FAQ
IELTS Basics
IELTS is a standardized test that measures your proficiency in English. It assesses your skills in Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
The score for Canada PR depends upon the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) points. The minimum score in each and overall is 6 or 6.5.
If you are going for higher studies, you need to take Academic IELTS. On the contrary, you have to appear for General Training if you plan for work or immigration to Canada
IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System.
IELTS band score for the UK depends upon the requirement of the college, university, government body, or the organization to whom you are applying. Generally speaking, the score should be a minimum of 6.5 to 7 in each section and overall.
IELTS is a standardized English language to test your English level proficiency. Since the countries asking for the IELTS results are English speaking countries, they need to know if you will be comfortable using English as a primary language for accessible accommodation. As everything will be new for you after you move, you don’t want to hesitate in daily communication.
IELTS is for students who want to pursue studies abroad, for working professionals who wish to work overseas and for people who want to immigrate abroad in English speaking countries.
IELTS can be taken by anybody who wishes to study, work or migrate to English speaking country.
IELTS is accepted by more than 10,000 organizations in around 140+ countries. It is accepted by training organizations, universities, colleges, schools, colleges, immigration authorities, government departments, industry associations, and professional bodies.
IELTS is designed by Cambridge University and is jointly managed by IDP and British Council.
IELTS is divided into 4 sections – Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking. The Listening, Reading and Writing tests are conducted on one day with a total duration of 2 hours 45 minutes. The Speaking test is taken seven days before or after the Listening, Reading, Writing tests.
IELTS can be taken online but not from home. You need to book your seat and visit the official venue of the exam for the computer-based test.
Yes, you can cancel and reschedule the test up to five weeks before the test date.
IELTS test results are valid for 2 years.
The IELTS results are out 13 days after your test date.
IELTS is conducted at 78+ official test centers across India.
IELTS is accepted in English speaking countries as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and some parts of the USA.
Your candidate number for IELTS is the reference number that you receive with the confirmation email. On the test result, it is mentioned above the place where your photograph is placed.
The Test Report Form is printed 13 days after your test date.
IELTS is divided into 2 modules – Academic and Reading. Each of these modules tests 4 skills – Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking. Know more about the format at https://thelearningbit.com/a-complete-guide-to-IELTS-test-format/
Choosing the right module depends on the type of visa. If you wish to pursue studies abroad, Academic IELTS may be the correct choice, while if you want to work or migrate overseas, General Training is the one to take up.
Ideally, a candidate seeking to go abroad and study masters must appear for Academic IELTS. However, it is best to consult the institution where the application is to be made.
IELTS is accepted in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the UK and some parts of the UK.
There is a “no passport, no test” policy of IELTS. You cannot take this test without a valid passport.
IELTS for the UK is the same as IELTS is for the rest of the countries.
IELTS Life Skills and IELTS for UKVI are Secure English Language Tests (SELT) approved by the UK Home Office to make visa applications to the UK. It is the regular IELTS test for people who want to go to the UK to study, work or migrate.
IELTS Life Skills is a test to prove your Listening and Speaking ability for citizenship visa, indefinite leave to remain in the country, or family visa.
For more information, visit https://takeIELTS.britishcouncil.org/take-IELTS/which-IELTS-test/ukvi.
IELTS for Australia is the same as IELTS is for the rest of the countries.
Germany accepts IELTS or TOEFL. Contact your educational organization or work establishment to understand their needs.
Each of the organizations or school boards have different requirements. Consult the concerned department to know which IELTS band or how many TOEFL points is required.
You can use a pencil or a pen for IELTS. However, use a pencil for Listening and Reading tests.
Academic IELTS is generally opted by candidates who want to pursue higher studies. However, it depends on the requirements set by the organization where you plan to work.
IELTS Life Skills is a test that assesses the Speaking and Listening abilities of a candidate who wishes to go to the UK for immigration or different visa categories. It is divided into 3 levels – A1, A2, and B1. For more information, visit https://www.IELTS.org/what-is-IELTS/IELTS-for-migration/united-kingdom/IELTS-life-skills-faqs.
IELTS tests are conducted every Thursday and Saturday every week (depending on the location). You can visit the links to register with the British Council or IDP.
The online IELTS test is similar to the paper-based exam. To know more about it, visit https://www.IELTS.org/about-the-test/computer-delivered-IELTS.
IELTS test results are declared 13 days after the exam. For IDP test results, visit https://results.IELTSessentials.com/ and https://IELTS.britishcouncil.org/CheckResults.aspx for British Council.
There is no qualification needed to appear for IELTS. It depends on your requirement. If you wish to go abroad for further studies, you need to take IELTS Academic. On the other hand, if you are planning to immigrate or work in foreign countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Canada, The UK and some parts of the USA.
Visit British Council and IDP sites to know more about the exam fee.
You can book the IELTS test by visiting the respective sites of British Council and IDP.
You can visit the official websites for IELTS and get detailed information.
British Council – https://www.britishcouncil.in/exam/IELTS
IELTS is divided into 4 tests – Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
The Listening section is for 30 minutes + 10 minutes to transfer the answers to the answer sheet.
The Reading section is for 60 minutes.
The Writing section is for 60 minutes.
The Speaking section is for 12 to 15 minutes.
IELTS Academic is for students who wish to go abroad for studies. The test for Academic is divided into 4 sections – Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
Listening has 4 sections, Reading has 3 sections, Writing has 2 tasks – report (describe a process, bar graph, pie chart or a table in 150 words) and an essay (explain the topic given with examples in 250 words), Speaking has 3 parts. You can visit the blog to know about the test format.
IELTS General Training is for working professionals or people who wish to either work or immigrate abroad. The test for General Training is divided into 4 sections – Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
Listening has 4 sections, Reading has 3 sections, Writing has 2 tasks – letter (write a formal, informal or semi-formal letter in 150 words) and an essay (explain the topic given with examples in 250 words), Speaking has 3 parts. You can visit the blog to know about the test format.
IELTS Syllabus
The IELTS examiner, taking your test, marks the IELTS Speaking test.
No, IELTS questions do not repeat.
IELTS is an examination that tests your English language ability based on specific marking criteria. You can appear for a mock test and check your score. It is not a tough examination if you are thorough with your preparation.
The passages in IELTS Reading come from academic curriculum, company handbooks, newspapers, and magazines.
The speaking test is recorded to have a record if you wish to reevaluate your Speaking results.
The overall IELTS score is evaluated by averaging the individual scores of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
The test has 4 sections, and the recording for the questions and answers runs for 30 minutes. You get extra 10 minutes to transfer the answers to the answer sheet. Know more about the listening test at IELTS Listening Test.
IELTS Writing is evaluated on 4 marking criteria – Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy
IELTS Speaking topics are based on several topics such as work, study, daily routine, art, hometown, city life, education, computers, technology, mobile phones, etc. To know more about it, visit IELTS-masterclass-IELTS-speaking.
IELTS Speaking is divided into 3 parts. Part 1 is where the examiner checks your ID and asks you questions about you, your likes and dislikes. You can know more about it by visiting https://www.udemy.com/course/IELTS-masterclass-IELTS-speaking.
IELTS is vetted on a 9-band scale. Each section of IELTS is also scored on 9 bands. You can know more about how these bands are calculated at https://thelearningbit.com/how-are-ielts-band-scores-calculated/.
IELTS tests 4 skills – Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Listening has 4 sections, Reading has 3 sections, Writing has 2 and Speaking has 3. Visit https://thelearningbit.com/IELTS-test-format/ to know more.
You can click on the links for Listening, Reading, Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2 to view the sample papers.
IELTS Writing Task 2 is an essay to be written in 250 words. You get 40 minutes to complete this task.
IELTS Writing Task 1 is a report for Academic and letter for General Training. It should be written in 150 words and must be completed within 20 minutes.
Yes/No/Not Given is a question type in IELTS.
If the statement matches the content of the text, the answer is TRUE.
If the statement does not match the content of the text, the answer is FALSE.
If the statement cannot be found in the reading text, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
You can know more about it by visiting https://www.udemy.com/course/IELTS-masterclass-IELTS-reading-question-types-part-2.
IELTS Writing Task 2 topics vary from paper to paper. If one has Agreement and Disagreement question type, the other may have Advantages and Disadvantages. You can enroll in the course to know more about it.
IELTS Writing Task 1 General Training has letter writing. You write either a formal, semi-formal, or informal letter. You can enroll in the course to know more about it.
IELTS Writing is divided into 2 tasks – Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2. While Writing Task 1 is for 150 words to be finished in 20 minutes, Writing Task 2 is for 250 words to be completed in 40 minutes. You can get the detailed structure, the template, the tips, and the tricks by enrolling in the courses.
Writing Task 1 (Academic) – https://www.udemy.com/course/IELTS-masterclass-IELTS-writing-task-1-academic
Writing Task 1 (General Training) – https://www.udemy.com/course/IELTS-masterclass-IELTS-writing-task-1
Writing Task 2 (A & GT) – https://www.udemy.com/course/IELTS-masterclass-IELTS-writing-task-2
IELTS with Other Tests
Here is the equivalency chart,
Know more at https://pearsonpte.com/organizations/researchers/score-comparison-vs-competitors/.
Here is the equivalency chart,
Know more about it at https://www.ets.org/toefl/score-users/scores-admissions/compare.
PLAB stands for Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board. It is for doctors who wish to practice medicine in the United Kingdom. You need to take Academic IELTS and score at least 7.0 in each skill and 7.5 overall.
For more information, visit https://www.britishcouncil.org.eg/en/exam/medical/plab.
IELTS and GRE are standalone standardized tests. While IELTS tests your language skills, GRE assesses your quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking skills.
The full form of OET is Occupational English Test. While it tests the language skills of healthcare professionals, IELTS assesses your English level on a wide range of topics. OET examines the skills related to your job. Know more details on https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/.
CELPIP is Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program. It weighs more on the functional language used in Canada.
While IELTS can be given in a paper-based or computer-based format, CELPIP is only computer-based.
For more information, visit https://www.celpip.ca/.
IELTS is conducted to serve the purpose of candidates who wish to go abroad. Spoken English can help to excel in IELTS.
GMAT is a Graduate Management Admission Test. It tests your writing, analytical, quantitative, reading, and verbal skills in written English for use in admission to a graduate management program. You can get full information on https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat.