The IELTS test scoring criteria has been a topic of great concern, with some minor adjustments every year. As a candidate who has been preparing for IELTS for many years, I deeply feel the impact of these changes on candidates. This article will elaborate on the IELTS Test Marking Criteria 2024 from six aspects, including listening, reading, writing, speaking, grammar and vocabulary, as well as the overall scoring. I hope that by sharing my experience and opinions, I can provide some help and inspiration to candidates who are preparing for IELTS.
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For the listening section, I personally feel that there are some changes to the grading criteria in 2024. In the past, the grading criteria focused more on the understanding and grasping of details in the listening material, but now it focuses more on the understanding and generalization of the overall content. For example, during an exam, I was confronted with a listening question about dog training, which asked me to summarize the key vocabulary for each training step. In the previous standard, crawling key phrases correctly was the key to scoring, but in 2024, it's even more important to properly understand the overall meaning of each training step.
Personally, I think this change is justified because in real life, we need to understand and summarize information more than just memorizing some small details. Such changes are a challenge for candidates preparing for the exam and require us to develop a better overall understanding.
In the reading section, the changes in the grading criteria are also very noticeable. In the past, the standard mainly focused on the candidate's understanding and grasp of the details of the article, but now it pays more attention to the candidate's grasp of the overall structure and theme of the article. During an exam, I came across an essay on environmental protection, and the question asked me to summarize the details of the main ideas and supporting points of the article. In the previous standard, getting the details right was the key to scoring, but in 2024, more attention is paid to understanding the overall structure and main idea of the article.
This change is also in line with practical needs, because in real life, we need to understand and summarize the article as a whole, rather than just entangled in some small details. This is a challenge for candidates preparing for the exam and requires us to develop a better overall understanding.
In the writing section, the changes in the grading criteria are also very noticeable. Whereas the previous standard focused on the candidate's use of writing skills and grammar, now more emphasis is placed on the candidate's ability to analyze and argue in depth on the topic. During an exam, I was confronted with a writing question about whether or not children should be given mobile phones, which required me to think deeply and argue from different perspectives. In the previous criteria, the correct use of writing skills and grammar was the key to the score, but in 2024, more emphasis is placed on the ability to analyze and argue in depth on the topic.
This change is also reasonable, because in real life, we need to analyze and argue more about the topic in depth, and not just focus too much on some superficial writing skills and grammar. This is a challenge for candidates preparing for the exam and requires us to develop better critical thinking and analytical skills.
In the speaking section, the change in the grading criteria is perhaps the most noticeable. In the past, the standard mainly focused on the candidate's mastery of intonation and fluency, but now it focuses more on the candidate's in-depth thinking and accuracy of expression on the topic. During a speaking exam, I came across a topic about social ** that required me to think deeply and express myself from different perspectives. In the previous criteria, proper mastery of voice intonation and fluency was the key to scoring, but in 2024, more emphasis will be placed on in-depth thinking and accuracy of expression on topics.
This change makes perfect sense, because in real life, we need to think deeply about the topic and express it accurately, rather than just dwelling on some superficial intonation and fluency. This is a challenge for candidates preparing for the exam and requires us to develop better critical thinking and presentation skills.
In the grammar and vocabulary sections, there is relatively little variation in the grading criteria. In the past, the standard mainly focused on the candidate's mastery of grammar rules and vocabulary, but now it focuses more on the candidate's flexible use of grammar and vocabulary. During an exam, I was confronted with a question about synonym substitution, which required me to replace a word in a sentence with a synonym. In the previous standard, the correct use of grammar rules and vocabulary was the key to scoring, but in 2024, more emphasis will be placed on the flexible use of grammar and vocabulary.
This change is also reasonable, because in real life, we need to be flexible in the use of grammar and vocabulary, rather than just rote memorization of rules and vocabulary. This is a challenge for candidates preparing for the exam and requires us to develop a better sense of language and presentation skills.
In terms of overall scoring, the change in the scoring criteria is a comprehensive consideration of the above five aspects. Whereas previous criteria focused on scoring on all aspects, they now focus more on overall expression and fluency of thought. In one of my exams in 2024, I scored well in the listening, reading, writing, and speaking sections, but slightly lacking in the grammar and vocabulary sections. This is also reflected in the final overall rating, which is relatively low.
This change is also reasonable, because in real life, we need more overall expression and fluency of thinking, not just scores in all aspects. This is a challenge for candidates preparing for the exam, and it requires us to break through and improve in all aspects.