IELTS
ABOUT
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) measures the language proficiency of people who want to study or work where English is used as a language of communication. It uses a nine-band scale to clearly identify levels of proficiency, from non-user (band score 1) through to expert (band score 9).
ACCEPTANCE
IELTS is acceptable for people applying for higher education or professional registration in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the UK.
CONDUCTED BY
IELTS is co-owned by three bodies, the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge Assessment. The exams conducted by British Council and IDP are the most popular in India.
FORMAT
IELTS is available in two formats: Academic and General, but for people applying for higher education, they need to opt for Academic IELTS only. IELTS is divided into four sections - Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. While the Speaking section, can be completed up to a week before or after the other tests; the other three sections are completed on the same day. The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes
SCORING
IELTS is scored on a scale of 0-9 in each of the four sections, with an increment of 0.5. The composite score is the average of the four sectional scores, rounded off upwards to the nearest 0.5.
VALIDITY
IELTS scores are valid for a period of two years from the date of receipt.