We strongly urge admissions tutors to ask for an IELTS grade wherever possible. IELTS tests can usually be arranged via the British Council (usually contactable via the British Embassy or Consulate) in the country concerned. Specify the academic version of the test (rather than the General Training Version).

The test is widely available at test centres around the world which arrange test administration according to local demand. It is sometimes claimed that it is "impossible" to take IELTS in certain countries. In such cases,  INTO Newcastle University may be able to give advice. If there is no British representation in the country, it is often possible to arrange to take a test through the Australian Embassy, for example.

The IELTS test reports an overall assessment of English competence and also provides a specific score for each of the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). The test scores are reported in a series of nine "bands" from Band 1 (non-user) to Band 9 (expert user).

Depending on the subject, we also recommend that you ask for a specific grade in Writing. The overall average score can disguise a low grade in one of the skills, in particular Writing. Writing is the skill that takes most time to improve. We would recommend a minimum writing band 6.0 for subjects involving essay/examination writing: and a band 7.0 for those subjects requiring higher levels of language competence (eg English, Law, etc).

The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is run by the British Council/Cambridge University Local Examinations Syndicate. A list of IELTS test centres can be found on the IELTS website.