IELTS Exam for Study Abroad: Your Ultimate Guide to Success in 2025

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. It is a standardised exam that helps students establish their proficiency and expertise in the English language. This is especially important for non-native English speakers. IELTS is also required for students whose medium of instruction for their 12th board exams is not English.

IELTS is essential for countries where English is the official or preferred language for daily life. Apart from IELTS, other exams such as PTE, TOEFL and DET also serve similar purposes.

Before understanding the IELTS exam in detail, knowing whether you should take it is crucial. In short, if you plan to study abroad in the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand or Ireland, you will most likely require IELTS. There are also certain exceptions to this, which are typically known as IELTS waivers. If you are unsure whether your target institute accepts IELTS, you can check that here.

IELTS works on a 9-point band score system. Students get a band score between 0 and 9, with 9-band being the highest one can achieve. Usually, universities and colleges have a minimum IELTS band score requirement. Therefore, students are expected to score above that threshold for a fair chance of getting an admission offer. Countries might also have IELTS band requirements, which can vary depending on the student's educational background and past work experience.

IELTS Band Score Requirements for different countries

As you might have observed, postgraduate (PG) programs generally require a higher IELTS score than UG programs. This is because postgraduate programs have advanced academic rigour and specialised coursework. Day-to-day tasks such as thesis writing, presentations, participation in seminars, etc., generally require higher language proficiency. Therefore, universities have higher standards for PG programs to ensure students can compete and succeed in their studies.

There are different types of IELTS exams out there. This is because IELTS is not restricted to studying abroad. It is also sometimes used for working professionals and immigration requirements. The below table summarises it pretty well. You’ll also find detailed information on each IELTS type for reference.

Comparison of IELTS Academic, General Training and UKVI

These different formats might seem confusing regarding which is most relevant for aspirants to study abroad. As a rule of thumb, all study abroad aspirants must appear for the IELTS Academic exam regardless of their degree (UG/PG/PhD). Going forward, all information below is for the IELTS Academic exam unless mentioned otherwise.

The IELTS Academic exam covers all four aspects of language evaluation: Speaking, Reading, Listening and Writing. Out of these four sections, Reading, Listening, and Writing take place in one go. However, the Speaking evaluation happens separately; an evaluator conducts this test in person. More details about each section are mentioned below.

• Speaking - Examinee is expected to showcase fluency in sentence structure, vocabulary, pronunciation, and overall flow of thoughts. This module is conducted in a one-on-one interview-like setting and is divided into three parts. It is generally considered the most difficult part of the IELTS exam.
• Writing - This section is divided into two tasks. Task 1 involves writing a summary based on a visual or process description, and task 2 involves writing an essay on a given topic.
• Reading - The reading section consists of three passages with various question types: table completion, matching headings, note and sentence completion, etc. Each passage has 12 to 14 questions. Reading comprehension is usually considered the most straightforward section of IELTS and can be aced with minimum practice.
• Listening - The listening module of IELTS comprises four audio clips that are 4-6 minutes each. Each audio clip contains ten questions whose answers can be found in the audio clip. It is important to note that audio clips are only played once, so test takers must be focused entirely while listening to the audio. The trick here is to note answers to questions simultaneously to avoid forgetting important information later!

Different modules of the IELTS Exam

You can refer to this page for an overview of the IELTS exam syllabus and pattern.

Unlike Indian exams such as CAT or JEE, the IELTS exam does cost a bit more. The typical cost for the IELTS exam is INR 17,000. Students are allowed to take IELTS multiple times to improve their scores. However, they must pay the full fee every time they appear for the exam. There is also a provision to appear for a single section of IELTS. For example - If a student did well in all sections of the exam except Speaking, then in such cases, they can appear for Speaking again. This provision is known as IELTS One Skill Retake. The cost for taking a one-skill retake is INR 11,300.

Therefore, while one can appear for the exam multiple times, it makes sense financially to achieve the desired band score on the first attempt. You can learn more about IELTS fees for different types of exams.

Depending on your preferred intake, appearing for the IELTS exam 3-6 months before the desired intake is usually recommended. So, if you want to apply for the September 2025 intake, you should appear for IELTS from March to May. This would enable you to

• Be prepared in advance for your college applications and focus on other documents
• Retake the exam if required to improve your band score

IELTS exam score is valid for 2 years from the test date. Therefore, 3-6 months before the intended intake is the perfect time to appear for IELTS.

Additionally, it is important to note that January to March and June to August are high-demand months for the IELTS exam in India. Therefore, you should book your IELTS exam in advance at the test centre of your convenience to avoid difficulties later. You can also book the IELTS exam up to one year in advance with the option to reschedule. Here is a detailed guide on IELTS registration.

The IELTS exam has to be given in a registered test centre. In India, IELTS is conducted by IDP. There are a total of 82 test centres across 75 cities in India. Find your nearest IELTS test centre today.

The process for registering at a test centre is fairly straightforward. You must decide your test date and then book a slot accordingly. Two ways of taking the test in a centre are Pen and Paper-based and Computer-based. For computer-based tests, slots are available almost daily from Monday to Saturday. To find the exact dates of paper-based tests across different centres in India, check our comprehensive IELTS Dates page.

There are two main requirements for appearing in the IELTS exam, often called IELTS eligibility criteria.

• The applicant must be older than 16 years of age.
• The applicant must have a valid passport. 

IELTS follows a strict “No Passport, No Exam” policy. Therefore, failure to bring a valid passport to the centre on the examination date will result in the candidate not being allowed to appear for the exam. Other forms of identification, such as Aadhar, PAN card, etc. are not accepted.

Once you have successfully appeared for the IELTS exam, it usually takes 2-13 days to receive the results. The results are received in a digital test report form (TRF). An IELTS TRF is your official scoresheet containing your sectional and overall scores, reflecting your proficiency level. You can also request a physical copy of your TRF.

You can share your IELTS results with as many universities as you’d like, but remember: 

• You can request up to 5 additional Test Report Forms (ATRFs) for free. Just indicate which universities or institutions should receive them on your IELTS Application Form.
• After the first 5, each additional TRF costs INR 250 each.

Additional information about IELTS Results can be found in our IELTS Results guide.

People often confuse preparing for the IELTS exam with improving their proficiency in the English language. This is especially true when appearing for the IELTS academic test focusing on academic English. Therefore, having a basic knowledge of English and sufficient practice in each module is enough to clear the IELTS exam with flying colours. 

There are two ways to prepare for the IELTS exam.

• Self-preparation - Self-preparation is typically ideal for students who have completed their entire education in an English-medium school and scored more than 90 marks in the English paper of their 12th board exams. These students mainly require practice and familiarisation with the exam format. This can easily be achieved by buying an online test series such as Leap’s learn-it-yourself course.
• Taking expert help - For everyone else, it is generally recommended that they enrol in IELTS coaching to ensure they achieve their desired band score on the first attempt. Check out Leap’s fully online IELTS coaching program.

For most students, the typical timeline for preparation is 1-2 months. However, it does depend on the following factors.

• Expected band score and current level of the student
• Timeline constraints such as application deadline
• If the student is severely lacking behind in a specific module, such as speaking

An expert IELTS trainer can make the best call, judging the student's proficiency level and recommending the best course of action. You can speak to an expert trainer in a free IELTS masterclass.

As mentioned before, it is important to understand the band score requirements for your specific university and course. If you want to know more about admission requirements, speak to one of our expert study abroad counsellors.

Even the best-performing students do not generally score beyond an 8-band score, while the majority of students who study abroad score between 6.5 and 7.5. Here is more information on IELTS band scores and how they are calculated.