IELTS Test Date 2025

The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an exam taken by millions every year.

It is accepted by over 11,000 organisations (including universities, companies, professional bodies such as the GMC and NMC, immigration authorities and government institutions) in more than 140 countries around the world as a measure of English language proficiency.

Table of Contents

Preparing for the IELTS test
IELTS Sub-tests
IELTS Score
Calendar 2025
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Preparing for the IELTS test

It is recommended that you book your test date in advance so that you have enough time to prepare properly and get a higher score. IELTS experts recommend at least 6 to 8 weeks preparation before your test date.
Preparing for your exam with high-quality preparation courses will give you a better chance of passing the test the first time.

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IELTS Sub-tests

You will be assessed in four papers: writing, speaking, listening and reading.

The Writing paper lasts 60 minutes, the IELTS Academic module and IELTS General Training modules have different contexts.

You’ll do two writing tasks and are marked on a range of criteria.

These include how well you answer the question, your use of appropriate language, and how clearly you’ve organised your ideas.

Grammar accuracy, range of vocabulary and ability to link ideas, sentences and paragraphs together correctly are also taken into consideration.

The Speaking paper lasts 11 to 14 minutes and is the same for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training modules.

The test is one-to-one with an IELTS examiner and is recorded.

You are assessed on how clearly you’ve expressed your ideas, your level of grammatical accuracy, your range of grammar and vocabulary, and your pronunciation.

It’s important to try and relax and speak naturally.

The Listening paper lasts 30 minutes and is the same for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training modules.

You’ll listen to four recordings where you’ll hear native English speakers with a variety of accents.

You’ll need to understand main ideas and specific information, recognise opinions and attitudes, and follow the development of an argument.

A variety of accents during the aduio will be presented and you will be required to listen carefully to specific information, understand the main gist and understand the opinions and attitudes that the speakers will have.

Then you will answer some questions.

The Reading paper lasts 60 minutes, the IELTS Academic module and IELTS General Training modules have different contexts.

You’ll read three different texts and need to identify main ideas and detail, understand inferences and implied meaning, recognise the writer’s opinion, and follow the development of an argument.

IELTS Score

The IELTS test has a band score between 1 and 9.

This includes half points, for example, 7.5.

Many universities accept a band score between 6 and 7, but they can also ask for a minimum score in each of the four papers.