The Stallion International Services

IELTS Information

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. It is an English language proficiency exam which measures the ability of test-takers to communicate in the four basic language skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.

The IELTS has existed since 1989. Today, over 700,000 people from over 140 countries appear for this exam every year. IELTS tests are provided up to four times a month at test centers across the globe.

The IELTS is managed by three main institutions: the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL). This is important to understand in order to prepare for what is essentially an examination of British and not American English.

Many students who have prepared for or appeared for the TOEFL iBT are surprised when they face difficulties understanding accents and expressions used by British speakers in the IELTS. This is why thorough preparation, at a language school or through self-study, is so essential for success in this exam.

There are two versions of the IELTS exam: general and academic. Test-takers must know in advance which one is needed for their purposes as the scores are not interchangeable. Each test lasts two hours and forty-five minutes. Test takers are required to pay a fee for administration of the exam.

Broadly speaking, the IELTS is taken by those who wish to study, live, or work in a country where English is the primary language of communication. Specifically, the test is taken by three main categories of people:

  • Those who want to study in an English-medium school, college, or university in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa,
  • Those who wish to apply for immigration to countries such as Australia, Canada, or New Zealand
  • Those who need to demonstrate their English proficiency to meet the requirements of professional associations or regulatory bodies in various countries

IELTS test types

There are two IELTS tests to choose from:

  • Academic
  • General Training
What do you want to do? The Version You Need
You want to:
  • Study at university at undergraduate postgraduate level
  • Join a professional organization in an English-speaking country
 You should take IELTS Academic
You want to:
  • Train or study at below degree level
  • Work or undertake work-related training in an English-speaking country.
  • Immigrate to an English-speaking country.
 You should take IELTS General Training

Test format

The IELTS test assesses your abilities in all four skills - listening, reading, writing and speaking - in under four hours. You will take the Listening, Reading and Writing tests all on the same day one after the other, with no breaks in between them. They are always taken in this order. Your Speaking test will either be after a break on the same day as the other three tests, or up to seven days before or after that. This will depend on your test centre. IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are assessed at exactly the same levels.

The IELTS test format is tried and trusted by organizations and test takers worldwide and has not changed significantly for over 20 years.