IELTS
English proficiency test for study (Academic) and for migration or work (General Training) in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and elsewhere; IELTS for UKVI is required for certain UK visa routes.
Eligibility
Open to anyone; there is no educational qualification. IELTS is not recommended for those under 16. Indian candidates must register with a valid passport. You can retake as often as you like, and One Skill Retake lets you redo a single module within 60 days at selected centres.
Age limit: Recommended 16+; no upper limit
Exam pattern
Four modules, about 2 hours 45 minutes in all. Listening is 30 minutes (40 questions), Reading is 60 minutes (40 questions, with Academic and General Training texts differing), and Writing is 60 minutes with two tasks: Task 1 is a graph or diagram report (Academic) or a letter (General), and Task 2 is an essay. Speaking is an 11-14 minute face-to-face interview in three parts, usually held on a different day. Each module gets a band of 0-9 in half-bands, and the overall band is their average; there is no negative marking.
Syllabus at a glance
There is no fixed syllabus; the test measures listening comprehension of accents and contexts, academic or general reading, formal written English (data description, letters and argumentative essays) and spoken fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Band descriptors for Writing and Speaking are public and define what each band requires.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Computer-delivered test slots | Almost daily through Nov-Dec 2026 and 2027 | confirmed |
| Paper-based test dates | Up to 4 fixed dates each month (see IDP India calendar) | confirmed |
| Results (computer-delivered) | 1-2 days after the test | confirmed |
| Results (paper-based) | About 13 days after the test | confirmed |
| UK and Australia Jan/Feb 2027 intake score submission | Nov-Dec 2026 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Cambridge IELTS 1-20 (Academic / General Training) – Cambridge University Press & Assessment
- The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS – Pauline Cullen, Amanda French & Vanessa Jakeman
- Barron's IELTS Superpack – Lin Lougheed
- Collins Vocabulary for IELTS – Anneli Williams
- Target Band 7 – Simone Braverman
How toppers play it
- Use the Cambridge IELTS book series as your mock bank; they are retired real papers and the closest match to real difficulty.
- In Writing, Task 2 is worth twice Task 1, so do Task 2 first (40 minutes) and keep about 20 minutes for Task 1.
- In Listening, answers follow the order of the audio and spelling counts; read ahead during pauses and check word limits ('NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS').
- For True/False/Not Given in Reading, mark 'Not Given' only when the passage says nothing about the claim, not just when it contradicts it.
- Choose computer-delivered IELTS for faster results (1-2 days) and typed essays if your handwriting is slow; book Speaking on a separate day if you want a fresher interview.