What is IELTS?

IELTS in its full form stands for the International English Language Testing System – an English Language proficiency test developed and run by the British Council in partnership with IDP Education and Cambridge Assessment English.

IELTS is an English language test for study, migration or work. Over three million people take our test every year. IELTS is accepted by more than 11,000 employers, universities, schools and immigration bodies around the world.

The IELTS system is highly regarded and widely recognized as the world’s most popular English language proficiency test for higher education and global migration. IELTS can pave the way if you want to study, develop your career, or settle in an English-speaking country. 

How does IELTS work?

IELTS was developed by some of the world’s leading language assessment experts to test the full range of skills needed to study or work successfully in an English speaking country. You’ll be assessed on:

  • Listening – to see how well you understand ideas, recognise opinions, and follow the development of an argument
  • Reading – to see how well you read for general sense, main ideas, and details, and whether you understand the author’s inferences and opinions
  • Writing – to see how well and how accurately you write a response, organise your ideas, and use wide-ranging vocabulary and grammar
  • Speaking – to see how well you can communicate opinions and information on everyday topics and common experiences, and express and justify your opinions
  1. IELTS Test type
  2. Ways to take IELTS