Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the IELTS test:
IELTS partnership
Test modules
Test format
Marking system
Which organisations accept IELTS
Sending additional copies of Test Report Forms
IELTS is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP Education Australia: IELTS Australia.
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL) is the world's leading provider of exams for learners of English.
IDP: IELTS Australia is Australia's international education organisation.
There are two versions of IELTS, which are often called “modules”. The Academic module is necessary if you wish to enter higher education abroad. The General Training module is appropriate for those who are planning to live and work abroad, in any English speaking country including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
In order to clarify which module you need to take, you can ask the organisation (consulate, university) that you are applying to. More...
IELTS tests your listening, reading, writing and speaking English language skills. The tasks and assessment criteria for the Listening and Speaking sections are the same for both the General Training and Academic test modules. The tasks for the Reading and Writing sections are significantly different for the Academic and General Training modules.
Length: approx. 30 minutes. Consists of 40 questions divided into 4 sections. The CD recording is played once only.
Length: 60 minutes. Consists of 3 sections and 40 questions.
Length: 60 minutes. Consists of 2 tasks.
Interview with the examiner lasting 11-14 minutes. The interview is recorded on tape. More on test format...
The accepted IELTS marking scale is from 1 to 9. Each part of the test (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) is marked separately. The final mark, which is called overall band score, is made up of the total of the marks gained for each section.
1 is the lowest beginner level, and 9 indicates that the person is fluent in English. More on the marking system...
You can see how IELTS marks relate to the Cambridge Examination evaluation system by looking at our comparison scale.
The IELTS test has won wide recognition in many countries of the world. Taking IELTS is a necessary condition for studying and working in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and US.
To find out if the organisation you are interested in accepts IELTS, you can use the Global Recognition System (GRS). Find out more...
Starting from 8 February 2008 the service of sending additional copies of Test Report Forms (TRFs) to receiving organisations will be handled by Cambridge ESOL.
The standard time for processing extra TRF requests is 10 working days which does not include the courier time of the TRF from Cambridge to receiving institutions.
Providing inaccurate or incomplete information may delay the application as it is used to check the identity of the candidate.
To make a request for extra Test Report Forms you should:
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Print out the Application Form, complete and scan it. Download the Application From. |
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Scan a copy of your passport for identification. Please ensure that it clearly shows the date of birth and photograph. |
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E-mail the Application Form and the scanned copy of your passport to esolitqa@cambridgeesol.org |
Please note that any request sent to Cambridge ESOL should be for the two year period in which their results remain valid - requests for results over two years old will be rejected.
Until 31 January you can e-mail your requests for extra Test Report Forms to examinations@britishcouncil.ru
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