IELTS Academic – get ready for a higher education environment
The IELTS Academic test measures whether you have the level of English language proficiency needed for an academic, higher education environment. It reflects some of the features of academic language and assesses whether you are ready to begin studying or training.
Take this test if you want to:
- study at either undergraduate or postgraduate level anywhere in the world
- apply for Tier 4 Student Visa at a university that is a Tier 4 Sponsor in the UK
- work in a professional organisation in an English speaking country.
You can choose between paper-based or computer-delivered IELTS Academic. Both test formats will take place at one of our official test centres.
If you are applying to a UK University, that has requested you to take an IELTS for UKVI (Visas and Immigration). Find out more about IELTS for UKVI.
Fee for IELTS Academic: 815 PLN
Format: There are four sections to the test: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
If you take a paper-based test, your Speaking test may be offered on the same day as the other sections of the test, or up to 3 days before or 1 day after. You will receive notification seven days in advance if your Speaking test is on a different day to your main test day.
If you choose a computer-delivered test, you have a free choice of Speaking test dates and venues.
Be prepared that the whole test session including registration and change of exam papers may take up to 5 hours.
From January 2021 some of our IELTS test centres will start delivering the IELTS Speaking test via video calls. This means more flexibility and more availability of IELTS Speaking tests.
You will take the Video-Call Speaking test at an official IELTS test centre with the same high standard of identity verification. The test will be exactly the same as the in-person Speaking test in terms of content, scoring, timing, level of difficulty, question format and security arrangements. Delivered by an IELTS Speaking Examiner, the video-call Speaking test will maintain the face-to-face feature of the in-person Speaking test.
Book your IELTS Academic test
Success starts with IELTS. If your goal is to study at university or work in an English speaking country, then IELTS academic is the right test for you.
At the British Council, we are committed to providing you with the support you need to enable you to do well in the test. When you book with us, you get free unlimited access to Road to IELTS Last Minute course. This includes nine videos giving advice and tutorials, 100 interactive activities and two IELTS Academic practice tests for each of the four skills.
Find an IELTS Academic test date
Before booking your test, make sure to check which test you need with the organisations you are applying to.