Written by Yvanna Sol

Emigrating to Canada is an interesting project thought by many Spanish-speaking foreigners, the quality of life in this country is worth it and the migratory routes offered by the government favor it, but it is important to know that one of the indispensable requirements that must be fulfilled is the command of the English language. and, when it comes to international students or economic migration, the language level must be endorsed by a test or examination of international recognition as the IELTS, therefore, in this article of Planeta Immiland, important information is presented about this recognized test whose acronym means: International English Language Testing System, or International English Language Testing System. Following are details of this important test.

What is the IELTS test and what is it for in Canada?

IELTS is the world's most widely known international English language test. It is designed to assess four basic English speaking skills, these are reading comprehension, writing, listening and speaking. Summarized it would be: reading, writing, listening and speaking in English. 

This test is used to assess a person's proficiency in the language according to the requirements of the requested immigration route. The IELTS is a gateway to the best opportunities in Canada, whether you want to study, work or integrate into an English-speaking environment.  

How does the IELTS testing system work?

The IELTS score evaluates the English level through a band system, which goes from 0 to 9, with 9 being the highest score and 0 the lowest. Here is an explanation of how the score is established:

• Listening and reading comprehension consist of 40 questions each, with a value of one point for each correct answer, from which the total score obtained is converted out of 9, which corresponds to the IELTS bands.
• Speaking is assessed by certified IELTS examiners in a face-to-face interview, and the criteria they assess give a band score on four criteria which are: fluency and coherence, lexical resources, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation.
• Written expression is assessed in a very similar way; the examiner awards a score within the IELTS band of 9 out of 9 for each of the four criteria, i.e. for task 1 and task 2. These two tasks are completed within one hour, and 20 minutes is recommended for task 1 and 40 minutes for task 2; task one is worth one third of the score and task 2 is worth twice as much, therefore, in this part we highly recommend that you practice your response time for each question.

Overall IELTS Band Scores

Band 9: expert user.

Band 8: very good user.

Band 7: GOOD USER.

Band 6: competent user.

Band 5: user with basic domain.

Band 4: user with limited basic domain.

Band 3: user with extremely limited knowledge.

Band 2: intermittent user.

Band 1: not a language user.

Band 0: no assessable information obtained.

Why is IELTS important to immigrate to Canada through Express Entry?

The Express Entry System, better known as Express Entry, is a Canadian points-based immigration program designed to facilitate the efficient selection and admission of qualified immigrants to Canada. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is based on factors such as age, education, work experience, adaptability and language proficiency, the latter of which is very valuable for the applicant to be considered, as speaking English adds points to your overall score, so you should be prepared to take the IELTS test.

If you already speak English, submit the IELTS test so that you will be ready once the Canadian government, IRCC, conducts the fast-track group draws, inviting candidates with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residency, although remember that you must still meet the rest of the requirements to apply.

When would be the best time to take the IELTS test?

Taking into account last year's behavior, it can be seen that March had the highest number of invitations sent (7000), so this month can be used as a reference point, therefore, be prepared now with this test that can be your pass to permanent residency in Canada.

If you are thinking of applying for any Canadian immigration program in the first four months of this 2024, we recommend you to study now because this preparation takes one or two months, however, you should check the application deadlines of the institutions or immigration authorities to which you are applying. You should also know that all IELTS exams have an expiration date of two years from the time you took them.

Where can you prepare for the IELTS test?

Understanding the English assessment criteria is crucial to channel your preparation according to your own language level, so you can focus on the one you need to improve the most. At our language school, Planeta Immiland, we have an exclusive IELTS preparation course, which is reserved for students who have successfully completed the Advanced course or achieved the Advanced level in their placement test. Find out your English level for free by clicking here.

At Planeta Immiland, we conduct individual class sessions in interviews and test simulations with feedback from an IELTS expert. Our IELTS preparation course is implemented by a certified bilingual teacher and you will be on the right track from the start to cross the language barrier that will take you to the country of your dreams! Visit IELTS Preparation from Planeta Immiland and take advantage of the offer we have for this course.

With love,

Planet Immiland