IELTS exam guide · Reviewed July 2026
Understand IELTS Academic, General Training and IELTS for UKVI, how the four skills are assessed, how band scores work and how to build a preparation plan around the result you actually need.
Originally published 11 September 2025 · Substantially reviewed and updated 31 July 2026
IELTS has announced that paper-based testing is being withdrawn from mid-2026, with exact timing varying by market. Tests will move to computer delivery, while selected locations may offer a new Writing on Paper option. IELTS for UKVI secure tests remain fully digital. Check the available format at your chosen centre before booking. Read the official IELTS update.
IELTS stands for the International English Language Testing System. It measures how effectively you use English across four skills, but it does not decide the score you need. That decision belongs to the university, employer, regulator or immigration route receiving your result.
IELTS Academic is widely used for undergraduate, postgraduate and other higher-education applications.
IELTS General Training or a secure UKVI version may be specified for certain employment and immigration routes.
Some professional bodies accept IELTS Academic and set their own overall and individual skill requirements.
More than 12,500 organisations in over 140 countries use IELTS, although acceptance rules differ by organisation.
The most important first step is not choosing a test date. It is confirming the exact name of the test, the required overall score, the minimum score for each skill, the accepted delivery format and the deadline for submitting your result.
Do not assume that the test a friend took is right for you. Two people travelling to the same country may need different evidence because their course, profession, visa route or receiving organisation is different.
Still comparing tests? Use TEO Academy’s global English test guide before you book.
The Listening and Speaking sections are the same in IELTS Academic and General Training. The Reading and Writing sections differ because they reflect different purposes.
Designed to assess English used in academic and professional settings.
Designed around English used in everyday, workplace and social contexts.
IELTS for UKVI is a Secure English Language Test delivered with the identity, security and reporting controls required by UK Visas and Immigration.
These options can be useful, but they are not accepted for every purpose.
The total test time is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. Listening, Reading and Writing are usually completed together. Speaking may take place on the same day or be scheduled separately, depending on the test format and centre.
Four parts using recorded conversations and monologues. Questions assess detail, main ideas, opinions, purpose and the ability to follow connected speech.
Approximately 30 minutesThree sections with question types such as matching headings, identifying information, completing summaries and answering multiple-choice questions.
60 minutesTwo tasks. Task 2 carries more weight than Task 1, so both language quality and task management matter.
60 minutesA three-part conversation with an examiner, including familiar questions, an extended response and a deeper discussion.
11 to 14 minutesYou receive a separate band score for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, plus an overall band score. A university, regulator or visa route may require both a particular overall result and minimum scores in every skill.
There is no single IELTS pass mark. Requirements vary by country, visa, profession, university, course and sometimes the date or format of the test. Use the examples below as route checks, not as a substitute for official confirmation.
Study, work and visa evidence
UK routes can require different CEFR levels and different forms of evidence. From 8 January 2026, new Skilled Worker applicants generally need English at B2. When IELTS for UKVI is used for a B2 route, current IELTS guidance states a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four skills.
Express Entry and CLB conversion
For Express Entry, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada requires the IELTS General Training option, not IELTS Academic. Results are converted into Canadian Language Benchmark levels, and the minimum level depends on the programme and occupation category.
Visa-subclass requirements
Australia changed its approved English test rules on 7 August 2025. Current Home Affairs guidance lists IELTS Academic taken at a secure test centre for tests completed on or after that date, including One Skill Retake where eligible.
Institution and course rules
Universities set their own accepted tests, overall scores, minimum component scores, result-age limits and delivery-format rules. Requirements can differ between courses at the same university.
A strong result rarely comes from completing random practice tests. Effective preparation connects your target score, current level, language development, test technique, expert feedback and timed practice.
Confirm the right test, identify your exact target, assess your starting point and begin building active vocabulary you can use accurately.
Develop question awareness, evidence finding, paraphrase recognition and review habits.
Strengthen structure, task response, coherence, grammar and useful vocabulary.
Build fluency, extend answers, improve clarity and respond naturally under pressure.
Combine language development with timed sections and targeted correction.
Rehearse the full test, protect energy, review recurring errors and prepare for test day.
Your study plan should improve your English and your ability to demonstrate it within IELTS conditions. Test tricks cannot replace language development, but unfocused language study may not prepare you for the assessment.
Record the exact test, required overall band, component scores and submission deadline.
Use a diagnostic task or level check to identify the gap between current performance and the target.
Give extra time to the language, task types or habits most likely to restrict your score.
Writing and speaking improve faster when feedback explains what to change and how to practise it.
Build accuracy first, then practise sections and full tests under realistic time limits.
Record recurring errors, successful strategies and the changes that produce reliable improvement.
Use the guide that matches your next decision, whether that is choosing a test, checking your current level, strengthening core skills or finding personalised support.
Build the foundations: test choice, score target, baseline assessment, timetable and active vocabulary.
Start Month 1 →Compare IELTS, OET, PTE, TOEFL, Cambridge English, CELPIP and other routes before booking.
Open the test guide →Separate university admission requirements from Student visa evidence and confirm the right test version.
Plan your university route →Estimate your current level and identify useful next steps before building a longer preparation plan.
Check your level →Improve reading, writing, listening and speaking through practical adult-learning strategies.
Build stronger English →Explore free resources for academic English, examinations, visa information and professional communication.
Explore the Hub →Use these answers as a starting point, then confirm the rules that apply to your receiving organisation and route.
IELTS is an English language test assessing Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. It is used by universities, employers, professional bodies and immigration authorities, but the exact test and score required depend on the receiving organisation or route.
IELTS Academic is commonly used for higher education and some professional-registration routes. IELTS General Training is commonly used for migration, employment and training routes. Always confirm the exact test version with the organisation receiving your result before booking.
The total test time is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. Listening takes about 30 minutes, Reading 60 minutes, Writing 60 minutes and Speaking 11 to 14 minutes. Speaking may be scheduled separately.
The overall score is the average of your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking band scores, rounded to the nearest whole or half band. Receiving organisations can also set minimum scores for individual skills.
IELTS recommends that results are considered valid for two years after the test date. A university, regulator or immigration authority can apply its own rule, so confirm how recent your result must be when it is submitted.
No. IELTS Online is an Academic test option in selected locations, but it is not currently accepted for visa or immigration purposes. Immigration applications normally require an approved test completed at a secure test centre.
No. The evidence required depends on the visa route and your circumstances. Some applicants use an approved Secure English Language Test, while others may meet the requirement through an accepted qualification, nationality or another permitted route. Check the current GOV.UK guidance for your application.
Your preparation period should reflect the gap between your current performance and target scores, the time available each week and whether you need language development, test technique or both. A diagnostic assessment is more useful than choosing a standard number of weeks without knowing your starting point.
Work with a specialist tutor to assess your starting point, prioritise the skills limiting your score and prepare with feedback that is specific to your test and goals.
