IELTS™ Testing

Qualify for University Admission

What is this test?

The International English Language Testing System™ (IELTS™) is recognized by more than 6000 institutions in over 135 countries. Thousands of universities accept the IELTS™ as proof of English proficiency as an admissions requirement. IELTS™ tests all four language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The speaking test is a face-to-face interview with a certified examiner.

Who should take it?

Students intending to pursue their Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree

International students who wish to pursue undergraduate study at an American college or university that requires IELTS™ test scores should take this exam. Note that the student must attain a certain minimum score on the exam in order to gain acceptance to the college or university. Students should check with the institution to find out what minimum score it requires on the IELTS™.

Students intending to pursue their Master’s degree or Doctorate

International students who wish to pursue graduate study at an American college or university that requires IELTS™ test scores can take this exam. Most graduate schools require a minimum score on the IELTS™ as well as the Graduate Record Examination® (GRE®) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test® (GMAT®). Students who wish to take an ELS test prep program for either the GRE® or the GMAT® must be at Level 110 or higher, or meet other requirements. To learn more about minimum scores for either test prep program, click the links for each test.

Business Students

Students entering the Business English Program must attain a minimum score on the TOEFL® iBT, TOEIC®, or IELTS™ exams, or achieve an advanced level on the ELS Pre-Arrival Test.

Locations

ELS locations: Atlanta, Boston-Newton, Boston-Cambridge, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Grand Rapids, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, La Verne, Las Vegas, Melbourne, Nashville, New Haven, New York-Manhattan, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco-Downtown, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Seattle, St. Louis, St. Paul, St. Petersburg, Teaneck.

More Information

For more information on the IELTS™, visit IELTS.org.

General InformationHow To Register

IELTS General Information

IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is designed to measure the language ability of candidates who want to work or study where English is the language of communication. IELTS is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP:IELTS Australia. IELTS conforms to the highest international standards of language assessment. It covers the four language skills – listening, reading, writing, and speaking. IELTS is recognized by universities and employers in many countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. It is also recognized by professional organizations, immigration authorities and other government agencies.

Atlanta, GA (Marietta, GA)

Boston, MA Cambridge, MA

Charlotte, NC Chicago, IL

Cincinnati, OH

Cleveland, OH

Columbus, OH

Grand Rapids, MI

Honolulu, HI

Houston, TX

Indianapolis, IN

La Verne, CA Las Vegas, NV

Manhattan, NY Melbourne, FL

Nashville, TN

New Haven, CT

Oklahoma City, OK

Orlando, FL

Pittsburgh, PA

Portland, OR

San Antonio, TX

San Diego, CA

San Francisco, CA

Santa Barbara, CA

Santa Monica, CA

Seattle, WA

St. Louis, MO

St. Paul, MN

St. Petersburg, FL

Tampa, FL

Teaneck, NJ

Application Deadline and Fees

Please refer to links to the test Centers to find out available test dates. Many Centers fill up early so send your application form as soon as you can. The complete IELTS Application form including photos, copy of identity page of your passport, and payment of fees (US$185) must be received at the test center no later than 1 week before the test date. Please note that registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and does not guarantee a first choice of test date If no seats are available for the first and second dates you have chosen, you will automatically be registered for the next test date. Payment of the US$185 Application Fee must be in the form of a money order, cashiers check (payable to ELS Educational Services, Inc.), credit/debit card authorization or cash. No personal checks are accepted.

Confirmation of Registration

We will confirm your test registration by e-mail using the e-mail address you provide on the IELTS Application form. Please check your e-mail regularly. If no e-mail is provided, confirmation will be made by fax or mail. The confirmation will include information about registration time, test location, and test module booked.

Test Prep Materials and Classes

Official IELTS Practice Materials:

The Official IELTS Practice Materials are recommended for anyone who wants to improve their IELTS band score or test if their English is at the required level to take IELTS.

There are now two volumes of Official IELTS Practice Materials: Volume 1 (Updated in March 2009) and Volume 2 (July 2010). Each Volume contains completely different practice materials. They will help you familiarise yourself with each of the tests. You can learn about how each of the tests is assessed and pick up some valuable tips.

The book contains:

  • practice tests for Listening, Speaking, Academic Reading and Writing, General Training Reading and Writing
  • Listening, Reading and Writing answer sheets
  • Listening and Reading practice test answer keys and Listening tapescripts
  • sample candidate Writing responses and examiner comments
  • sample candidate Speaking tests and examiner comments

The CD (Volume 1) or DVD (Volume 2) contains:

  • Listening test for you to practise
  • three examples of students taking the Speaking test

The main difference between the DVD and CD, is that there is film footage of the students taking the Speaking test on the DVD.

The fee for the IELTS Practice Books is $35.00 each, including shipping. Send your order and payment directly to your ELS test center.

Top Tips for IELTS Academic and Top Tips for IELTS General Training:

Top Tips for IELTS Academic and Top Tips for IELTS General Training are published by Cambridge ESOL in collaboration with the British Council. Top Tips for IELTS provides you with:

  • essential advice (‘tips’) for all four skill areas of the test – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
  • clear examples and explanations
  • general tips for each skill to help with revision
  • sections on how to revise
  • what to do on the day of the test

The Top Tips for IELTS series is written by the experts who set the IELTS test. It's a 'must-have' guide for your revision. Both Top Tips for IELTS Academic and Top Tips for IELTS General Training include a book and an interactive CD-ROM.

The book contains:

  • clear examples and explanations to show you exactly what each tip means
  • general tips for each test to help you as you revise
  • sections on how to revise, and what to do on the day of the test

The interactive CD-ROM offers:

  • a complete real IELTS practice test for you to try
  • answer keys for Listening and Reading tests
  • sample answers for the Writing test to compare with your own answers
  • a Listening test so that you know what to expect when you take the exam
  • a video of a candidate taking the IELTS Speaking test, so you have a clear idea of what you have to do when you take the test

The fee for the Top Tips is $35.00 each, including shipping. Send your order and payment directly to your ELS test center.

A DVD, IELTS Scores Explained, is now available. This DVD provides information on what the IELTS band scores actually mean. The cost of the DVD is $45.00, including shipping. Send your order and payment directly to your ELS test center.

To order the IELTS Official Practice Materials, please send your payment by money order or credit card authorization form to your test Center or call and supply a credit/debit card number. Please include the Practice Material item name, your mailing address and telephone number with your payment. The Center will then mail the materials to you. Other IELTS Test Prep materials can be purchased online. Most IELTS Test Centers offer special Preparation courses ranging from a 4-hour workshop to hourly tutorial sessions to more intensive study. Please contact your local test center for more information regarding test prep classes that will fit your needs.

Test Day Information
Passports are required on test day. Be sure it is valid and it is the one you used when you applied for the test. You should also bring another form of ID with your picture on it. Your passport is the only official proof of identity that is accepted in the United States. Driver's licenses, student IDs and other picture IDs are used as secondary proof of identification only. You will only be allowed to bring water in a transparent bottle and your passport and reading glasses if required into the test room. No bags, cases, glasses cases, books, papers, cell phones, MP3 players, any other electronic item, pens, pencils, will be allowed in the testing room and will need to be put into secured storage during the test so it is best not to bring them with you at all. Pencils will be provided for you. Please dress comfortably. Once the morning exams have begun, you will not be allowed to leave the testing rooms unattended. There are no breaks included in the testing times outlined below:

  • 8:00 am – 8:15 am Report to the test location
  • 8:15 am – 8:50 am Registration
  • 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Listening, Reading and Writing Modules

Speaking Exams are 15 – 20 minutes long, are scheduled in the same order that the applications were received, and are held during the afternoon of the test day. Some Centers will schedule Speaking exams on the afternoon just before the test day. Information about this will be included in your confirmation e-mail if this option is provided at your test center. Please list your availability for scheduling the Speaking Tests if it cannot administered on the test Saturday.

Late Arrivals
Candidates who arrive late at the test Center after the testing session has begun will not be allowed to take the test that day and will need to reapply for another test date and pay another test fee.

Cancellations, Transfer of Test Date, Refunds
Requests for Cancellations or change of test date must be made in writing and received at the Test Center 5 weeks before the scheduled test date. Cancellations made before the 5 week cut-off date will receive a partial refund of test fee (a $45 administration fee is retained for processing.) Cancellations or request for a different date made after the 5 week cut-off date are normally not be eligible for refunds.

Candidates seeking cancellation or transfer within the five-week period prior to the test date can receive a refund or transfer without charge if they can provide evidence that their ability to take the test has been affected by serious illness or cause. A Test Day Refund/Transfer form must be completed and returned not more than five working days after the test date, with full supporting documentation, before refunds or transfers can be considered.

IELTS Test Results
The Test Report Form (TRF) will be mailed to the candidate and the receiving organizations they have nominated on their application form 13 calendar days after the test date. Test Report Forms are valid for two years.

NOTE: TEST CENTERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE TEST RESULTS OVER THE PHONE, FAX OR E-MAIL TO EITHER THE CANDIDATES OR THE RECEIVING INSTITUTIONS.

Each candidate will automatically receive only one Test Report Form. A candidate may request up to five (5) additional Test Report Forms within one month of taking the IELTS Exam. More than five TRFs are available for a charge of $30.00 per TRF. These are mailed directly by the IELTS Test center to the receiving institution(s) of your choice.

To request additional TRFs one month or more after taking the test, please send a written request to the test center. You must include your candidate number, test center and test date. The fee for these later additional TRFs is $30.00 each. Mailing is by regular postal mail and no tracking information is available.

Preview your IELTS Test Results

To preview your IELTS test result click the above Button and complete all fields.

The preview of your IELTS result is usually available online 13 days after your test date, and will remain available for 28 days thereafter. Your official Test Report Form will be mailed to you 13 days after the test. Please note the preview of your IELTS result cannot be used as official confirmation of your test result.

Disclaimer: The online preview of your test result may not be used as an official score report. IELTS International, the test center and the IELTS Partners give no guarantee as to the accuracy of the preview result, and will not accept any responsibility for an inaccurate score. IELTS International, the test center and the IELTS Partners will not accept any responsibility in the event that your result fails to display, whether due to technical fault or administrative procedures.

Additional TRFs: Special Arrangements
Candidates wishing to make request(s) for additional Test Report Form(s) to be sent to Receiving Organization(s) from tests held at the following centers:

US071 San Diego, CA, on or prior to August 22, 2009
US298 Ruston, LA on or prior to July 11, 2009

within the two-year period for which the results remain valid, need to apply directly to Cambridge ESOL. Please fully complete this form, which can then be automatically emailed.

For identification your emailed application must be accompanied by a scan of your passport which clearly shows your photograph. Applications that are not accompanied by a scanned copy of a passport will be rejected.

Your application will take up to 10 working days to process once all of the required information has been received, and does not include delivery time which varies according to distance and country. All TRFs to be sent outside the UK will be sent at no charge by courier (DHL or FEDEX), and within the UK by Royal Mail Special Delivery.

Cambridge ESOL is unable to provide replacement copies of TRFs to candidates, nor will TRFs be sent to individuals, residential addresses or agents.

Enquiry on Results
Candidates who are not satisfied with their results may request to apply for a rescoring of the test (called Enquiry on Results) at the center where they took the test. This application must be made within six weeks of the test date. The candidate can choose which modules to be re-marked (one, two, three or all of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking). There is a fee for this service of $185.00 (including shipping). If the score on any module that is re-marked is increased, there is a full refund. If there is no change in test scores, no refund is received.