IELTS Test Exam

Overview

IELTS test exam overview

Why Academic IELTS ?

  • If you want to study abroad either at undergraduate or postgraduate level
  • Looking for professional registration

Why General IELTS ?

  • To migrate to and English speaking country
  • To study below degree level

Why UKVI ?

  • UKVI is a Secure English Language Test (SELT) approved by the UK government, which means that IELTS can prove your English language abilities when applying for a UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) application.
  • For many of the UK visas, you must submit an English language qualification which is included on the UK Home Office’s list of Secure English Language Tests (SELT tests).
  • The following IELTS tests are on this list and have been approved for UK Visas and Immigration purposes:
    • General IELTS: The test is the same as IELTS, the same content,format, level of difficulty, scoring,…
    • Academic IELTS: The test is the same as IELTS, the same content,format, level of difficulty, scoring,…
  • The difference are:
    1. The customer journey on the day of the IELTS test.
    2. The test Report Forms will be slightly different, to show that you have taken the test at an IELTS UK visa session.
    3. There will be more security
    4. The test will be more expensive as part of the security.
    5. You can only do this test in certain IELTS centres as part of the extra security.
    6. The Academic exam can also be take on a computer in some locations
  • IELTS Life skills A1: To migrate to the UK and apply for family of a settled person visas.
  • IELTS Life skills A2: To migrate to the UK and apply for extension to Family, Spouse or Partner visa.
    • This test can only be take in the UK itself and not anywhere abroad
  • IELTS Life skills B1: To migrate to the UK and apply for indefinite leave to remain or citizenship.
  • The difference are:
    • Only a Speaking and Listening part, NO writing or reading
    • Unlike the IELTS test where you get a point 1 to 9, in this UKVI Life Skills you either fail or pass the test.

Which one is more difficult?

  1. Academic, since it deals with a lot of academic language.
  2. General, since you still have to deal with all 4 skills
  3. UKVI life skills, since you only need to do listening and speaking

What to do before the  IELTS test? 

Make sure you know what score you need to have! Everyone can do the IELTS exam, nobody fails! What happens is that you might not get the score you need for your goal. Therefore you need to always ask your University or Immigration service what overall IELTS band you need. 

What is the Order of General/ Academic test?

Written part of the exam 2hrs 40 minutes there are no breaks between the different parts

1 listening test 40 minutes

2 reading test 60 minutes

3 writing test 60 minutes

Tip! Make sure you go to the toilet before the exam, you are allowed to leave the room to go to the toilet, but every minutes you spend doing this is time lost for the exam. You will need the total 2hrs 40 minutes if you want to have a good score.

4 Speaking test of the exam 11-14 minutes. There no breaks between the different parts!

This is most of the time on a different date either before or after the written part of the exam.

What do I need to bring to the IELTS test?

  • Your ID, the same one you use when you registered for the IELTS exam
  • A pencil and eraser, and a pen if you want to write in pen.

Tip! Do your writing in pencil! That way you can easily erase mistakes. Using a pen and scratching words out makes the whole writing messy, making it harder for the examiner to read your paper, possibly reducing your overall grade.

Where can I take the IELT test?

You can take take IELTS exam in many countries around the world. You can book your exam here.

 What if I have special needs?

The IELTS test can be adapted for people who have:

You just need to give the exam center 3 months notice

Who accepts the IELTS test?

Many institutions in many different countries around the word accept the IELTS exam. If you’re not sure have a look.

When will I get my results of the IELTS test?

You will get your results 13 days after completion of IELTS exam

  • You can pick it up at your test centre 
  • You can get your test centre to send the scores to you
  • You can check your results online, but you will still need the paper copy for official confirmation.

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