Which is best for IELTS, British Council or IDP? Where should you take your IELTS test?

• There is no difference between the IELTS test at the BC and in IDP.
• There is also no difference between examiners and marking in the BC and IDP.

Who owns IELTS?

Both IDP and the British Council are part owners of IELTS along with Cambridge English Language Assessment. This means they are all one company. Learn more information about the IELTS Test.

IELTS Test Difficulty Level

IDP and British Council conduct IELTS tests but they do not write them. All tests used at the BC and IDP are compiled by Cambridge English Language Assessment who is one of the joint owners of IELTS.

This means you will get the same tests if you are at BC or IDP.

IELTS Examiners & Marking at IDP & BC

All examiners for IELTS, both IDP and BC examiners, are trained in the same way, following the same guidelines.

Listening and Reading answers are marked clerically. They are based on right or wrong answers. Each right answer gives one point and your score is calculated based on the number of right answers. So, this never differs between test centers.

Writing and Speaking are marked by an examiner. All IELTS examiners, for both IDP and BC, complete the same training course, follow the same marking criteria and also the same band score descriptors. Examiners are also checked regularly to ensure they are not marking too high or too low.

Accents

IDP is Australian and BC is British but they both use a range of accents. In the listening test, you will get a range of accents (even American sometimes). In the speaking test, the examiner could come from any country and have any accent. You can use any accent you want in your speaking test: Australian, British or American.

IELTS Band Scores:

• IELTS Writing Task 1 Band Scores & Tips
• IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Scores & Tips
• IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors
• IELTS Band Scores: Listening, Reading and Overview of Test Scores
• How your writing score is calculated

How to Choose: British Council or IDP?

1. Choose a test center close to your home.
   1. The listening, reading and writing test is 2 hours and 40 mins. You will need to arrive at your test center feeling fresh and ready to concentrate. Choosing a test center near your home will help you do this.
2. Check if the listening test uses speakers or head phones.
   1. Most students prefer to use head phones because they can concentrate better. You might want to check with your test center which they use.
3. Test Dates in IDP or BC
   1. Decide which center offers you the test date you want. You should always take the test when your IELTS skills and English language is strongest. Also make sure you frequently hit the score you want in practice tests before booking your real test.

Share your Experience

Post a comment with your experience of BC or IDP for an IELTS test. Give some tips to other students.

Main IELTS Pages

Develop your IELTS skills with tips, lessons, free videos and more.

• IELTS Listening
• IELTS Reading
• IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Speaking
• Vocabulary for IELTS