IELTS Slot Booking 2023: How to Book IELTS Exam Slot in India, Dates, Payment Method

IELTS is a mandatory test that is to be taken to study at universities across the globe. It serves as a basic tool to assess a student's English language skills that deem him/her fit to study at a university that is foreign to that student. The IELTS Slot Booking Process is an important process that will decide the candidate's exam slot and exam centre.

IELTS - Highlights

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an exam conducted for candidates who want to study, work, or migrate to countries abroad where English is the main language used for means of communication. The IELTS is conducted by IDP Education Australia, British Council, and Cambridge English Language Assessment. IELTS tests your written and spoken communication skills in English, and the results would be provided in a 9 band scorecard determining if the candidate is well versed with English. The test is conducted for admissions to universities of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the USA and available at more than 1600 locations globally. The IELTS score has a validity of 2 years but other organizations are allowed to set a validity period based on their preference.

There are two types of IELTS tests conducted. They are as follows:

1. IELTS Academic
2. IELTS General Training

IELTS Academic - Candidates who want to study or work abroad can apply for this test. This test determines whether the candidate is ready to work in an English-speaking environment.

IELTS General Training - Candidates who want to study (secondary education schools), work experience, and training in foreign countries. This test is also used if the candidate wants to migrate to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK as it is a requirement for candidates to enter the country. The main focus of the IELTS General Training is to test the candidate’s survival skills in a social environment.

IELTS Important Dates

Both IELTS General and IELTS Academic are managed by the British Council and IDP IELTS India across significant cities in India. Therefore, students can check out the dates specified below. Students may select the one most suitable for them and apply for IELTS date booking.

IELTS Slot Booking Process

Candidates often wonder what is slot booking? or slot booking meaning. Slot booking is an important provision provided by the Board to the candidates so that they can select the test date, test centre, and the timings as per their requirements. The candidate can take the test in an online or offline mode. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation that we are facing, the Board has ensured additional safety measures taken to conduct the IELTS test. Ensure you have a valid passport before you start the ILETS exam slot booking process.

The procedure for the IELTS exam slot booking is as follows:

1. Visit the official website of IELTS India: www.ieltsidpindia.com
2. On the homepage, there is a box where the candidate can choose the location, test center, and type of test. The candidate should choose the required options and click on the ‘View test dates’ option.
3. The available slot would be mentioned on the webpage and the candidate can choose the slot which is preferable to them and click on ‘Continue’ to register their account.
4. The candidate has to read the privacy policy and terms and conditions provided by IELTS carefully and accept it to move on to the next step.
5. The candidate has to enter the personal details and ensure they do not fill in the wrong information.
6. The candidate should upload the first and last page of the passport. The image should be uploaded in a file size of 1MB and in the form of JPG, JPEG, and PDF.
7. The next step is to fill out the details of the country the candidate is visiting, the purpose, and the organization or University name.
8. The candidate can now review all the details they have filled out and check for any errors they may have caused.
9. The candidate can now move on to the payment section where they can pay by registering on the British Council Registration page: ielts.britishcouncil.org/india. It is the easiest way of payment and is done quite faster compared to other modes of payment.
10. The payment fee for IELTS is INR 14000/-. It can be paid online via debit/credit card. It can also be paid offline but it is preferable to pay it online considering the health concerns caused by COVID-19.
11. Once the fee is paid successfully, the candidate can take a copy of the acknowledgment

Cancellation and Refund of IELTS Fee

There is a facility to postpone IELTS exam British council India. However, some charges may be incurred in the whole process. 

• Candidates are allowed to postpone or cancel their attempt at the IELTS Exam; however, there is a postponement fee.
• Candidates will get back the amount paid after the administration deducted 25% (Approx. INR 3364) of the exam fee as a cancellation penalty. 

Test Centres Available for Slot Booking

The list below denotes the test centers for the IELTS exams. Choose the closest center so you can answer the exam easily. The IELTS test is conducted in the following cities:

South and West India:

• Andhra Pradesh: Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam
• Karnataka: Bangalore, Mangalore
• Telangana: Hyderabad
• Kerala: Kochi, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur
• Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Thiruchiranapalli
• Gujarat: Ahmedabad, Anand, Rajkot, Vadodara
• Maharashtra: Mumbai, Pune

North and East India:

• Assam: Guwahati.
• Bihar: Patna.
• Chhattisgarh: Raipur
• Haryana: Ambala, Chandigarh, Gurugram
• Jharkhand: Ranchi
• Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal, Indore
• New Delhi: New Delhi
• Orissa: Bhubaneswar
• Punjab: Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Moga, Patiala
• Rajasthan: Jaipur
• Uttar Pradesh: Allahabad, Lucknow, Noida
• Uttarakhand: Rudrapur
• West Bengal: Kolkata, Siliguri

IELTS Eligibility Criteria

There is no such broad eligibility criteria for IELTS. The conducting committee demands for only one. However, there may be certain eligibility exceptions for admission to a particular college. Candidates cand check that before applying. The basic IELTS eligibilty criteria are:

• It is preferable for the candidate to be above the age of 16 years.
• There is no bias when it comes to nationality or background.
• There is no upper age limit specified for applying for IELTS. 

IELTS Exam Slot Booking FAQs

Q. What is the limit to taking the IELTS exam?
A. A candidate can take the IELTS exam as many times as they want. There are 48 days allotted for IELTS General test while 24 dates are allotted for IELTS Academic test. The candidate should plan accordingly and take the test.

Q. When should I book my slot for the IELTS exam?
A. Since the IELTS exam is attended by millions of candidates, it is preferred to book your slot two months early to ensure you get the location most convenient to you.

Q. Can I change my personal details after the registration of my IELTS account?
A. Yes, you can change your personal details like gender, address, phone number, the birth date 20 days before your exam date. A request should be made via e-mail and changes can be made.

Q. Can I change the slot I have booked for my exam?
A. No, it is not possible to change your slot as slot booking is a real-time process. Once you book your slot, you can not change it.

Q. Can I get a refund if I do not want to write my exam for personal reasons?
A. You can get a refund if you cancel your application more than 5 weeks before your exam date. If you apply for cancellation within 5 weeks of the exam date, you will not receive your refund fee unless you have a medical reason for which proof should be given.