IELTS Book
IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. It is basically a test that is conducted in order to measure the English language proficiency of individuals, which will later on help them in their higher education in an international institution, or future employment in another English speaking country. This standardized test was created in the year 1989 and is managed by IDP Education Pty Ltd, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, and British Council. Today more than 1.4 million candidates take this test, which is recognized by more than 6000 institutions all around the world.
There are two versions of the test. The first version of the test is called Academic version, and it is taken by individuals who want to go abroad for higher education. The second version is called General training version, which is for individuals seeking employment opportunities or immigration in other countries.
It is very important to get a good score in IELTS, if an individual wishes to fulfill his/her dream of higher education and professional development. For this, individuals have to prepare beforehand. You can prepare for the IELTS test through many ways. One particular way through which you can prepare is the workshop that is conducted for IELTS preparation by the British council. However, this is only available at selected locations around the world and not easy for everyone to access. On the other hand, books and online resources are very effective in preparation of IELTS, and are easily accessible by everyone around the world.
There are many books available for IELTS preparation. Books are better in a way that individuals can practice on them. There are many books for IELTS preparation, and the best IELTS books always come with practice tests and a CD. In that way, individuals can prepare for the best. By far, the best books are the Cambridge IELTS books.
There are many books by Cambridge such as Cambridge grammer for IELTS by Diana Hopkins and Pauline Cullen, Cambridge practice tests for IELTS by Venessa Jakeman, and Clare McDowell, Cambridge IELTS 2 by Alex Parsons. Others include Cambridge IELTS 3 Student’s book by UCLES, Cambridge IELTS 4 Self study pack by UCLES and Cambridge IELTS Course workbook by Vanessa Jakeman, and Clare McDowell. Thus, Cambridge offers separate books for grammar, practice tests, books consisting of answers, examination papers, etc. Almost all books are accompanied by audio CD or practice tests. These books are very comprehensive in nature, and are written or compiled by authors that are an authority in IELTS testing.
Moreover, there are many other IELTS books for preparation such as Focus on IELTS by Sue O’Connel, IELTS Masterclass by Simon Haines, IELTS high impact students book, Practice and test books by G. Adams, T. Peck and H. Piotrowski. Another IELTS book that is very popular worldwide is Barron’s IELTS preparation book with Audio CD.
It entirely depends on which school of thought you support, as there are authors from around the world. You will get publications from United Kingdom, America, Canada, and Australia. However, it is suggested to go for a British publication, as the test is prepared and conducted by British Council and Cambridge University.
There is also an option of IELTS books free download, as you can download a number of IELTS preparation books on the internet. These books are completely free, and also have some practice tests included with the study material. However, since these are free IELTS books so, usually, the number of tests is limited, or you can make only selective attempts. The key to success remains practice in every case.