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IELTS exam guide: format, scoring and how to prepare
What the IELTS exam actually tests, how it's scored, and how to plan your prep around it.
Plan your IELTS prepThe test at a glance
- Duration
- 2 h 45 min
- Sections
- Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking
- Score
- Band 0–9, in half bands
- Versions
- Academic and General Training
- IELTS remark (EOR): when it's worth it and when to retakeOfficial IELTS remark (EOR) rules, fees in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and a decision table to choose between a remark and a retake. Checked September 2026.
- IELTS registration in Uzbekistan 2026: prices, centres and how to bookIELTS in Uzbekistan costs 2,665,000 UZS with IDP and 2,798,000 UZS with British Council. Centres in 12 cities, booking steps and payment methods.
- IELTS in Kazakhstan 2026: price, test centres and how to registerIELTS in Kazakhstan costs 110,250 KZT with IDP or British Council. Compare fees and date-change rules, find your city and book step by step.
- IELTS and CEFR levels: which band is B1, B2, C1 and C2Which IELTS band equals B1, B2, C1 or C2 on the official chart, why 6.5 is a borderline band between B2 and C1, and what each level means in practice.
- IELTS Academic vs General Training: which test do you need?Academic is for university, General Training for migration and work. See who needs which test, what differs and why GT Reading needs more correct answers.
- How long it takes to improve your IELTS score: data, not storiesSuccess stories say two weeks. See how often IELTS practice scores really rose by week 4, 8 and 12, and how to check your own progress before booking.
- What is a good IELTS score? Official averages and what you needA good IELTS score depends on your goal. See official 2024-2025 averages for Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and what universities and visas ask for.
- Computer-delivered IELTS in 2026: what changes on screen and how to prepareIELTS moves fully to computer from mid-2026. See what each section looks like on screen, how fast results arrive and how to switch from paper habits.
- How the IELTS band score is calculated: rounding rule and examplesYour IELTS overall band is the average of four skill scores, rounded to the nearest half band. The rounding rule, worked examples and what each band means.
- IELTS One Skill Retake: retake one skill, the full test or ask for a remark?IELTS One Skill Retake lets you resit one skill within 60 days. The rules, who accepts it, the score you need and when a full retake is the better move.
- IELTS results: when they come, how to check, what "withheld" meansWhen IELTS results come for each test type, how to check them with IDP or the British Council, and what to do if a result is delayed or withheld.
- IELTS.GG is now GoPrep — same platform, same account, new nameIELTS.GG became GoPrep in August 2026 — same team, same account. Sign in with your usual email; here's exactly what changed and what didn't.
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