Aspirants from across the globe wanting to take the International English Language Testing System or IELTS can appear for the test from the comfort and safety of their home or a suitable location from early 2022.
Candidates will get an option to take the secure test online as a step toward achieving their career goals and aspirations. IELTS is conducted to ascertain a test-taker’s English language proficiency following international standards. IELTS Online is another way to take IELTS Academic, which is used as one of the necessary requirements for admission to higher education institutions globally.
The test will measure candidates on skills such as speaking, listening, reading and writing, which are the same as those tested in IELTS Academic. The content and format will be no different than the computer-based and offline versions. It includes a live face-to-face speaking assessment, given online by trained IELTS examiners.
According to Christine Nuttall, the managing director for IELTS at Cambridge Assessment English, “It gives the students more flexibility with faster validated results within three days. The aim is to help more people follow their goals.”
The test will use AI-based tools and high-end security features, besides the experience and expertise of examiners. It is also equipped with features such as a secure remote invigilating platform combined with video conferencing software.
IELTS is used by more than 11,000 organizations across countries such as the UK, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. A candidate’s ability to score higher reflects that they have a better command and understanding of the English language. Every institution, company, or immigration organization has its own particular IELTS score requirements that one needs to fulfil, depending on the reason for taking the test—migration, work, or higher education.
IELTS is generally conducted at 1,600 test locations in more than 140 countries. Each test section is given a score and the individual scores are rounded off to derive an overall band score on a scale of 1-9. While the IELTS Academic is suited for those wanting to join a higher education institution overseas in an English-speaking setting, it can also be taken for professional registration purposes.
Students are allowed to send their IELTS results to up to five institutions or organizations without paying anything, beyond which they need to pay a fee. For those intending to immigrate or join a workplace abroad, the IELTS General Training Test is recommended. It is available thrice a day on all days of the week. The test duration is 2 hours 45 minutes. For IELTS Academic and General, the listening and speaking tests remain the same but questions vary in the reading and writing tests.
