IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

British Council, IDP-IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment conducts the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test to evaluate a candidate’s proficiency level in the English language. Individuals aspiring to pursue education or eager to work in countries like the USA, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc have to qualify the exam. IELTS test scores are accepted by over 10,000 organisations in 140 countries worldwide, including schools, universities, Government departments, employers, immigration authorities and other professional bodies. Being one of the most renowned English proficiency tests, IELTS test 2018 is taken by more than three million candidates across 140 countries in the world. IELTS 2018 measures a candidate’s English language command in four different skill sets, namely Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

 

Overview

Exam Name	International English Language Testing System
Commonly known as	IELTS
Exam Level	International Level Test
Conducting Body	British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations

 

Syllabus

IELTS 2018 has two formats- IELTS Academic and IELTS General. Both the formats comprise of four mandatory sections, namely listening, reading, writing and speaking. However, Listening and Speaking are the same for both the formats, but the subject matter of the Reading and Writing components differ depending on which test one opts for. IELTS 2018 test is designed to reflect the use of English language in our daily lives; at work, at play and study. The results are scored on a unique 9-band scale.

The purpose of the two versions/formats of IELTS 2018 are distinct, so one should be cautious while registering for IELTS test 2018. A specific version of IELTS 2018 can be selected by the candidates depending on the institution or organization they wish to enter/apply to.

 

Difference between IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training

 

Suitable IELTS Test version	Purpose
IELTS Academic	Study at university at an undergraduate or postgraduate level, join a professional organization that requires English language proficiency test scores.
IELTS General Training	Study at below degree level, work or undertake work-related training, and for emigration purpose.

 

Exam Pattern

The total duration of IELTS 2018 test is 2 hours 45 minutes. Listening, Reading and Writing sections are conducted back-to-back while speaking test may be scheduled on the same day or within seven days before or after the test. While every student has to take similar Listening and Speaking modules, it is the Reading and Writing modules that differ for the two formats - IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.

The speaking test is conducted as a one-on-one test to assess candidates’ English fluency, coherence, pronunciation, and grammatical accuracy. The responses are recorded by the examiner for analysis and scoring purpose. The candidates are put through a real-life conversation with a real person to get their English conversation skills tested.

 

Test Component	Duration	Brief Description
Listening	30 minutes	4 sections, 40 items
Reading	60 minutes	3 sections, 40 items
Writing	60 minutes	2 tasks
Speaking	11–14 minutes	One-on-one conversation divided into three parts

 

Registration

IELTS 2018 registration is open round the year. Depending on the test centre, it is held for a maximum of four times per month. The IELTS test can be re-taken for an unlimited number of times after registering and paying separately for each test.

Candidates need to abide by the procedure listed below in order to complete IELTS application form 2018:

• Open the official website (each IELTS conducting body has different application portals), read the information carefully before applying for the same.
• Decide which format of the test is best for you.
• Select the city where you want to appear from.
• Check the available IELTS test dates.
• Register online.
• Once required details are filled in, choose payments options: debit card, credit card or demand draft.
• Assemble all documents and send
• Finally, select up to five universities of your choice to send the IELTS test scores.

IELTS Global Test Dates

2018 IELTS Test Dates

2018 IELTS test dates	Test Format
January 2018
Saturday, 6 January 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 13 January 2018	Academic only
Thursday, 18 January 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 20 January 2018	Academic and General Training
February 2018
Thursday, 1 February 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 3 February 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 10 February 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 24 February 2018	Academic only
March 2018
Saturday, 3 March 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 10 March 2018	Academic only
Thursday, 15 March 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 24 March 2018	Academic and General Training
April 2018
Saturday, 7 April 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 14 April 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 21 April 2018	Academic and General Training
Thursday, 26 April 2018	Academic only
May 2018
Saturday, 5 May 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 12 May 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 19 May 2018	Academic only
Thursday, 24 May 2018	Academic and General Training
June 2018
Saturday, 2 June 2018	Academic and General Training
Thursday, 7 June 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 23 June 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 30 June 2018	Academic and General Training
July 2018
Saturday, 7 July 2018	Academic and General Training
Thursday, 19 July 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 21 July 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 28 July 2018	Academic and General Training
August 2018
Thursday, 2 August 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 11 August 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 18 August 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 25 August 2018	Academic only
September 2018
Saturday, 8 September 2018	Academic and General Training
Thursday, 13 September 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 15 September 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 29 September 2018	Academic and General Training
October 2018
Thursday, 11 October 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 13 October 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 20 October 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 27 October 2018	Academic and General Training
November 2018
Thursday, 1 November 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 3 November 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 10 November 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 17 November 2018	Academic only
December 2018
Saturday, 1 December 2018	Academic and General Training
Saturday, 8 December 2018	Academic only
Thursday, 13 December 2018	Academic only
Saturday, 15 December 2018	Academic and General Training

Register for IELTS 2018

 

Fee

The registration fee for IELTS test administered is INR 12,650 (British Council). Payment of the application fee of IELTS can be done online using Net Banking, eWallets or Card (Visa, Visa Electron, Master Card).

 

Dates

The test dates of IELTS (International English Language Testing System) 2018 have been announced by the conducting body, British Council. The IELTS tests are generally mostly conducted on Thursdays or Saturdays. The total number of 48 IELTS dates (including Academic and General Training formats) have been scheduled for the year 2018. The IELTS Academic version is available on all the test dates. IELTS 2018 General Training version is available for around 24 days in a year. Aspirants can choose IELTS dates while registering for the test. In this article, candidates will get to know how to select the IELTS test dates. The results will be available to view online for 28 days from the test date, however that should not be used as an official confirmation of Iexam performance. The IELTS results will be declared 13 days after the respective exam dates.

 

• Visit the official IELTS website https://www.ielts.org
• Click 'How do I register', then click 'Book a test'
• Click enquiry to locate your test location
• Select IELTS Test 2018, then select the country
• You can select your city/ town
• The next page will display all IELTS test date 2018
• If satisfied with the date, click 'Apply' next to it.

 

Selection Procedure

IELTS 2018 scores are valid for two years. However, the acceptance of the IELTS score depends much on the IELTS selection procedure of the respective institute/university the candidate is applying to.

 

Results

The test results of IELTS are made available after 13 days of taking the test. There is no concept of qualifying or failing in the IELTS test, scores are calculated on a 9-band scale. Each educational institution and organisation decide their cutoff band of IELTS result 2018 to meet their academic and professional requirements.

 

IELTS Accepting Institutes and Organisations

IELTS scores are accepted by over 10,000 organisations and institutions across the globe. The IELTS 2018 test scores are required by the educational institutions, international employers, and government bodies to check the English language proficiency level of the aspirant. However, different bodies might require different IELTS bands (0–9). So, while universities ask for IELTS Academic scores, government organisations require IELTS General Training scores.

How to check country-wise organisation and institution for IELTS 2018 Exam?

Steps:

•   Visit IELTS test official website.
•   Click ' About the test'
•   Click 'Who accepts IELTS scores?'
•    If you have any particular institute/ organisation in mind, enter the name.
•   Else Click 'Advanced options'.
• Then, select from options that suite you best.
• Enter location, city/ state and click 'Search IELTS organisations'
• The next page displays the list of organisations/ institutes that accept the IELTS test scores.

 

Additional Info

Refer to the website: https://www.ielts.org

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