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As your test day approaches, it’s important to know what to expect before, during and after you take your IELTS test.
Make sure you arrive early and have all the necessary documents with you as the check-in process may vary between test venues. After you have checked-in, you will be able to lock away your personal belongings before you will be guided to your seat by a test invigilator. After this point you won’t be able to talk to fellow test takers.
Once the test begins, keep track of time so you have enough time to complete each part of the test. If you have any questions, you can raise your hand to get the attention of an invigilator. Once the test concludes, you can leave the test room and collect your belongings.
Your provisional test results will be available online 3 to 5 days after taking IELTS on Computer or 13 days after sitting an IELTS on Paper test. Your official Test Report Form (TRF) can be picked up from the test centre or mailed to you.
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The Listening, Reading, and Writing parts of the test are completed immediately after each other on the same day. In some test centres, you will sit the Speaking test on the same day, or up to 7 days before or after your test date.
If you take IELTS on computer, the Speaking test will be taken on the same day, either before, or after the other three parts of the test.
If you experience difficulty on a test day, please inform the test centre immediately. The test centre may offer you a test on the next available test date.
You must bring the same passport or national identity card that you used to book your IELTS test. If you do an IELTS on paper test, you can take pens, pencils and erasers into the examination room. If you do an IELTS on computer test, the centre will provide you with pencils and paper.
You must leave all of your personal belongings outside the examination room in a secure area or locker. Mobile phones, pagers and smart watches must be switched off and left with your personal belongings.
If you keep mobile phones or electronic devices with you, you will be disqualified.
If you take IELTS on computer, you will do the tests in the following order on the same day: Listening, Reading and Writing, with the Speaking test before or after this test session.
If you take IELTS on paper, you will do the tests in the following order: Writing, Reading and Listening. Depending on the test centre, the Speaking test can be done on the same day, or up to 7 days either before or after the test date.
You must bring the same passport or national identity card that you used to book your IELTS test. Your ID will be checked before you enter the interview room and again during the interview.
As IELTS is an international test, a variety of voices and native-speaker accents are used in both the General Training and Academic tests.
What to expect in an IELTS on computer test
Taking IELTS on a computer is a little different. Find out what your test day might look like, from the check-in process to each of the test parts.
A virtual tour of an IELTS on computer test centre
Take a virtual tour of an IELTS on computer test centre and get a better understanding of what test day looks like.
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