International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It is jointly administered by "the British Council", "IDP: IELTS Australia" and "Cambridge Assessment English", and was offered for the first time in 1989. IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, European, Irish and New Zealand academic institutions, by more than 3,000 academic institutions in the United States, and by various professional organisations across the world. There exists no minimum score to pass the test. An IELTS result or Test Report Form is issued to all test takers with a score from "band 1" ("non-user") to "band 9" ("expert user") and each institution defines its own requirements.

The Four Parts of the IELTS Test
• Listening: 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes' transfer time)
• Reading: 60 minutes
• Writing: 60 minutes
• Speaking: 11–14 minutes

The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. Listening, Reading and Writing are completed in one sitting. The Speaking test may be taken on the same day or up to seven days before or after the other tests. All test takers take the same Listening and Speaking tests, while the Reading and Writing tests differ depending on whether the test taker is taking the Academic or General Training versions of the test.