing how IELTS Online works, I should mention that IELTS Online is currently available in a limited number of countries, which you can check in the description of this video. But over time more countries will be added. Additionally, IELTS Online is only available for students taking IELTS Academic, if you are planning to take IELTS General, unfortunately, as of today, taking IELTS Online is not an option. In this video, I am going to talk about five aspects of IELTS Online. First,   how to get started. Secondly, I will briefly talk about the format of the test. Third, I will explain a little about the test environment.

Fourth, we will look at some of the possible disadvantages of taking the exam at home. And finally, we will try to determine if taking the IELTS Online is right for you. Before watching the first look of IELTS Online, don't forget to subscribe to this YouTube channel. We publish videos that will help you improve and adequately prepare to write, speak, read and listen to the IELTS. Let's start by looking at how to get started with IELTS Online. So, once you go to the IDP website and register for the test, which you can easily do by clicking the link in the description, you will need to download a specific testing application on your computer.

The IDP has its own application that runs on your computer. I downloaded this the day before the test and ran it to make sure everything was running smoothly. I was using a MacBook. So I had to make sure I had enough free RAM and I had to make sure the app had access to my entire drive. So while it was easy to set up the app, it wasn't necessarily quick. The app explains what you need to do. But if you are the type of person who is not familiar with making modifications to your computer, be sure to take enough time to ensure that the application runs correctly.

Don't wait until the last minute or even the last 10 minutes. Check at least one hour before the test begins. And possibly   the day before or even a few days before in case there is something wrong with your computer. Now remember to make sure you leave time between your oral test and the written part of the test. When I took the IELTS online, I took my speaking test during the last free slot before the written component began. I advise not doing this. Book in advance if you can, so you'll have a wide range of times to choose from for your oral test.

For example, if your oral exam is at 2:40 p.m. m. and your written exam is at 3 p.m. m. on the same day, is not ideal. This caused a delay in the start of my test. I found it a little stressful to restart the app after the test was supposed to start. Now, if this happens to you, try to relax. You will not miss any part of the written portion of the exam. You'll be fine. Don't worry. I just think it's wise to have at least 20 minutes to take a break after the oral test. And you can also take your oral test and written test on separate days.

If you can do this, great. Like I said, the sooner you book your trial, the better. So let's now look at the format of the IELTS Online exam. It's pretty simple. The exam format is similar to the computer-based IELTS. That is, for the written component the order is listening, reading and writing. When I took the IELTS online, I only had the option of taking the oral test before the written part. If you have the opportunity, be sure to use the practice tests that are available on the IDP website. Honestly, he was a little arrogant; I had actually never used the computer-based practice tests.

And on exam day, I was a little distracted, trying to figure out how note-taking and highlighting worked. And it had an effect on my performance. I wasn't as focused as when I used paper tests, because I was learning the testing environment at the same time. Do not do this. My advice: Check out the IDP practice materials well before exam day. Let's now talk a little about your test environment. So, on test day, you will need to have a good place to take it. That means it's well lit, clean, with a good internet connection and no people.

I'm very lucky to be able to do this in my apartment here in Australia. Before the written portion of the exam, I was visited by a proctor who asked me to pick up my laptop and show him the apartment. I also had to use my phone's camera to show him my keyboard. Now, something I didn't know before taking the exam is that we can't carry paper or pencil with us, which was a surprise to me. Remember, you can take notes on the IDP testing app, but you can't have paper near you. Like I said, be prepared.

I wasn't sure how I was going to take notes, which caused me a bit of stress at the beginning of each part of the written test. Once again, I recommend practicing with the IDP practice materials on their website. Let's talk about the possible disadvantages of taking the IELTS online. There are some aspects of the online IELTS test that may be problematic for you. First of all, remember that this test requires a solid Internet connection. Keep in mind that you want to make sure that wherever you are your internet won't be cut off. Secondly, there could be delays.

Ideally, it should be at the exact time it is scheduled. But when I took the test, I had to wait a bit. So don't make plans to   immediately after the test. If there are delays, you may have to miss something. But yeah, if you start late, relax, everything will be fine. That's the main thing we always try to tell students. Breathe deeply and stay relaxed. Third, the method of taking notes on the computer. Like me, you may prefer to take notes by hand, but I find moving the cursor around the screen a little strange. Now the system works fine.

But I prefer the analog feel of taking notes, especially for reading and writing. That said, I'm sure that with a little practice I'll be fine doing it on a computer. Most of my students who take computer-based tests tell me the same thing. Fourth, you must meet the minimum system requirements for the test. You can check these requirements by clicking on the link in the description. Now, the last disadvantage of taking IELTS Online is that it will not save you money. Taking the IELTS at home costs as much as going to the test centre. So, is IELTS Online right for you?

Well, it's up to you. I always tell my students that there are many factors that go into having a good experience on test day. Three of the most important factors I would consider when thinking about IELTS Online are, firstly, if you are distracted by others when taking the test, you may find it easier to concentrate when you are alone. The second factor I would consider is how easy it is for you to get to a test center. If the test center is far away or public transportation is unreliable, taking the test at home might be a better option for you.

Keep in mind that you don't have to do this at home. Any neat location with a good internet connection will work. Finally, the last important factor I would consider is what format are you most comfortable with the paper exam at the test center? On the computer at the test center or on the computer at home? What do I like more? To be honest, I like the paper test. So you'd probably rather go to the testing center. Personally, I really like being able to write on paper. I just find it easier to take notes and make quick changes.

In short, for any test format you choose. My advice is to prepare for it. However, if you plan to take the exam on paper, I recommend that you practice a little on a computer just in case and vice versa. Something could change, you never know. If I take the test again, I'll definitely do some computer practice beforehand, to become more familiar with how the app works. Like I said, I had a lot of difficulty at the beginning of the reading test, just trying to figure out the format and how the system worked. I finished the test, but not as quickly as when I used the paper test in the past.

That's all for this video. Remember to click the link in the description if you want to take your IELTS at home. And good luck with your test.