About
IELTS
International English Language Testing System
(IELTS) tests the complete range of English language skills, which
students will commonly encounter when studying or training in English.
Many professional organizations including the New Zealand Immigration
Service, the Australian Department of Immigration, Multicultural and
Indigenous Affairs, the Australian Medical Council, the UK General Medical
Council and the UK Ministry of Defense accept IELTS as also most
Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand academic institutions.
American academic institutions are increasingly accepting IELTS for
admissions purposes.
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Who
conducts the test?
The IELTS test is conducted by
the following educational bodies in partnership:
1. University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate (UCLES)
2. The British Council
3. IDP Educational Body, Australia (it's subsidiary is IELTS
Australia Pvt.
Ltd.)
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Who
can take the test?
>> Students applying to
study in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US.
>> Medical professionals planning to work or follow further study in the
UK, Australia or the US.
>> People planning to emigrate to Canada, Australia or New Zealand.
Which Module should I sit,
Academic or General Training?
Candidates must select either the Academic or General Training Reading and
Writing Modules depending on their stated requirement of their sponsor or
receiving institution.
The Academic Reading and Writing Modules assesses whether a candidate is ready to study or train in the medium of English at an undergraduate or postgraduate level.
Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses should be based on the results of Academic Modules
The General Training Reading and Writing Modules are not designed to test the full range of formal language skills required for academic purposes
The emphasis of General Training is on basic survival skills in a broad social and educational context. It is suitable for candidates who are going to English speaking countries to complete their Secondary education, to undertake work experience or training programs not at degree level, or for immigration purposes to Australia and New Zealand.
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Sections |
No of questions |
Section Time |
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Listening |
4 Sections, 40
Items |
30 minutes |
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General Training Reading |
3 sections, 40
items |
60 minutes |
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General Training Writing |
2 tasks (150 & 250 words) |
60 minutes |
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Academic Reading |
3 sections, 40 items |
60 minutes |
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Academic Writing |
2 tasks (150 & 250 words) |
60 minutes |
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Speaking |
- |
11 to 14 minutes |
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Total : |
2 hrs and 45 minutes |
All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules. There is an option of either Academic or General Training Reading and Writing Modules. Academic is suitable for candidates planning to undertake higher education study. General Training is suitable for candidates planning to undertake non-academic training or work experience, or for immigration purposes.
You have to
complete the Listening, Reading & Writing Sections in one day. You
may take the Speaking Section seven days before or after the other
three sections (at the discretion of the test center).
The Listening,
Reading and Writing tests are administered during the morning.
Speaking interviews are scheduled during the afternoon if conducted on
the same day.
The venue for the speaking section may differ from that of the other three modules.
Where to give the test?
In India you can take the test at Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Bangalore,
Chennai, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata,
Kochi, Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune & Trivandrum.
The Results
All IELTS results are released 13
calendar days after the test. In case a
candidate needs to obtain the results within a week, the candidate needs
to pay an extra amount, as mentioned in the application form
What are the necessary documents to be shown at time
of the test?
You need to submit the following documents to the test centre for
registering for IELTS
>>> Two passport sized photographs at the discretion of the test centre.
>>> Photocopy of the passport
>>> Duly filled up and signed Test Registration Form
>>> Demand Draft (DD is the only mode of payment). If you register
online on www.ieltsindia.org you can even pay by credit card.
How long is my test score valid?
The IELTS score is valid for 2 years. While obtaining admission to
an educational institute, the latest IELTS score is considered.
How soon can I repeat the
test?
IELTS candidates are not allowed to repeat the test within three months at
any centre, anywhere in the world. This is monitored and candidates should
be aware that any result gained within the three months non repeat period
will be cancelled.
Can a candidate retest only for
the module where he / she did not score well instead of repeating the
whole test ?
IELTS provides a profile of a candidate's English proficiency at a given
time. It provides not only an indication of ability in a particular module
but also an indication of overall ability. This would not be possible if
modules were not taken at the same time. Stakeholders require an
indication of proficiency at a given time. Stakeholders have expressed a
preference for full re-testing to gain an accurate assessment of a
candidate's language proficiency.
What is the preferred score by the universities?
The score report is mailed within two weeks of the test. The score for
each section is reported on a band of 0-9. The average of the scores of
all sections is taken and the overall score is given in band of 0-9.
The nine bands and their descriptive statements are as follows:
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