IELTS

Dr.M Irfan Farooque

Karachi Medical and Dental College

Class of 2008

If you are a FRESH GRADUATE, then here is some GOOD NEWS (one I didn’t hear about on time). You can be EXEMPTED from appearing in IELTS if your college gives you a certificate that the language of instruction and examination was English.

Visit http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/registration_applications/language_proficiency.asp for further details on the subject. For all the rest of you, read the following.

This is an exam to judge your command over the English language. You should think of it as a friend actually, because it is keeping most of Europe out of the UK and leaving empty places for you to fill. You need to sit for theAcademic version and will be tested in the following sections – Listening, Reading, Writing & Speaking (thank God there is no such thing as drawing in English). The Speaking section is conducted on a separate date and venue. The scoring system is based on bands and one can score from 0-9. The minimum bands you need to score (effective as of Oct 2010) for GMC purpose are:

Listening – 7

Reading – 7

Writing – 7

Speaking – 7

Overall – 7

The GMC is very strict with regards to their benchmark and will not; I repeat WILL NOT, show any leniency even if it’s for just 0.5 band.

WHERE TO APPLY: IELTS exam is conducted by the British Council and AEO Australia. It is believed that a better band is secured via the AEO. But the AEO charges Rs.2000/- more than the British Council. Visit www.aeo.com.pk/ for info on the current exam fees and most importantly – the exam dates.

PREPARATION: Before sitting for the exam, be honest about one thing. Are you really good in English? If yes, then this is how you should prepare. Buy the 6 book set series of the ESOL Cambridge University IELTS examination. It is available in Urdu bazaar (Karachi) and a good Photostat version costs around a 1000 Rs. Audio CD is provided with each book to practice the listening section. Each book has 4 sample tests designed in the exact pattern as the real test. So in total, there are 24 tests and even if one test is attempted / day, a month is all that is needed to prepare for the exam. You may start off slowly initially but timing yourself is mandatory in at least 10 practice tests. Focus greatly on listening and reading as you can score a full 9 band in these sections and can boost your overall band. I need not remind you that this is an English test and therefore Spellings need to be in order. As for the writing section, read what you have written and ask for help from a colleague to check your work (if possible). This will improve the basic structure of your write-up. As for Speaking, please remember that it’s an English language test, not your M.B.B.S viva. The examiner just asks you about general things, so it’s not a big deal. Try and converse in English for at least 10 minutes daily (hard labor eh!!)

If you’re not that good with your English, I suggest you take up preparatory classes from any renowned institute and do as they guide you (BE HONEST!!).

EXAM: The best part about this exam is that it does not bother your brain cells too much. The only thing you need to be careful about is timing. The exam is not held in a cumulative timing manner i.e. all sections are conducted separately having their own time slots. So no matter how fast you finish one section, you cannot use the spare time for the other section as it is not given to you. This poses a problem, especially for the Reading section, which can be quite difficult. Word of Advise: Please make sure both your bladders are empty before starting the test. It can be really distracting if you’re having an urge to purge. Result comes out exactly in 2 weeks time.