Registration for the IELTS Test

How to Find an IELTS Test Center and Date

In order to begin the process of registering for the IELTS, students must first decide where they wish to take the test. The IELTS is currently available in more than 140 countries, at a total of over 1,100 test centers. The IELTS website allows students to search for test centers by country and city. Clicking on individual test centers will bring up lists of open dates. Once a suitable test administration has been chosen, students register directly with the test center. This may be done online or by sending in the completed registration form in hard copy.

Online Registration for the IELTS

The IELTS website provides links that allow students to register online with the individual test centers. Online registration involves providing information about the test-taker (name, address, date of birth, and gender), answering relevant questions (reason for taking the test, native language, country of origin, and current level of education), and uploading a scan of the required identity documents (only passports and national identification cards will be accepted).

Hard Copy Registration for the IELTS

Students who choose to sign up via registration forms in hard copy must complete all sections of the form by hand; online registration is therefore the easier method. For test-takers submitting registration forms, photocopies of identity documents must be included. Identification for both methods of IELTS registration should be current and valid (expired documents are not allowed). Regardless of how a student signs up, the test center will send confirmation of registration for the IELTS and for the speaking module (the latter may be taken on a different day).

Registration Fees

The registration fee for the IELTS academic and general training tests depends on the country in which the exam is administered, and there can also be some variation within countries. In the United States, test centers will charge as little as $215 or as much as $250, with the average at about $235. Registration fees for the IELTS in other countries must be paid in the national currency of those countries. For example, the cost is $300-309 in Canada, £160 in the United Kingdom, and €220 in Germany. The fee for the IELTS Life Skills test in the United States is $195, or $295 with the UK immigration and visa fee. Registration fees must be paid in full at the time of registration. Additional charges may apply if the student wishes to have his or her score reports sent in hard copy (electronic delivery is free).

Refund Policies

IELTS reserves the right to refuse testing to candidates who do not follow all testing and registration policies. Students who are refused testing for these reasons are ineligible for any refund of registration fees. Refund policies for students who cancel or change registration are determined by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the test is taken.

Registration for Disabled Students

Disabled students requesting accommodations for the IELTS should contact their chosen test center. If the test-taker is asking for a modified version of the IELTS, he or she must notify the test center at least three months before the desired test date. Examples of modified exams include large-print text or listening CDs with pauses. If student merely needs special circumstances for taking a standard version of the exam, such as extra breaks or extended time, the mandatory notification period is six weeks. All requests for accommodations must have supporting medical documentation, which should be submitted at registration.

Sending Test Report Forms

IELTS Test Report Forms (score reports) are sent by the individual test centers to the institutions or organizations selected by the student. These entities should be chosen by the test-taker at the time of registration, and the registration fee includes five reports. Additionally, the student will be provided with a single copy of his or her Test Report Form, which IELTS will not replace if it is lost. Score reports will be delivered electronically or in hard copy only; test centers do not offer phone score reporting or scans of score reports. Test reports are usually available to students and organizations approximately 13 days after the test, although not necessarily at the same time (institutions may receive scores before students). IELTS does not grant test-takers later access to the work they complete on the exam (viewing completed answer sheets or responses after finishing the test is not allowed). Except under a narrow range of circumstances, Test Report Forms are confidential and will not be disclosed without student consent.