The International English Language Testing System, or IELTS, is an international standardized English language proficiency test for non-native English speakers. It is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge English Language Assessment and was established in 1989. IELTS is one of the major English-language tests in the world; others are the TOEFL, TOEIC, and PTE.

IELTS is the only secure English language test approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for visa applicants outside and within the United Kingdom. It is also a requirement for immigration to Australia and New Zealand.

MODULES

There are two modules of the IELTS:

• Academic module and
• General training module

There is also a separate test offered by IELTS testing partners, IELTS Life Skills:

• IELTS Academic is intended for those who want to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education and for professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practice in an English-speaking country.
• IELTS General Training is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training, gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.
• IELTS Life Skills is intended for those who need to prove their English speaking and listening skills at Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels A1 or B1 and can be used to apply for a ‘family of a settled person’ visa, indefinite leave to remain, or citizenship in the UK.

The IELTS Test Has Four Parts.

Listening: 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes transfer time) 

• Reading: 60 minutes
• Writing: 60 minutes
• Speaking: 11–14 minutes
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The test’s total time is 2 hours and 55 minutes.

Listening, reading, and writing are completed in one sitting. The speaking test may be taken on the same day or up to seven days before or after the other tests.

All test takers take the same listening and speaking tests, while the reading and writing tests differ depending on whether the test taker is taking the test’s academic or general training versions.

Listening

The module comprises four sections, with ten questions in each section. It takes 40 minutes: 30 for testing and 10 for transferring the answers to an answer sheet.

Sections 1 and 2 are about everyday social situations.

• Section 1 has a conversation between two speakers (for example, a conversation about travel arrangements).
• Section 2 has one person speaking (for example, a speech about local facilities). Sections 3 and 4 are about educational and training situations.
• Section 3 is a conversation between two main speakers (for example, a discussion between two university students, perhaps guided by a tutor).
• Section 4 has one person speaking about an academic subject.

Each section begins with a short introduction telling the test taker about the situation and the speakers. Then they have some time to look through the questions. The questions are in the same order as the information in the recording, so the answer to the first question will be before the answer to the second question, and so on.  The first three sections have a break in the middle, allowing test takers to look at the remaining questions. Each section is heard only once.

At the end of the test, students are given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to an answer sheet.  Test takers will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.

Reading

The reading paper has three sections and texts totaling 2,150–2,750 words. There will be a variety of question types, such as multiple choice, short-answer questions, identifying information, identifying the writer’s views, labeling diagrams, completing a summary using words taken from the text, and matching information, headings, features, and sentence endings. Test takers should be careful when writing down their answers, as they will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.

Texts in IELTS Academic

• Three reading texts, which come from books, journals, magazines, testimonial papers, and online resources written for non-specialist audiences, cover topics of general interest to students at the undergraduate or postgraduate level.

Texts in IELTS General Training

• Section 1 contains two or three short texts or several shorter texts that deal with everyday topics. For example, timetables or notices are things a person would need to understand when living in an English-speaking country.
• Section 2 contains two texts that deal with work. For example, job descriptions, contracts, and training materials
• Section 3 contains a long text about a topic of general interest. The text is generally descriptive, longer, and more complex than the texts in Sections 1 and 2. The text will be taken from a testimonial paper, magazine, book, or online resource.

Writing

The writing paper has two tasks that must both be completed. In task 1, test takers write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. In task 2, test takers write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes. Test takers will be penalized if their answer is too short or does not relate to the topic. Answers should be written in full sentences (test takers must not use notes or bullet points).
IELTS Academic

• Task 1: Test takers describe a graph, table, chart, or diagram in their own words.
• Task 2: Test takers discuss a point of view, argument, or problem. Depending on the task, test takers may be required to present a solution to a problem, present and justify an opinion, compare and contrast evidence, opinions, and implications, and evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence, or an argument.

IELTS General Training

• Task 1: Test takers write a letter in response to a given everyday situation. For example, writing to an accommodation officer about problems with your accommodation, writing to a new employer about problems managing your time, or writing to a local testimonial paper about a plan to develop a local airport
• Task 2: Test takers write an essay about a topic of general interest. For example, whether smoking should be banned in public places, whether children’s leisure activities should be educational, and how environmental problems can be solved

Speaking

The speaking test is a face-to-face interview between the test taker and an examiner.

The speaking test contains three sections.

• Section 1: introduction and interview (4–5 minutes). Test takers may be asked about their home, family, work, studies, hobbies, interests, reasons for taking the IELTS exam, and other general topics such as clothing, free time, computers, and the internet.
• Section 2: long turn (3–4 minutes). Test takers are given a task card about a particular topic. Test takers have one minute to prepare to talk about this topic. The task card states the points that should be included in the talk and one aspect of the topic that must be explained during the talk. Test takers are then expected to talk about the topic for 2 minutes, after which the examiner may ask one or two questions.
• Section 3: Discussions (4–5 minutes) The third section involves a discussion between the examiner and the test taker, generally on questions relating to the theme that they have already spoken about in Section 2.

Scoring

Test takers receive a score for each test component: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The individual scores are then averaged and rounded to produce an overall band score.

Band scale

There is no pass or fail.  IELTS is scored on a nine-band scale, with each band corresponding to a specified competence in English. Overall band scores are reported to the nearest half-band.

Results

A test report form is posted to test takers 13 days after their test. It shows:

• An overall band score (from 1–9)
• A band score (from 1–9) for each section of the test (listening, reading, writing, and speaking)
• Whether IELTS academic or general training was completed
• The test taker’s photo, nationality, first language, and date of birth

Test takers receive one copy of their test report form, apart from test takers who are applying to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) or UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), who receive two copies.

Test report forms are valid for two years.

Locations and Test Dates

Locations and test dates

There are up to 48 test dates available per year. Each test center offers tests up to four times a month, depending on local demand. The academic version is available on all 48 dates per year, and the general training version is available on 24 dates.

There used to be a minimum time limit of 90 days before which a person was not allowed to retake the test. However, this restriction has been withdrawn, and currently, there is no limit for applicants to retake the test.

Level required by academic institutions for admission

Just over half (51%) of test takers take IELTS to enter higher education in a foreign country.  The IELTS minimum scores required by academic institutions and by course vary. As a general rule, the top-ranked universities in the United States tend to require a higher IELTS band (typically 7.0). Most universities accept scores between 6-7 as being suitable for undergraduate study in English.

IELTS is used by over 9,000 educational institutions worldwide. This section provides just a few examples of IELTS requirements in different countries. Full details about the organizations that accept IELTS and the scores they require can be found on the IELTS Global Recognition System.