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The IELTS Teacher Training Program

The IELTS Teacher Training Program

Access the free online IELTS Teacher Training Program. A course designed for English language teachers.

IELTS Teacher Training Program

Get access to our free IELTS Teacher Training Program

IDP Education designed the IELTS Writing and Speaking training courses to enhance teachers’ performance and effectiveness as IELTS Speaking and Writing teachers. It’s part of our commitment to support teachers.

Complete the IELTS Writing training course and the IELTS Speaking training course, and you will learn how to:

Understand how to use the public Band Descriptors as a teaching tool
Become familiar with the critical features in the Speaking and Writing Band Descriptors
Understand why test takers don’t achieve their desired band score
Increase IELTS test content and assessment terminology knowledge

Access IELTS Guide for Teachers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IELTS Teacher Training course?

The IELTS training courses are a free* resource available to all TESOL and IELTS teachers. What are the course features?

Interactive IELTS Writing and Speaking courses

Covers Academic and General Training Writing

Authentic ‘live’ materials and official IELTS samples

Online intuitive training platform to optimise learning

All training materials included

10 hours worth of learning for each course

Practice in rating Writing and Speaking tests using the public Band Descriptors

Receive a certificate of completion

*The IDP IELTS Teacher Training Course is valued at $300, but offered free of charge to registered teachers

Does it cost money to access in the IELTS Teacher Training courses?

IDP Education, as one of the co-owners of IELTS, values its engagement with the teaching sector. We've been very strong supporters of English language teachers across the world.

As part of this commitment, IDP IELTS offers a free* online teacher training course for all TESOL/IELTS teachers. You do not have to pay to get access to the course.

*The IDP IELTS Teacher Training Course is valued at $300, but offered free of charge to registered teachers

What happens after I register to enrol in the IELTS Teacher Training courses?

After you register to enrol in the Teacher Training course:

IELTS will confirm your registration

We’ll enrol you in the IELTS Teacher Training course and email you personal login details to the online learning system. Please be aware that it could take a couple of days for us to approve your registration and provide access. We’ll email you when you’re ready to start.

You can access the online learning environment. Complete the courses at your own pace.

When you’ve completed both courses, we’ll ask you to complete an evaluation survey.

IELTS will email you a Certificate of Completion within 2 weeks of completing the survey.

Can teachers award IELTS band scores to students?

Teachers should not award IELTS band scores using the public Band Descriptors, but can highlight features in the assessment criteria that match written and spoken performance.

I am an IELTS teacher, can I distribute the contents of this training course?

The contents of this training course must not be shared or distributed. That's because the content is tailored to professional English language teachers. However, we do have information available that you can use in your classroom.

Do the IELTS Speaking and Writing training course have a pass rate?

Yes, a pass mark of 80% is required for all interactive quizzes.

Can IELTS test takers enrol in this course?

The IELTS Teacher Training course is for the exclusive use of professional IELTS teachers and tutors. The content of the course requires an understanding of teaching English to speakers of other languages.
If you are an IELTS test taker, you can access our free preparation material here.

I don’t have time to do the full course, what can I do?

The complete IELTS Teacher Training course takes approximately 20 hours to complete. The Writing module takes 10 hours and the Speaking module takes 10 hours. You can complete either module, or learn elements from each module.
However, we only issue a Certificate of Completion if you successfully complete both modules and the evaluation survey.

Where else can I get information for teachers?

The Guide for Teachers provides further information about the test. Additionally, it offers detailed descriptions of test scores. It includes tips from teachers on how to prepare students for IELTS.
Download the Guide for Teachers

How long can I access the program for?

Access to the IELTS Teacher Training Program is granted for 120 days. If you require more time to complete the courses, you will need to re-enrol.

The IELTS Writing training course units

Unit 1: Introduction to the Writing test

1.1 Writing Training Course Information

1.2 Introduction to the IELTS Writing Test

Unit 2: Understanding IELTS Writing prompts

2.1 Understanding Task 1 prompts

2.2 Understanding Task 2 prompts

Unit 3: Writing assessment criteria

3.1 Focus on Assessing IELTS Writing

3.2 Introduction to the Writing Assessment Criteria

3.3 Focus on Criteria Terminology

3.4 Focus on Task 1 Terminology Exercise

3.5 Focus on Task 2 Terminology Exercise

3.6 Assessment Criteria Knowledge Check

Unit 4: Writing assessment method

4.1 Examiner’s Marking Method

4.2 Matching Criteria to Performance

Unit 5: Identifying atypical scripts

5.1 Introduction to Atypical Scripts

5.2 Focus on Problem Areas

5.3 Negative Feature Knowledge Check

Unit 6: Testing Understanding of Criteria

6.1 Testing understanding – Matching Criteria to Performance

6.2 Assessing Task 1 AC and GT

6.3 Assessing Task 2 AC and GT

Unit 7: Revision

7.1 Writing Assessment Criteria Revision

7.2 Final Knowledge Quiz

7.3 Conclusion of Writing Course

The IELTS Speaking training course units

Unit 1: Introduction to the IELTS Speaking test

1.1 Speaking Training Course Information

1.2 Introduction to the IELTS Speaking test

Unit 2: Focus on Assessment

2.1 Speaking Assessment Criteria

2.2 The Public Version of the Speaking Assessment Criteria

2.3 Key Features of Fluency and Coherence

2.4 Key Features of Lexical Resource

2.5 Key Features of Grammatical Range and Accuracy

2.6 Key Features of Pronunciation

2.7 Speaking Assessment Criteria Knowledge Quiz 1

2.8 Assessment Method

Unit 3: Assessment Standards

3.1 Standard Assessment Ratings

Unit 4: Matching Assessment Criteria to Performance

4.1 Instructions

4.2 Part 1 Extracts

4.3 Part 2 Extracts

4.4 Part 3 Extracts

Unit 5: Assessment Practice - Interviews

5.1 Interviews

5.2 Interview 1

5.3 Interview 2

5.4 Interview 3

5.5 Interview 4

Unit 6: Revision

6.1 Speaking Assessment Criteria Knowledge Quiz 2

6.2 Conclusion of Speaking Course