The Impact Of Covid 19 On The IELTS Exam

The Covid pandemic has had a wide-ranging impact on a number of events including the hosting of the IELTS exam. Both the British council and IDP have had to change the way in which they offer the exam. In this article we will take a closer look at these changes.

Like most other events the IELTS exam was greatly affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, with the exam being postponed for many months at the onset of the pandemic. At the time of writing this article some test centres that have resumed testing under strict Covid 19 protocols. However, many have remained closed until further notice.

Test Centre Covid-19 SOPs

All IELTS test centres that have reopened for testing follow a strict Covid protocol. This ensures that candidates can take their test in a safe and hygienic environment. These centres follow the guidelines set by the World Health Organisation and local authorities.

Some of these protocols include:

You have to sign a health declaration before you sit for the exam
Test takers and staff must wear a mask (in some locations you must wear a mask by law)
Hand sanitisers readily available
Every test room is regularly disinfected & deep cleaned
Additional spacing for test takers and reduced group sizes
Partitions in computer- delivered IELTS test rooms

IELTS Indicator

If in person tests have been postponed in your area, or you have concerns about physically going to a test centre during the pandemic, then you can take the newer online version of the academic IELTS exam at home. The owners of the exam (the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council and IDP Education Australia) have recently introduced the IELTS indicator test as a stand-in for an actual IELTS exam test result.

The IELTS indicator test is an online IELTS test which you can take from the comfort of your own home. The test can be taken on a laptop or PC and is very similar in structure to the computer delivered IELTS test. The same four skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking are assessed. The timings are also very similar to the computer delivered IELTS tests.

You can check on the official IELTS website if your local British Council or IDP IELTS Test Centre is holding IELTS exam at the moment, or if you qualify to take the IELTS Indicator test. If tests are available in your area, then make sure you follow the IELTS COVID-19 guidelines to take the precautions you’ll need to enter the test centre.