IELTS

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is the world’s most popular English language test. More than 2 million IELTS tests were taken last year.

Taking IELTS opens doors – it can help you live, study and work around the world. More than 8,000 organisations worldwide accept IELTS, including government, academic and employment institutions. In fact, IELTS is the only English language test accepted for immigration purposes by all countries that require one.

Why take IELTS with the British Council?

The British Council has more than 75 years’ experience teaching and testing English. We have more than 500 test locations around the world and we helped people in more than 90 countries gain English language qualifications that help them make the most of their chances in life. That’s a lot of experience, and it means that if you take an English language test with us, you can be confident that you’ll be well looked after.

Five reasons why you should take IELTS with the British Council Thailand:

• Expert support: from videos and books to online interactive courses, you have access to the best preparation materials to help you do well in your test
• Free resources: Road to IELTS is the British Council’s popular online preparation course. When you register for an IELTS test with us you also get access to 30 hours of free training.
• Convenient test dates, locations and venues: we offer frequent tests a month in four locations in Thailand; Bangkok, Samutprakan, Chiang Mai and Phuket. This means that you have a huge range of options for where and when you can take your test.
• Easy booking: you can book your IELTS test online or at our centres or our partners across country and take advantage of flexible payment options.
• Fast results: we guarantee you will be able to see your results online within just 13 days of the date you take your test.

You can register for IELTS quickly and easily either online or in person at British Council centres or at authorised registration partners.

To register, simply follow the steps below:

1. Read the information for candidates

Download and read the Information for Candidates (PDF, 564 kb) which contains important information about the test format, the question types and the test results. Please note that IELTS is not recommended for candidates under the age of 16.

2. Decide which version of the test is right for you

There are two versions of the IELTS test:

IELTS Academic: this is recommended for candidates who plan to undertake academic study.
IELTS General Training: this is recommended for candidates to use at work, work-related training or for migration.

Read our simple guide to help you decide which version of the test is right for you. It is strongly recommended that you also check with the organisations you wish to apply to before you book your test!

3. Check the IELTS test dates 

There are a limited number of places for all our IELTS test sessions. IELTS test with the British Council are very popular, so we recommend that you register one month prior to make sure you get a place.. Check the IELTS test dates.

You can use our online registration system to find up-to-date information about test dates and availability or else contact our one of our centres to register in person. You can download a list of registration centres at the bottom of this page.

Please note: Your Listening, Reading and Writing tests will be completed on the same day. Your Speaking test may be offered on the same day, or up to a week before or after your main test day. When registering, you will receive notification if your Speaking test is on a different day to your main test day.

4. Register online

Register online by completing the following three steps. The fee for online registration is THB 6,000

• Complete your details and choose the test date 
• Scan and upload the list of documents in step 5
• Pay online by credit card

5. Prepare and send or scan your documents

For online registration, please scan and upload the following documents:

i) Two passport photos that:

• are from the past six months
• have a plain background
• show the test taker with a neutral expression (not smiling) with mouth closed
• show the test taker without glasses (if you wear them)
  (Please be aware that your picture may appear on your Test Result Form)

ii) A photocopy of your ID (passport or Thai ID card).

For in-person registration at the British Council and authorised registration partners, bring the above documents plus the following:

iii) Your completed IELTS registration form and declaration form (in person registration only)

6. Choose your payment options for in person registration

If registering in person, the test registration fee is THB 6,300. You can pay using the following methods:

• Cash (British Council and registered partners)
• Credit card (only accepted at the British Council)
• Debit card (only accepted at the British Council)

7. After you register

• Those registering online will receive an email containing access details to our free online preparation course - Road to IELTS 
• Those registering in person will receive a confirmation receipt and Road to IELTS access details.   

For more information about postponement, cancellation, amendment of test version and remarking, please visit our Terms and conditions page or email our Exams team.

Special Arrangements

IELTS is designed to be a fair test and your English language ability will be assessed objectively, regardless of any special needs that you may have. Please contact us three months in advance of your test date to find out how you can apply for special arrangements.

Learn more about what we can do to help you.

If you book your IELTS test with the British Council you can take exclusive advantage of our wide range of learning materials – all designed to help you get the best possible score in your IELTS test. 

Road to IELTS Course – 30 hours of free online study

Road to IELTS is a popular online self-study resource for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking test practice. Written by the British Council for its IELTS students, Road to IELTS includes: 

• Practice materials
• Timed tests
• Tutorials
• Online scoring
• Self-assessment tools so that you can measure your progress 

You can try our Road to IELTS resources with 10 hours of free study right now. When you register for an IELTS test with us you’ll be free to enjoy a further 20 hours of access to the learning materials. 

Go to Road to IELTS

British Council IELTS courses and workshops

We provide a range of face-to-face courses and workshops taught by highly qualified English language teachers who have in-depth knowledge of the IELTS test. 

Find out about our IELTS courses

More British Council IELTS materials and resources:

• IELTS books: You can buy a selection of IELTS self-study books which are written by some of the world’s leading English language experts.
• IELTS videos: We also have a selection of videos about fluency, grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary. These will help you prepare for your Listening and Speaking tests.
• LearnEnglish website: We have a website dedicated to learning English called LearnEnglish which has a range of useful learning resources.
• Learning Lounge (Chiang Mai centre): The Learning Lounge in Chiang Mai is where you can make a selection of IELTS books and resources.
• IELTS seminars: We run quarterly seminars at the Bangkok and Chiang Mai centres. These are face-to-face sessions with our highly qualified teachers that will provide practical tips and tricks as well as an opportunity for you to ask questions.

Useful links

Read our IELTS tips for success to make sure you perform at your very best on the test day.

Read our Courses and resources for more advice, materials and guidance.

We understand that getting your results is important to you. We know you want them quickly, but it is equally important that we give you the score that correctly reflects your performance. 

You can expect your IELTS result to be available 13 calendar days after your test.

IELTS results online

You will be able to preview your results online from 13:00 hr. onwards on the 13th day after the main test day. 

You will not be able to obtain your results over the phone, by email or by fax.

Collection of TRF

• You will be able to collect your IELTS results (also known as your Test Report Form or TRF) from British Council, Siam Square 13 days after the date of the main test day from 13:00 hr. Please bring a proof of identity (original passport or Thai ID Card only) at the time of collection of your results.

If you are unable to collect your TRF

• Someone else can collect on your behalf. A copy of your identity document, a signed letter of authority from you, an original and a copy of identity document of your representative must be given to our staff at the time of collection of your TRF or
• We will post it to you by Express Mail Service for Thai destinations and normal mail for overseas destinations after 4 days from the date of release of results.  

Test Report Form (TRF)

Your personal Test Report Form

You will receive one copy of the TRF. Unfortunately, replacements cannot be issued if you lose it. 

Test Report Forms for institutions

We can also arrange for additional original copies (up to a maximum of five) to be posted to receiving institutions (e.g. universities, immigration officers, etc.). If you would like us to do this, please include the relevant addresses when you register. 

Institutions need original copies of your TRF. Photocopies of your TRF will not be accepted. If you want us to produce and send another institutional copy of your TRF, you will be asked to pay an administration fee of 500 Baht per copy plus an extra courier fee if you require. We will mail your copy to the recipient directly, therefore, you need to provide the institutions’ address and fill in the "Extra TRF request form" at the Registration Point. Please note that we are unable to issue TRF of test result beyond two years.

Institutions may be able to view candidates’ scores through the IELTS TRF Verification Service. To do this they will need your TRF number which can be found in the bottom right corner of your Test Report Form.

The validity period of your Test Report Form

Institutions will not usually accept a TRF that is more than two years old. 

Understand your IELTS scores

IELTS provides results for all levels of English: there is no such thing as a pass or fail. You will be given a score from zero to nine for each part of the test – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. 

• Find out more about how to understand your IELTS scores and the nine-band system.
• Find out how IELTS scores relate to the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

How to query your score 

It is unusual for there to be a mistake in the marking. However, if you believe a mistake has occurred you can apply to our Enquiry on Results Service to have your test re-marked. This must be done within six weeks of the test date. You can choose which sections of the test you want to have re-marked. 

There is a fee for the Enquiry on Results service, 5,100 THB, which will be refunded should your overall score change as a result of the re-marking. The Enquiry on Results Service can take up to eight weeks to complete. Please contact us for further information about how the service works.

Can I retake the test?

You can take the test as many times as you wish. However, to significantly improve your score you will need to undertake further study. Research by IELTS indicates that scores are unlikely to improve without further English language tuition.