Exam Name	International English Language Testing System
Acronym	IELTS
Conducting Body	IDP: Australia, Cambridge Assessment English, and British Council.
Accepted for	Work, Academic and Immigration Purposes
Mode	Computer-delivered and Paper delivered mode
Duration	2 hours and 45 Minutes
Official Website	www.ielts.org

The IELTS 2021 exam has two types which are the Academic Test and General Training test.

• Academic Exam: This test is for those people who want to pursue higher education at the undergraduate or postgraduate level. Candidates who want to work in an Organisation or Companies which are located in an English speaking country can also take this test.
• General Training Exam: General Training Exam is for those people who want to pursue secondary education or to work in an organization in an English speaking country. This test is also essential for migrational purposes for Australia, UK, Canada, and New Zealand.

Focus skills:IELTS 2021 exam focuses on testing the English Language Proficiency of candidates. Hence the exam focuses on four basic skills which are listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

Why is IELTS Important?

It is important for migration and education purposes in English speaking countries like Australia, UK, New Zealand, the USA, and Canada. It is only to assure the foreign Universities and visa granting authorities to be sure that you will not have issues while communicating during your stay in the country.

A good understanding and strong command of the English language is needed, hence a high score in overall IELTS is important.  So it is safer to appear for IELTS and aim to score at least 6 bands overall.

TYPE OF IELTS:

IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are the two types of IELTS exams. 

Listening and speaking levels are the same for both types, however, the subject matter depending on which test one takes the reading and writing section differs. The Reading, Writing, and Listening sections of the IELTS tests are completed on the same day of the test with no breaks between them and you can finish the speaking section one week before or after the other test dates.

IELTS Academic Test: IELTS Academic is taken by those who apply for higher education or professional registration abroad.

IELTS General Test: Candidates who wish to migrate to English speaking countries like Canada, UK, Australia, and the UK can appear for the general test. It is also for students who want to enroll in training programs or secondary education or want to gain work experience in a country where English is the main language used for communication.

IELTS 2021 Eligibility Criteria: Given below is the gist of the eligibility criteria set by the British Council and IDP for the IELTS 2021 Exam: The IELTS test is not recommended for those under 17 years of age but can be taken by anyone irrespective of age, gender, race, nationality or religion.

Educational Qualification

• Higher Secondary Education: According to the guidelines set by conducting authorities for both tests, it is clear that candidates should at least have completed Class 12 or an equivalent examination.
• Undergraduate or Higher Secondary Education: Candidates who have completed Class 12 or its equivalent can apply for undergraduate courses through IELTS Academic Test. If candidates are applying for postgraduate courses, then they must at least have their undergraduate degree. They are also required to apply for IELTS Academic.

What is the age limit to appear for the IELTS exam?

June 2015 onwards applicants between 14-64 who wish to move to Canada have to meet language requirements set by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

• Applying candidates should be at least 17 years of age. This age limit is for an undergraduate course. Age limits may vary for universities. So before applying to any University, candidates should check eligibility requirements set by the University.
• All applying candidates should have a valid passport.

NOTE: It is the responsibility of the candidate to understand the eligibility requirements of the University they are applying to and accordingly decide when and which IELTS Test they must take. IDP or the British Council will not be taking care of this aspect. Further, listed below are scenarios that would require you to take the IELTS 2021 Exam:

1. Planning to emigrate to Australia/ Canada/ New Zealand.
2. Planning to work in Australia/ UK/ USA.
3. Planning to study in Australia/ Canada/ New Zealand/ UK/ USA.

How many attempts can be given for IELTS?

You can give the IELTS test as many times you want until you get your desired score for either studying abroad or immigrating in a country, however, there will be a fee incurred for every attempt.

What is the educational eligibility to give the IELTS exam?

There are no minimum age criteria for IELTS set by conducting bodies of IELTS. Anyone who wants to pursue higher education in any English-speaking country or wants to work and make a living there should give the IELTS exam. However, it is advisable to check with the university you are applying for or the company you are planning to work with for the age criteria.

How Does IELTS Work?

It has been made to evaluate the English Language skill of an individual. It is assessed on your communication skills, like Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening skills. 

There are different parts of the IELTS test and different parts of the test too. Below are a few :

• IELTS for Study: If an individual is a student and wants to pursue higher education in a foreign land, especially in an English Speaking country then giving an IELTS test is mandatory and it is accepted by more than 10,000 Universities around the world.
• IELTS for Work: An individual who wants to work abroad then clearing the IELTS exam is an added score for you to get through that particular job one has applied for as many professional organizations across the world accept  IELTS to select the right candidate.
• IELTS for immigration: Every country has its own set of rules and regulations for the IELTS test. Like, Canada requires one to give a General IELTS test if they are looking for permanent residency, work visa, or professional purposes. And, in Australia, it is required for Permanent residency and various categories.

Who conducts IELTS?

IELTS is jointly owned by BRITISH COUNCIL and IDP IELTS AUSTRALIA (International Development Program) CAMBRIDGE ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Language)

As per the rules, there isn't any difference between taking a test from British Council or IDP. So you can take the exam conducted by any agency as per your choice.

IELTS Registration: 

The most important part to remember while you go for the registration is to carry your passport as they will require your passport number as well as the original copy of your passport for verification.

• First, you need to visit the official British Council registration page.
• Create an account with the British Council.
• Find your nearest test center.
• Register for the IELTS test and pay online.

 

Candidates below 18 years old need their parents or guardian to book their test for them. You will receive a written confirmation about the date and time of your IELTS TEST  from your test center once the registration is complete.

IELTS Exam Fees: The registration fee for IELTS is Rs. 14,000 per attempt.

What is IELTS Cancellation Fees?

If you cancel your IELTS application more than five weeks before the test date, you will receive the refund minus a 25% administrative fee.

• If you cancel the IELTS exam less than five weeks ahead of the test date, you will receive no refund.
• In case you fail to appear for the test, then also you will not receive any refund. This is also considered a cancelation.

If one can produce a medical certificate within 5 days of the test date can receive the refund after deducting the local administrative cost.

What is IELTS Rescheduling Fees?

At least 5 weeks before you can request a test date transfer if you want to change your test date which will incur a cancellation or postponement fee. You can reappear for a new test date within 3 months of the original test date. Candidates need to pay an administrative charge of INR 3,300 inclusive of all taxes for transfer of test date.

IELTS Scholarships

There are various IELTS Scholarships available. It is available on the official website of any University or college along with many other fellowships and grants for deserving students regularly.

IELTS Important Dates

The IELTS test is available multiple times a year. As per your University admission timeline, you can select a date 3 to 4 months in prior, to avoid any last moment fallacy. The IELTS Test is available all around the globe.

IELTS Exam Pattern and Syllabus

IELTS Syllabus includes four sections,  Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. It is advisable for candidates who want to score well in their tests to understand and evaluate the pattern of the IELTS test before appearing for the same. You get marked on these sections to get a total score. The given time for this test is 2 hours and 45 minutes.

How to get your IELTS Exam Result?

The good thing about this test is that the results are mainly declared in a fortnight. If you have given a computer-based exam then your results will be out within a week. 

There are two modes of exam:-

• Offline Mode:-  It will take around 13 calendar days from the day of your exam for paper-based test results to be declared.
• Online Mode:-  One can simply log in with your ID, password, passport number, and test date information to view your result which will be intimated to you from your Test Centre about the same. From the time of declaration of result, your results will be available online for the next 28 days.

IELTS Band Scale