Your Test Day
Find out when to arrive, what to bring, and what to expect on test day.
Essential
- Your valid ID document. IELTS accepts either a valid international passport or a Canadian Permanent Resident (PR) card. Photocopies will not be accepted on test day and you must bring the original document. If you do not have either of these ID documents, please contact us before you register.
Optional
- Water bottle. Please bring water in a clear, colourless bottle with all labels and writing removed. If your bottle does not meet the requirements, you are unable to bring it into the test room.
- Stationery. You can bring 2 pencils and a clean eraser (no writing; labels removed). You may also borrow this equipment form your test centre.
All other items must be checked in.
Can I bring anything else into the test room? Certain personal items may be allowed if they do not cause disturbance/noise or are medically required. Please contact us in advance if you have an item or device that must stay with you.
Can I bring a bag or jacket? All venues offer a place to store bags and jackets during the test. While this area is monitored, it is accessible to all test takers and there are no lockable lockers available. Valuables are left at your own risk.
ILAC test venues no longer require proof of vaccination. Masks are optional.
All paper tests follow the same schedule. We will email/text you if there are any changes to your test.
Note: If the schedule here is different from your confirmation email, always use the information we have provided by email.
Time | Section | Important to Remember |
8:00am to 8:15am | Registration
| Arrive by 8:15am to allow enough time to complete registration. If you arrive late, the doors will be closed. We do not reopen doors after they have been closed, and we do not offer refunds for late test takers. See FAQs for more information. |
8:45am to 9:00am | Pre-test Checks
| Please keep your ID with you during the test. Note that tests may start slightly before or after 9:00am. |
9:00am to 9:40am | IELTS Listening Test Duration: 30 mins (+10*) | *Paper-based test takers get an extra 10 minutes to transfer their answers to the answer sheet. ILAC paper-based tests do not use headphones. If you want headphones, please register for a computer test. |
09:50am to 10:50am | IELTS Reading Test Duration: 60 mins | Write all answers directly onto your answer sheet. There is no additional time to transfer your answers. |
11:00am to 12:00pm | IELTS Writing Test Duration: 60 mins | Complete both tasks given. There is not a choice of questions. |
12:00pm to late afternoon | IELTS Speaking Test Duration: 20 mins | You will have a face-to-face interview with an IELTS examiner. We will provide the time slot on the test day.* |
*In rare cases, we may need to schedule Speaking tests for a different day due to staffing or venue reasons. If this happens, we will contact you in advance of your test day to confirm.
Our computer-delivered test schedules vary, depending on whether you booked a morning, afternoon or evening session. Check your email for full details of the location and schedule of your test.
Computer-based Schedule
Time (Computer tests run in morning, afternoon or evening sessions) | Section | Important to Remember |
Arrive 30-45 minutes before* your scheduled start time. *For example, if your test starts at 1:00pm, please arrive between 12:15-12:30pm. | Registration
| Registration closes 15 minutes before the beginning of each test. Allow enough time to complete registration before this time. If you arrive late, the doors will be closed. We do not reopen doors after they have been closed, and we do not offer refunds for late test takers. See FAQs for more information. |
5-15 minutes before your scheduled test time. | Pre-test Checks
| Please keep your approved ID with you and bring it into your test room. |
Varies by session. We run morning, afternoon and evening tests. | IELTS Listening Test Duration: 30 mins | Type answers directly into the computer. No extra time is needed to transfer answers. |
Varies by session. We run morning, afternoon and evening tests. | IELTS Reading Test Duration: 60 mins | Type all answers directly onto the computer. |
Varies by session. We run morning, afternoon and evening tests. | IELTS Writing Test Duration: 60 mins | Complete both writing tasks. There is no choice of questions. Word count is available on-screen (no spell-check or grammar-check). |
Varies by session. We run morning, afternoon and evening tests. | IELTS Speaking Test Duration: 20 mins | You will have a face-to-face interview with an IELTS examiner. Check-in at least 30 minutes before your speaking test. Select a same-day time slot when you register online. |
IELTS assesses 4 skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Each is worth 25% of your final mark. Try to answer all questions; wrong answers are not subtracted from your score.
Section | Overview | Length of Section |
Listening | Listen to 4 recordings and answer 40 questions about them. Note that each recording is only played once. You will hear a variety of native accents, including Canadian, American, English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Australian, South African, and New Zealander. | 30 minutes (Paper-based test takers receive an extra 10 mins to transfer their answers to the answer sheet.) |
Reading | Read some texts of mixed length and answer 40 questions in total. | 60 minutes |
Writing | Answer 2 short essay-writing tasks. Complete both. There is no choice of questions. | 60 minutes |
Speaking | You will have a face-to-face interview with a certified IELTS examiner. Both computer and paper tests have in-person interviews. The examiner will ask you general questions about yourself and everyday, conversational topics. | 20 minutes |
View and practice sample questions here.
- If you are late or absent without reason: You will not be admitted and your attendance will be registered as absent. You must book and pay for a new test. Check your confirmation email to find out when you should arrive. For most tests, doors will close at least 15 minutes before the test start time.
- If you miss your test due to an emergency: You may be eligible for a refund/transfer if you can provide evidence that you missed your test due to a serious situation. A change to your personal or work circumstances is not accepted as an emergency. Find out more about our Emergency Refund-Transfer Policy here.
Check your confirmation email carefully to find out when you should arrive for your test. Leave enough time, and plan your journey in advance. Please see our FAQs for more.
