IELTS popularity soars, with more people seeking to study abroad

In the year 2016, three million people took the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam, demonstrating the popularity of this English test required for studying or migrating abroad.

IELTS is said to be most popular English test for people seeking to migrate to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Said to be recognised by more than 10,000 educational institutions, including all universities, colleges and schools in Australia, the US and the UK, and also by employers and immigration bodies, it was introduced in 1989 and is now jointly owned by IDP: IELTS Australia, the British Council and Cambridge English Language Assessment.

Warwick Freeland, Managing Director at IDP IELTS Australia, was quoted by The Gulf Today as saying that IELTS offers opportunities for millions of people every year by allowing them to study overseas, helping them tap the growing requirement of English in daily professional life and aiding them in migrating to English-speaking countries.

James Shipton, Head IELTS at the British Council, said that the increasing popularity of IELTS that they had seen across the world is testimony to the acceptance of the test by many people, and to the faith reposed by several organisations in IELTS to provide scores that are a worthy pointer of a person’s capability to communicate in English.

The IELTS measures the four crucial aspects of English communication — writing, speaking, listening and reading.

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