United Kingdom
United States of America
Canada
Australia
China
South Korea
Denmark
Finland
Hungary
Austria
Lithuania
Sweden
BelgiumIELTS Academic
University admission
Undergraduate and postgraduate admission worldwide, and professional registration bodies such as nursing and medical councils. Reading and Writing use academic texts and data description.
Register for IELTS at the official fee, with help getting it right.
Academic, General Training, UKVI and Life Skills. Official British Council platform, official dates, no markup. We make sure you book the correct test type and a date that actually fits your deadline.
4
Test Types
2
Delivery Formats
0
Markup Added
3-5
Days for CD Results
Step One
Choose the right test type
Get this wrong and you pay twice. Tell us your exact purpose and we will confirm which test you need before anything is booked.
IELTS General Training
Migration & work
Migration to the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, plus secondary education and work experience programmes. Reading uses workplace and social texts; Writing Task 1 is a letter.
IELTS for UKVI
UK visa routes
Academic or General Training taken at a UKVI-approved centre under additional security conditions. Required for certain UK visa routes and for pre-sessional English courses.
IELTS Life Skills
UK family & settlement
Speaking and Listening only, at CEFR A1, A2 or B1 level. Used for UK family, spouse and settlement visa routes. No Reading or Writing components.
Step Two
Paper-based or computer-delivered?
Identical content, identical difficulty, identical scoring. The differences are entirely practical.
| Computer-delivered | Paper-based | |
|---|---|---|
| Result timing | 3 to 5 days | 13 days |
| Test dates available | Multiple dates each week | Fewer fixed dates each month |
| Listening transfer time | 2 minutes to check answers | 10 minutes to transfer answers |
| Writing | Automatic word count, easy editing | Handwritten, manual word count |
| Reading | On-screen highlighting and notes | Annotate the paper directly |
| Speaking test | Face to face with an examiner | Face to face with an examiner |
| Best for | Fast typists, tight deadlines | Candidates who prefer paper and handwriting |
Choose your date backwards from your deadline. Allow time for the result, then for the university to process your application, and leave a buffer of at least four weeks in case you need to retake. Candidates who book the last possible date and miss their band by half a point lose an entire intake.
Step Three
How registration works with us
Step 1
Tell us your purpose
University admission, migration, UK visa or professional registration. This determines your test type, and it is the decision that costs the most to get wrong.
Step 2
Pick a format and date
We check availability against your application deadline and recommend a date that leaves you retake margin rather than the earliest slot on the calendar.
Step 3
Passport details verified
Your name must match your passport character for character, and the passport must still be valid on test day. We check this before submitting, not after.
Step 4
Pay the official fee
Exactly the British Council fee for your test type. Nothing added, and you receive a receipt.
Step 5
Confirmation issued
Your confirmation comes with the test date, reporting time and venue. Speaking may be scheduled up to a week before or after the other three modules.
Step 6
Test day briefing
We brief you on what to bring, what is prohibited, when to arrive and what happens at the venue, so nothing on the day is a surprise.
Test day checklist
- The same valid passport you registered with
- Arrive at the reporting time, not the start time
- No phone, watch, bag or notes in the test room
- Check your Speaking date separately
Before You Book
Do not register before you are ready
The test fee is significant, and retaking costs the same again. Sit a full mock test first, find out your current band, and book the real test only when you are reliably scoring at or above your target.
Take a mock test
Full simulation with a band-wise report showing exactly where your marks are going.
Close the gap
Choose the course format that targets your weak modules rather than repeating what you already know.
Then register
Book the official test with us once your practice scores are consistently at your target band.
Questions
IELTS registration questions
What does British Council authorized registration partner mean?
It means we are permitted to register candidates for IELTS on the official British Council platform. Your booking, your test and your result all come from the British Council. We are the centre that helps you complete the registration correctly, at the official fee, with no markup or service charge added.
Which IELTS test type do I need?
Academic is for university admission and professional registration. General Training is for migration to the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. IELTS for UKVI is required for certain UK visa routes and pre-sessional English courses. Life Skills covers UK family and settlement routes. Booking the wrong type is the most expensive registration error there is, so tell us your exact purpose and we will confirm which one you need.
Should I choose paper-based or computer-delivered?
The content, difficulty and scoring are identical. Computer-delivered releases results in three to five days instead of thirteen, has more available dates and gives you an automatic word count in Writing. Paper-based suits candidates who prefer to annotate Reading passages by hand and who write faster than they type. Speaking is face to face with a human examiner in both formats.
How much does the IELTS test cost?
The fee is set by the British Council and changes periodically, and it differs between test types. We charge exactly the official fee with nothing added. Call us and we will tell you the current amount for the test type you need.
What do I need to bring on test day?
The same valid passport you registered with, and nothing else you need. Phones, watches, bags and notes go into storage. Arrive at the reporting time stated on your confirmation, not the test start time, because identity verification takes time and late arrivals are not admitted.
Can I change or cancel my test date?
Transfers and cancellations are possible, but the refund depends on how much notice you give. More than five weeks before the test usually means a partial refund; less than five weeks usually means no refund unless you have supporting medical evidence. We will explain the exact terms before you pay.
How long is an IELTS score valid?
Two years from the test date. Some institutions and immigration authorities apply shorter validity windows, so check the requirement of your specific university or visa route before assuming an older score will be accepted.
Register for IELTS with an authorized partner centre
Official British Council fee, official test dates, and help choosing the right test type and a date that fits your application deadline.