IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is the most widely accepted test of English proficiency by colleges and universities worldwide. More than 10,000 higher education institutions accept IELTS scores, and most of these require all students from non-English speaking countries (95% of the world's nations) to submit a language proficiency score for admission to any degree program where the medium of instruction is English.
IELTS scores are also used widely in immigration applications to English speaking countries (e.g. United Kingdom, Canada. Australia), and job applications abroad. There are four main skills that are tested in the IELTS: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. In this way, the examination is a robust test of a candidate's ability to succeed in a degree program that is taught entirely in English
| Exam Name | IELTS (International English Language Testing System) |
| Governing Organization | British Council IDP Education Cambridge Assessment English |
| Official Website | https://www.ielts.org/ |
| Registration Date | (For exam date 1 December 2023) Between 1 September 2023 and 24 November 2023 |
| Registration Fee | INR 16,500 (India) |
| Mode of Exam | Computer Based Offline Test Pen and paper based Offline Test Online Proctored Examination |
| Accepted in | Higher education institutions across the world |
| Exam Frequency | 48 times a year |
| Exam Duration | 164 minutes |
| Total Questions | 80 questions + 2 Writing Tasks + 3 Speaking Sections |
There are three different ways to register for the IELTS examination: online, in person, and via post.
Test Takers who cannot register for the IELTS online may look up their nearest authorized center. For example, in India, candidates must visit the closest IDP India venue. At these locations, they will be assisted in filling up the paper application form. The exam fee can be paid by credit or debit card, and the test slot confirmation will be received immediately after successful completion of payment and submission of the application form.
Finally, applicants who do not live near an IDP India center may download the
IELTS application form, fill it up, enclose a demand draft for the exam fee, and post the package to the IDP India head office in Gurugram. The application is processed after it is received, and the test date confirmation is sent to the candidate via email and post.
Any person who is at least 16 years of age at the time of registration for the test can appear for the IELTS. No other eligibility criteria apply, including gender, nationality, educational background, or type of course to which the student wishes to apply.
It is very important that all candidate details on the Test Taker portal match those on the official documents, as any discrepancy can cause admission issues when the scores are sent to individual Universities. Therefore, candidates should carefully check the profile details entered on the Test Taker portal, and make edits if required to ensure that they are accurate. However, edits cannot be made after the IELTS test date; the profile is frozen after that.
There are four papers within the IELTS Academic Framework.
| Sections | Time (Minutes) | Questions/Tasks |
| Listening | 30 (+ 10 for Transfer Time after listening) | 40 |
| Reading | 60 | 40 |
| Writing | 60 | 2 |
| Speaking | 11 to 14 | 3 |
| Total | 164 | 85 |
Candidates who are appearing for the IELTS General Training module for immigration/professional purposes will have the same Speaking and Listening sections, but the other two modules will be easier.
The pattern of questions in each of the four IELTS sections is designed to test each of the fundamental skills that make up English fluency.
The IELTS Listening Section has four parts, with ten questions in each part. Each part is based on a recording that is played once; the recordings utilize different native English accents in order to thoroughly test the candidate's comprehension of spoken English. The first two parts are related to daily social situations; conversations between people. The third and fourth deal with educational situations, such as students in a classroom. The questions are based on overall understanding and grammatical precision; students will be given ten minutes over and above the listening time to transfer all their answers to the response sheet. The questions are in different formats, including multiple choice test, diagram labeling, chart interpretation, and sentence completion.
The IELTS Reading Section presents the candidate with three text sections of approximate length 800 words each. These may be written in different styles: narrative, discursive, argumentative, etc. Test takers are given one hour to read the passages and answer the 40 questions given; no extra transfer time is provided. There are many different types of questions provided, ranging from multiple choice to matching information to summary identification. The topics chosen are such that they will appeal to the average college student, and candidates may improve their reading speed by building a habit of reading medium length features via credible online news sources. Mock tests also help to build up reading speed and comprehension.
The IELTS Writing Section has two tasks. The first requires the test taker to describe a visual representation of data in at least 150 words, and candidates will be evaluated based on their use of grammar, style, appropriate vocabulary, and correct spelling. The second writing task presents the candidate with a statement, and test takers must argue for or against it. They are evaluated on the same parameters as in the first task, in addition to coherence of thought and expression. Answers are graded based on how closely they achieve the stated goal, how strong the usage of language is, and accuracy of grammar throughout.
The IELTS Speaking Section is the shortest of the four, and has three parts. In the first part, the test taker must introduce himself/herself to the interviewer, and answer a few questions. In the second part, the candidate must speak at length about a given topic, taking care to keep his/her thoughts organized, and to speak slowly and persuasively. The third section is a discussion, where the candidate and the interviewer discuss the topic from part 2 at length, with a back and forth exchange of ideas.
IELTS is offered in many different modes and in several authorized test centers. In this section, we discuss how to choose a test date and exam venue.
The IELTS examination is normally organized 48 times a year, on fixed dates that can be checked in advance on the website. Therefore, there is a test date approximately every weekend, with breaks for major festivals. Candidates may view the list of available dates at the time of online registration. IELTS Online can be taken at any time, according to the convenience of the student, subject to the availability of the proctor. In this case, choosing a time slot is as important as choosing the date.
IELTS allows students to retake the entire test any number of times, subject to payment of the full registration fee again, and availability of exam dates. It is recommended that test takers take some time to prepare before their second attempt. Recently, candidates have also been allowed to retake any one module without payment of additional fees, as long as this is done within two months of the original test date. This is particularly useful to those whose University submissions require them to clear both an overall IELTS score cutoff and mandate minimum individual section band scores.
There are close to 1,000 IELTS test centers in more than 120 countries worldwide. In addition, India alone has over 50 authorized IDP IELTS exam venues. The website allows students to choose the most convenient test center after creating a Test Taker account. The availability of dates depends on the exam venue; therefore, this must be chosen before choosing the test date.
All IELTS candidates will receive their Test Report Forms by post within two weeks of their exam date. This is a detailed document that lists the scores in each section and the overall performance (all on a scale of 0 to 9). It must be kept carefully, as no duplicates are issued. Up to five other Test Report Forms may be sent directly by the British Council to Universities, based on the test taker's request.
Some test centers also notify candidates of their results over phone, SMS, and via the online account. However, these cannot be used as official result documents for submission to universities, and must only be used as unofficial score confirmations.
The IELTS test registration fees vary slightly from country to country, and are approximately $200 in most nations, with local variations depending on the administrative organization (IDP, Cambridge English, etc.).
| Service | IELTS Exam Fees (INR) |
| Registration Fee (Computer Based Test) | 16,250 |
| Registration Fee (Pen and Paper Test) | 16,250 |
| Registration Fee (for UK Visa IELTS) | 16,500 |
| Cancel Registration (due to valid medical reason/external constraints with proof) | Administrative Fees only (the bulk is refunded) |
Any test taker may opt for an Enquiry of Result (EoR) for any IELTS section, if he/she feels that the score given does not adequately reflect the performance. If, after re-evaluation, the score increases, the candidate will be refunded the full amount of the EoR fee. However, if the score stays the same or decreases, the amount paid as the EoR fee is not refunded.
The IELTS British Council website has a large number of free sample papers with detailed solutions. These can be used to understand the formats and identify the gaps in a candidate's skill set. In order to improve listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills before the exam date, most test takers choose to attend classes and appear for mock tests that give them granular feedback about small mistakes they are making, and advise them about how to rectify their errors.
Any student from a country where the native language is not English (therefore, any country other than the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand or their overseas territories), must complete a test of English proficiency in order to gain admission to most international degree programs whose medium of instruction is English. Since the most popular such examination is IELTS, the majority of these students end up appearing for this examination.
The first three modules of the IELTS (Listening, Reading, and Writing) are always held on the same day, for a total of 2.5 hours. The Speaking module is usually scheduled on the same day in most larger centers, but may be held a week earlier or two days after, depending on the availability of test evaluators.
Before the test starts, candidates are carefully scrutinized to ensure that there has been no impersonation. For this step, it is essential that test takers carry their passports with them to the exam venue. Before going into the test area, candidates must leave their phones, calculators, watches, and other electronic equipment in the lockers provided for that purpose. If anything other than writing instruments and erasers are carried into the test chamber, the candidate may face disqualification.
The IELTS Academic Test is used by students who are applying for higher studies in an English speaking country, whose native language is not English. This is the mostly widely taken form of the test, and evaluates whether the student can understand and communicate fluently in English. The IELTS General Training examination is easier, and tests the candidate's ability to communicate in common situations and interact in English in an office context. This is usually attempted by people who need the IELTS score for emigration or work visa purposes.
Individual degree programs across the world set their own criteria for the minimum IELTS scores required for admission. As a general rule, an overall IELTS score of 7.5 or above is sufficient for entry to most programs, though some courses may require a higher level of proficiency. In some programs in non-English speaking countries, the minimum requirement may be as low as 6.5, for courses taught in English.
As a general rule of thumb, candidates should check the minimum IELTS score for each of the programs they are interested in, and then find the highest of these. Their target score should then be at least half a point higher than this score, so that they will face no issues during their application to all their programs of interest.
IELTS Online allows test takers to appear for the examination from any location of their choosing, as long as they have access to a fast internet connection, a modern operating system, a webcam, and microphone. The Listening, Reading, and Writing tests are similar to those in the offline computer based mode. The only difference is that there is a human proctor who supervises the candidate to make sure that no unfair means are used.
However, the Speaking section is different: it takes the form of a video interview with an invigilator. Most candidates opt for the offline computer based test if possible, even though IELTS Online is a strong option. This is because there is usually a convenient date available offline, with tests scheduled every week. In addition, there is always assistance at the test center in case of any technical mishap.
