IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. IELTS exam is designed
to assess the readiness of candidates to study or train in further or higher education
courses held in English at college or university. IELTS provides a profile of a candidate's
English proficiency. The profile contains not only an indication of a candidate's ability in
a particular module but also an indication of overall ability.
IELTS is owned and administered by the following organisations:
University of Cambridge ESOL Exams, The British Council, IDP Education Australia &
IELTS Australia.
The purpose of the IELTS exam is to test the candidates' ability of handling English
language who want to study or work in a country where English is the language of
communication. IELTS result is also necessary for the immigration purposes..
IELTS test is available in two formats – Academic and General Training.
» Academic Module is suitable for those who are going to apply for further studies and
professional registration. If you are planning to get admitted in undergraduate or post
graduate course at a college or university where English is necessary, you should take
the Academic IELTS test.
» General Training Module is appropriate for those who are going to English-speaking
countries to complete work experience and training programs or for immigration
purposes. General training IELTS tests the candidates' communication skill, which is
needed for people who is not a native English speaker and want to migrate to a country
where English is the language of communication.
The IELTS Academic Module exam is intended for those who want to study in an English-
speaking country or where the medium of communication is English, as well as for
medical professionals who want to practice abroad.
The IELTS General Module exam is for those who want to immigrate to Australia,
Canada or New Zealand, undergo practical vocational training, or do a work placement.
The Academic Version of IELTS is designed and therefore intended for those who want
to get themselves admitted in universities or any other higher educational institutes for
undergraduate and postgraduate courses and for professionals who want to study or
practice in an English-speaking country. The General Training (GT) IELTS is intended for those who are willing to gain work
experience, undertake non-academic training or for immigration purposes.
There are 4 sections or modules in IELTS: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
All candidates take the same Listening and speaking tests, but Reading and Writing tests
vary depending on whether a candidate is taking the Academic IELTS test or the General
Training IELTS test.
IELTS is accepted as the standard international test system for English language
proficiency by a whole range of institutions. These include the majority of all education
establishments operating in English in Australia, Canada, the UK and New Zealand. US
educational institutions are also now starting to use it.
IELTS is recommended for candidates over the age of 16. In other word, to take the
IELTS test a candidate must be 16 years old or over.
Generally, a Test Report Form or IELTS result is valid for 2 years. However, there are
other factors to determine the validity period.
You might apply for an inquiry on results procedure within six weeks from the date you
took the IELTS exam, using a prescribed form by the IELTS authority if you are
dissatisfied with the result you got.
The IELTS examination takes approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete. The
time schedules for the reading, writing and listening sections are fixed but for the
speaking section that may vary
In IELTS exam there is no pass or fail. IELTS results are prepared on a nine-band scale. In
addition to the score for overall language ability, IELTS provides a score in the form of a
profile for each of the four skills i.e. Listening, Reading, Writing and speaking. If you
attend the IELTS exam and compete it, you will be given a report of the result that
would include individual band score of the four module as well as the Average band
score. This band score would reflect your skill and ability of handling English language.