IELTS which means International English Language Testing System is the testing agency that helps students or the candidates who want to immigrate to English-Speaking countries like the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, etc. Moreover, the IELTS test can be taken as many times as wanted by the candidates to get the best scores according to the University requirements or for the Visa requirements. But, The IELTS test has validity. The IELTS validity is for 2 years from the time the test is taken. Whatever the exam type like IELTS General or IELTS Academic the IELTS validity is the same. So, students who want to apply abroad need to apply before the IELTS validity is over.
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IELTS score Validity
Students or Candidates who want to immigrate overseas need to write the English proficiency test IELTS. In fact, students can attempt the IELTS exams as many times as possible. However, The IELTS score validity is for 2 years from the time the test scores are out from the testing agency. Moreover, the IELTS scores are the same for 2 years for any country like USA, UK, and Canada except for Australia.
IELTS band score
The IELTS band score will show you the English level you are in and the meaning of the English level. The IELTS band score and its description is the same for all the IELTS section’s band marks. This IELTS band score will help students or candidates to assess their English level and the level required by the Visa authority or the Universities.
| IELTS Band score | English Skills level | IELTS band Score Descriptor |
| 9 | Expert User | Candidates has a complete understanding of the English language, has full command of the language, and uses it fluently, appropriately, and accurately. |
| 8 | Very Good User | Test-seekers has fully operational command over the language but might make some rare errors in unfamiliar situations. Though complex detailed arguments are handled well, occasional unsystematic inaccuracies might occur. |
| 7 | Good User | Candidates have operational command over English but can make inappropriate and inaccurate usage of the language and misunderstandings in some situations. |
| 6 | Competent User | Candidates had an effective command over English, even though they make some errors at times. They Can make the proper use and understanding of fairly complex language in familiar situations. |
| 5 | Modest User | Candidates will have a partial command of English but can cope with the overall meaning and make frequent mistakes. Does not have the capability to deal with complex situations well. |
| 4 | Limited User | Their language proficiency is limited to handle only familiar situations and faces frequent problems in expressing and understanding. |
| 3 | Extremely limited User | Candidates Can only understand and convey the general meaning in familiar situations and communication breakdowns occur frequently for them. |
| 2 | Intermittent User | Candidates have very difficulty understanding spoken and written English. |
| 1 | Non-User | Candidates cannot use English except for some isolated words |
| 0 | Did not attend the exam | Candidates did not answers to the questions |
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IELTS Validity for Canada
IELTS is an exam that is accepted by more than 160 countries. International students who want to study or immigrate to work in foreign countries need to take the IELTS exam to prove their English skills. But, in Canada, this IELTS validity is measured with the CLB score created by the Canada Immigration authority to check the IELTS validity for Canada. However, The IELTS validity for Canada is for 2 years from the time exam results were issued. Moreover, the candidate doesn’t have an option for showing the IELTS score whatever they have. Only the recent score of IELTS is Validity for Canadian immigration.
IELTS Validity for Canada PR
As students are taking various types of English proficiency exams to prove their English skills, the Canada Immigration department creates its own standard value to measure the scores of students. It is called the CLB score. CLB means Canada Language Benchmark. It is not an exam but; it evaluates the scores by matching them with exam scores like IELTS, TOEFL etc.
The following are the IELTS validity for Canada PR along with CLB levels :
| CBL Level | Writing | Reading | Speaking | Listening |
| 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 11 | 8 | 8.5 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 7.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 8.5 |
| 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| 8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | 5.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 4 | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 |
| 3 | 3 | 2.5 | 3 | 3.5 |
| 2 | 2 | 1.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
IELTS TRF Validity
IELTS TRF means IELTS Test Report Form which is a paper-based report card sent by the IELTS testing authority. Students or Candidates will receive this IELTS TRF within 13 days from the time they attempt the test. The IELTS TRF Validity is 2 years from the time it was given. However, the IELTS TRF validity does not extend for more than 2 years. If any student or Candidate’s IELTS TRF validity expires he/she needs to take the exam again to get the valid IELTS certificate or test report form.
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IELTS Validity in India
International English Testing System (IELTS) is the common exam taken by the students who want to study or work in foreign countries. Even the IELTS Validity is checked in India as India also accepts IELTS scores. In India, Top Institutions are accepting the IELTS scores from the students. The IELTS validity for India is 2 years the same as the USA, UK, Canada, and New Zealand. However, in India, the IELTS exam is conducted by IDP but not by the British Council. There are about 50+ IELTS centers all over India.
IELTS Validity Extension
The IELTS Validity will not be extended for more than 2 years from the test taken a year. But, due to the Covid-19 crisis, Many international Universities accept the scores of IELTS without a test card. And also, except for the Australia GSM visa, the IELTS validity is 2 years. Only for Australia GSM visa is 3 years as the Australian immigration authority changes the terms regarding this issue.
How to extend IELTS validity?
As we all know the IELTS validity can’t be extended at any cost but there is a way to extend its period for some time. But, this will only work for a US EB-3 visa.
If your US EB-3 Visa preference data is present and the IELTS validity is expired then it will delay the process of Visa. However, if the EB-3 visas for the nurses from countries like the Philippines, where the visas are delayed in process, then your IELTS validity will expire before you get the visa. To avoid this issue, there is a way to extend the IELTS validity by using a small trick.
Those who are taking a US EB-3 Visa should start their Visa screen right after they complete their IELTS exam. This Visa screening will satisfy the requirements of the US federation and allow them to issue the Visa which has a validity of 5 years. In this way, you can get a Visa for another 3 years even after your IELTS validity expires.
IELTS Validity for UK
The IELTS validity for the UK is 2 years which is the same as countries like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, etc. However, the IELTS band scores for the UK are different for all its visa types. And few of the UK Visas even need the IELTS life skills scores for IELTS validity for the UK.
The following is the IELTS band score for different UK visas along with CEFR(Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) levels :
| UK visa types | CEFR levels | IELTS band scores |
| Tier 1( General Visa) | C1 | IELTS for UKVI overall score -7.0 in including all components |
| Tier 1 ( Exceptional talent Visa) | B1 | IELTS for UKVI – overall score -4.0 in including all components |
| Tier1( Entrepreneur Visa) | B1 | IELTS for UKVI overall score -4.0 in including all components |
| Tier 1 ( graduate Entrepreneur Visa) | B1 | IELTS for UKVI overall score -4.0 in including all components |
| Tier 2( General Visa) | B1 | IELTS for UKVI overall score -4.0 in including all components |
| Tier 2 ( sportsperson Visa) | A1 | IELTS Life skills A1 – passIELTS for UKVI overall score -4.0 in including all components |
| Tier2 ( Minister of Religion Visa) | B2 | IELTS for UKVI overall score – 5.5 in including all components |
| Tier 4( general Visa- below degree level or sessional courses) | B1 | IELTS for UKVI overall score -4.0 in including all components |
| Tier 4 ( general Visa – above degree level or equal to degree level) | B2 | IELTS for UKVI³ overall score – 5.5 in including all components |
| Family route :Spouse/partnerParent of dependent | A1 | IELTS life skills A1 – passIELTS for UKVI overall score – 4.0 in including all components |
| Family route:spouse/partnerParent of dependent | A2 | IELTS life skills A2 – passIELTS for UKVI overall score -4.0 in including all components |
| Indefinite leave to remain or Citizenship | B1 | IELTS life skills B1 – passIELTS for UKVI overall score -4.0 in including all components |
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IELTS Validity : Band score for UK Universities
The IELTS band score for UK Universities varies from University to University. However, the minimum IELTS band score for UK Universities is 6.5 overall with 6.0 in all IELTS sections for both UG and PG degree. But, some universities like University of Oxford, University of Cambridge etc which are top Universities in the UK and in the World require a minimum of 7.0 or 7.5 overall IELTS band score.
| QS rankings | University name | IELTS score for UG degree | IELTS score for PG degree |
| 2 | University of Oxford | 7.0 | 7.5 |
| 3 | University of Cambridge | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| 7 | Imperial London College | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 8 | UCL | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 16 | The University of Edinburgh | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 27 | The University of Manchester | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 35 | King’s School of London | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| 49 | London School of Economics and Political Science | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 61 | University of Warwick | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| 62 | University of Bristol | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 92 | University of Leeds | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 95 | University of Sheffield | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 117 | Queen Mary University of London | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| 103 | University of Nottingham | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 82 | Durham University | 6.5 | 6.5 |
IELTS general Validity
As IELTS is having 2 types of test forms: IELTS general and IELTS Academic. Students can take any type of test form for attending the IELTS exam. The IELTS Validity for General test score is of 2 years time period same as IELTS Academic. As the IELTS exam is world-famous, the Testing agency reserved the IELTS Validity for any test form for 2 years. However, the IELTS general is designed for the candidates who want to work, train, or study at the Secondary School level in Foreign countries. Also, candidates who want to migrate to English-speaking countries can take the IELTS general exam to prove their English skills.
Check out : Ielts result and score
IELTS Score Validity for USA
Even though over 3,400 Institutions in the USA are accepting the IELTS scores, the IELTS validity is for 2 years like in other countries. And the USA government doesn’t set any minimum IELTS score required for a USA Visa. However, The minimum IELTS validity score for USA Universities is 5.5 in IELTS overall band score. But, the Top Universities in the USA required at least an IELTS band score of 7.0 which shows the English skills of the person as a “Good User”.
The following is the IELTS scores for USA Universities for both UG and PG courses :
| QS world rankings | University name | IELTS score for UG Courses | IELTS scores for PG courses |
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 7 | 7 |
| 2 | Stanford University | 7 | 7 |
| 3 | Harvard University | 7 | 7 |
| 4 | California Institute of Technology | 7 | 7 |
| 9 | University of Chicago | 7 | 7 |
| 13 | Princeton University | 7 | 7 |
| 14 | Cornell University | 7 | 7.5 |
| 15 | Yale University | 7 | 7 |
| 16 | Columbia University | 7 | 7 |
| 19 | University of Pennsylvania | 7 | 7 |
| 34 | NorthWestern University | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| 63 | University of Texas at Austin | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 100 | Purdue University | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 190 | University of Colorado Boulder | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 115 | University of Southern California | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 141 | Michigan University | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 203 | Texas A&M University | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 180 | University of Florida | 6.0 | 6.5 |
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IELTS Validity in Australia
The IELTS validity in Australia is also for 2 years except for the Skilled Migrant Workers. Previously, it also had a 2 years validity period, but because of some reasons, the Australian Immigration department changed the IELTS validity for 3 years to General Skilled Migrant workers. However, IELTS became one of the main components to issue the Visa for the Skilled workers.
The Minimum IELTS Overall score required is 6.0 and also in all the Components in IELTS. The points are also allotted based on the IELTS score. Higher the IELTS score, the higher the points. And the IELTS scores are divided into 3 bands Competent, Proficient, and Superior.
| IELTS score secured | Points |
| Competent( IELTS score equal to 6.0 or more) | 0 |
| Proficient( IELTS score equal to 7.0 or more) | 10 |
| Superior( IELTS score equal to 8.0 or more) | 20 |
The following table shows the IELTS scores and IELTS sections along with the English proficiency bands for Australian Permanent Residency :
| English language proficiency | IELTS sections | IELTS scores |
Competent | Writing Reading Speaking Listening | 6 6 6 6 |
Proficient | Writing Reading Speaking Listening | 7 7 7 7 |
Superior | Writing Reading Speaking Listening | 8 8 8 8 |
Moreover, the IELTS validity for the study visa for Australia is also 2 years and every university has its own requirements for IELTS band score for both UG and PG courses. The minimum IELTS validity score for Australian Universities is 5.5 in each IELTS component along with 6.0 points in IELTS overall band score for UG courses. And for the PG courses, students need to get a minimum of a 6.0 point in each IELTS component with an overall of 6.5 in IELTS band score. However, for the degree in Engineering, and Educational studies a minimum of 7.0 IELTS score is required.
The following table shows the IELTS band score for both UG and PG courses in some Australian Universities :
| World rank of the University | University name | IELTS overall score for UG courses | IELTS overall score for PG courses |
| 24 | Australian National University | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| 39 | University of Melbourne | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 42 | University of Sydney | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 48 | University of Queensland | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 45 | University of New south wales | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 59 | New Monash University | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 114 | University of Adelaide | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 160 | University of Technology Sydney | 6.0 | 6.5 |
FAQs
Ans: No, the IELTS validity is not extended for 3 years. The IELTS validity is 2 years from the time the candidate took the Exam. But, the candidate who wants to migrate to Australia for work purposes and applied for an Australian GSM visa, has an extension of 3 years for some conditions. Other Than them, for any country the IELTS validity is not extended.
Ans: The IELTS validity is for 2 years. Moreover, the IELTS exam is the common exam for proving the English proficiency levels of the students or for the workers. After the test is taken, the IELTS results are issued within 5-7 days for the computer-based test and the test report form is given within 13 days. However, the IELTS test is having an expiry period. It will expire after 2 years of the test taken.
Ans: Yes, the IELTS certificate has a validity period. The IELTS Validity for Certificate is for 2 years from the time the certificate was issued.
Ans: The IELTS result is not valid for life. The validity of the scores varies by nation. While some nations need an IELTS assessment report to be no older than two years, others may accept test results up to three years old.
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