IELTS(International English Language Testing System)

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) was pioneered in 1989 by the British Council, IDP; IELTS Australia and Cambridge ESOL. Today, it is the World's #1 English Language Test for students who want to go abroad for education as well as professionals who are seeking employment across the globe. Globally speaking, the popularity of IELTS has grown exponentially in the past few years. There were as many as 1.5 million candidates who took IELTS in 2011!

The British Council successfully administers 39 IELTS test centers across India, which has emerged as one of the biggest markets for the test.

Who can appear for IELTS?

There are two versions for IELTS exam:

Academic Test: This test is meant for those who want to study in an English-speaking country at the tertiary level, i.e. in undergraduate or postgraduate exams. Hence, the Academic IELTS test takers should have at least cleared their 12th boards.

General Training Test: This test is meant for those who want to study in a secondary school or opt for a training program in an English-speaking country. Candidates seeking to gain work experience or migrate to another country will also need to take this test.

IELTS exam pattern

IELTS test has four parts:

Listening section, which has a duration of 30 minutes
Reading section, which has a duration of 60 minutes
Writing section, which has a duration of 60 minutes
Speaking section, which has a duration of 11 to 14 minutes

Overall, the duration of the test is 2 hours and 45 minutes. The Listening, Reading and Writing tests have to be cleared in one sitting while the Speaking test may be conducted on the same test or within seven days of the other tests.

The candidates taking Academic IELTS test or a General Training IELTS test have to take same Listening and Speaking tests but their Reading and Writing tests are different, according to the kind of opportunity they are looking for.

Opportunities after IELTS:

Over 6,000 educational institutions in more than 135 Countries worldwide recognize IELTS. These include 2,000 US Universities (inclusive of all the Ivy League Colleges), Canadian Universities, European and UK Universities, Australian Universities, and the universities in New Zealand.

Besides, the UK Border Agency, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and New Zealand Immigration Service also ask for IELTS results for those who are interested in immigration in their respective countries.