You will receive information about the test venue and the starting time with your letter of confirmation.

The test starts at 9am, it is best if you arrive at least at 8.30am. If you arrive late, you might not be allowed to take the exam.

ID Check
The day starts with an ID Check at 8.30am. Please remember to bring along the ID (National Identity Card or Passport) that you stated in your application. Non-EU nationals have to bring their Passport. Driving licenses and student IDs are no acceptable proof of identity. Candidates without a valid ID will not be allowed to sit the test.

Cloakroom
Before the ID check you will have to leave all your belongings in a cloakroom. The cloakroom will be locked for the duration of the exam, but we strongly recommend not to bring any valuables, mobile phones etc. to the test venue. We will provide you with writing materials. You will only be allowed to take your ID and a bottle of water into the examination room.

Test Day Photography
From May 2012 on, each candidate who takes the IELTS Test (Academic Version as well as General Training Version) will be photographed on the day of the oral exam.

The photos will be taken using special software provided by Cambridge ESOL, and at all times the files and photos will be stored securely and will only be accessible by authorised centre staff. Photographs of candidates taken on the test day will be printed onto the candidate’s Test Report Form, and will only be used for test related purposes under international data protection regulations.

Test
At 9am the test starts with a welcome and a short introduction from your invigilator. Please listen carefully to the instructions. If you have any questions please ask one of the invigilators. There are no breaks between the first three parts of the test.

• The first part of the test is the Listening Test; this takes 30 minutes, and you need to answer 40 questions. The recording will be played once only. At the end of the listening test you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answers from the question booklet to an answer sheet.
• Then you continue with the Reading Test, for which you are allowed one hour, and again, you have to answer 40 questions.
• The third part is the Writing Test, for which you have to write two short essays (of at least 150 and 250 words respectively) in one hour. You should spend about 20 minutes on the first and 40 minutes on the second task.

The Speaking Tests will be held in a time window of 7 days before to 7 days after the written exam date. You will receive an e-mail about your exact speaking test date approximately 10 days before the test. Please ensure that you are free during this period. The Speaking Test takes about 15 minutes and is a face to face interview with an IELTS Examiner.

We would suggest that you also read the official IELTS Test Day Advice.