The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) superseded the English Language Testing System (ELTS) in 1990. The test is jointly assessed and run by UCLES, the British Council and IELTS Australia: IDP Education Australia. A revised version of IELTS was introduced in 1995.

IELTS is recognised as an entrance requirement by British, Australian, New Zealand and Canadian universities and for secondary, vocational and training programmes. All candidates are tested in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking modules. The choice of Reading and Writing modules is determined by the purpose for taking IELTS. The Academic Reading and Writing modules are suitable for those seeking admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses. General Training Reading and Writing modules are suitable for candidates who are going to English- speaking countries to complete their secondary education or to undertake work experience or training programmes not at degree level. The General Training modules are also used for immigration purposes.

Reading: Candidates take either the Academic or the General Training Reading module. The Academic Reading module consists of texts of general interest dealing with issues which are appropriate for, and accessible to, candidates entering postgraduate or undergraduate courses. The texts of the General Training Reading module draw on social and training contexts or deal with general interest topics. Both Reading modules consist of three passages or sections with forty questions. Question types include multiple choice, sentence or summary completion, identifying data for short-answer questions, matching lists or phrases and identifying writers’ views/attitudes.

Writing: Candidates take either the Academic or the General Training Writing module. Appropriate responses for the Academic Writing module are short essays or general reports, addressed to tutors or to an educated non-specialist audience. The General Training Writing module requires candidates to write personal semi-formal or formal correspondence, or to write on a given topic as part of a simulated class assignment. There are two compulsory tasks. Task 1 requires at least 150 words and Task 2, the more heavily weighted, requires at least 250 words. In Task 1, Academic Writing module candidates are asked to look at a diagram, table or data and to present the information in their own words. Candidates taking the General Training Writing module are asked to respond to a given problem with a letter in Task 1. In Task 2, all candidates are presented with a point of view, argument or problem and asked to provide general factual information, outline and/or present a solution, justify an opinion, and evaluate ideas and evidence.

Listening: This is a test of listening comprehension in the context of general language proficiency. The test is in four sections. The first two sections are concerned with social needs, while the last two are concerned with situations more closely related to educational or training contexts. Texts include both monologues and dialogues between two or three people, and are heard once only. A variety of question types are used for the forty items, including multiple choice, short-answer questions, notes/summary/flow chart completion, sentence completion, labelling a diagram and matching.

Speaking: The Speaking module is a structured interview with an emphasis on general speaking skills. It assesses whether candidates have the necessary knowledge and skills to communicate effectively with native speakers of English. There are three main parts. Each fulfills a specific function in terms of interaction pattern, task input and candidate output. In Part 1 the candidate answers general questions about themselves, their homes/families, their jobs/studies, their interests, and a range of similar familiar topic areas. This part last between four and five minutes. In Part 2 the candidate is given a verbal prompt on a card and is asked to talk about a particular topic. The candidate has one minute to prepare before speaking at length, for between one and two minutes. The examiner then asks one or two rounding-off questions. In Part 3 the examiner and candidate engage in a discussion of more abstract issues and concepts which are thematically linked to the topic prompt in Part 2. The discussion lasts between four and five minutes.

All four modules are equally weighted. IELTS provides a Test Report Form giving a profile of ability to use English as assessed by the Test. A score in each of the four modules, and an overall score, are recorded a levels of ability, called Bands. These Band Scores are recorded on the candidate’s Test Report Form. Each Band corresponds to a generalised descriptive statement of a candidate’s English at that level. The profile provided on an IELTS Test Report Form is normally valid for a period of two years. Marking in centres ensures that results are normally issued within two weeks of a candidate taking the test.