The International English Language Testing System (IELTS ) is an international standardised test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. One of the major English-language tests in the world, it is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP and Cambridge English, and was established in 1980. The IELTS test has two modules: Academic and General Training. IELTS One Skill Retake was introduced for computer-delivered tests in 2023, which allows a test taker to retake any one section (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking) of the test.IELTS One Skill Retake
IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, European, and New Zealand academic institutions, by over 3,000 academic institutions in the United States, and by various professional organisations across the world. It is also approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) as a Secure English Language Test for visa applicants only inside the UK. It also meets requirements for immigration to Australia, where Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Pearson Test of English Academic are also accepted, and New Zealand. In Canada, IELTS, TEF, or CELPIP are accepted by the immigration authority.
No minimum score is required to pass the test. An IELTS result or Test Report Form is issued to all test takers with a score from "Band 1" ("non-user") to "Band 9" ("expert user"), and each institution sets a different threshold. There is also a "Band 0" score for those who did not attempt the test. Institutions are advised not to consider a report older than two years to be valid, unless the user proves that they have worked to maintain their level.
In 2017, over 3 million tests were taken in more than 140 countries, up from 2 million tests in 2012, 1.7 million tests in 2011, and 1.4 million tests in 2009. In 2007, IELTS administered more than one million tests in a single 12-month period for the first time, making it the world's most popular English language test for higher education and immigration.
In 2019, over 508,000 international students went to study in the UK, making it the world's most popular UK ELT (English Language Test) destination. Over half (54%) of those students were under 18 years old.
History
In 1980, the English Language Testing Service (ELTS), presently known as IELTS, was launched jointly by Cambridge English Language Assessment (then known as "CLES") and the British Council. It had an innovative format, which reflected changes in language learning and teaching, including the growth in 'communicative' language learning and 'English for specific purposes'. Test tasks were intended to reflect the use of the English language in the 'real world'.
During the 1980s, test-taker numbers were low (4,000 in 1981 rising to 10,000 in 1985) and there were practical difficulties administering the test. As a result, the IELTS Revision Project was set up to oversee the redesign of the test. To have international participation in the redesign, the International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges (IDP), now known as IDP: IELTS Australia, joined Cambridge English Language Assessment and the British Council to form the international IELTS partnership which delivers the test to this day. This international partnership was reflected in the new name for the test: The International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
IELTS went live in 1989. Test takers took two non-specialised modules, Listening and Speaking, and two specialised modules, Reading and Writing. Test-taker numbers rose by approximately 15% per year, and by 1995 there were 43,000 test takers in 210 test centres around the world. IELTS was revised again in 1995, with three main changes:
There was one Academic Reading Module and one Academic Writing Module (previously there had been a choice of three field-specific Reading and Writing modules) The thematic link between the Reading and Writing tasks was removed to avoid confusing the assessment of reading and writing ability The General Training Reading and Writing modules were brought into line with the Academic Reading and Writing modules (same timing, length of responses, reporting of scores).
Further revisions went live in 2001 (revised Speaking Test) and 2005 (new assessment criteria for the Writing test). Accessed 8 July 2015
IELTS characteristics
IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are designed to cover the full range of abilities from non-user or middle user to expert user. The Academic version is for test takers who want to study at the tertiary level in an English-speaking country or seek professional registration. The General Training version is for test takers who want to work, train, study at a secondary school, or migrate to an English-speaking country.
The difference between the Academic and General Training versions is the content, context, and purpose of the tasks. All other features, such as timing allocation, length of written responses, and reporting of scores, are the same. IELTS Academic and General Training both incorporate the following features:
IELTS tests the ability to listen, read, write and speak in English. The speaking module is a key component of IELTS. It is conducted in the form of a one-to-one interview with an examiner, which can occur face-to-face or even through a video conference. The examiner assesses the test taker as they are speaking. The speaking session is also recorded for monitoring and for re-marking in case of an appeal against the score given. A variety of accents and writing styles have been presented in test materials to minimise linguistic bias. The accents in the listening section are generally 80% British, Australian, New Zealander and 20% others (mostly American). IELTS is developed by experts at Cambridge English Language Assessment with input from item writers from around the world. Teams are located in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other English-speaking nations. Band scores are used for each language sub-skill (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). They are averaged out to derive the overall band score for each test-taker.
IELTS test structure
Modules There are two modules of the IELTS: Academic Module General Training Module There is also a separate test offered by the IELTS test partners, called IELTS Life Skills:
IELTS Academic is intended for those who want to enrol in universities and other institutions of higher education and for professionals such as medical doctors, engineers, and nurses who want to study or practice in an English-speaking country. Mainly for those who are trying for a non-immigrant student visa. IELTS General Training is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes. IELTS Life Skills is intended for those who need to prove their English speaking and listening skills at Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRR) levels A1 or B1 and can be used to apply for a 'family of a settled person' visa, indefinite leave to remain or citizenship in the UK.
The four parts of the IELTS test PartDurationNotesListening30 minutesincluding 10 minutes transfer timeReading60 minutesWriting60 minutesSpeaking10–15 minutesdivided into Part 1, Part 2 (CUE Card), and Part 3.Total Test Time2 hours and 45 minutes Note 1: Listening, Reading and Writing are completed in one sitting. The Speaking test may be taken on the same day or up to seven days before or after the other tests.
Note 2: All test takers take the same Listening and Speaking tests, while the Reading and Writing tests differ depending on whether the test taker is taking the Academic or General Training versions of the test.
Note 3: The 10 minutes transfer time is for the paper-based option of the test. For the computer-delivered option, candidates will be given 2 minutes (at the end of the test) to re-check their answers.
Listening The module comprises four sections, with ten questions in each section. It takes around 40 (paper-based) or 32 (computer-delivered) minutes: 30 for testing, plus 10 for transferring the answers to an answer sheet (paper-based) or 2 for re-checking the answers (computer-delivered).
Sections 1 and 2 are about everyday, social situations. Section 1 has a conversation between two speakers (for example, a conversation about travel arrangements) Section 2 has one person speaking (for example, a speech about local facilities).
Sections 3 and 4 are about educational and training situations Section 3 is a conversation between two main speakers (for example, a discussion between two university students, perhaps guided by a tutor) Section 4 has one person speaking about an academic subject.
Each section begins with a short introduction telling the test taker about the situation and the speakers. Then they have some time to look through the questions. The questions are in the same order as the information in the recording, so the answer to the first question will be before the answer to the second question, and so on. The first three sections have a break in the middle allowing test takers to look at the remaining questions. Each section is heard only once.
At the end of the test, candidates are given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to an answer sheet (if they take their test paper-based) or 2 minutes (at the end of the test of course) to re-check the answers (if they do so computer-delivered).IELTS Practice Tests Plus 2, Morgan Terry and Judith Wilson, Pearson and Longman, Test takers will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.
Reading
The Reading paper has three sections and texts totalling approximately 2,150–3,250 words. There will be a variety of question types, such as multiple-choice, short-answer questions, identifying information, identifying writers' views, labelling diagrams, completing a summary using words taken from the text, and matching information/headings/features in the text/sentence endings. Test takers should be careful when writing down their answers as they will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.
Texts in IELTS Academic Three reading texts, which come from books, journals, magazines, newspapers and online resources written for non-specialist audiences. All the topics are of general interest to students at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Accessed 8 July 2015
Texts in IELTS General Training Section 1 contains two or three short texts or several shorter texts, which deal with everyday topics. For example, timetables or notices – things a person would need to understand when living in an English-speaking country. Section 2 contains two texts, which deal with work. For example, job descriptions, contracts, training materials. Section 3 contains one long text about a topic of general interest. The text is generally descriptive, longer and more complex than the texts in Sections 1 and 2. The text will be taken from a newspaper, magazine, book or online resource. Accessed 8 July 2015
Writing
IELTS Academic Task 1: test takers describe a graph, table, chart, map, process, pie chart or diagram in their own words. Task 2: test takers discuss a point of view, argument, or problem. Depending on the task, test takers may be required to present a solution to a problem, present and justify an opinion, compare and contrast evidence, opinions and implications, and evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence or an argument. Accessed 8 July 2015
IELTS General Training Task 1: test takers write a letter in response to a given everyday situation. For example, writing to an accommodation officer about problems with your accommodation, writing to a new employer about problems managing your time, or writing to a local newspaper about a plan to develop a local airport.