This page gives an introduction and in-depth look at IELTS – International English Language Testing System, including details about the structure of the test, how it compares to other well known English language tests and some useful tips on how to prepare for it.
IELTS – International English Language Testing System is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP Education Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL). Since the test was developed into its current form, in 1989, it has been continuously revised and improved, and has now established itself as one of the most widely used, popular and well respected tests of English language ability in the world today.
Each year more than 800,000 people, in 120 countries worldwide, take the IELTS test.
IELTS is for anyone coming from a country where English is not the primary language or who has not been educated in an English language schooling environment, who needs to provide proof of their English language ability. It is commonly used by people wishing to migrate to English speaking countries as well as those people wishing to study or work in an English speaking environment.
IELTS is particularly well received by higher education institutions in the UK, as well as many other colleges and universities in other English speaking countries. These institutions will insist on overseas students having a level of English language high enough for them to cope with studying in the UK. Attending classes and lectures taught in English, making presentations and writing reports, essays, etc. all in English requires students to have a firm grasp and in-depth understanding of the English language. Students with poor English will naturally find it extremely difficult to cope and will inevitably fall behind with their studies. This benefits neither the students nor the schools.
· Which organisations use IELTS?
Well over 4,000 schools, colleges, universities, government agencies and professional organisations around the world officially recognise IELTS as being a high quality, secure and globally standardised test of the English language. IELTS band scores (explained further below) are trusted by these organisations to give an accurate assessment of an individual’s level of English language ability.
Note that although IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP Education Australia and Cambridge ESOL; it is widely recognised by organisations in countries other than the UK and Australia, including the USA, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and many others. Although the popular English language testing systems used in the USA come from an organisation called ETS (Educational Testing Service), namely TOEFL and TOEIC, most universities and other organisations in the USA now also accept IELTS band scores as proof of English language ability.
The IELTS test consists of four parts; reading, writing, listening and speaking. The reading and writing parts have two options; general English or academic English. Students wishing to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level should elect to take the academic modules.
The reading and writing sections take 1 hour each, the listening section takes 40 minutes, including 10 minutes to transfer answers to the answer sheet, and the speaking section lasts no more than 15 minutes. The reading, writing and listening sections must be completed on the same day. The speaking section is often taken on another day, within seven days before or after the other three sections. When ever possible, test centres will arrange the speaking test for the same day or within one day of the other sections of the test.
The writing section is perhaps the part which many candidates dread the most. It consists of two tasks. The first task is to write 150 words about a given subject. The second is to write 250 words about another given subject. Candidates are not given a choice of subjects that they can choose from, only one subject for each task. The first task should take approximately 20 minutes, leaving 40 minutes for the second, larger task. The subjects that candidates are required to write about are quite general. Candidates will not be asked to write about specialist topics such as industrial engineering or computer database design. Instead, candidates maybe given a graph or set of statistics and asked to describe the information it shows or provided with a topical issue and asked to discuss their opinions about it and give reasons for their opinions. This section will test each candidate’s grammar and vocabulary range of use and accuracy as well as their ability to write a flowing text which is relevant to the tasks.
The reading section consists of three pieces of text that candidates must read through then answer questions on. The subjects of the texts could be almost anything but will not usually involve very specialist vocabulary. The questions following each text are designed to test a candidates understanding of the information written in the text. In total there are forty questions. Note that only some questions may be multiple choice.
In the listening section candidates must listen to a recording of various short speeches and conversations, incorporating a variety of English accents, then answer questions about what they have just heard. The recording is only played once, it is not repeated. There are a total of forty questions spread over four sections. Note that only some questions may be multiple choice.
The speaking section is completed individually. Each candidate sits down in private with an examination officer and is expected to engage in conversation and answer any questions asked. This section can make some candidates a little nervous. Generally speaking, there is no need to feel nervous as the examination officers are well trained and experienced at conducting these oral exams and should be able to help test takers to relax if they see that they are suffering from any over anxiety. This section will test each candidate’s pronunciation and clarity of speech, smoothness and speed of response plus vocabulary and grammar range of use and accuracy.
If a student needs help booking an IELTS test, they should feel free to contact Blue Sky Study as we will be happy to assist in any way.
Candidates wishing to book their test on their own should first find out the location of their nearest, authorised IELTS test centre and also whether that centre has available places around the time they would like to take the test. Note that, due to the ever increasing popularity of IELTS, many test centres now have waiting lists and recommend candidates book their tests well in advance. Test centres can be found in most major cities around the world, often located at colleges and universities as well some British Council offices. For example, the two test centres in Shanghai, China are located at East China Normal University and Shanghai University of Finance & Economics.
Students wishing to find their nearest IELTS test centre should either contact their nearest British Council office or use the links at the end of this page to visit the British Council and/or IELTS website(s).
Candidates wishing to take the test in Mainland China must go to http://ielts.etest.net.cn/ to book on-line. This is the only available booking method for Mainland China.
Once at the above website, follow these next steps, in sequence;
Once the above steps have been completed and the payment has been confirmed by NEEA, candidates will soon receive confirmation of their test booking by e-mail. They should print this out as they will need to bring it to the test centre on the day of the test.
It is strongly advised that candidates make sure they choose a suitable test date, as although they might be permitted to change the test date after the initial booking, an additional fee will apply.
· How much does the test cost and how to make payment?
The fee for the IELTS test varies slightly from country to country. In 2007, in China the test fee stood at RMB 1450.
For Chinese candidates, after registering as a NEEA user on the IELTS test booking website, payment can be made one of three ways;
Full instructions are available on the NEEA IELTS website. On-line payments are usually instant, whereas wire transfers can take between one and four days. Candidates will be notified once NEEA has confirmation of receiving their payment.
For IELTS test candidates, there is a large choice of preparation courses available, including courses in the UK, China and many other countries as well as on-line preparation courses. These are often combined with taking the test at the end of the course. Courses will aim to improve student’s English reading, writing, listening and speaking skills as well as teach them relevant techniques for answering the IELTS test questions and tasks.
Whilst not essential, preparation courses are an effective way for students to prepare themselves for this important test. Now a days there are a range of different textbooks and exercise books dedicated to IELTS preparation. Most preparation courses will teach students from these books. These books are available at good book shops as well as on-line so some students may choose to purchase one or more of them and study themselves. However, students needing to attain a certain IELTS band score to secure a place at an overseas university or work placement, that feel their current English level is significantly below where it needs to be, should seriously consider joining an IELTS preparation course as they have consistently proven to increase a student’s standard of English, sometimes over quite short periods of time.
In the UK, IELTS preparation courses are run at most English language schools as well as many colleges and universities. Students are commonly taught in groups with other students of similar level. Course length depends on a student’s English level at commencement of the course and what level they are aiming to achieve when taking the actual test. Generally speaking, courses are mostly medium or long term, with an average of 2 – 6 months duration, although much shorter and/or longer courses are also available.
Similar preparation courses can be found in China and many other countries. Courses are offered on both full time and part time study basis. In China these courses are gaining in popularity. All of the big English language schools in China, excluding those run by the British Council, as well as many of the smaller and medium sized schools now offer IELTS preparation courses. This means that there is a lot of choice for Chinese students looking for this type of English language study course.
Blue Sky Study works closely with a number of English language schools in China as well as in the UK. So where ever students plan on taking an IELTS preparation course, Blue Sky Study can recommend quality courses at reputable schools which offer exceptional value for money.
In addition to taking an IELTS preparation course, there are a number of other things every candidate can do to prepare themselves as best as they can for the test.
Taking practise tests are an excellent way to prepare for the real test. There are a few practise tests available from the IELTS website (see links at the bottom of the page). Other practise tests can be found in various places.
Finding opportunities to practise English speaking and listening can also prove invaluable. Students should actively try to make friends with native English speakers and engage them in conversation. They can look for language exchange partners that want to learn Chinese, in exchange for teaching someone English or even join a local English language club that organises events where locals attend but everyone speaks to each other in English. Watching English language films and television programmes can also help a lot.
Students should try reading English language books, magazines, newspapers and/or websites. They can keep an English dictionary with them whilst reading to look up any words they are unsure about or unfamiliar with.
In the weeks prior to the test date, students should try to make sure they dedicate at least one or two hours every day to practising their English, using one or more of the techniques above. Basically speaking, the more a student studies and practises using English prior to the test date, the better that student will perform on the test.
Candidates take the same test, under the same examination conditions, rules and regulations which ever country they choose to take the test in.
Two days before the test date, candidates in China must visit the same NEEA IELTS website they used to make the on-line booking, log-in and go to the “My status” page where an IELTS candidate number will be shown. They must take note of this number.
All candidates should aim to arrive at the test centre 30 minutes before the start of the test to make sure they have time to check in and have their identity verified. Those who arrive late may not be allowed to take the test. Candidates must arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of their speaking test or risk not being admitted.
All candidates need to bring with them the passport or national ID card that they used to fill in the initial on-line application form.
Without this identification candidates will not be allowed to take the test. An alternative form of identification will not be accepted. Additionally, if a candidate is taking the test outside of his/her home country they must also bring their passport. If any of the information on the passport or national ID card does not exactly match the information provided in the application process, candidates might not be allowed to take the test.
Candidates in China, that applied for the test on-line, must also bring to the test centre their IELTS test confirmation letter (printed out e-mail) and one passport-sized, colour photograph, taken within the previous six months, with the candidates’ full name and IELTS candidate number written clearly on the back.
The only other things candidates need to bring with them to the test centre are pens, pencils and erasers. Correction fluid and dictionaries (paper or electric) are not permitted. All other possessions, including electrical devices such as mobile phones, PDAs and pagers must be turned off and left outside the examination room. Any candidates found to be in possession of such a device during the test will be disqualified.
At the start of and during the test candidates must listen carefully to any instructions from the examination officers and read all of the instructions on the test papers and follow them accordingly.
Candidates will be disqualified for any attempts at cheating or any infringements of the rules and regulations of the test. This includes reproducing any part of the test in any format / medium or removing anything from the examination room, including test papers, answer papers or working papers. In addition, candidates are not permitted to talk, disturb other candidates, eat, drink, smoke, borrow or lend anything from / to other candidates or leave the examination room without permission.
If a candidate needs any assistance, feels unwell or simply needs to use the toilet during the test they should stay in their seat and raise their hand to alert an examination officer. Note that no assistance will be given in explaining any of the questions, so candidates should not ask for any assistance of this kind.
After taking the test, candidates in China usually need to wait 10 working days until their test report forms are sent out. It is advised that candidates scan this document or have photocopies made because only one original will be issued.
The test report form shows all of the candidate’s personal details, as well as their photo and their band scores (explained further below).
Candidates can request their IELTS test centre sends their test results directly to up to five different organisations, simply by putting those organisation’s names and addresses on the original application form. This is convenient for the candidate and ensures that no time is lost between obtaining the results themselves and informing the relevant organisation(s). Alternatively or in addition, candidates may wish to wait until they know their test results, before requesting their results are sent out to the relevant organisation(s). This can be done by visiting the British Council (China) website, see link at bottom of page, or click one of the following links to go directly to the relevant page.
http://www.britishcouncil.org.cn/exams/chinese/applications_regist.jsp
http://www.britishcouncil.org.cn/exams/english/applications_regist.jsp
Candidates can also inform third parties themselves. In which case, they should send photocopies or fax their test report form to the relevant organisation(s) once they receive it. Note that all organisations worldwide, that have registered with IELTS as accepting IELTS test scores, have access to the IELTS test results on-line database, enabling them to check each candidate’s individual scores are genuine.
Before 2007, candidates wanting to re-take the IELTS test had to wait for at least 90 days from the date of their last test before being eligible to re-take the test again.
The old 90 day rule no longer applies.
Candidates who do not achieve the band score they were hoping for are permitted to re-take the test as soon as they like after they receive their results. Those wishing to re-take, simply apply to take the test again, following the same procedure as the first time round. There are no limitations on the number of times a candidate can take the test and previous test results will have no affect on later test results.
Note that most education institutions and professional organisations accept IELTS test results up to two years after candidates took the actual test. If test results are more than two years old, certain institutions and organisations may ask candidates to re-take the test, to ensure their level of English has not dropped significantly since originally taking the test.
IELTS band scores range from 1.0 to 9.0, with 9.0 being the highest. Half band scores, such as 4.5, 5.5, etc. are also used. Separate band scores are awarded for each of the four sections of the test; reading, writing, listening and speaking. An overall band score is also awarded, which is the average of these four scores.
The following table gives a GENERAL guide of what IELTS band scores are required for various levels of higher education study in the UK.
| Level of higher education study in the UK | Minimum required IELTS band score |
| Higher education diplomas / foundation degrees | 6.0 |
| International foundation (pre-undergraduate) 1 year course | 5.0 |
| Undergraduate | 6.0 |
| Pre-masters (pre-postgraduate foundation) 1 year course | 5.5 |
| Postgraduate | 6.5 |
| Higher study of medicine, veterinary science, etc. | 7.0 |
Be aware that this is only a GENERAL guide to required band scores. For example, some UK universities may accept overseas students with an IELTS band score of 5.5 for undergraduate courses and others may set their minimum requirement at 6.5. It is also common for colleges and universities to set different requirements for study of different subject areas.
It is important to note that many educational institutions do not only rely on the overall band score. Most colleges and universities will set a minimum overall band score requirement and a minimum requirement for one or more specific modules; often the writing module for admission onto academic courses. It is quite common for institutions to set a minimum band score requirement for all four modules of the test (i.e. minimum overall IELTS band score of 6.0 with a minimum of 6.0 in the writing module and not less than 5.5 for each of the other modules). Consequently, students who excel at verbal English but are not quite so adept at reading and writing must be especially careful when checking a course’s IELTS / English language requirements.
· How IELTS compares to other English language tests
IELTS does not have a direct comparison with other English language tests such as TOEFL as they are different tests, used for different purposes and using different testing methods.
However, most colleges and universities in English speaking countries now accept a variety of recognised English language tests as proof of ability when admitting overseas students. Many universities in the UK now also offer their own English language tests. Students should check with the institutions they are considering applying to, which English language qualifications they accept.
For guidance only, the following table shows APROXIMATE comparisons of IELTS with other commonly used English language tests.
| IELTS | Cambridge ESOL | TOEFL (Paper) |
TOEFL (Computer) |
TOEFL (Internet) |
TOIEC |
| 4.0 | KET | 450 | 133 | ||
| 5.0 | PET | 500 | 173 | 60 | 580 |
| 6.0 | FCE | 550 | 213 | 80 | 680 |
| 7.0 | CAE | 600 | 250 | 100 | 810 |
| 8.0 | CPE | 650 | 280 | 114 | 990 |
Note that TOEFL and TOEIC use American English, i.e. memorize, not memorise.
Blue Sky Study welcomes queries from students in China interested in IELTS. In addition to providing information about IELTS on this website, we can assist students wishing to book a test and advise students preparing to take a test, including finding them a suitable preparation course either in China or the UK. Contact us today and we will be happy to help anyway we can.
For further information about IELTS we have provided a few useful website links below.
In English;
In Chinese;
To book a test (on-line) in Mainland China http://ielts.etest.net.cn
For the latest news about IELTS and UK education:
For more information about studying English in the UK:
To search for an IELTS preparation course in the UK:
To search for an English language school in the UK:
