The International English Language Testing System,or IELTS is an international standardized test(either computer-delivered or paper-based) of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English.
IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, European, Irish and New Zealand academic institutions, by over 3,000 academic institutions in the United States, and by various professional organisations across the world. It is approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for visa customers applying both outside and inside the UK, meets requirements for immigration to Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
There are no specific eligibility criteria for appearing for IELTS. However, each college/organization that considers IELTS as its admission test / one of its admission processes has its own eligibility criteria. Candidates must check the eligibility criteria of individual colleges/organizations before applying to them through IELTS.
There are two modules of the IELTS:
- Academic Module: Intended for those who want to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education and for professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practise in an English-speaking country.
- General Training Module: Intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.
All test takers take the same Listening and Speaking tests, while the Reading and Writing tests differ depending on whether the test taker is taking the Academic or General Training versions of the test.
There’s also a separate test offered by the IELTS test partners, called IELTS Life Skills, which is intended for those who need to prove their English speaking and listening skills at Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels A1 or B1 and can be used to apply for a ‘family of a settled person’ visa, indefinite leave to remain or citizenship in the UK.
The test total time is: 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Listening, Reading and Writing are completed in one sitting. The Speaking test may be taken on the same day or up to seven days before or after the other tests.
