IELTS 2021 Exam - Dates, Registration, Test Format, Eligibility & Fees

Amid the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic, British Council has announced the latest information and updates regarding the IELTS exam 2021-2022. As per the COVID 19 safety guidelines, the conducting authorities will process examinations by following strict safety measures and by prioritizing the welfare of the candidates at all times. IELTS exam starts from 9th January 2021 and proceeds till 19th Dec 2021. Read this article till the end to know all about the IELTS exam. 

What is IELTS?

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a test formulated to examine your English communication skills. It is an international standardized test of English managed by the British Council and conducted for non-native English speakers.  IELTS is obligatory for students pursuing study abroad, especially in different countries like UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, etc. 

Why is IELTS required?

IELTS scores are used by a humongous number of universities and institutions to test the language proficiency of a student and their ability to communicate in English. They generally measure your skills in two formats- IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. The entire English language proficiency exam assesses your skills in listening, reading, writing, and speaking. 

Types of IELTS test format

There are two types of formats used:

1. Academic Test- Students who want to pursue higher education or are applying for professional registration in an English-speaking environment are required to undergo IELTS Academic Test. This is conducted to examine your academic language and to examine whether you are ready to begin your training or not. 
2. General Ability- Students who are going to English-speaking countries for education purposes, to gain work experience, or any other training programs are required to undergo IELTS General Training Test. This usually examines the basic survival skills in English speaking countries. 

IELTS Exam Dates

IELTS exam is starting from 9th January 2021 and will proceed till 19th December 2021. The exam will take place on 4 days in a given month. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, if the number of students attempting the exam are less, then certain dates of the exam may be cancelled. Depending on the convenience of the students, the exam generally takes place on Thursdays and Saturdays.

IELTS 2021-2022 exam dates in India

Month	IELTS Test Date	IELTS Test Format
January	Saturday, 09 January 2021 Saturday, 16 January 2021 Thursday, 21 January 2021 Saturday, 23 January 2021	Academic only Academic and General Training Academic and General Training Academic only
February	Saturday 06 February 2021 Saturday 06 February 2021 Thursday, 25 February 2021 Saturday, 27 February 2021	Academic only Academic and General Training Academic only Academic and General Training
March	Thursday, 04 March 2021 Saturday, 13 March 2021 Saturday, 20 March 2021 Saturday, 27 March 2021	Academic only Academic and General Training Academic only Academic and General Training
April	Saturday, 10 April 2021 Saturday, 17 April 2021 Saturday, 24 April 2021 Thursday, 29 April 2021	Academic only Academic and General Training Academic only Academic and General Training
May	Saturday, 08 May 2021 Thursday, 20 May 2021 Saturday, 22 May 2021 Saturday, 29 May 2021	Academic and General Training Academic only Academic and General Training Academic only
June	Saturday, 05 June 2021 Saturday, 12 June 2021 Thursday, 17 June 2021 Saturday, 19 June 2021	Academic and General Training Academic and General Training Academic only Academic and General Training
July	Thursday, 2 Jul. 2021 Saturday, 11 Jul. 2021 Saturday, 18 Jul. 2021 Saturday, 25 Jul. 2021	Academic only Academic and General Training Academic only Academic and General Training
August	Thursday, 6 Aug. 2021 Saturday, 8 Aug. 2021 Saturday, 22 Aug. 2021 Saturday, 29 Aug. 2021	Academic only Academic and General Training Academic and General Training Academic only
September	Saturday, 5 Sep. 2021 Saturday, 12 Sep. 2021 Thursday, 17 Sep. 2021 Saturday, 26 Sep. 2021	Academic only Academic and General Training Academic and General Training Academic and General Training
October	Saturday, 10 Oct. 2021 Thursday, 15 Oct. 2021 Saturday, 24 Oct. 2021 Saturday, 31 Oct. 2021	Academic only Academic and General Training Academic and General Training Academic and General Training
November	Saturday, 7 Nov. 2021 Thursday, 12 Nov. 2021 Saturday, 21 Nov. 2021 Saturday, 28 Nov. 2021	Academic only Academic and General Training Academic and General Training Academic only
December	Thursday, 3 Dec. 2021 Saturday, 5 Dec. 2021 Saturday, 12 Dec. 2021 Saturday, 19 Dec. 2021	Academic only Academic and General Training Academic only Academic and General Training

IELTS 2021-22 Eligibility Criteria

Candidates who all meet the required eligibility criteria mentioned below can apply for the IELTS exam.

1. The candidate must have a minimum age of 16 years or above
2. The candidate must possess a valid passport 
3. The candidate should have at least completed Class XIIth to apply for the IELTS exam
4. Candidates who have completed their XIIth can apply for IELTS Academic Test
5. Candidates who have completed undergraduate and are planning to pursue their higher education abroad must apply for IELTS academic Test. 
6. Candidates who are planning to study in UK//Australia/Canada/USA/New Zealand can apply for the IELTS exam.
7. Candidates who are planning to work in UK/USA/Australia can apply for the IELTS exam. 
   Candidates who are emigrating to Canada/New Zealand/Australia can apply for IELTS exams. 

Note: The age of the candidates may differ from University to University. It is suggested that students must cross-check the eligibility criteria pre-set by the University. 

IELTS 2021 Exam Pattern

Total Duration of the exam	2 Hours 45 min
Skills assessed in the exams	Listening, Writing, Reading, and Speaking

Type of Exam	No. of Questions	Duration of the exam
Listening	40 Questions	30 Minutes
Academic Reading	40 Questions	60 Minutes
General Reading test	40 Questions	60 Minutes
General Writing test	Task I- 150 Words Task II- 250 Words	60 Minutes
Academic Writing	Task I- 150 Words Task II- 250 Words	60 Minutes
Speaking (Face-to-face interview)	3 -5 Questions	11-15 Minutes

IELTS 2021 Syllabus

Listening Test	Short answer questions, Labeling of a plan, Map or Diagram, Completion of flow chart, Table Completion, Completion of summary, MCQ’s
Reading Test	Sentence completion, Flowchart completion, Diagram Label Completion, Short answers, Matching sentence Ending, Identifying writer’s views, identifying information
Writing Test	Questions to test the ability and suggest an answer, Assessment of general factual information, Argument or problem, Letter writing, Describing, Precis writing
Speaking Test	Face-to-face interview, Questions on familiar topics related to family, work, studies, interests, Questions related to speech

IELTS 2021 Registration 

You can register yourself in two methods:

1. Offline Mode: To register offline, you have to download the application form, fill in all the required details and submit it to British Council or IDP India office. You can pay the registration fees either by submitting Demand Draft(DD) to ICICI Bank or through credit or debit card digitally.
2. Online mode: You can visit the official website of IELTS India and register yourself for the exam. You can pay the registration fees online through debit or credit card digitally. 

How to register online for IELTS 2021? 

 To register yourself:

1. Visit the official website of IELTS India. 
2. Click on, “ Register for the test”
3. Select the preferred test mode- Online on Computer or Offline Paper Based
4. Choose the test format you want to apply for i.e. General Training Test or Academic Test
5. Look for the closest IELTS centre available on the list.
6. Select the dates and slots at your convenience.
7. Fill in all the required details in the registration form. 
8. Upload a recent passport size photograph
9. Click, submit. It will direct you to the payment portal. Pay the required amount digitally through a credit or debit card.
10. Congratulations! You have registered yourself for the IELTS exam. 

For the speaking test, you can select the date and time slot at your convenience but if you fail to do so, automatically a date and time slot is allotted for the speaking test. 

IELTS 2021 Exam fees

• Exam Fees

To finish the registration process for IELTS 2021, the candidates are liable to pay a fee of INR 14,000 for the regular IELTS exam. For UKVI and life skills, the fees may vary accordingly. 

• Cancellation fees: 

In case you cancel your exam, the IELTS test fee is refundable but a certain amount is deducted as an administrative fee.

1. If the candidate cancels the IELTS exam application form more than 5 weeks ahead of the test date, 25% of the amount will be deducted as administrative fees and the remaining amount is refunded to the candidate. 
2. If the candidate cancels the IELTS exam application form 5 weeks ahead of the test date, the candidate will not get any refund. 
3. If the candidate does not appear for the exam, the candidate will not receive any refund.
4. If the candidate generates a medical certificate, then a certain amount will be deducted and the remaining amount will be refunded. 
5. If the candidate does not send a cancellation form with the required documents, the candidate will be marked as absent and all the claims will be forfeited. 

Once the cancellation application form is received by the authorities, they will rectify all the details, and in case if the information is found missing they will reach out to the candidates via an email. If the details are found complete they will initiate the amount and will update you on the same via email or SMS. The amount will be refunded to your bank account that was used while the transaction of the money if paid online, or else will be refunded via NEFT if paid offline. The refund process will take up to 5 weeks to process your fee amount. 

• Rescheduling fees:

You are allowed to transfer your test date only once. The new test date should be within three months of the original test date. Due to illness or any other reason, the candidate will not be allotted any second date. As per the mentioned norms, the candidate will not be entitled to a refund of the test fee or any further transfer to a new test date. 

IELTS Admit Card 2021

You will receive an admit card one week before the exam. It contains all the important details of the candidate. The candidate is liable to carry the admit card and their passport(Original and Xerox) to the allotted centre at the time of the examination. 

IELTS 2021 Scholarships

To study internationally, one of the major limitations is to fund a high amount of tuition fees clubbed with soaring living expenses. Instead of settling down for other alternatives, you can avail of numerous IELTS Scholarships and education loans to fabricate your dreams of studying abroad.

As per the guidelines of the British Council, AEO, or any other IELTS conducting institutions, you can avail for IELTS Test fee Scholarships which includes full fee repayment of an IELTS exam. Within 45 days of the final result declaration, eligible candidates will acquire the IELTS fee amount credited in their bank account. 

IELTS 2021 Results

You do not have to wait for a long period for your test results. 

1. If your exam is computer (online) based then log on to your profile after 3-5 days of your test exam. The results will be available on the official website.
2. If your exam is paper (offline) based then you have to wait for a minimum of 13 days after your test exam. 
3. If your exam is IELTS Life Skills based then you can access your test results after 7 days of the exam. 

Note: Your results shown online are not official. They are your provisional marks. You will receive an official Test Report Form (TRF) to your postal address. The TRF form will include the score of each module and the overall band score. It is advised to keep the TRF safe as they might have to produce it during the time of admissions. 

IELTS preparation tips 2021

1. Self-study or opt for coaching classes- It totally depends on whether you want to self-study or acquire proper coaching to study as it depends on your language proficiency and comfort level. To enhance your English proficiency, invest some time in studies as it will help develop study skills as a result. 
2. Work on your vocabulary- Learning is a continuous process of life. Develop a reading habit and try to learn new words everyday. It will help you improve your knowledge as well as your speaking skills. Make proper use of the dictionary or thesaurus to discover new words on a daily basis. 
3. Read newspapers, magazines, handbooks- It will succour your educational value and will help you boost your knowledge. By reading newspapers, magazines etc you will gain a deep insight on the subject.
4. Speak in English- Prefer talking to your family, relatives, friends in English. It will help you ameliorate your speaking ability. Also, practice talking in front of a mirror to attain more confidence. Make use of the most conventional phrases, expressions, idioms, sentence formations while speaking. 
5. Accurate use of grammar-While practicing talking or writing, phrase correct sentences. Work on the structure of the sentences to refine your sentence formation. 

And you are ready to go. All the best!

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