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IELTS is an internationally recognised testing system which is widely recognised by universities in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. IELTS assesses the ability to study or train in English. IELTS is managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Australia.
You can take either the Academic or General Training Reading and Writing modules. The Academic Module is recommended for people who wish to study at a university abroad. The General Training Module is suitable for students who wish to complete their secondary education in an English-speaking country, for participants of work experience / training programmes, also used for immigration purposes. You will be tested in listening, reading, writing and speaking whichever module you decide to take.
It is not possible to "fail" the test. Candidates receive a Band Score for each of the four modules as well as an Overall Score. There is a nine-band range starting with Band 1 - Non-User (candidates who cannot use English beyond a few isolated words) up to Band 9 - Expert User (candidates with a fully operational command of the language). Most universities in the UK request an Overall Band Score of around 6.5 as an entry requirement for academic courses, band 5 is usually requested for training programmes. A Band Score for each of the four papers as well as an overall score is recorded on the Test Report Form which will be released on the 13th day after the test date. Results are valid for two years.
The chart below illustrates how the IELTS band scores compare with the Common European Framework (CEF) levels and other University of Cambridge exams.
Please note that the IELTS scores referred to in the table are the overall scores and not the individual module scores.
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| 7.5+ |
C2 |
CPE |
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| 6.5 / 7.0 |
C1 |
CAE |
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| 5.0 / 5.5 / 6.0 |
B2 |
FCE |
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| 3.5 / 4.0 / 4.5 |
B1 |
PET |
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| 3.0 |
A2 |
KET |
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