In this article, we discuss if AI can be used to write IELTS Essay summaries.

 

International English Language Testing System, more commonly known as IELTS is the best English language proficiency test. IELTS is trusted by more than 11,000 institutes globally with over 3,400 institutes in America alone that are accepting its outcomes.

Those are some impressive numbers. You can most certainly pass the language requirement barriers with easier tests (I am looking at you, PTE). The point is that the respect an 8 or 9 IELTS band holder commands is unmatchable. 

It does not hurt that having a good IELTS score, it helps your profile in the visa application process.  The question is not about the efficiency of the test, but rather the role of AI in helping you prepare for the dreaded exam.

The IELTS test can divided into 4 modules which are speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The essay part comes in the writing module. Marking-wise, it is the most unique part of the entire exam as the essay portion carries twice as many marks. This is not the case with other tasks in any part of the other modules. 

Part of my module today is concerned with preparing test-takers to write the best most well-rounded essay on the spot. We will go through how AI algorithms summarize text and how you can leverage AI tools to help you summarize essays. You can apply that knowledge in your IELTS exam. Let’s commence:

The Art Of Summarization

A perfect summary would hone in on the original theme or argument of the essay. It will focus on it in a way that shows how it has evolved over the course of the essay. All the central points of your essay will be brought together in a significant way, not just a rehash of what was said before. 

Concluding the summary masterfully will require you to express why your essay matters in the grand scheme of the topic you are assigned. How exactly does it add something new to it or prove/debunk something else in it?

All this needs to be done without going back on the points you have made or introducing new ones at the last minute.

Sounds easy – right? Wrong. Your visa agent will refuse to see you because you were not confident in your conclusion, judging by your language. Such a shame, since they are nice people. Of course, it is hyperbole minus the language part. That still needs to be assertive.

This is just one part of the essay structure we are breaking down. We have not even gotten around to discussing the “introduction” and the “body” and we will not in this article (have some mercy on my soul). I believe this is the perfect way for why you need a summarizer working with AI algorithms to conclude your essays.   

AI’s Role In Summarizing Essays

My state of mind when preparing for my own IELTS test was to look at sample essays and get a feel of how they were summarized. As you can assess by this article, my English writing skills are top-notch but that was not always the case. That especially was not the case when I was preparing for the test.

I used a summarizer during that period to help me write skillful summaries. The way an AI summarizer works is that it applies NLP algorithms in what we call an automatic text summarization process. 

Of the two approaches in this process, we will be focusing on the abstractive approach over the extractive. No bias, I just feel this approach is more suited for the test based on the masterpiece summarization techniques we have discussed above.

A summary writer based on NLP algorithms has the capability to look at your essay, isolate the key parts, and understand their context. It will then come up with an original summary that is hard to distinguish from a human-level quality summary as seen below:

This sample essay was taken from IELTS Buddy. These summarizer tools will give you an excellent blueprint on the dos and don’ts of writing flawless essay summaries. 

Summary

IELTS test-taking must be taken a bit more seriously. A casual attitude need not apply when a hefty test fee is concerned plus your whole eligibility criteria depends on your bands. 

One of the modules that test-takers end up underscoring a lot is writing. There is a notion that it is an easy module hence you should focus on other modules like speaking and listening.

That notion ends up affecting your bottom line which is IELTS bands. My advice would be to focus on all modules of the IELTS test holistically and after that, dedicate time to the specific parts you are struggling with. Parts like writing proficient essay summaries for example.

To help you craft the best essay summaries on the spot, there are plenty of IELTS mock tests available on various websites these days. Take these tests to polish your essay writing skills with AI summarizers and once you are confident in your abilities, take the IELTS exam.