IELTS Facts

IELTS stand for “International English Language Testing System”

Over one million people take the IELTS test each year.

IELTS is already trusted and used by over 6,000 institutions worldwide, including universities, employers, professional bodies and immigration authorities.

Almost all universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK accept IELTS.

IELTS is used for immigration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.

In the USA, IELTS is accepted by over 2,000 universities, colleges and faculties.

IELTS is one of the most widely available English language tests in the world. It is offered up to four times a month in more than 125 countries.

There are two different test modules – Academic and General Training.

The test content is also internationally focused, thanks to a network of test materials writers in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The test uses a range of native-speaker accents in the Listening component (North American, Australian, New Zealand and British English), and all the standard varieties of English are accepted in candidates’ responses.

Trained examiners conduct a face-to-face assessment with each IELTS candidate individually. The face-to-face Speaking assessment remains an essential part of IELTS, setting it apart from other English language tests.

Candidate performances in the Writing and Speaking components are assessed by qualified examiners rather than computers. This provides a more reliable assessment of real-world communication skills.

Examiners work to clearly defined criteria and are subject to extensive and detailed quality control procedures which ensure consistency in assessment no matter where the test is taken in the world. Examiners are required to demonstrate that they are rating to standard every two years, in addition to regular ongoing monitoring and standardisation of their performance. A similarly rigorous recruitment, training and monitoring system is in place for the markers of the Listening and Reading components. The reliability of marking is also enhanced by the double-marking of a proportion of Listening and Reading answer sheets at every test session.

Every test version is unique, so no candidate will ever receive the same test paper twice.

IELTS test results are used for admission to universities, colleges and professions, as well as for immigration to English-speaking countries.

IELTS results are issued to candidates just 13 days after they take the test.

IELTS provides a profile of a candidate’s ability to use English. Results are reported as band scores, on a scale from 1 (the lowest) to 9 (the highest):

IELTS Band Scores:

9 Expert user
8 Very good user
7 Good user
6 Competent user
5 Modest user
4 Limited user
3 Extremely limited user
2 Intermittent user
1 Non user
0 Did not attempt the test

Candidates receive an overall band score as well as individual scores for each test component (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking).

To cater for the specific language requirements of different institutions, IELTS comes in two modules – Academic and General Training. Both the Academic and General Training modules cover the four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking components. There are different Reading and Writing components for the Academic and General Training modules.

Listening

Time: approximately 30 minutes

Academic Reading

Time: 60 minutes

General Training Reading

Time: 60 minutes

Academic Writing

Time: 60 minutes

General Training Writing

Time: 60 minutes

Speaking

Time: 11–14 minutes

Academic and General Training modules

The Academic module is for candidates wishing to study at undergraduate or postgraduate levels, and for those seeking professional registration.

The General Training module is for candidates wishing to migrate to an English-speaking country (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK), and for those wishing to train or study at below degree level.

Both modules are graded using exactly the same criteria, so there is no difference in the level of English. The distinction lies in the subject matter and type of vocabulary used. The General Training module is not designed to test the full range of formal language skills required for academic purposes.