Exam Day

You will receive information about the test venue and the starting time with your letter of confirmation.

The test starts at 9am, it is best if you arrive at least at 8.20am. If you arrive late, you might not be allowed to take the exam.

ID Check
The day starts with a Passport Check at 8.30am. Please remember to bring along the Passport that you stated in your application. Driving licensess, Residence Permits without passport and student IDs are no acceptable proof of identity. Candidates without a valid ID  will not be allowed to sit the test.

Test Day Photography
As part of additional security arrangement, IELTS is introducing Test Day Photography from June 2012. Your photograph and all personal data will be used only for the purpose of the IELTS test and stored securely to prevent loss or any abuse of them.
All IELTS candidates will now have their photograph taken by IELTS staff on the test day and it will appear on the candidates’ Test Report Forms.

Cloakroom
Before the Passport checks you will have to leave all your belongings in a cloakroom. The cloakroom will be locked for the duration of the exam, but we strongly recommend not to bring any valuables, mobile phones etc. to the test venue. You will only be allowed to take your Passport and a bottle of water into the examination room.

Test
At 8:50 am the test starts with a welcome and a short introduction from your invigilator. Please listen carefully to the instructions. If you have any questions please ask one of the invigilators. There are no breaks between the first three parts of the test.

The first part of the test is the Listening Test; this takes 30 minutes, and you need to answer 40 questions. The recording will be played once only. At the end of the listening test you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answers from the question booklet to an answer sheet.

Then you continue with the Reading Test, for which you are allowed one hour, and again, you have to answer 40 questions.

The third part is the Writing Test, for which you have to write two short essays (of at least 150 and 250 words respectively) in one hour. You should spend about 20 minutes on the first and 40 minutes on the second task.

In the course of the afternoon the Speaking Tests will be held between 12.30 and 17.00. Please ensure that you are free during this period. The Speaking Test takes about 15 minutes and is a face to face interview with an IELTS Examiner. Speaking tests are conducted during the week: up to 7 days before date. In that case you will receive a written notification.

Please refer to information for IELTS takers