If you have special requirements and need assistance, please let us know. We can help you so you can take your test and be assessed fairly.
If you have specific learning difficulties, hearing difficulties and/or visual difficulties, medical conditions, or are feeding an infant, get in touch with your test centre. Please let them know at least six weeks before your test so that they can make special arrangements.
Special arrangements include the following:
- extra time for medical conditions or infant feeding
- Braille papers
- special Listening CD with necessary stops and pauses
- lip-reading version of the Listening test
- enlarged print or Speaking task cards in Braille.
Please contact your local test centre as soon as possible if you have special needs that may require a modified IELTS test version.
Visual difficulties
If you are blind, partially sighted or have problems seeing, we may be able to help you take your IELTS test.
It can take six weeks for some special arrangements to be made. Please contact your test centre as early as possible to let them know you have special requirements.
All requests for special requirements are subject to approval.
What will the IELTS test centre do?
The test centre will:
- ask for full details of your visual difficulty
- confirm the deadline to book your test with special requirements (this depends on what you need and is usually up to six weeks before your test)
- make the arrangements you need to take the test.
If your chosen test centre does not have the equipment or space you need (e.g. a separate room), they will do their best to help you to find a centre that does.
Your centre may also ask you to provide a medical certificate.
What special arrangements can I ask for?
There are lots of different options – choose what you need from the list below:
1. Extra time
If you have visual difficulties, you will almost certainly need extra time to complete your test. You can ask for an extra 25% of the normal time to complete the test. If, for example, it will take you a long time to read the questions or write your answers you can request further time. Remember, however, that too much extra time could make you very tired. You can also ask for breaks while taking the test. Your centre will tell you what you can have.
2. Help with reading the question papers
If you are blind or partially sighted, you may be permitted to use your own equipment to assist you in reading the test. You can ask to use the following types of equipment:
- handheld magnifiers
- screen magnification software
- screen reader software
- refreshable Braille displays.
Please contact your local test centre for further information.
You can also ask for a ‘reader’. This is a person who will read and re-read the questions to you. Please note, however, that in the Reading section, the reader cannot read the texts to you, and you are not allowed to use screen-reading software. Please also see section 8: Having someone read to you or write down your answers, below.
3. Help with writing your answers
If you cannot see or are partially sighted, you may be permitted to use your own equipment to write your answers in the following ways:
a. Using any of the following machines:
- mechanical Braille keyboard
- electronic Braille keyboard, linked to a printer
- computer or word processor (though you will not be allowed to use the spell check, grammar check, thesaurus or similar functions)
- Braille note taker.
b. Speaking your answers to a person who writes them down for you. Please also see section 8: Having someone read to you or write down your answers, below.
c. Writing your answers on a separate sheet of paper instead of using the computer-read answer sheet.
4. Braille question papers
IELTS test papers are available as:
- contracted (Grade 2) Braille
- uncontracted (Grade 1) Braille
- UEB (Unified English Braille).
5. Enlarged print question papers
IELTS question papers are available in an enlarged font. We also take out any ‘visual’ material which is not needed for answering the question. We then make large-print versions of the papers in A4 size. The print size looks like this:
6. Special versions of the Listening test
Many of the questions in the Listening test ask you to make notes while you listen to a recording on CD. If you cannot see or are partially sighted, you may not be able to do this. We can adapt the Listening test for you. The supervisor (the person who will give you your Listening test) will:
- stop the CD before each part of the test to give you enough time to read the questions
- stop the CD at certain points during each part to give you enough time to write your answers
- stop the CD after each part to give you enough time to check your answers.
7. Special versions of the Speaking test
If you have visual difficulties, you can ask to:
- have extra time if it takes you longer than usual to read any test material or decide what you want to say
- have enlarged print or Speaking task cards in Braille.
8. Having someone read to you or write down your answers
A ‘reader’ is a person who will read the questions out to you. However, they will not explain the questions to you or give you any advice. They can also read back your answers to you, or you can use screen-reading software. However, you must not use the spell check, grammar check or thesaurus functions.
In Reading papers, a reader is not normally allowed to read out texts to you and you are not normally allowed to use screen-reading software to do this.
If you want someone to write down your answers, you will be asked to spell certain words and you must also give the punctuation.
If you are having someone to help you with reading or writing down your answers, you should practise before your test. For example, make sure you can spell out the letters of the alphabet.
If you would like to know more about having a reader or someone to write down your answers, please contact your local test centre.
Hearing or speaking difficulties
The IELTS test includes Listening and Speaking sections. If you have hearing or speaking difficulties, we may be able to help you take your IELTS test. It can take up to six weeks for special arrangements to be made, so please talk to your local test centre as early as possible.
All requests for special requirements are subject to approval.
What will the IELTS test centre do?
The test centre will:
- ask for full details of your difficulty
- confirm the deadline for booking your test (this depends on the arrangements you require and is usually up to six weeks before your test)
- make the arrangements you need to take the test.
If your test centre does not have the equipment or space you need (e.g. a separate room), they will do their best to help you to find another test centre that does.
Your centre may also ask you to provide a medical certificate.
What special arrangements can I ask for?
There are lots of different ways that we can help you to take your test. Choose what you need from the list below.
1. Hearing aids, headphones and other equipment
In the Listening section of your test, you:
- read some questions which are printed on a question paper
- listen to a recording
- write answers to the questions on a separate answer sheet.
If you have hearing difficulties, here are some ways we can help you:
- If you normally use a hearing aid, you may use it in the test, but remember to tell your test centre before the test.
- If you normally use devices such as wireless systems or personal FM systems, you may ask the centre for permission to use this type of equipment. You need to ask your centre at least six weeks prior to your test date.
- If you can hear with the help of headphones or special amplification equipment, you may ask the centre for permission to use this type of equipment to hear the recording. You need to ask your centre at least two weeks prior to your test date.
- If you are using headphones, the supervisor (the person who will give you your Listening test) must be able to hear and control the recording. This means they will listen to an external loudspeaker or use a second pair of headphones. You are not allowed to use a personal CD player, MP3 player or other similar device to listen to the recording.
- If you are using special equipment, such as special amplification equipment, you will normally sit the test in a separate room. Notify your test centre at least six weeks prior to your test date.
2. Hearing-impaired (lip-reading) versions of the Listening test
You can ask for a hearing-impaired (lip-reading) version of the Listening test. Instead of playing a recording, the supervisor (the person who will give you your Listening test) will read out the material to you. They will read out each text twice. The supervisor will stop reading from time to time during the second reading. This will give you time to write your answers.
Make sure you:
- can lip-read a person who is speaking English
- practise with sample papers before the test.
It may be possible for you to practise lip-reading with the person who will give you your Listening test before you take the test. You can ask your test centre if this would be helpful.
3. Special arrangements for the Speaking test
If it takes you longer than usual to say things, or to understand what people say to you, you can ask for extra time to complete the test. You are not allowed to use signing in a Speaking test.
4. Exemptions and endorsed certificates
If you have severe hearing and/or speaking difficulties, and the special arrangements listed above are not sufficient (for example, if you cannot lip-read), you can ask for exemption from taking the Listening test and/or the Speaking test. This means you do not have to take the test(s).
You must apply for exemption before taking your test. Contact your test centre for further information.
You can ask for an exemption from one or two components of your IELTS test. If approved, you will be given a score for the missing section(s) based on your performance on the other sections of the test. This score will be used to calculate your overall IELTS score.
Your Test Report Form will have the following statement printed on it:
‘Due to extreme speaking/hearing (etc.) difficulties, this candidate was exempt from the Speaking/Listening (etc.) test(s). The Speaking/Listening (etc.) test Band Score(s) has/have been notionalised on the basis of the average of the other two/three Band Scores.’
Learning difficulties
If you have specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, we may be able to help you take your IELTS test.
It may take six weeks for some special arrangements to be made for you, so you should make your test booking as soon as possible through your IELTS test centre.
All requests for special requirements are subject to approval.
What will the IELTS test centre do?
Your test centre will:
- ask for full details of your learning difficulty
- confirm the deadline for booking a test (this may be three months before your test, depending on the arrangements you need; usually up to six weeks' advance notice is required)
- make the arrangements you need to take the test.
If your test centre does not have the equipment or space you need (e.g. a separate room), they will try to help you to find another test centre that does.
Your centre may also ask you to provide a medical certificate.
What medical evidence must I have?
You must give the test centre a report about your learning difficulty. This needs to:
- have been written when you were aged 12 or older
- include full details of your learning difficulty and tests which have been carried out
- be written by a fully qualified psychologist (educational, clinical or chartered).
If you do not have (or cannot get) a report like this, talk to your IELTS test centre.
What special arrangements can I ask for?
There are lots of different ways that we can help you take your test. Choose what you need, and you can then ask your centre to make the arrangements for you.
Once you have received permission for any special arrangements, your answers will be marked in the same way as all other test takers. For example, if you make a spelling or grammar mistake, you may lose marks.
1. Extra time
You may need extra time to complete a paper (e.g. if it takes you a long time to read the questions or texts, or write your answers). You can normally ask for an extra 25% of the normal time for a paper. So, if a paper takes one hour, you will get an extra 15 minutes. You can ask for more than 25% extra time if you think you will need it. Remember, however, that too much extra time may make you very tired.
You may also ask for a special version of the Listening section of the test, which will give you extra time in the test. The test supervisor will:
- stop the CD before each part of the test to give you enough time to read the questions
- stop the CD at certain points during each part to give you enough time to write one or more answers
- stop the CD after each part to give you enough time to check your answers.
2. Supervised breaks
As well as (or instead of) extra time, you can ask for supervised breaks. This means you can stop writing and take a break alone in another room. This might help if you have difficulty concentrating for long periods. You will be supervised while you take your break.
3. Writing your answers using a computer
You can ask for permission to write your answers using a computer or word processor. You must not use the spell check, grammar check or thesaurus functions if you want to use a computer or word processor.
If you have permission to use a computer, remember:
- Your test centre may not have equipment, such as a computer, that you can use. However, you may be able to use your own equipment. You must notify your test centre at least six weeks prior to the test.
- You will have to sit alone in a separate room. If your test centre does not have space for you to do the test with a computer, they will do their best to help you find another centre where you can take the test.
- You must write your own answers. You cannot read out your answers to someone who writes them down for you.
- You cannot use voice recognition software (programs which turn speech into text).
You can also choose to sit your IELTS test on computer at a test centre, or do the IELTS Academic test online (where available). Talk to your local test centre to see what options are available.
4. Reading the question papers
You must read the question papers yourself. Although it may take you longer to read the question papers, you are not allowed to:
- have someone read them to you (a reader)
- use a computer with screen-reading software.
5. Having a copier (or transcriber)
If your handwriting is very difficult to read, you may ask your centre to copy (make a transcript of) your work. This means that, at the end of the test, you will read out your answers to the copier, including all the punctuation. The copier will write down an exact copy of your answers, including any mistakes in grammar, spelling, or punctuation.
6. Help filling in your answer sheets
In the Listening and Reading sections of your IELTS test, you have to copy (transfer) your answers to an answer sheet which is then scanned by a computer. If you find it difficult to follow the numbers or order of questions on a page, you may be allowed to write your answers on a separate piece of paper or, sometimes, directly on to the question paper. Ask your centre for advice prior to the test date.
7. Transparent coloured overlays
You may ask for permission to use transparent coloured overlays if you normally use them. You must notify your test centre at least six weeks prior to the test.
8. You may apply for enlarged print copies of an exam paper
Enlarged print papers are also called ‘Modified Large Print’ papers. The question paper is modified, and anything which is not needed for answering the question – for example, frames around texts – is removed. All the words in these papers are in the same print size. They look like this:
Each page in these papers is A4 size.
9. Other equipment
Ask your IELTS test centre if you want to use any other type of equipment, for example, a screen magnifier.