Your journey to New Zealand begins with IELTS
IELTS gets you closer to your dream of living, working or studying in New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand accepts IELTS results as evidence of your English abilities for your visa application.
Take your first step with IELTS
Over 3 million IELTS tests are taken every year because people know that IELTS results are trusted worldwide. Take your first step with confidence by choosing IELTS, the English test of choice for educational organisations, professional associations, and employers across New Zealand. In fact, all universities and colleges in New Zealand accept IELTS, as well as all professional associations that have set minimum language requirements for registration.
What score do I need?
When you take an IELTS test you will be awarded a score (from 1–9) on the IELTS scale. This is your overall test score, and you will also receive scores for each of the different sections of the test: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
The IELTS scores you need will depend on the visa that you are applying for, and the requirements set by the organisation where you have applied to work or study. You can see who accepts IELTS, and what scores they require, on our website.
Find out what score you need for your New Zealand visa
Ready to book?
We have test centres all around the world, and there are 16 test locations in New Zealand. Many of them are conveniently located in educational institutions.
Get ready for your IELTS test
We know how important it is for you to do well on your test and that's why we have lots of resources to help you prepare. You can practise with our free sample test questions, explore the range of resources we have available to get you ready for the real thing.
Preparing for your test is an important part of the process. Take advantage of our free resources to help you improve your language and communication skills. To find out more, download Your Guide to IELTS (PDF 1 MB).
Preparing for IELTS if English is your first language
Even if English is your first language, we strongly advise you to spend some time preparing for the IELTS test. It's easy to feel overconfident about the test when you have been using English all your life. But to achieve the best possible score, you will need to familiarise yourself with the format.