What is IELTS?
IELTS, the
International English Language Testing System, is designed to assess the
language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is the
language of communication.
IELTS is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
(Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia. IELTS conforms to
the highest international standards of language assessment.
IELTS is recognised by universities and employers in many countries, including
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. It is also recognised by
professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies.
Note: This website is NOT the same or connected or associated with any of the IELTS Test Partners.
If you want to prepare yourself for IELTS exam, you are in the right place! But
if you are looking for information about registering for the IELTS, test dates
or test fees, visit the official IELTS website,
Where can I take IELTS?
More than 400 test centers around the world administer IELTS. Most test centers
are run by the British Council, IELTS Australia, or universities and language
schools. Some testing centers also offer off-site testing for large groups by
prior arrangement with IELTS. Contact your local examination center or visit
www.iefts.org to find out where the nearest IELTS test center
is located.
Where can I find information about registering for the test?
You can contact your nearest examination center or visit the official IELTS
website for more information about application procedures and the location of a
test center near you.
The Test Format
There are four sub-tests, or modules, to the IELTS test: Reading, Writing,
Listening and Speaking. Students must sit all four sub-tests. While all students
take the same Listening and Speaking tests, they sit different Reading and
Writing tests, depending on whether they have selected the Academic IELTS test
or the General Training IELTS test.
On the day of the test, the four subsections will be taken in the following
order:
Total Test Time
2 hours 45 minutes
The Speaking test may even take place a day or two later at some centres.
IELTS Listening test lasts for about 30 minutes. It consists of
four sections, played on cassette tape, in order of increasing difficulty. Each
section might be a dialogue or a monologue. The test is played once only, and
the questions for each section must be answered while listening, although time
is given for students to check their answers.
IELTS Reading test lasts for 60 minutes. Students are given an
Academic Reading test, or a General Training Reading test. Both tests consist of
three sections, and in both tests the sections are in order of increasing
difficulty.
IELTS Writing test also lasts for 60 minutes. Again, students
take either an Academic test, or a General Training test. Students must perform
two writing tasks, which require different styles of writing. There is no choice
of question topics.
IELTS Speaking test consists of a one-to-one interview with a
specially trained examiner. The examiner will lead the candidate through the
three parts of the test:
An introduction and interview, an individual long turn where the candidate
speaks for one or two minutes on a particular topic, and a two-way discussion
thematically linked to the individual long turn. This interview will last for
approximately 11-14 minutes.
