Test information

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a test of English language proficiency jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

IELTS is available in paper-based and computer-delivered formats, depending on the test centre and location.

There are two main versions of IELTS:

• The Academic Version
• The General Training Version

The Academic Version is intended for people applying to universities and other higher education institutions, as well as professionals who need to demonstrate their English proficiency for certain professional registration purposes.

The General Training Version is intended for people planning to undertake non-academic training, gain work experience, or meet English-language requirements for certain migration pathways.

IELTS is accepted by a wide range of educational institutions, employers, and immigration authorities worldwide. Acceptance requirements vary by institution, organisation, and destination country.

The IELTS Test Structure

The IELTS test assesses four language skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Results are reported using individual band scores and an overall band score. Listening and Speaking are the same for Academic and General Training tests, while Reading and Writing differ between the two versions.

Test Duration: The Listening, Reading, and Writing sections take a total of 2 hours and 40 minutes. The Speaking section typically lasts 11–14 minutes and may be scheduled on the same day or separately, depending on the test arrangements.

Listening – 30 Minutes

You will listen to four recordings and answer a series of questions designed to assess your understanding of spoken English.

• Recording 1: A conversation between two people in an everyday social context.
• Recording 2: A monologue in an everyday social context, such as a speech about local facilities.
• Recording 3: A conversation involving up to four people in an educational or training context, such as a tutor and student discussing an assignment.
• Recording 4: A monologue on an academic subject, such as a university lecture.

The Listening section assesses your ability to understand main ideas, factual details, speakers' opinions and attitudes, the purpose of an utterance, and the development of ideas.

Reading – 60 Minutes

The Reading section consists of 40 questions designed to assess a range of reading skills, including identifying main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical arguments, and recognising writers' opinions, attitudes, and purpose.

• Academic Test: Includes three long texts that may be descriptive, factual, discursive, or analytical. Texts are drawn from sources such as books, journals, magazines, and newspapers.
• General Training Test: Includes extracts from everyday materials such as advertisements, notices, company handbooks, guidelines, magazines, and newspapers.

Writing – 60 Minutes

Academic Test: The topics are suitable for people entering undergraduate or postgraduate studies or seeking professional registration. There are two tasks:

• Task 1: Describe, summarise, or explain information presented in a graph, table, chart, or diagram. You may also need to describe a process, object, or event.
• Task 2: Write an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem. A formal writing style is expected.

General Training Test: The topics are based on general interests and everyday situations. There are two tasks:

• Task 1: Write a letter in response to a situation, such as requesting information or explaining circumstances. The style may be personal, semi-formal, or formal.
• Task 2: Write an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem. The style may be more personal than in the Academic Writing task.

Speaking – 11–14 Minutes

The Speaking section assesses your spoken English through an interview with an examiner. The test is recorded and consists of three parts.

• Part 1: The examiner asks general questions about familiar topics, such as your home, family, work, studies, and interests. This part lasts approximately 4–5 minutes.
• Part 2: You receive a topic card and have one minute to prepare. You then speak for up to two minutes, followed by one or two questions from the examiner.
• Part 3: The examiner asks further questions related to Part 2, allowing you to discuss more abstract ideas and issues. This part lasts approximately 4–5 minutes.

IELTS Band Scale – What It Means

IELTS uses a nine-band scoring scale to indicate English-language proficiency. Individual skills and the overall result are reported using whole or half-band scores.

IELTS Score Validity: IELTS results are generally accepted as valid for two years, although individual organisations may set their own requirements.

Test Fee: IELTS fees vary by country, test type, and test centre. Check the official IELTS website or your local test centre for the current fee.

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