Entrance exam
International English Language Testing System(IELTS)
About the exam
About IELTS
Booking the IELTS exam starts with a choice between IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills, and each one answers a different receiving body. A result from the wrong version can be useless for the application it was bought for.
In India, two facts shape the booking before any of those versions is picked. IDP is the only organisation delivering IELTS in the country, and the fully paper-based sitting has been withdrawn in favour of a computer test with an optional handwritten Writing section.
IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press & Assessment, according to IELTS.org's About IELTS page, which traces the test to its 1980 launch as ELTS and the partnership to 1989.
The versions are built for different decisions. IELTS.org's test types page points university applicants and people seeking professional registration to IELTS Academic, and people migrating to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the UK, or training or studying below degree level, to IELTS General Training. The same page describes IELTS for UKVI as the route for UK visa applications, and IELTS for UKVI Life Skills as a UK government-approved Secure English Language Test that assesses only speaking and listening.
Delivery in India sits with one partner. IDP IELTS India's notice All IELTS tests to be delivered by IDP in India says an agreement with the British Council put every IELTS test in India with IDP from 25 July 2021, that IELTS would stay available across the country through IDP only, and that British Council test locations in India would gradually be rebranded to IDP IELTS. The British Council's own India IELTS FAQ now states the same from its side: it does not deliver the IELTS test in India.
At a glance
IELTS highlights
| Full name | International English Language Testing System |
| Conducting body | Jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment |
| Level | UG and PG |
| Stream | Study abroad |
| Mode of exam | On paper or on computer at a test centre (Speaking is a face-to-face/video interview with an examiner) |
| Frequency | Multiple test dates each month |
| Scope | International |
| Duration | 165 minutes |
| Marking scheme | Band score 1-9 for each of the four sections; overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band. Listening and Reading have 40 questions each (raw score converted to band). |
Calendar
Important dates
IELTS seats are sold city by city and date by date. IDP India's registration guide says registration for a given city and date closes when its seats fill, which is why it names no last date to register. The dates that matter for an Indian candidate in 2026 are changes to how the test is delivered, plus the deadlines that start once a test is taken.
For years a candidate at a test centre chose between a fully paper-based and a fully computer-based IELTS, as IDP IELTS India's Writing on Paper explainer puts it. In a notice published in March 2026, Updates to IELTS test delivery on IELTS.org said the partners would stop offering IELTS as a paper-based test from mid-2026, with exact timelines varying by market, and would introduce a Writing on Paper option in selected markets. For India, the same IDP explainer gives 1 September 2026 as the start of the Writing on Paper format, with advance booking opening from 1 July 2026, and IDP India's IELTS on Paper page now carries the notice that IELTS on Paper has been discontinued.
The computer-delivered test runs on a rolling timetable: IDP India's IELTS on Computer page advertises slots up to 7 days a week, 3 times a day. For IELTS for UKVI Life Skills, IDP India's Life Skills page says test dates are available within 28 days at permanent locations.
Two deadlines follow a sitting. A One Skill Retake has to be booked and sat within 60 days of the original test, per IELTS.org's One Skill Retake page. A request to re-mark a result has to be made within six weeks of the test date, per IDP IELTS India's FAQ.
Typical cycle
Several fixed dates each month at test centres; book in advance.
Who can apply
Eligibility criteria
Schooling does not decide who may book IELTS. IDP IELTS India's eligibility guide says the test requires no minimum educational qualification and has no specific age limit, though it is generally not recommended for students below the age of 16.
What does decide whether a candidate can sit, and which result counts, is a short list of conditions spread across the partners' pages:
- Identity: IDP India's FAQ says test takers must bring only an original, valid passport on the day, and describes a "no passport, no test policy".
- Minors: the IDP IELTS India fee page says a minor will not be permitted to appear if a valid identity document of the parent or lawful guardian has not reached IDP India by test day, and that 75% of the fee is refunded in that case.
- IELTS for UKVI: UKVI accepts only tests taken in person at an official IELTS for UKVI test centre, per IELTS.org's IELTS for UKVI page.
- Life Skills: a candidate who passes IELTS for UKVI Life Skills cannot retake the same level for two years, while a failed attempt carries no retake limit, per IDP India's Life Skills page.
- One Skill Retake: the candidate must have completed a full IELTS on computer test at a centre that offers the retake, and sit the retake within 60 days; only one retake is allowed per original test, per IELTS.org's One Skill Retake page.
Candidates who need special arrangements, such as extra time, Braille or a lip-reading version of Listening, must tell the test centre at least six weeks before the test date, according to IDP India's special requirements page.
- No fixed eligibility; an English-proficiency test. IELTS Academic is used for higher-education admission; General Training for migration/work. Universities set required band scores.
Step by step
Application process and fee
Every IELTS booking in India goes to IDP, by one of three routes set out in IDP India's registration guide: online, in person at an IDP branch or input node, or by courier with a completed form. Payment options on that guide include a card, a demand draft in favour of "IDP Education India Private Limited, payable at New Delhi", or a customised ICICI or HDFC deposit slip, and a demand-draft booking is confirmed only once the draft is realised.
The module is the step to get right. IDP India's step-by-step guide on idp.com, Book an IELTS test, lists Academic or General Training for IELTS, IELTS for UKVI, and A1 or B1 for Life Skills, and asks candidates to "be extremely careful while choosing the module you wish to take". After booking, IDP India's FAQ sends candidates to the Data Verification Sheet in their login to check their details and upload a passport copy, and says a change of city or module has to be requested by email and approved.
IDP India charges by product, not by module, so Academic and General Training cost the same:
| IELTS product booked with IDP India | Test fee |
|---|---|
| IELTS on Computer (Academic or General Training) | Rs 19,000 |
| IELTS Writing on Paper (Academic or General Training) | Rs 19,000 |
| IELTS on Computer for UKVI | Rs 19,250 |
| IELTS Life Skills (A1 and B1) | Rs 18,000 |
| One Skill Retake | Rs 12,650 |
The same fee page lists what a date change costs: Rs 4,750 for IELTS on Computer or Writing on Paper, Rs 4,850 for IELTS on Computer for UKVI, Rs 4,500 for Life Skills and Rs 3,200 for a One Skill Retake.
Notice periods differ by product on IDP India's transfer and cancellation page. A computer-delivered test can be transferred or cancelled only if the test date is at least 9 days away, and only with supporting documents that IDP approves. For UKVI and Life Skills tests, transfers need 14 days' notice, and refunds are 75% more than 14 days out, 50% within 14 days but more than 2 days out, 25% within 2 days, and nothing on or after test day. A One Skill Retake cancelled at least 4 days ahead loses 25% as a processing charge.
Before the exam
Admit card and exam day
Test-day details reach a candidate by email. IDP India's Book an IELTS test guide says an acknowledgment arrives by email or phone once a date is booked, and a final confirmation email with the test date, time and venue follows five to seven days before the test. For IELTS on Computer, IDP India's FAQ says the Speaking test is scheduled on the same day as Listening, Reading and Writing, and its date cannot be changed separately.
Listening, Reading and Writing run as one session of 2 hours 40 minutes with no breaks, per IELTS.org's test day guidance, which also allows water into the room only in a clear bottle, bars watches, and notes that every test room has a clock on the wall.
IDP India's downloads page links the IELTS on Computer Terms & Conditions, which cover computer tests, Writing on Paper and One Skill Retake and add the identity checks; IELTS for UKVI runs under separate terms, listed on the same downloads page. The candidate must bring the same original identity document used for booking, is photographed for the Test Report Form, may have a finger scan taken in some centres, and may be video recorded across the venue, with footage held for 60 days. The same terms say a late arrival is not allowed to sit and gets no refund or transfer, and that the centre, not the candidate, finally decides whether Speaking is held in person or by video call at the centre.
For minor test takers, IDP India's FAQ says a chaperone accompanies every face-to-face Speaking test, and the option to sit without one is no longer available.
Structure
Exam pattern
IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training share the same Listening and Speaking sections; Reading and Writing are what change between them. The structure beyond the timings is set out in IDP India's IELTS Academic guide:
| Section | Structure | Questions or length |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 4 parts | 40 questions |
| Reading | 3 sections | 40 questions |
| Writing | 2 tasks | Task 1 at least 150 words, Task 2 at least 250 words |
| Speaking | 3 parts | Interview, long turn, discussion |
The two Reading modules share one band scale but not one conversion. IELTS scoring in detail on IELTS.org publishes the average marks out of 40 behind each band on the global scale, notes that the exact marks vary slightly between test versions, and says a General Training candidate usually needs more correct answers for a given band:
| Average marks out of 40 | Academic Reading band | General Training Reading band |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 5 | 4 |
| 23 | 6 | 5 |
| 30 | 7 | 6 |
| 35 | 8 | 7 |
On overall bands, the same scoring page says an average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band and one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band. In Writing, the page says Task 2 carries more weight than Task 1.
Writing on Paper changes the answer medium only. IELTS.org's note on the Writing delivery mode says the tasks appear on screen and are answered in pen on an answer sheet, with the same task types, scoring and time allocation, and that the option is not available to IELTS for UKVI candidates.
| Sections | Listening (30 min), Reading (60 min), Writing (60 min), Speaking (11-14 min) |
| Duration | 165 minutes |
| Marking scheme | Band score 1-9 for each of the four sections; overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band. Listening and Reading have 40 questions each (raw score converted to band). |
What to study
Syllabus
Listening is common to both modules. IDP India's FAQ describes four recordings: an everyday conversation between two people, an everyday monologue such as a speech about local facilities, a conversation in an educational or training context, and a monologue on an academic subject.
Reading and Writing diverge by module:
- Academic Reading draws its texts from books, academic journals, magazines and newspapers, with a total length of 2150 to 2750 words, per IDP India's Academic guide.
- General Training Reading moves from everyday texts such as notices and timetables, to workplace texts such as job descriptions and contracts, to one longer text on a general topic, per IDP India's General Training guide.
- Academic Writing asks in Task 1 for a description of visual information such as a graph, table, chart or diagram, and in Task 2 for an essay responding to a point of view, argument or problem, per the Academic guide.
- General Training Writing asks in Task 1 for a personal, semi-formal or formal letter, and in Task 2 for an essay on a general topic, per the General Training guide.
Examiners mark Writing on task achievement or task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy, and mark Speaking on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation, according to IELTS scoring in detail.
IELTS for UKVI Life Skills has a different syllabus altogether. IDP India's Life Skills page says it tests speaking and listening together, with another test taker and one examiner, on everyday topics such as family, work and transport, lasting 16 to 18 minutes at A1 and 22 minutes at B1.
- Four English skills: listening, academic reading, academic writing (Task 1 report/graph + Task 2 essay), and speaking (interview). Academic vs General Training differ in Reading/Writing content.
How to prepare
Preparation and books
The partners' own free material is split by module. IELTS.org's sample test questions page links separate sample questions for IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training and IELTS for UKVI Life Skills.
For the computer test, IDP India's familiarisation test page offers Listening, Academic Reading and Academic Writing tests. The page says they are untimed, unlike the real test, and that the Listening test has 4 recordings and 40 questions while the Reading test has 3 long texts and 40 questions.
On coaching, IDP's India FAQ is explicit: IDP solely administers the test and does not offer coaching, though it sends a complimentary preparation book once registration is complete.
Where it is held
Exam centres
IDP India's test centres page lists its registration and test centres city by city, alphabetically from Ahmedabad to Visakhapatnam.
Not every centre suits every product. On IDP India's IELTS for UKVI test centres page, each centre carries its own tags for IELTS on computer, UKVI Approved and One Skill Retake; Barnala and Khanna appear with IELTS on computer and One Skill Retake but without the UKVI Approved tag. For a UK visa application that tag is the one to look for, because UKVI accepts only tests taken in person at an official IELTS for UKVI test centre, per IELTS.org's IELTS for UKVI page. The same list flags labs with limited accessibility and names an alternative, for example pointing Bathinda candidates with a disability to Amritsar.
IELTS Online, taken from home, is described on IELTS.org's Ways to take IELTS page as available in some countries, for IELTS Academic only, with each receiving organisation deciding whether to accept it. The IDP IELTS India fee page does not list IELTS Online among the products it sells.
After the exam
Answer key
IDP India's FAQ states that IELTS answer sheets are confidential and that past papers are not released to candidates under any circumstances, so there is no answer key to check a sitting against.
A candidate unhappy with a score can request an Enquiry on Results, in which senior examiners re-mark the test, per IELTS.org's cancellations, refunds and remarks page. IDP India's FAQ adds that the candidate chooses which sections to have re-marked, that the request is made from the candidate login, and that the re-marked result is final.
In India, the IDP IELTS India fee page prices a re-mark at Rs 14,250 for IELTS on Computer or Writing on Paper, Rs 14,400 for IELTS on Computer for UKVI, Rs 13,500 for Life Skills and Rs 9,450 for a One Skill Retake. IDP India's Enquiry on Results page says the fee is refunded in full if the result changes to a higher band score.
Scores
Result and scorecard
The result is issued as a Test Report Form. IDP India's TRF page says IELTS on Computer results are typically available 1 to 2 days after the test, are viewed and downloaded through the IDP candidate portal, and that test centres are not authorised to share results by email, phone or fax.
IELTS.org's scoring page recommends treating a result as valid for two years after the test, while allowing receiving organisations to accept older results. Sending scores onward is partly free: IDP India's Additional TRF page processes the first five electronic Additional TRFs at no charge, then charges Rs 350 per university, with a limit of 5 universities a day.
Two 2026 notices affect existing scorecards. IELTS.org's Changes to Test Report Forms notice says TRFs issued from 15 July 2026 carry the Ofqual logo and qualification title, that older TRFs remain valid, and that a candidate who received a TRF between June 2024 and 14 July 2026 can request the new design free of charge without resetting its validity. Separately, IELTS.org's score corrections page says an issue gave a small proportion of test takers incorrect results between August 2023 and September 2025, that over 99 percent of IELTS tests worldwide were unaffected, and that a test taker who received no email about it was not affected.
A One Skill Retake produces a new TRF, and the candidate can choose whether to use the original or the new one, per IELTS.org's One Skill Retake page.
Scores you need
Cutoff
An IELTS Academic or General Training band is never marked as a pass or a fail. IDP India's registration guide says IELTS does not have pass or fail, and that whether a score is acceptable depends on the university, immigration authority or employer.
The binding numbers belong to the receiving body. For UK study, IELTS.org's IELTS for UKVI page summarises the UK Student visa requirement, collated from the UK government's website, as a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four components for study at degree level or above, on IELTS or IELTS for UKVI, and a minimum of 4.0 in each component on IELTS for UKVI below degree level. That page asks candidates to confirm the requirement with the UK government or the receiving organisation.
IELTS for UKVI Life Skills is the exception to the band scale: the same UKVI page describes its result as a Pass at the CEFR level the visa calls for, not a band score.
Getting a seat
Counselling and seat allotment
Nobody allots a seat on the strength of an IELTS result; the score travels inside an application that a university, employer or immigration authority decides on its own terms. The IELTS on Computer Terms & Conditions linked from IDP India's downloads page describe IELTS as one of many factors used by academic institutions, government agencies, professional bodies and employers, and not the sole method of determining admission or employment.
The same terms put the checking on the candidate: before buying, the candidate is responsible for confirming with the institution or authority that the specific IELTS format being booked is accepted, and unless the booking says otherwise, the test is not IELTS for UKVI.
Where it is accepted
Participating institutes
Recognition of IELTS is looked up one organisation at a time, on IELTS.org's Who accepts IELTS tool, which filters by organisation type (education, employer, government, professional registration) and by country. Worldwide, IDP India's One Skill Retake page puts the number of organisations accepting IELTS at over 13,500.
One Skill Retake needs its own acceptance check. IELTS.org's One Skill Retake page recommends confirming with the organisation that it accepts a retake before booking, and says UKVI accepts One Skill Retake for Academic and General Training tests on computer in selected locations.
- Universities, professional bodies, and immigration authorities worldwide (Academic module for study admission).
Get help
Contact
Test bookings, results and refunds in India are handled by IDP IELTS India, whose home page lists 922-8053-999 and ielts.india@idp.com, with hours of Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. The same page notes that the contact centre number changed with effect from 10 December 2025, and gives the head office as Global Gateway Towers, Tower-B, 5th Floor, Sikanderpur Ghosi, Sector-26, M.G. Road, Gurugram 122002, Haryana.
Candidates who took a test during the score-correction period and still have questions are directed by IELTS.org's score corrections page to ieltsresultsupport.org.
Source
Official links
Questions
IELTS - FAQ
Read this
Disclaimer
Disclaimer
Fees, exact test dates, score validity (2 years), and university/immigration band requirements are per-cycle/per-institution. Anything per-cycle here is stated for the cycle it names and is taken from the conducting body's own notification; confirm it on the official website before acting on it. Expertie does not conduct any exam, process applications or charge fees.
References
Sources
- About IELTS - ielts.org
- All IELTS tests to be delivered by IDP in India - ieltsidpindia.com
- Book an IELTS test - idp.com