IELTS Academic preparation

IELTS Academic measures whether your English is ready for study at university level. Universities in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the USA and across Europe accept it, and so do many professional bodies such as medical and nursing councils.

In India the test is run by IDP. Since September 2026 the fully paper-based test has ended: Listening and Reading are taken on computer, and you choose whether to type or handwrite the Writing section. Speaking is always a face-to-face conversation with a certified examiner.

There is no pass mark. Each university sets an overall band and usually a minimum for each section, so your target depends on the courses you apply to.

• Students applying for undergraduate or postgraduate degrees abroad
• Students applying to English-taught programmes in Europe
• Doctors, nurses and other professionals registering with an overseas regulator
• Students whose UK university assesses their English itself (most degree-level applicants)

Commonly accepted for

• University and college admission in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the USA and Europe
• Australia Student visa (subclass 500), with scores set by the Department of Home Affairs
• Professional registration, e.g. medical and nursing councils (check the regulator's bands)

1. 01

   Academic vs General Training

   Listening and Speaking are identical. Academic Reading uses longer academic texts, and Academic Writing Task 1 asks you to describe data rather than write a letter.

2. 02

   Academic vs IELTS for UKVI

   IELTS for UKVI Academic has the same content and scoring but is taken at a UKVI-approved centre with extra identity checks. For a degree at a UK university you usually need only the standard Academic test.

3. 03

   Academic vs PTE Academic

   Both are accepted widely. IELTS Speaking is a conversation with a person; PTE is fully computer-based with automated scoring. Take the one your universities accept and you are more comfortable with.

• IELTS General Training
• IELTS for UKVI
• IELTS Life Skills
• PTE Academic
• PTE Academic UKVI
• PTE Core
• Interview Preparation

• Each section gets a band from 0 to 9 in whole or half bands. Listening and Reading bands come from a raw score out of 40.
• Writing and Speaking are marked by examiners against four equally weighted criteria each.
• The overall band is the average of the four sections, rounded to the nearest half band (an average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, .75 to the next whole band).
• Most universities ask for 6.0–7.0 overall with a minimum in each section, so one weak section can fail a requirement even with a good overall band.

1. 1Confirm the exact test your university, regulator or visa route asks for before you pay.
2. 2Check your passport is valid on the test date: you must book and sit the test with the same passport.
3. 3Create an account on IDP India's website (or visit an IDP branch), choose the test type, city, delivery and date.
4. 4Enter your name exactly as in your passport and upload a scan of the passport.
5. 5Pay online. Your Speaking time is confirmed separately and may be on a different day.
6. 6Choose up to five institutions to receive your result electronically at no extra cost.

IDP India lists IELTS Academic at ₹19,000 on computer or Writing on Paper (2026). Moving your date costs ₹4,750 if allowed; a re-mark (Enquiry on Results) costs ₹14,250 and is refunded if any band goes up. Fees are reviewed periodically, so check IDP India before booking.

• Start with a full timed diagnostic test so the plan is built on your actual section bands, not a guess.
• Small batches at our centre, so the trainer can hear every student speak and read every essay.
• Writing and Speaking feedback against the four public band descriptors, with an error log you keep updating.
• Weekly full-length timed mocks in the same format you will sit (computer-delivered Listening and Reading).
• Your trainer and counsellor share one plan, so your test date fits your application and visa deadlines.
• We don't promise a band: your score depends on your preparation and your performance on the day.

• Check each university's section minimums, not just the overall band.
• Book four to six weeks before your earliest deadline so a retake or re-mark is still possible.
• Practise Listening and Reading on a computer, since that is now the only way they are delivered in India.
• Plan Writing Task 2 for three to five minutes before you start writing.
• In Speaking, extend answers with a reason or an example instead of memorised lines.

Choose a start date and timing. A counsellor calls to confirm the batch and fee.

1. IELTS official website (ielts.org) (opens in a new tab)
2. IDP India: IELTS Academic test format (opens in a new tab)
3. IDP India: IELTS test fee (opens in a new tab)
4. IDP India: IELTS results timelines (opens in a new tab)
5. IDP India: transfer and cancellation policy (opens in a new tab)
6. British Council India: IELTS in India (opens in a new tab)