IELTS - WHAT IS IELTS?
IELTS
IELTS (International English Language Testing System), is an international standardised test of English language proficiency.
It tests the four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking. IELTS is a secure, valid and reliable test of real-life ability to communicate in English for education, immigration and professional accreditation. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Pty Ltd. In 2011, 1.5 million candidates took the IELTS test in over 135 countries.
Which organisations accept IELTS?
IELTS is accepted by more than 6000 organisations worldwide. These include universities, immigration departments, government agencies, professional bodies and multinational companies.
What is the test format and how long will it take?
IELTS has four parts – Listening (30 minutes), Reading (60 minutes), Writing (60 minutes) and Speaking (11–14 minutes). The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. The Listening, Reading and Writing tests are done in one sitting. The Speaking test may be on the same day or up to seven days before or after the other tests.
Band Scale
| 9 |
Expert User |
Has full operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding. |
| 8 |
Very Good User |
Has full operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well. |
| 7 |
Good User |
Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriateness and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning. |
| 6 |
Competent User |
Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations. |
| 5 |
Modest user |
Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field. |
| 4 |
Limited User |
Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in using complex language. |
| 3 |
Extremely Limited User |
Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. |
| 2 |
Intermittent User |
No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. |
| 1 |
Non User |
Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words. |
| 0 |
Did not attempt the test |
No assessable information provided at all. |
Academic candidates: First Languages
Overall Band score by %
| Academic |
below
4 |
4 |
4.5 |
5 |
5.5 |
6 |
6.5 |
7 |
7.5 |
8 |
8.5 |
9 |
Amharic |
1% |
4% |
11% |
20% |
25% |
19% |
11% |
5% |
2% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Arabic |
4% |
8% |
17% |
23% |
21% |
14% |
7% |
4% |
2% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Bengali |
2% |
4% |
9% |
15% |
19% |
18% |
14% |
9% |
6% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
Burmese |
0% |
1% |
4% |
11% |
18% |
21% |
18% |
15% |
7% |
3% |
0% |
0% |
Chinese |
1% |
4% |
9% |
17% |
22% |
21% |
14% |
8% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Dutch |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
1% |
3% |
9% |
16% |
27% |
30% |
14% |
0% |
English* |
0% |
0% |
1% |
2% |
5% |
8% |
12% |
15% |
19% |
21% |
14% |
2% |
Farsi |
0% |
1% |
4% |
11% |
21% |
26% |
20% |
10% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
French |
0% |
1% |
2% |
5% |
10% |
17% |
21% |
20% |
15% |
7% |
2% |
0% |
German |
0% |
0% |
0% |
1% |
2% |
8% |
16% |
22% |
25% |
19% |
7% |
0% |
Greek |
0% |
1% |
2% |
5% |
11% |
19% |
19% |
18% |
15% |
8% |
2% |
0% |
Gujurati |
1% |
3% |
7% |
16% |
24% |
21% |
14% |
8% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Hindi |
0% |
1% |
5% |
11% |
16% |
18% |
18% |
15% |
10% |
5% |
1% |
0% |
Indonesian |
0% |
1% |
3% |
9% |
18% |
25% |
22% |
13% |
6% |
2% |
0% |
0% |
Italian |
0% |
1% |
3% |
6% |
12% |
17% |
20% |
18% |
13% |
7% |
1% |
0% |
Japanese |
1% |
2% |
6% |
14% |
22% |
25% |
17% |
8% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Kannada |
0% |
0% |
1% |
2% |
8% |
16% |
23% |
23% |
17% |
9% |
2% |
0% |
Kazakh |
1% |
2% |
6% |
13% |
22% |
24% |
18% |
9% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Korean |
0% |
2% |
5% |
14% |
24% |
25% |
17% |
8% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Lithuanian |
0% |
0% |
0% |
3% |
9% |
20% |
26% |
22% |
14% |
5% |
0% |
0% |
Malay |
0% |
0% |
1% |
3% |
10% |
20% |
23% |
20% |
14% |
8% |
2% |
0% |
Malayalam |
0% |
0% |
2% |
5% |
13% |
22% |
25% |
19% |
10% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
Marathi |
0% |
0% |
1% |
5% |
12% |
19% |
20% |
18% |
15% |
8% |
2% |
0% |
Nepali |
0% |
1% |
4% |
12% |
21% |
24% |
19% |
11% |
5% |
2% |
0% |
0% |
Other |
0% |
1% |
3% |
7% |
13% |
18% |
20% |
17% |
12% |
7% |
2% |
0% |
Pashto |
2% |
4% |
10% |
18% |
20% |
17% |
15% |
7% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Polish |
0% |
0% |
1% |
2% |
6% |
15% |
21% |
21% |
19% |
12% |
3% |
0% |
Portuguese |
0% |
1% |
2% |
4% |
9% |
15% |
20% |
21% |
16% |
10% |
2% |
0% |
Punjabi |
1% |
4% |
12% |
22% |
25% |
18% |
10% |
5% |
2% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Romanian |
0% |
0% |
1% |
2% |
6% |
12% |
19% |
23% |
21% |
13% |
3% |
0% |
Russian |
0% |
1% |
2% |
6% |
12% |
21% |
22% |
18% |
11% |
6% |
1% |
0% |
Singhalese |
0% |
2% |
4% |
9% |
14% |
18% |
18% |
16% |
11% |
6% |
3% |
0% |
Spanish |
0% |
1% |
2% |
5% |
12% |
20% |
23% |
18% |
11% |
5% |
1% |
0% |
Tagalog |
0% |
0% |
1% |
2% |
6% |
16% |
25% |
25% |
16% |
7% |
1% |
0% |
Tamil |
1% |
1% |
3% |
8% |
14% |
18% |
20% |
16% |
11% |
6% |
2% |
0% |
Telugu |
0% |
1% |
2% |
9% |
20% |
26% |
19% |
13% |
7% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
Thai |
0% |
2% |
6% |
17% |
26% |
24% |
14% |
7% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Turkish |
1% |
2% |
5% |
12% |
21% |
25% |
18% |
9% |
5% |
2% |
0% |
0% |
Urdu |
1% |
2% |
7% |
14% |
18% |
19% |
16% |
11% |
7% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
Vietnamese |
1% |
2% |
6% |
13% |
23% |
25% |
17% |
9% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
* first language as self-chosen by candidates drawn from a wide range nationalities
General Training candidates: First Languages
Overall Band score by %
General Training |
below
4 |
4 |
4.5 |
5 |
5.5 |
6 |
6.5 |
7 |
7.5 |
8 |
8.5 |
9 |
Afrikaans |
0% |
0% |
1% |
1% |
4% |
7% |
13% |
18% |
21% |
20% |
14% |
2% |
Arabic |
6% |
11% |
16% |
14% |
14% |
15% |
11% |
7% |
4% |
2% |
0% |
0% |
Bengali |
1% |
2% |
5% |
13% |
24% |
23% |
15% |
9% |
5% |
2% |
1% |
0% |
Chinese |
1% |
2% |
4% |
8% |
16% |
24% |
21% |
14% |
7% |
2% |
0% |
0% |
Creole |
1% |
1% |
3% |
6% |
15% |
21% |
21% |
15% |
10% |
5% |
2% |
0% |
English* |
0% |
0% |
1% |
2% |
5% |
9% |
12% |
14% |
16% |
18% |
16% |
5% |
Farsi |
1% |
2% |
6% |
13% |
22% |
25% |
17% |
9% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
French |
1% |
2% |
4% |
8% |
12% |
13% |
15% |
17% |
13% |
9% |
4% |
0% |
German |
0% |
1% |
3% |
5% |
9% |
14% |
14% |
15% |
16% |
14% |
8% |
1% |
Gujurati |
1% |
1% |
4% |
12% |
23% |
27% |
17% |
9% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Hindi |
1% |
1% |
3% |
8% |
17% |
21% |
19% |
15% |
9% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
Hungarian |
1% |
3% |
5% |
12% |
15% |
18% |
15% |
13% |
9% |
4% |
2% |
0% |
Indonesian |
2% |
2% |
3% |
6% |
12% |
18% |
20% |
19% |
13% |
5% |
1% |
0% |
Italian |
1% |
2% |
5% |
10% |
16% |
18% |
17% |
14% |
10% |
5% |
1% |
0% |
Japanese |
2% |
4% |
8% |
14% |
20% |
19% |
15% |
11% |
5% |
2% |
1% |
0% |
Kannada |
0% |
1% |
2% |
3% |
10% |
19% |
21% |
20% |
14% |
8% |
2% |
0% |
Korean |
3% |
4% |
8% |
17% |
24% |
23% |
13% |
6% |
2% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Malay |
1% |
1% |
2% |
4% |
6% |
12% |
18% |
18% |
20% |
13% |
5% |
0% |
Malayalam |
0% |
1% |
2% |
6% |
15% |
24% |
23% |
15% |
8% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
Marathi |
0% |
0% |
2% |
5% |
10% |
17% |
22% |
20% |
14% |
7% |
3% |
0% |
Nepali |
0% |
1% |
3% |
10% |
23% |
29% |
19% |
10% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Other |
2% |
1% |
3% |
7% |
12% |
18% |
20% |
17% |
11% |
6% |
3% |
0% |
Pashto |
1% |
2% |
4% |
9% |
19% |
26% |
21% |
11% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Polish |
2% |
2% |
4% |
5% |
11% |
17% |
21% |
15% |
13% |
7% |
3% |
0% |
Portuguese |
2% |
1% |
3% |
5% |
11% |
18% |
20% |
17% |
13% |
8% |
3% |
0% |
Punjabi |
1% |
2% |
5% |
15% |
25% |
25% |
15% |
7% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Romanian |
2% |
2% |
4% |
9% |
12% |
17% |
19% |
17% |
10% |
6% |
2% |
0% |
Russian |
2% |
2% |
4% |
8% |
14% |
18% |
19% |
14% |
11% |
6% |
1% |
0% |
Sindhi |
1% |
1% |
2% |
7% |
15% |
25% |
22% |
15% |
9% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
Singhalese |
1% |
2% |
4% |
9% |
16% |
23% |
19% |
14% |
8% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
Spanish |
2% |
3% |
6% |
11% |
16% |
19% |
17% |
13% |
8% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
Tagalog |
1% |
2% |
5% |
9% |
14% |
20% |
20% |
15% |
8% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
Tamil |
2% |
2% |
5% |
8% |
14% |
19% |
19% |
15% |
9% |
5% |
2% |
0% |
Telugu |
0% |
0% |
2% |
6% |
15% |
28% |
24% |
15% |
7% |
2% |
1% |
0% |
Thai |
5% |
5% |
12% |
16% |
21% |
20% |
12% |
5% |
2% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Turkish |
3% |
3% |
7% |
13% |
19% |
22% |
15% |
9% |
5% |
3% |
1% |
0% |
Ukrainian |
5% |
4% |
7% |
10% |
13% |
16% |
17% |
12% |
11% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
Urdu |
1% |
1% |
3% |
8% |
16% |
22% |
21% |
14% |
9% |
4% |
1% |
0% |
Vietnamese |
3% |
4% |
8% |
13% |
19% |
21% |
16% |
10% |
5% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
Yoruba |
2% |
3% |
4% |
7% |
13% |
19% |
19% |
16% |
10% |
6% |
2% |
0% |
* first language as self-chosen by candidates drawn from a wide range nationalities
IELTS Sample Test
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