IELTS is the International English Language Testing System that assesses the language ability of people who want to study or work where English is the primary language.
IELTS is recognised and accepted by over 10,000 organisations worldwide, including universities, employers, professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies. IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment.
Our opening hours are: Monday to Thursday, 9am-3pm or Friday, 9am-12pm.
IELTS examination dates 2021
| Month | Date | Module |
|---|---|---|
| January | Saturday 16 | Academic |
| Saturday 23 | Academic and General | |
| February | Saturday 6 | Academic and General |
| Thursday 25 | Academic and General | |
| March | Saturday 13 | Academic and General |
| Saturday 27 | Academic and General | |
| April | Saturday 17 | Academic and General |
| Saturday 24 | Academic and General | |
| May | Saturday 8 | Academic and General |
| Saturday 29 | Academic and General | |
| June | Saturday 12 | Academic and General |
| Saturday 19 | Academic and General | |
| July | Saturday 10 | Academic and General |
| Saturday 24 | Academic and General | |
| August | Saturday 7 | Academic |
| Saturday 21 | Academic and General | |
| September | Saturday 4 | Academic and General |
| Saturday 25 | Academic and General | |
| October | Saturday 9 | Academic |
| Saturday 30 | Academic and General | |
| November | Saturday 6 | Academic |
| Saturday 20 | Academic and General | |
| Saturday 27 | Academic | |
| December | Saturday 4 | Academic and General |
The Examination fee for IELTS is NZ$385
Academic or General Training Module
There are two IELTS modules to choose from:
IELTS Academic
This module is for those who want to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, and for those seeking professional registration.
IELTS General Training
This module is for those who want to migrate to an English-speaking country (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK) and for those wishing to train or study at below degree level.
Note: before registering for an IELTS test, check with the organisation that has asked you to take the test which module you need to select.
How To Book An IELTS Test
To sit an IELTS test, you need to make a booking online. You can use any computer with internet access to make your booking. If you don’t have access to a computer please contact the IELTS Office from 9:00am until 3:00pm to arrange a time to come into Ara and do the booking from one of our computers.
Information for candidates
This booklet contains important information to help you prepare for the IELTS test.
IELTS Exam Dates
- The exam is usually on a Saturday afternoon and will take about four hours.
- Your interview may be scheduled any day of the week before the exam, you can indicate your preferred interview time when registering for the exam.
- Emails containing information about exam day are sent out the Monday before the exam. Please read these carefully. The email will advise your interview time, tell you where to go and what to bring.
- Carparking is available around the campus on the day.
IELTS Preparation Courses
Prepare for your exams with our intensive English courses.
Results
After taking your IELTS exam you can view your provisional results on the IELTS website. Please note the preview of your IELTS result cannot be used as official confirmation of your test result.
Your provisional result is available online approximately 13 days after your test date and will remain available until 28 days afterwards (for 15 days total).
If you are unhappy with your exam results you may request an enquiry on your results on any or all of the exam subtests. You must request an enquiry within six weeks of the exam date or four weeks from the day the results are issued. There is a $200 fee for enquiries which is refunded if results increase. Enquiries take 2 to 21 days to be processed and returned.
Click here to fill out the form to enquire about your IELTS results (PDF – 0.1MB)
If you are living in Christchurch you will need to collect your IELTS results from Central Academic Records in builidng N room N215 at the City campus. You’ll need to bring photo ID with you and you may collect your results between 1:30 pm and 4:30 pm on the thirteenth day, or between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm on weekdays in the following weeks.
See our Campus Map for directions (PDF 0.1MB).
If you live outside of Christchurch, are returning to your home country, or we are in alert level 2 or higher, your results will be posted to you. Please ensure the address we have is your correct postal address.
We can send additional copies of your Test Report Form directly to recognising organisations. To apply for this please fill out the form below with your details and the details of the recognising organisation you would like it to be sent to. We will also need to see your passport before we can send the Test Report Form. This service is free of charge for the first five additional copies, however please note that if you would like the additional copy(ies) to be sent by courier you will need to cover the courier fees.
Cancellations, Refunds and Transfers
If you request a transfer or refund more than one week prior to your exam date, acceptance is automatic. Candidates who seek to cancel their registration or transfer test dates within the one-week period prior to the test date will only receive a refund or transfer if they can satisfy the Administrator that their ability to sit the test has been affected by illness or serious cause. Serious causes include:
- illness – e.g. hospital admission, serious injury or illness (does not include minor illness such as a mild cold)
- bereavement – death of a close family member
- hardship/trauma – victim of crime, victim of a traffic accident
- military service
Please click here for the Request for Refund or Test Date Transfer form (PDF 0.1MB)
Refunds
The deadline to request a refund or transfer is five working days after the test date. You will need to complete a Request for Refund or Test Date Transfer Form and attach relevant documentation and/or evidence. Acceptable documents include a medical certificate from a qualified medical practitioner, a death certificate or a police report. Statutory declarations and certificates signed by family members are not acceptable.
The administrator will advise you within one week of lodging the application whether or not your request has been approved. If your application for a refund is approved, the centre will refund your test fee, however a $50 administration fee will be deducted.
Please click here for the Request for Refund or Test Date Transfer form (PDF 0.1MB)
Transfers
If your application is approved, you must select a test date within the next three-month period. This will be approved by the administrator, depending on availability for the selected test date. There may be limited availability for test dates in the first five-week period. If you wish to transfer to a test date more than three months away, you should apply for a refund and then re-apply for the test.
Test Day Information
Schedule for the Day
Below is an example of a schedule for a typical test day:
- 8:00am – Registration for speaking tests begin.
- 8.20am – First speaking tests start.
- 12.15pm – Registration for writing tests begin.
- 1:00pm – The listening test commences, followed by the reading and writing sections of the test. This takes three hours (with no break).
During the test your identity will be confirmed and you will be asked to check and confirm your personal details. You are required to check your details carefully and confirm any changes on test day as these details will appear on your Test Report Form.
Your finger scan and photo will be captured on test day. Your test day photo will be used on your Test Report Form.
Location
IELTS registration and tests are held at the City Campus on Madras Street.
Ara has a large campus, and we recommend that you allow yourself plenty of time to locate the building and room before your test. Signs will be in place at least 20 minutes before the first speaking test.
What to bring:
- Passport (only those who present passports will be able to take the test)
- HB Pencils, eraser, pencil sharpener
- Clear water bottle, with the labels removed
- Food to have during the lunch break
Do not bring:
- Valuable items (a bag room is available during the exam however Ara does not take responsibility for your personal belongings)