What is IELTS?

What is IELTS?

The International English Testing System (IELTS) is the world’s most popular English language proficiency test for higher education Language and global migration.

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Which test you need?

There are two IELTS tests available – IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training. The test you choose should be based on what it is you want to do.

IELTS Academic – The IELTS Academic test is for people applying for higher education or professional registration in an English speaking environment. It reflects some of the features of academic language and assesses whether you are ready to begin studying or training.

IELTS General Training – The IELTS General Training test is for those who are going to English speaking countries for secondary education, work experience or training programs. It is also a requirement for migration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. The test focuses on basic survival skills in broad social and workplace contexts.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)-For those who are taking the IELTS test to support a UK visa application to work, live or study in the UK, you may need to take the IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Academic or General Training or the IELTS for Life Skills test.

Who owns IELTS?

IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English. 

How does IELTS work?

IELTS has been developed by some of the world’s leading language assessment experts and will test the full range of English skills needed for success in your new job or study placement abroad.

You’ll be assessed on the following elements:

• Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking

How are the exams the same/different?

Both the Academic and General Training exam have four parts – listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Listening

• The total time for the Listening module is 30 minutes and you get extra 10 minutes to transfer your answers from your question booklet  to the answer sheet  for both the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training exams.
• There are four recorded listening excerpts on both exams.

Speaking

• For both exams, there is a face-to-face interview with a certified IELTS Speaking Examiner.
• The Speaking module is 11-14 minutes for both the IELTS Academic and General Training exam.
• The Speaking module includes short questions and longer questions where the candidate speaks about a familiar topic. There is also a structured discussion.

Reading

• The Reading portion is 60 minutes long for both the IELTS Academic and General Training exams.
• For both exams, there are three readings with questions about each reading.
• For the IELTS Academic exam, there are a variety of texts to read, such as descriptive, factual, and analytical. The reading module also includes diagrams, graphs or illustrations.
• There are three sections on reading part of the General Training exam. In the first section, there are two or three short texts. In the second section, there are two short, work-related texts. In the final section, there is one long text about a general interest topic.
• For both the Academic and General Training exam, the texts are authentic; texts come from books, newspapers, journals, etc. (for the Academic exam), and books, newspapers, company handbooks, etc. (for the General Training exam).

Writing

• The Writing section is 60 minutes for both the IELTS Academic and General Training exams.
• Each includes two tasks: Task 1 is a minimum 150 words and Task 2 is a minimum 250 words.
• For the IELTS Academic exam, Task 1 is writing about a table, graph, chart or diagram. Task 2 is an essay.
• For the General Training exam, Task 1 is writing a letter, and Task 2 is an essay.