Most of the universities in the US will require you to take the GRE®. You might also be required to take the TOEFL®, although a few universities exempt you from this requirement, if your education has been in English. If you intend to apply to universities in the UK, Australia or New Zealand, you will need to take the IELTS (you’ll not require the GRE®).

The IELTS

• It is a Paper-based test (PBT)
• It is conducted jointly by the British Council, IDP Australia & University of Cambridge ESOL.
• There are two separate formats of the IELTS – the first (Academic) meant for students wishing to pursue their education and the second (General) meant for people wishing to migrate to the UK, Australia or New Zealand.
• The test consists of four sections:
  • Listening section
    • 40 questions in 30 mins.
  • Speaking section
    • 10-12 questions in 11-14 mins.
  • Reading section
    • 40 questions in 60 mins.
  • Writing section
    • 2 tasks in 60 mins.
• Types of questions: Multiple Choice, Fill in the Blanks, Match the Columns, Reading Comprehension, Interpretation of Graphs
• Score range: 0 – 9
• The IELTS scores are valid for two years
• In India, the test is conducted in 15 cities across the country
• Being a PBT, it is conducted on fixed days – usually once a month
• You can register for the test online at www.ieltsindia.com OR by post/ walking in to the nearest testing centre
• The test fees are Rs.6825