Using American English when taking the IELTS and effect on grading

[jmata2011]

In my country, American English is, unofficially, most popular than British English. Obviously there are some differences not only in spelling but also in style, phrases, etc. I was wondering whether this is a factor that test takers need to take into account when writing the essays or answering any of the other sections of the test. I imagine that someone can write as an answer the word 'color' instead of 'colour' or 'gray' instead of 'grey' . But what happens when an entire essay is written for example with words and phrases that are mostly charistic of a style influenced by American English? I imagine that test graders are native speakers but will they be familiar with at least one writing style other than the one mostly used in their home countries? For instance, will a British grader be able to appreciate an essay written in a mostly "Americanized" style? Following this rationale, should someone taking the IELTS in the USA opt for answering/writing the test in American English? I mean, I suppose the graders will be mostly American and hence more receptive to reading an essay with American spelling/style, which can in turn get you a higher score right?

Please let me know more about this portion of the administration of the test. It would greatly help many test takers other than myself. If someone is or knows of anyone who actually grades IELTS tests his/her views would be very appreciated.

Thanks.

[ielts2u]

This is an interesting point. The spelling is not an issue. American and British spelling are officially permitted in IELTS.

However, in terems of garmmar and style the are slight differences in academic English. For lower levels (up to a 7.0) this will not be a problem as these slight differences would be negligible compared to the massive errors that are visible in other areas of essays for these levels. For students aiming for an 8.0 or more, the different usage of Present Perfect and Simple Past will be seen as incorrect by some British examiners as will differences in prepositions. In terms of style, there is almost no use of personal examples in UK essays, while this is more accepted in some US undergraduate courses (in my experience).

The real problem would be in General Training. You should not use idiom in Academic IELTS, but this is fine, especially in personal letters, in GT. These idioms are usually the same between British and American English, but a few are quite different.

The conclusion? The difference between British and American English is highly unlikely to cause you problems, unless you are looking at an 8.0 or 8.5. If you are looking at these scores, get a trainer who is familiar with the style your examiners are familiar with and get a few essays checked.

I hope this helps.
ielts2u - an IELTS writing help site
Mike