IELTS, or 'International English Language Testing System', is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed byUniversity of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Pty Ltd, and was established in 1989.

There are two versions of the IELTS: the Academic Version and the General Training Version:

• The Academic Version is intended for those who want to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education and for professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practice in an English-speaking country.
• The General Training Version is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.

It is generally acknowledged that the reading and writing tests for the Academic Version are more difficult than those for the General Training Version, due to the differences in the level of intellectual and academic rigour between the two versions.

IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand and South African academic institutions, over 2,000 academic institutions in the United States, and various professional organisations. It is also a requirement for immigration to Australia and Canada.

An IELTS result or Test Report Form (TRF - see below) is valid for two years.

In 2007, IELTS tested over a million candidates in a single 12-month period for the first time ever, making it the world's most popular English language test for higher education and immigration.

In 2009, 1.4 million candidates took the IELTS test in over 130 countries.

IELTS characteristics

The IELTS incorporates the following features:

• A variety of accents and writing styles presented in text materials in order to minimise linguistic bias.
• IELTS tests the ability to listen, read, write and speak in English.
• Band scores used for each language sub-skill (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). The Band Scale ranges from 0 ("Did not attempt the test") to 9 ("Expert User").
• The speaking module - a key component of IELTS. This is conducted in the form of a one-to-one interview with an examiner. The examiner assesses the candidate as he or she is speaking, but the speaking session is also recorded for monitoring as well as re-marking in case of an appeal against the banding given.
• IELTS is developed with input from item writers from around the world. Teams are located in the USA, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other English speaking nations.

IELTS test structure

All candidates must complete four Modules - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking - to obtain a band score, which is shown on the IELTS Test Report Form (TRF). All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules, while the Reading and Writing Modules differ depending on whether the candidate is taking the Academic or General Training Versions of the Test.

The total test duration is around 2 hours and 45 minutes for Listening, Reading and Writing modules.

• Listening: 40 minutes, 30 minutes for which a recording is played centrally and additional 10 minutes for transferring answers onto the OMR answer sheet.
• Reading: 60 minutes.
• Writing: 60 minutes.

(NB: No additional time is given for transfer of answers in Reading and Writing modules)

The first three modules - Listening, Reading and Writing (always in that order) - are completed in one day, and in fact are taken with no break in between. The Speaking Module may be taken, at the discretion of the test centre, in the period seven days before or after the other Modules.

The tests are designed to cover the full range of ability from non-user to expert user.

Band scale

IELTS is scored on a nine-band scale, with each band corresponding to a specified competence in English. Overall Band Scores are reported to the nearest half band.

The following rounding convention applies: if the average across the four skills ends in .25, it is rounded up to the next half band, and if it ends in .75, it is rounded up to the next whole band.

The nine bands are described as follows:

9 Expert User

Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.

8 Very Good User

Has fully 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, inappropriacies 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.

Conversion table

This table can be used for the Listening & Reading tests to convert raw scores to band scores. This chart is a guide only, because sometimes the scores adjust slightly depending on how difficult the exam is.

Locations and test dates

The test is taken every year in 500 locations across 121 countries, and is one of the fastest growing English language tests in the world. The number of candidates has grown from about 80,000 in 1999 to over 1,200,000 in 2009.

The top three locations in which candidates took the test in 2007 were:

• Academic Category
  1. China
  2. India
  3. Pakistan

There are up to 48 test dates available per year. Each test centre offers tests up to four times a month depending on local demand. There used to be a minimum time limit of 90 days before which a person was not allowed to retake the test. However this restriction got canceled and currently there is no limit for applicants to retake the test.

Global test scores

Countries with highest averages

In 2007, the countries with the highest average scores for the Academic Strand of the IELTS test were:

1. United Kingdom
2. United States
3. Germany
4. Russia
5. Spain

Results by first language of candidate

The top 5 language-speaking (or nationality) groups that achieved the best results in 2007 for the Academic Strand of the IELTS test were:

1. Filipino
2. Spanish
3. Hindi
4. Tamil
5. Malayalam
6. Telugu

IELTS level required by academic institutions for admission

Just over half (51%) of candidates take the test to enter higher education in a foreign country. The IELTS minimum scores required by academic institutions vary. As a general rule, institutions from English-speaking countries require a higher IELTS band.

United States

The highest IELTS Band required by a university is 8.5, by the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University; the only US institution to require this band.

While Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law is listed as requiring an 8.5 on the IELTS website, the school lists an 8.0.

At Saint Louis University, the minimum score is 6.

United Kingdom

The highest IELTS Band required is 8[2], by the Master of Science degree in Marketing at the University of Warwick .

Most IELTS requirements by universities fall between 5.5 and 7.0. For example:

Germany

Stuttgart University requires an IELTS minimum of 6.0. Most German universities require an IELTS minimum of 6.0 for their master's students.

Italy

Polytechnic University of Turin requires an IELTS minimum of 5.0. Most Italian universities require an IELTS minimum of 7.0 for their master's students.

Hong Kong

The Law Society of Hong Kong requires applicants to achieve a minimum score of 7.0 for entry into the Postgraduate Certificate in Lawscourse, taught at University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong and City University of Hong Kong. Chinese University of Hong Kong requires an overall band score of 7.0 for entry via Early Admission Scheme into 2 of it's business subjects, "Global Business Studies" and "International Business and Chinese Enterprise".

IELTS use for immigration purposes

A number of Commonwealth countries use IELTS scores as a proof of prospective immigrants' competence in English.

Australia

Australia's immigration authorities have used IELTS to assess English proficiency of prospective migrants since May of 1998, when this test replaced the access: test that had been previously used.

Presently, to demonstrate the "proficient" level of English, applicants for Australia's Independent Migrant visa (permanent residence) must either score at least 7 on each of the modules of IELTS, or score at least "B" on Australia's Occupational English Test.

One can receive a "partial credit" (fewer points on the point test that determines one's eligibility for the migrant's visa) for having merely a "competent" level of English, which requires scoring at least 6 on each of the modules of IELTS. Prospective migrants who are citizens of the majority-English-speaking countries (United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, or Republic of Ireland) may choose to automatically receive the credit for the "competent" level of English merely by virtue of their citizenship, without taking tests; however, if they desire to show the "proficient" level (e.g. in order to obtain a sufficiently high overall score on the migration point test) they still must take the IELTS or OET.

New Zealand

New Zealand has used the IELTS test since 1995. Initially, level 5 scores in each of the four modules were required of the prospective applicants; those who could not achieve required scores could pay a NZ$20,000 fee instead, which would be fully or partially refunded later if the migrant were able to successfully take the test within a certain period (3 to 12 months) after his or her arrival to the country. A few years later, the policy was changed: the fee was reduced, and, instead of being potentially refundable, it became treated as a "pre-purchase" of post-arrival ESL tuition.

Presently, applicants desiring to achieve permanent residence in New Zealand via the "Entrepreneur Category" migration program must prove a "reasonable" level of competence in English. Unless the applicant has studied and/or work for a sufficiently long period in New Zealand or other English-speaking countries, this normally should be demonstrated by achieving the overall band of 6.5 on the IELTS.

Canada

Citizenship and Immigration Canada uses the results of IELTS and/or TEF as a conclusive evidence of one's ability to communicate in English and/or French. For the purposes of the skill-based immigration points test, one receives separate points based on his or her performance on each of the four modules (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) or IELTS; the score of 6.5 on a particular IELTS module is sufficient to earn the maximum points for this particular capacity, except for the listening module, which requires the score of 7.5 to earn the maximum points.

The CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) test scores are mentioned by the Canadian immigration application forms as an alternative to IELTS.

United Kingdom

Under the UK's "Points Based System Tier 1" (General Migrant) programme, applicants can receive 10 points for their English language qualification if it is deemed "equivalent to the Council of Europe's Common European Framework for Language Learning level C1", which is said to approximately equivalent to IELTS level 6.5, or GCSE Grade C. Having had earned a university degree from an English-medium institution is an acceptable alternative proof of one's English level.

IELTS exam in Nigeria

The IELTS exam is conducted by the British Council in Nigeria

More details @ IELTS