What is IELTS?

The International English Language Testing System is an exam that is used to assess or test English language ability. The IELTS test has been developed to enhance an accurate assessment and evaluation of English language competency. Test questions are developed by professionals and language specialists from the UK, the USA, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. In the United Arab Emirates, the British council offers general training and exams in Dubai. With the British council in the UAE, it is possible to book the IELTS exams online or at any of their offices. It is certain that when a person books an exam with the British council, they will undertake the test at an official IELTS center. There are various things that an individual should do to book the test.

• Valid identification document

To book a test, ensure that you have a valid identification document, either an Emirates identification card or a passport, at hand. Also, during the registration process, a valid identification document should be used to register. Moreover, the same ID that you registered with should be presented at the test center on exam day for verification and validation. If the ID that was presented during the registration process does not match with the ID presented on the test day, then the British council will not permit you to do the test on that day. Not only will an individual not be allowed to undertake the test, they will also not be able to reschedule their test or apply for a refund so it is essential to produce the same ID that was used during registration and booking. Individuals who are below the age of 18 need to have written consent from their guardians or parents so that they can register, apply and do an exam. Test takers who are below the age of 16 years are not eligible to undertake the exam.

• Information for candidates.

Every person who has booked an exam should download and make sure they read the information for candidates which contains significant information about the format of the test, types of questions, and the results of the test. There are two test formats which a person chooses from:  the IELTS General and the IELTS Academic. The General training module is specifically for native candidates who want to apply for a visa, permanent residence or a work or study visa for an English-speaking country such as the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The Academic module is for candidates who want to study at an undergraduate level, those looking for professional registration, and those at a postgraduate level. For the test results, the test taker will get a test report that contains the scores for each skill (Listening, Reading Writing and Speaking) as well as an overall score. Test results are available in 3-5 calendar days.

• Make payments.

Payments for the test can be made via an online registration system. Once the booking process is complete, the candidate will receive a confirmation indicating the starting time of the exam and where the venue will be. The Listening, Writing and Reading sections are done on a computer in one sitting and the Speaking part is done face-to-face with an IELTS examiner and could be scheduled on the same day as the main test or within a 7-day phase. This is before or after the day of the main test.