Your Test Day
Find out when to arrive, what to bring, and what to expect on test day.
Essential
- Your valid identification document. IELTS accepts any valid passport (from any country) or a Canadian Permanent Resident (PR) card. Photocopies will not be accepted on test day and you must bring the physical document. If you do not have either of these ID documents, please contact us before you register.
Optional
- Water bottle. Please bring water in a colourless, transparent bottle with all labels and writing removed.
- Stationery. You can bring 2 pencils and a clean eraser (no writing; wrapping removed). Your test centre can also provide these things when you arrive.
Ensure any jewellery or clothing does not cause disturbance/noise. There will be a secure place for you to keep your things during the test.
The Ontario government has lifted COVID-19 vaccination requirements, effective from March 1st 2022. This means ILAC test venues in Ontario do not require test-takers to show proof of vaccination.
Kindly note that our test venues still require test-takers to wear a mask (fully covering the nose and mouth) until further notice.
All paper-based tests follow the same schedule. We will email you if there are any changes to your test.
Note: If the schedule here is different to your confirmation email, always use the information we have provided by email.
Time | Section | Important to Remember |
8:00am to 8:15am | Registration
| Please arrive by 8:15am to allow enough time to complete registration. If you arrive late, the doors will be closed and you will be denied entry. Sorry, we do not offer refunds for late test takers. See FAQs for more information. |
8:45am to 9:00am | Pre-test Checks
| Please keep your identification document with you and take it into the test room. |
9:00am to 9:40am | IELTS Listening Test Duration: 30 mins (+10*) | *Paper-based test takers receive an additional 10 minutes to transfer their answers to the answer sheet. ILAC paper-based tests do not require or permit use of headphones. If you would like headphones, we recommend registering for a computer test. |
09:50am to 10:50am | IELTS Reading Test Duration: 60 mins | Write all answers directly onto your answer sheet. There is no extra time to transfer your answers. |
11:00am to 12:00pm | IELTS Writing Test Duration: 60 mins | Complete both writing tasks given. |
12:00pm to late afternoon | IELTS Speaking Test Duration: 20 mins | You will have a face-to-face interview with an examiner. We will provide the specific time on the test day.* |
*In some locations, speaking tests may be scheduled for a different test day. If this happens, we will contact you before your test day to confirm.
With computer-delivered IELTS, you can choose the start time of your test and the a time slot for your IELTS Speaking interview. Our computer test schedules vary, depending on if you booked a morning, afternoon or evening session. Check your email for full details.
Computer Based Schedule
Time (Computer tests run in morning, afternoon or evening sessions) | Section | Important to Remember |
| Arrive 30-45 minutes before your scheduled test time. | Registration
| Registration closes 15 minutes before the start of your test. Allow plenty of time to complete registration before this time. If you arrive late, the doors will be closed and you will be denied entry. Sorry, we do not offer refunds for late test takers. See FAQs for more information. |
5-15 minutes before your scheduled test time. | Pre-test Checks
| Please keep your approved identification document with you and bring it into your test room. |
Varies by session. We run morning, afternoon and evening tests. | IELTS Listening Test Duration: 30 mins | Type answers directly into the computer. No extra time is given to transfer answers. |
Varies by session. We run morning, afternoon and evening tests. | IELTS Reading Test Duration: 60 mins | Type all answers directly onto the computer. |
Varies by session. We run morning, afternoon and evening tests. | IELTS Writing Test Duration: 60 mins | Complete both writing tasks given. Type all answers directly onto the computer. |
Varies by session. We run morning, afternoon and evening tests. | IELTS Speaking Test Duration: 20 mins | You will have a face-to-face interview with an examiner. Check-in at least 30 minutes before your speaking test. Select a same-day time slot when booking your test online. |
IELTS assesses 4 skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. They are each worth 25% of your final mark. Try to answer all questions. Incorrect answers are not subtracted from your score.
Section | Overview | Length of Section |
Listening | You will listen to 4 recordings and answer 40 questions about them. You will only hear each recording once. You will hear a variety of native English accents, including Canadian, American, English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Australian, South African, and New Zealand. | 30 minutes (Paper-based test takers receive an extra 10 mins to transfer their answers to the answer sheet. Computer-delivered test takers do not, and will enter answers directly onto the computer.) |
Reading | You will read some passages and answer 40 questions in total. | 60 minutes |
Writing | You will be given 2 writing tasks. Complete both. There is no choice of questions. | 60 minutes |
Speaking | You will have a face-to-face interview with a certified IELTS examiner. Both computer and paper tests have in-person interviews. The examiner will ask you general questions about yourself and everyday, conversational topics. | 20 minutes |
View and practice sample questions here.
If you are late or absent without reason: Check your confirmation email to find out when you should arrive. For most tests, doors will close at least 15 to 30 minutes before the test start time. If you arrive late, you will not be admitted and your attendance will be marked absent. We will not provide a new test; you must re-book and pay for a new test.
- If you miss your test due to an emergency: Please email the office no later than 5 calendar days after your test. You may be eligible for a refund/transfer if you can provide supporting evidence that you missed your test due to a serious situation. You will be asked to submit evidence, such as a medical or police report, depending on the situation. All requests are subject to approval.
Check your confirmation email carefully to find out when you should arrive for your test. Leave plenty of time, and plan your journey in advance.
