IELTS test dates, fees and format

The exam itself, in one place: when it runs and when to register, how it is built and scored, what it costs, what is changing, and the tools and guides for it. Practice lives in the IELTS library.

Upcoming IELTS dates

No upcoming dates are listed yet. Registration and test dates are published by the exam maker; the official site is linked below.

IELTS at a glance

Delivery: Computer-delivered
Sections: Reading · Writing · Speaking · Listening (coming soon)
Score range: Band 0–9

What is the IELTS?

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an English proficiency exam accepted for university admission, work, and migration in the UK, Australia, Canada, and many other countries. It tests four skills — Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking — and reports each on a 0–9 band scale.

What is the IELTS test format?

The full test takes about 2 hours 45 minutes. Listening, Reading, and Writing are sat in one sitting; Speaking is a face-to-face interview that can fall on the same day or up to a week apart.

Section	Time	Content
Listening	30 min	4 recordings, 40 questions
Reading	60 min	3 passages, 40 questions
Writing	60 min	2 tasks (report/letter + essay)
Speaking	11–14 min	3-part face-to-face interview

What is the difference between IELTS Academic and General Training?

Academic is for university admission; General Training is for work and migration. Listening, Speaking, and Writing Task 2 are identical in both — only Reading and Writing Task 1 differ. Our mock tests let you switch between the two types before you start.

How is the IELTS band score calculated?

Each of the four sections receives a band from 0 to 9, and your overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band. Most universities ask for an overall 6.5–7.0. Use our IELTS band calculator to convert raw section scores into bands.