What is the Educational Eligibility to give the IELTS exam?

There are no minimum IELTS eligibility criteria to take the test. However, the candidates are advised to check the minimum eligibility criteria set by the educational institution or organization where they are applying.

Candidates with Special Requirements in IELTS

The conducting authority of IELTS ensures that the candidates with special requirements are treated equally. Due to this reason, the candidates from the following categories are given a bit of leniency:

• Candidates with learning difficulties
• Candidates with hearing difficulties 
• Candidates with visual difficulties
• Candidates with serious medical conditions 
• Candidates with a need for infant feeding

The conducting authority can make special arrangements for these candidates and the candidates need to give notice before 2 weeks of the exam date. Candidates with specific medical issues can apply for this. Not just that!

The candidates with special requirements can take a modified version of IELTS and they need to give a notice 3 months before the exam so that the conducting team can make all the arrangements. So the candidates with learning, hearing, or visual difficulties can opt for this. 

What are the Arrangements for IELTS candidates with special Requirements

The special arrangements of IELTS depend on the need for the requirements of the candidates. The followings are the few among the possible arrangements for IELTS candidates with special requirements. 

• Braille question papers
• Enlarged print or Speaking task cards in Braille.
• The permission of using own word processor or computer after system checking
• A reader or screen-reading technology
• A copier or transcriber
• Transparent overlays
• Print copies with large font size
• Magnifier
• Special version of listening and speaking tests 
• Special Listening CD with necessary stops and pauses
• Lip-reading version of the Listening test
• Hearing aids and headphones 
• Exemptions and endorsed certificates for extreme difficulties 
• Extra time (25% more than the normal time) for any difficulty
• Extra time for medical conditions 
• Extra time for the candidates for infant feeding 
• Supervised break in case the candidates felt tired due to the long duration

The candidates need to show complete medical evidence of the difficulty at the time for seeking special arrangements. This report must be written when the candidate is 12 years old or older. Complete details of the difficulties must be there and the report must be done by a qualified doctor. The medical certificate may be verified at the IELTS test center. 

IELTS for Migration

IELTS is the only English language test accepted by immigration authorities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom for the visa, and migration purposes. Immigration authorities rely on IELTS as a measure of English language proficiency. Some of the immigration departments that accept the IELTS scores among which there are the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Immigration New Zealand, and the UK among others. 

Who Accepts IELTS?

Educational institutions, employers, government, immigration departments, and professional bodies across the world accept the IELTS score. Irrespective of the countries, the IELTS band score is proof that a candidate even though he or she is not from an English speaking country can manage in a country where the main medium of communication is English. 

The higher education institutions and universities located in the US accept IELTS scores as proof of English language proficiency and give preference to the candidates who have a good IELTS score.