IELTS 2023 Exam - Dates, Registration, Test Format, Eligibility & Fees
IELTS is an English language exam that is required to be taken by international candidates considering studying or working in a country where English is the main language of communication. Most popular countries where IELTS is accepted for university admissions are the UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Canada. The exam mainly measures the ability of test-takers to communicate in the four basic English language skills – listening, reading, speaking, and writing. IELTS exam is jointly owned and conducted by IDP Education Australia, British Council, and Cambridge English Language Assessment. With the number of IELTS tests grew to a record of 3.5 million in the year 2018, it has become a leader in the area of international higher education. It is accepted in 100% of universities in the UK and Australia. Also, it is accepted in more than 3,400 institutions in the US and thousands of institutions in English speaking countries.
CORONAVIRUS ALERT: IELTS Partners has also launched the IELTS Indicator, an online English language test for students who are affected by the COVID-19 and are not able to attend the IELTS test centre. IELTS Indicator will assess the student's English language skills in Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Students can take the test online from their homes.
WhyIELTS Exam is required?
IELTS 2022 exam is required for migration as well as academic purposes abroad in English speaking countries like Australia, UK, New Zealand, USA, and Canada. It is the only English Language Test approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for visa applicants applying both outside and inside the UK. A lot of students get confused about why are the IELTS scores required. The simple answer to this is that foreign universities and visa granting authorities need to be sure that you will not have communication issues while staying in the country. You need to show a good understanding and strong command of the English language and that is why your overall IELTS scores are so important. Another common doubt students have is whether IELTS is a compulsory exam or not. No, IELTS isn’t compulsory in all university admissions. Many universities might not even require IELTS scores for admission purposes. But remember that if you don’t give IELTS, your chances of getting the student visa might suffer as the visa officers may not be convinced about your English proficiency without IELTS scores. So it is safer to appear for IELTS and aim to score at least 6 bands overall.
You can take the IELTS exam with the British Council or IDP up to once a week (four times a month). The British Council and IDP global schedule for test dates are 48 days per year.
Types of IELTS
There are two types of IELTS exams: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Listening and speaking sections are the same for both these tests, however, the subject matter for the writing and reading sections are different depending on which test one takes. The Reading, Writing, and Listening sections of the IELTS tests are completed on the same day of the test with no breaks between them. However, the Speaking section can be completed either a week before or after the other tests date. This information test can be taken from your test centre.
IELTS Academic Test
IELTS Academic is taken by those who apply for higher education or professional registration abroad.
IELTS General Test
IELTS General Test is taken by those who wish to migrate to major English speaking countries like Canada, Australia, and the UK. This test is also taken by those who want to enroll in training programs or secondary education or want to gain work experience in a country where English is the main language used for communication.
IELTS Important Dates
British Council and IDP IELTS are the two official conducting bodies of the IELTS Exam. The IELTS test is available multiple times throughout the year. Candidates are advised to book an IELTS Test Date that is most convenient to them, keeping in mind the university admission timeline. Students looking to appear for the IELTS test are advised to choose an exam date 3-4 months before their application deadline, to avoid any last minute error. The IELTS test is available across various major cities in India.
IELTS Exam Pattern and Syllabus
It is important for candidates looking to score well in their IELTS Test to understand the IELTS Exam Pattern and Syllabus in detail. IELTS Syllabus includes four sections, Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. You get marked on these four sections and you get the IELTS total score as well. The total score is the sum of the scores in the four skill areas. The total test duration is 2 hours and 45 minutes. Read:
Here is the IELTS paper pattern – At a Glance
The IELTS Exam consists of four sections:
How is IELTS Scored?IELTS is designed to assess English language skills at all levels. Your total IELTS score will be a combination of the band scores from the four sections. You will receive IELTS scores based on each of the four skills on a band of 1 – 9, and you will also be awarded an overall band score. You can score whole (example 5.0, 6.0, 7.0) or half (example 5.5, 6.5, 7.5) bands in each part of the test. You need to have some idea about how the scoring pattern works to better understand how your IELTS score will be calculated.
How to get your IELTS Exam Result?
Once you are done with the IELTS, then comes your wait for the result. The good thing about these exams is that the results are usually declared within a fortnight. In this case, if you have given the computer-based exam, your results will be declared within 5-7 days or within a week.O
OfflineMode: For offline or paper-based test, you will receive your results within 13 calendar day from the day of your exam.
IELTS Score validity period
From the time you obtain your IELTS results, your IELTS score is valid for two years.
IELTS Results
You do not have long to wait for your results as IELTS test results are released within a week (online) or 13 calendar days (offline) after you sit for the test. You will receive an email when your scores are available. You can log into your IELTS account on the IELTS Results website to see your scores.
IELTS Cut-Off
IELTS has been designed to assess the English language skills of students at all levels. Hence, students can never fail the test. The IELTS score is based on each of the four skills on a scale of 1 – 9, and students would also be awarded an overall band score. Candidates are reminded that the IELTS cut-off score varies for different colleges and programmes that students are interested in and not all universities and programmes require candidates to qualify for the IELTS exam. Your overall IELTS band score is important if you intend to apply for university, take up a job or immigrate to an English-speaking country.
Colleges Accepting IELTS
Taking the IELTS exam opens doors of opportunities! More than 10,000 organizations across 140 countries accept IELTS. These include professional organizations, schools, colleges, and universities. This test will clearly monitor the use of the English language of the aspirant at work, study, which reflects how the aspirant will manage communication abroad. It is the most popular English language test with more than 3 million IELTS exams are taken every year.
Countries Accepting IELTS Score
IELTS exam score is accepted in more than 140 countries including UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Canada. Whether it is for study, work or immigration, you can sit for IELTS and with a good score apply to your favourite country. It is advisable to check the university/country requirements for IELTS before sitting for the exam.
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