IELTS

IELTS stands for the International English Language Testing System. It is an English exam for people who did not grow up speaking English. Universities, employers and immigration offices use it to see how well you actually handle the language.

Plenty of academic institutions and organizations accept it: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Ireland and European countries. It is a thorough exam, so expect it to go at every aspect of your English rather than one corner of it.

The test looks at four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. It is the main English proficiency test asked for when you apply to study or work in an English-speaking country. Your result comes back on a nine-band scale, which is explained further down this page.

You are sitting an exam that has been around since 1989, run jointly by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English. Their job is to measure your English fairly and accurately.

The questions come from language experts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and they are built around common, ordinary situations. That is deliberate. Nothing in the paper should put you at a disadvantage because of where you grew up.

Types of IELTS Test

There are two versions of IELTS: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. They are not the same exam, so check which one your university, employer or visa application asks for before you book anything.

IELTS Academic

Take IELTS Academic if you are going on to university, or to any other study in an English-speaking setting. It measures how well you handle English for learning. The vocabulary in it is the kind you meet in academic settings, not the kind you use in everyday conversation.

IELTS General Training

Take IELTS General Training if your study sits below undergraduate degree level, at an institution where English is the main language everyone uses.

You can also sit it for work experience or other vocational training. It is the version you must take if you want to live in Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United Kingdom. It tests the everyday English you need socially and at work, not academic English.

You can sit IELTS on paper or on a computer, whichever suits you. The result is valid for 2 years, so there is no point taking it long before you actually need it.

IELTS Score Scale

IELTS uses a nine-band scale. A band is simply a level of ability. You cannot fail the test. A higher band just means your English was judged to be stronger.

You get a score from 1 to 9 for each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Your overall score is the average of those four. Scores come in whole bands (5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and so on) or half bands (5.5, 6.5, 7.5 and so on).

Rounding works like this. If the average of your four sections ends in .25, your overall score is rounded up to the nearest half band. If it ends in .75, it is rounded up to the next whole band.

Here is what each band on the scale means.

Band	Skill level	Description
0	Did not attempt test	No assessable information provided
1	Non-user	Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words
2	Intermittent user	No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English
3	Extremely limited user	Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur
4	Limited user	Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems with understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language.
5	Modest user	Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field
6	Competent user	Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations
7	Good user	Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning
8	Very good user	Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well
9	Expert user	Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding

IELTS Test Format

Whichever version you sit, the Listening and Speaking exams are exactly the same. Reading and Writing are the two that differ between Academic and General Training.

Three parts of the exam, listening, reading and writing, run straight through one after another with no breaks in between. The Listening section can instead be taken in the week before or the week after the other parts. Set aside around two hours and forty-five minutes for the whole thing.

IELTS Academic Test Format

Listening (30 Minutes)

The listening test has four parts, each with ten questions. The answers turn up in the same order as the information in the recording. You can follow the questions as you listen instead of hunting backwards.

It checks whether you can pick out the main ideas, catch specific facts, and hear the emphasis and intonation in someone's voice. It also looks at whether you notice opinions and attitudes, and whether you can follow ideas as they develop in speech.

Each recording is played once only. You will hear a spread of accents and expressions: English as it is spoken in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada. Practise with more than one accent, because you do not get to choose which one you get.

You write on paper while the recording plays. At the end you get 10 minutes to copy your answers onto an answer sheet. Marks are taken off for careless spelling and poor grammar on that sheet, so spend those 10 minutes checking what you wrote rather than rushing.

You answer 40 questions in the Listening test altogether, and each one is worth 1 point.

Recording 1

You listen to two people having a conversation in an everyday social context.

Recording 2

You listen to one person speaking in an everyday social context, for example a talk about local facilities in a particular place.

Recording 3

You listen to a conversation between up to four people in an educational context, for example university students and a lecturer talking about an assignment.

Recording 4

You listen to one person speaking on an academic topic, for example part of a university lecture.

Speaking (11 - 14 Minutes)

The speaking test has 3 sections and measures how well you speak English. An examiner asks the questions.

Section 1

The examiner asks you a set of questions about yourself and familiar topics: home, family, work, education, your interests. This part takes four to five minutes.

Section 2

You are handed a card telling you to speak on a particular topic. You get one minute to prepare, then you talk for roughly two minutes. After that the examiner asks you a few questions on the same topic.

Section 3

More questions about the topic you covered in Section 2, this time pushing you towards more abstract ideas. This part lasts four to five minutes.

IELTS Academic Reading (60 Minutes)

Academic Reading tests several reading skills at once. It checks whether you grasp the overall subject, spot the important concepts, catch the details, understand what is only implied, and work out the author's perspective, attitude and intent. You have to read quickly and use the time well.

You read three separate texts and answer the questions on them. The Reading sections of Academic and General Training are not the same, so practise with papers for the version you are actually sitting. Academic Reading has 40 questions, each correct answer worth one point. Your points then turn into a band on the IELTS 9 band scale, in full and half points.

Expect three long texts covering several styles: descriptive, factual, discursive and analytical. They come from published sources such as books, newsletters, periodicals and newspapers, which makes reading a newspaper or a magazine article now and then honest practice.

None of it is written for specialists. The material is picked for a general readership, though it suits you if you are heading for a university course or a professional qualification. You will be asked to complete missing information in a text or table, match headings to a diagram or chart, complete sentences, give short answers to open questions, and answer multiple choice. Get comfortable with all of them, because you do not choose which ones turn up.

Academic Reading lasts 60 minutes, and that hour includes the time you spend writing your answers on the test paper. There is no extra time at the end to copy anything across, so write your answers where they belong the first time.

IELTS General Training Reading (60 Minutes)

General Training Reading goes after a broad range of reading skills too. You have to catch the overall subject of a text, the important concepts, the details, what is implied rather than stated, and the author's perspective, attitude and goal. Again, read quickly and manage the time you are given. You get three separate texts and answer the questions on them.

You get the same kinds of task: filling in blanks in a text or table, matching headings to a graphic or chart, filling in sentences, short answers to open questions, and multiple choice. You have 60 minutes here as well, and that hour has to cover writing your answers on the test paper. There is no tidying up at the end, so put each answer where it belongs the first time.

IELTS Academic Writing (60 Minutes)

Academic Writing tests whether you can give a suitable response, structure your ideas, use a wide vocabulary and get your grammar right.

You have to write formally in this one. There are two sections. An authorized IELTS expert marks your writing. Section 2 is worth twice as much as Section 1, so it is not the part to leave until you are out of time. Your grade comes in whole numbers and half numbers.

Section 1

You are given something visual: a graph, table, chart or diagram. You describe it, sum it up and explain it in your own words, in at least 150 words.

That might mean describing or explaining data, setting out the stages of a process, explaining how something works, or describing an object or an activity.

Section 2

You write a 250-word essay on a point of view, an argument or an issue. The subject you are given will be straightforward enough to understand.

Academic Writing lasts 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes for Section 1 and 40 minutes for Section 2. Nobody splits the time up for you, so watch the clock and move to Section 2 once your 20 minutes are gone.

IELTS General Training Writing (60 Minutes)

General Training Writing tests the same things: whether you can give a suitable response, structure your ideas, use a wide vocabulary and write accurate grammar.

The subjects you get here are broad and general rather than academic. There are two sections again.

An authorized IELTS expert marks your writing here too. As in the Academic version, Section 2 is worth double Section 1, so give it the larger share of your effort. Your score comes in whole numbers and half numbers.

Section 1

You are given a situation and asked to write at least 150 words, either asking for information or explaining something. You can write in a personal, semi-formal or formal style.

Section 2

You write at least 250 words on a point of view, an argument or a problem. Here you are allowed a more individual style.

General Training Writing takes 60 minutes as well. That is 20 minutes for Section 1 and 40 minutes for Section 2.

You are the one keeping track of the time, so move on to Section 2 when you hit the 20 minute mark.

Frequently asked questions

How is the overall IELTS band score calculated?

You get a band from 0 to 9 for each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, in whole and half bands. Your overall band score is the average of those four, rounded to the nearest half band. One weak section drags the average down, so it is worth knowing which of the four is your weakest before test day.

How long is the IELTS test?

Two hours and 45 minutes in total. That breaks down as 30 minutes of Listening, 60 minutes of Reading, 60 minutes of Writing, and a Speaking interview lasting 11 to 14 minutes.

What is the difference between IELTS Academic and General Training?

Listening and Speaking are identical in both versions. Reading and Writing are where they differ. You take Academic to study at university, and General Training for migration and work in an English-speaking country.

Can I retake just one part of IELTS?

Yes. IELTS One Skill Retake lets you sit a single section again on its own, whether that is Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking. You have 60 days from your original test to do it. The retake follows the same format, timing and marking as the full test.

How long are IELTS results valid?

Two years from your original test date. Language ability fades without use, which is why most institutions will not accept a result older than two years. Plan your test date around when you will actually be applying.

What is a good IELTS score?

There is no universal answer. Each university sets its own requirement, and many also set a minimum for every individual section, not just the overall band. Check both numbers on the course page before you decide what to aim for.