IELTS Takes You Places - British Council

IELTS takesyou placestakeielts.org1

What isIELTS?IELTS is an English test that assessesyour listening, reading, writing andspeaking skills.IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council,IDP: IELTS Australia and CambridgeAssessment English.It helps you develop the kind of English you willneed in everyday life whether you are at college,at work or talking to friends.There are two test types:IELTS Academic is for higher educationor professional training.IELTS General Training is for secondaryeducation, migration, work or training.The test is made up of:If you are thinking ofstudying, working or living inan English-speaking country,IELTS is the test for you –it is the world’s most popularEnglish language testfor higher education andglobal migration.ListeningAcademicReadingGeneral TrainingReadingAcademicWritingGeneral TrainingWritingSpeaking1

Who acceptsIELTS?Over 10,000 organisations globally acceptIELTS. As the most popular test for highereducation and working abroad, it gives youa huge number of options. 10,000organisations globallyaccept IELTSSee the full listFor a full list of universities andorganisations that will accept yourIELTS score, visit takeielts.orgUnited KingdomIELTS is accepted by UKVisas and Immigration.AustraliaOver 1,000 organisationsin Australia accept IELTS,including the Departmentof Immigration andBorder Protection.United StatesOver 3,400 institutions inthe USA accept IELTS.CanadaIELTS is accepted byImmigration, Refugee andCitizenship Canada (IRCC)and by over 350 institutions.New ZealandImmigration New Zealandaccepts IELTS along withseveral other organisations.Globally recognisedIELTS is recognised in Germany,Malaysia, Netherlands and manyother countries around the globe.“ The worldwideavailability ofIELTS makes it anattractive option.”London School of Economics, UK23

“ The people and theofficials of the BritishCouncil were veryfriendly and supportivethroughout the sessionand they made sure thatno candidate faces anyproblem during the test.”Salman Rafique, GlasgowWho are we?The British Council is the UK’s internationalorganisation for cultural relations andeducational opportunities.We build connections, understanding and trustbetween people in the UK and other countries througharts and culture, education and the English language.We help young people to gain the skills, confidenceand connections they are looking for to realise theirpotential and to participate in strong and inclusivecommunities. We support them to learn English, to geta high-quality education and to gain internationallyrecognised qualifications. Our work in arts and culturestimulates creative expression and exchange andnurtures creative enterprise.Top five reasons for taking IELTS with the British Council:1Road to IELTSRegister to take IELTS with theBritish Council and get free accessto our online preparation course.2Preparation materialsAccess free practice tests andpreparation materials online attakeielts.org/prepare or order a copyof the IELTS Practice book – a printedbook containing sample tests for IELTSAcademic and General Training.3Dates and locationsChoose from more than 800 testcentres globally, so the date andlocation are convenient for you.454Test Report FormGet five Test Report Formsfree of charge to send to theinstitutions you are applying to.Booking your test is easyBook online by going to takeielts.orgor by visiting a British Council testcentre. Our friendly staff will helpyou every step of the way.5

Applying to study,work or live in the UK?If you are planning to study, work or livein the UK, you may need to take a specifickind of IELTS test to prove your Englishlanguage ability.For visa applications, the UK Home Office hasan approved list of Secure English LanguageTests – this includes IELTS, IELTS for UKVI andIELTS Life Skills.To find out whether you need to take anapproved test, what level you need to achieveand which test you must use, you can use thechart below and also go to the UK Visas andImmigration site at gov.uk/check-uk-visaApplying for Student Route Visa (Tier 4)?If you are applying to a university that is a Tier 4Sponsor to study for a bachelor or postgraduatedegree, you must meet the English languagelevel set by that institution. Almost all Britishuniversities and colleges accept IELTS results.To see the list of universities that Student RouteVisa (Tier 4) applicants can apply to, visitgov.uk/student-visaWhich IELTS test do you need to study in the UK?LifeVisa application(only when required)UKStudyDirect entry toan Undergraduate ofPostgraduate courseat HEI/Tier 4 Sponsor(Student Route Visa)orNon-UKWorkNon-highereducation institutionor Pre-sessional orfoundation course(below degree level)Non-UKProfessionalregistrationUKFor a family of asettled person’s visa,for indefinite leave toremain or SLifeSkills7

About IELTS forUKVI and IELTSLife SkillsIELTS for UKVIIELTS for UKVI is a government-approved Englishlanguage test that can be used in support of a UKVisa and Immigration application.As with IELTS, there are two types ofIELTS for UKVI – UKVI Academic and UKVIGeneral Training.IELTS Life SkillsIELTS Life Skills is used for specific types ofapplications – a ‘family of a settled person’visa, an ‘indefinite leave to remain’ visa andfor citizenship.It is a test of Speaking and Listening availableat CEFR Levels A1, A2 and B1.The purpose of each testIELTS Life Skills A1For those applying to UK Visas and Immigrationfor a ‘family of a settled person’ visa.IELTS Life Skills A2For those applying to UK Visas and Immigration foran extension to a family, spouse or partner visa.IELTS Life Skills B1For those applying to UK Visas and Immigrationfor indefinite leave to remain or citizenship.For more information visit stest/ukvi/life-skillsAnswering yourquestions about IELTSand your UK Visas andImmigration applicationQ Where and when can I take my test for myA Tests are available throughout the world,in locations specified by UK Visas andImmigration (UKVI). See the list of dates andlocations at takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/book or ielts.org/testcentres You must confirm at the time of registrationthat you wish to use your test result for a UKvisa application. You must sit the test in an‘IELTS for UKVI’ test session, as UKVI willnot accept results from all IELTS tests offeredat these locations.Q How often are the IELTS for UKVI andIELTS Life Skills tests available?A Test dates will be available within 28 daysat permanent locations and quarterly atpop-up locations.Q How is my IELTS test different if I amtaking it for UK visa purposes?applicants. You must ensure you register foran ‘IELTS for UKVI’ test date at the locationslisted at takeielts.britishcouncil.org/takeielts/book or ielts.org/testcentres8purposes, can I use my result in othercountries/for other purposes?UK Visas and Immigration application?A Separate sessions will be held for UKVI“ IELTS for UKVIgot me back toreally focussingon the essentialskills – Listening,Reading, Writingand Speaking.”Q If I take an IELTS test for UK visaA Yes, IELTS test results are accepted bymore than 10,000 organisations worldwide,including colleges, universities, governmentsand employers.Q When will I get my results?A est results for computer-deliveredTIELTS are available within 3-5 daysof your test. Test results for paper-based IELTS areavailable within 13 days of your test. Test results for IELTS for UKVI areavailable within 13 days of your test. Test results for IELTS Life Skills areavailable within 7 days of your test.Q How often can I retake my test?A For IELTS and IELTS for UKVI, there areno restrictions on re-taking your test. For IELTS Life Skills, if you pass the test youcannot retake it at the same level for a periodof two years. If you do not pass it, there are norestrictions on retaking the test. The IELTS test for UK visa purposes isdesigned to meet certain administrativerequirements that are specific to UK Visasand Immigration. Test Report Forms will beslightly different, to show that test takers havetaken the test at an IELTS UK visa session. There are no differences in the test format orquestions. The actual test taken is the same– same content, examiners, format, level ofdifficulty, scoring and so on.9

Ready to bookyour IELTS test?Q What is the format of the IELTSLife Skills test?A You take the test with another test taker andone Examiner. Your own performance onboth Speaking and Listening will be assessedduring this one session.Q Why does IELTS Life Skills only coverSpeaking and Listening?A The new test has been designed to meetspecific immigration requirements whereapplicants only need to demonstrateSpeaking and Listening skills.Q How long does the IELTS Life Skillstest take?A IELTS Life Skills A1 takes 16-18 minutes,A2 20 minutes and B1 22 minutes.Q How is IELTS Life Skills assessed?A A certified IELTS Examiner will assess yourperformance throughout the Speaking andListening test based on the following criteria: Obtaining information Conveying information Speaking to communicate Engaging in discussionThe performance of the other test takerpaired with you in the IELTS Life Skillstest does not affect the assessment ofyour own performance.BookonlineBook inpersonGo to takeielts.org tofind your nearest testcentre and choose aconvenient date.At your nearesttest centre. Go totakeielts.org tofind your nearesttest centre.Q How many copies of the Test ReportForm will I get?A You will receive one copy of the IELTSLife Skills Test Report Form.Q Is there any break between the Speakingand Listening sections?A No, you will be assessed on your Speakingand Listening skills at the same time.Remember there are two IELTS tests –IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training– so make sure you check which one is rightfor you before booking.Checking which test is right for youIf you are applying to an organisation or institution,go to their website or search for them in the‘Organisations that recognise IELTS’ sectionof takeielts.org to check their requirements.If you are emigrating to another country, contactits immigration authority to find out which IELTStest and score you need.1011