You will receive information about the test venue and the starting time with your letter of confirmation.

The test starts at 9.30 am, so you must arrive at least at 9.00 am. If you arrive late, you might not be allowed to take the test on that date.

ID Check
The day starts with an ID Check at 9:00 am. Please remember to bring along the  Passport that you stated in your application. National ID cards, driving licenses and student IDs are no acceptable proof of identity. Candidates without a valid ID will not be allowed to sit the test.

Cloakroom
After the ID check you will have to leave all your belongings in a cloakroom. The cloakroom will be locked for the duration of the exam, but we strongly recommend not to bring any valuables, mobile phones etc. to the test venue. We will provide you with writing materials. You will only be allowed to take your ID and a bottle of water into the examination room.

Test
At 9.30 am the test starts with a welcome and a short introduction from your invigilator. Please listen carefully to the instructions. If you have any questions please ask one of the invigilators. There are no breaks between the first three parts of the test.

• The first part of the test is the Listening Test; this takes 30 minutes, and you need to answer 40 questions. The recording will be played once only. At the end of the listening test you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answers from the question booklet to an answer sheet.
• Then you continue with the Reading Test, for which you are allowed one hour, and again, you have to answer 40 questions.
• The third part is the Writing Test, for which you have to write two short essays (of at least 150 and 250 words respectively) in one hour. You should spend about 20 minutes on the first and 40 minutes on the second task.
• In the course of the afternoon the Speaking Tests will be held approx. between 13.00 and 17.30. Please ensure that you are free during this period. The Speaking Test takes about 15 minutes and is a face to face interview with an IELTS Examiner.

Occasionally speaking tests are conducted during the week before or after the test date. In that case you will receive a notification. However, we try to ensure that candidates travelling from other places to the test venue are tested on the same day.

We would suggest that you also read the official IELTS Test Day Advice.