IELTS Academic – get ready for a higher education environment
The IELTS Academic test measures whether you have the level of English language proficiency needed for an academic, higher education environment. It reflects some of the features of academic language and assesses whether you are ready to begin studying or training.
Download our free guide to the IELTS Academic test
Take this test if you want to:
- study at either undergraduate or postgraduate level anywhere in the world
- work in a professional organisation in an English speaking country.
You can choose between IELTS Academic on paper or computer or you can take it remotely with IELTS Online, at home or from any private location with a stable internet connection.
If you need a visa for working or studying in the UK, then in some cases you may need to take IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration or IELTS for UKVI Life Skills.
What does the fee include? Our IELTS test fee includes exclusive preparation materials, free practice tests and much more.
Duration: 2 hours and 45 minutes (Listening, Reading and Writing) + 11-14 minutes (Speaking)
Format: There are four sections to the test: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. When you book your IELTS test with the British Council, the test will take place in an official British Council IELTS test centre, whether your choose IELTS on paper or computer.
Some of our IELTS test centres are delivering the IELTS Speaking test via video calls. This means greater flexibility in delivering IELTS Speaking tests, along with increased availability. You will take the Video-call Speaking test at an official IELTS test centre with the same high standard of identity verification. The test will be exactly the same as the in-person Speaking test in terms of content, scoring, timing, question format and security arrangements.
Delivered by an IELTS Speaking Examiner, the Video-call Speaking test will maintain the face-to-face features of the in-person Speaking test.
With IELTS Online, you can take your test at home or any private location with a stable internet connection. If you choose this option, you will write the answers to the Listening, Reading and Writing sections on your computer. The Speaking test will be conducted with a trained IELTS Examiner via an online video call.
For more information, please watch the video.