IELTS is the world’s most popular English language test.

Every year, IELTS helps millions of people realise their dreams of working, studying or living abroad, or improving their opportunities at home.

The test has been developed by experts to evaluate your English skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking – and it’s trusted by organisations all over the world, from universities and immigration bodies to companies.

So the IELTS journey you start here at SQU IELTS Centre could take you almost anywhere.

IELTS is accepted globally

• 140 countries

• 11,000 organisations

• 3,400 in the USA alone

IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English.

There are two main types of IELTS test:

IELTS Academic tests the English skills you’ll need in a learning environment like a university or college.

IELTS General Training tests the everyday language skills that you use at work or while socialising.

How the test is structured:

There are four sections to the test:

• Listening

• Reading

• Writing

• Speaking

You can now take IELTS on paper or on a computer.

If you would rather use a computer than writing out your answers on your paper, you can do that at SQU IELTS Centre.

When you take IELTS on a computer, you take the Listening, Reading and Writing sections on the same day. You take the Speaking test up to a week

before or after the other tests (this is face-to-face with an IELTS examiner – not on a computer) and you get the test results in 3-5 days.

Everything else is the same whether you write or type your answers – from the questions and test timings to the results format and where you take

your test.

Download our Information for Candidates brochure to learn more about the IELTS test and how it works here https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/ielts_information_for_candidates_uk_version.pdf

To learn more about IELTS visit https://www.ielts.org/

When, where and how much

Test dates:

These are our latest test dates at SQU IELTS Centre

Test centre location:

SQU IELTS Centre is located at SQU Campus, Centre for Preparatory Studies.

Parking is available in front of the Centre for Preparatory Studies and behind it.

Test fees:

IELTS test fees are:

82 OMR for Paper-Based IELTS

87 OMR for Computer-delivered IELTS

You must pay by credit/debit card at the SQU IELTS Centre.

How to book your test

Before you book:

• Check that you’ve chosen the right type of test for you.

• Make sure you’ve a valid ID – a passport or national identity card. You’ll need to bring this with you on test day.

• Download and read the Information for Candidates here https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/ielts_information_for_candidates_uk_version.pdf

Under 18 years of age?

You will need written consent from a parent or guardian to register for a test place if you are under 18. We don’t recommend taking IELTS if you are under 16.

Special assistance

If you have learning, hearing or visual difficulties, or medical conditions, you can ask for special assistance. Call us for details.

To take a modified version of IELTS – for example, Braille – you’ll need to give us at least three months’ notice.

If you’re entitled for special arrangements to be made – for example, extra time – you’ll need to give us six weeks’ notice.

The online booking process

Step 1 – Register online

Fill in the online form and upload the copy of your ID. We’ll then send a link for free access to the Road to IELTS Last Minute online preparation course.

Register here
https://ieltsregistration.britishcouncil.org/landing-page/om/SQU-IELTS-Centre

Step 2 – Upload a copy of your ID and the other required documents (you will find the information on the registration page).

If you didn’t upload your ID and the required documents when you registered, you must email a colour scan or photo (without flash) of them to us within three days at ielts@squ.edu.om

Your ID must show:

• Your photo

• Your ID number

• Your date of birth

• Your signature

• An expiry date

Step 3 – Pay the test fee

Once we validate all the required documents received from you, we will send you the payment link via email.

Step 4 – Confirmation

Up to a week after you’ve registered and paid, we’ll send you an email confirming your test dates.

Your Speaking test may be scheduled on the same day as the other sections, or on a different day within seven days before or after your main test day.

Two days before your test date, we’ll send you an email with details of the time and exact location of your Speaking test.

Booking direct

You can also book your IELTS test direct through your local centre. The fees and ID requirements are the same – simply contact the centre to find out how to register.

The benefits of booking with us

Because you’re booking your test at an official British Council IELTS test centre, you get a whole range of benefits, including:

• Free access to the Road to IELTS’s Last Minute course: This includes 100 interactive activities, nine videos with advice and tutorials, two practice tests for each of the four skills, and practice tests for both IELTS taken on paper or on a computer.

• Free access to WORDREADY: This is an online resource delivering personalised vocabulary learning to help you prepare for the test.

• Choice of taking the test on paper or on a computer.

• Professional and friendly staff to make sure your test day runs smoothly.

• Five Test Report Forms (TRF) free: Get five additional copies of your Test Report Form sent free directly to your chosen institutions.

Important: Please check with your Recognising Organisation about the entry requirements.

Helping you get ready for your IELTS test

When you book with an official British Council test centre, you can access a whole range of free preparation materials. They’re designed to help you build the skills you need and practice the various tests so you can perform at your best on the day.

• Road to IELTS – 100 interactive exercises, nine videos giving tips and advice, plus full practice tests for both IELTS taken on paper or on a computer

• Free practice tests – Use these tests to carry out timed practice sessions and develop your test technique

• Understanding IELTS ExpertTrack – A comprehensive twelve-week IELTS online preparation course, split into the Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking sections, with a free seven-day trial

• Free mobile apps – To help you improve your skills when and where it suits you

• Face-to-face preparation courses – These courses and workshops are taught by specialists who can help you improve your listening, reading, writing and speaking skills

• IELTS Practice Tests
• IELTS Prep Apps
• Road To IELTS - Test Drive
• IELTS MOOC
• Explain IELTS in Details Video series

What happens on test day

Test days can be stressful, so we’ve detailed what happens from start to finish so you can turn up knowing what to expect, feeling confident and ready to do your best.

Leaving home

• Check the route so you know where you’re going and how long it will take

• Bring: Valid ID (the passport or identification card you booked your test with)

• Don’t bring: any valuables, as you’ll need to leave your belongings in the designated area

Arriving at the test centre

• Registration starts at 7:30 am, but arrive early to give yourself plenty of time – if you’re late you will not be able to sit the test and will lose your test fee*

• As part of registration, you’ll have your photo taken and fingerprints scanned

Sitting the test

The test starts at 9 am.

• Apart from your pen/pencil, paper and ID card, you can only take water in,

• The Listening, Reading and Writing sections last a total of 2hrs 45 minutes with no breaks

• Your Speaking test will have been booked for a date seven days before or after your Listening, Reading and Writing tests

After the test

• Stay in your seat until the invigilator says you can leave

• Tell the invigilator right away if there were any problems that affected you during the test

• Collect your belongings on the way out

Your results

• Your Test Report Form will be available 13 days after the test – you can collect it, or see it online https://ielts.britishcouncil.org/CheckResults.aspx

• If you have taken IELTS on a computer, your results will be available in 3-5 days

• Your overall score will be an average of your scores in each of the Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking sections of the test.

*Medical emergencies – if you missed your test day because you were unwell, you’ll need to send us an authorised medical certificate within five working days of the test.

Cancelling your IELTS test

If you cancel your IELTS test up to five weeks before the test date, you will receive a refund minus an administration fee of 18/- OMR of the test fee.

Please note that refunds can take four to six weeks to process.

No refunds will be allowed for IELTS within five weeks of the test date. Exemptions from this policy are:

• serious illness or medical incident (such as hospital admission or a major injury)

• bereavement - loss of a close family member

• hardship or trauma (such as being a victim of crime or involved in a traffic accident)

• military service.

If a medical certificate confirming illness on the date of the test is provided within five working days of the test date, together with the submitted cancellation request on the Test Taker Portal, the fee is refundable, minus an administration fee of 18/- OMR.

Only medical certificates in Arabic or English are accepted. If we have not received your submitted cancellation request along with supporting documentation/evidence by the fifth working day after the test, you will be marked as absent and forfeit all claims.

Copies sent by email are not accepted. 

Requesting a test day transfer

If you need to change the date of your test from the date you originally booked, you can request a test day transfer up to five weeks before the test date, free of charge.

Please note that the new test date must be within three months of the original date. In cases of illness, a transfer is possible within five weeks of the test if an original medical certificate is provided within five working days of the test date, together with the Request for Refund or Test Date Transfer Form.

Application Process for Refunds

Candidates must lodge an application for refund no later than five working days after the test date. Candidates must complete a Request for Refund Form and attach the appropriate documentation and/or evidence. Acceptable documents may include a medical certificate from a qualified medical practitioner, a death certificate, or a police report. Statutory declarations and certificates signed by family members are not acceptable.

The Administrator will advise the candidate within one week of lodging the application whether or not their request has been approved.

Refunds – If the candidate’s application is approved, the centre will refund the test fee to the candidate. However the centre may deduct an administrative fee of 18/- OMR.

Transfers – If the candidate’s application is approved, candidates must select a test date within the next three-month period and this will be approved by the Administrator depending on availability for the selected test date. There may be limited availability for test dates in the first five-week period. Candidates who wish to transfer to a test date more than three months away should apply for a refund and then re-apply for the test.

If you receive a transfer to a new test date (either before the test or due to illness) and are ill on the second test date, then you are not entitled to a refund of the test fee nor to any transfer.

On rare occasions, there may be instances where you are unable to attend your test or are disadvantaged on the test day owing to illness, injury, or another exceptional event outside your control. In these cases, you may make an application to your test centre for special consideration due to exceptional circumstances. This will allow you to carry over your test fee to a later assessment opportunity or, in some cases, apply for a refund.  

Special consideration includes instances such as: 

• a traumatic experience

• domestic crisis

• unavoidable legal or military obligation

• serious medical conditions which prevent you from attending or performing normally on the test day

• bereavement or other forms of significant hardship

• civil unrest or extreme weather.

You can apply for special consideration before the test, and up to two calendar days after the test date. However, applications for special consideration will not be accepted after your results have been released. 

You need to contact your test centre directly and provide full information as to why you qualify for special consideration with supporting evidence. Your test centre will assess your application and will respond to you within seven working days of receiving your full application in writing, during which time your results will be put on hold until a decision is finalised.

If your test centre approves your application, you will receive a refund or transfer. In some cases, this will be subject to an administrative fee. Please be aware that refunds can take four to six weeks to process. Note that there will be no adjustment to band scores.

If you would like to appeal against a decision made following an application for special consideration, please follow our complaints procedure here.

Under certain circumstances outside of test centre control, we may have to cancel your test and transfer it to a future date. These circumstances include, but may not be limited to, extreme weather conditions, natural disaster, civil unrest, industrial action, global pandemic or for reasons of force majeure. 

In these circumstances, your test centre will provide you with as much notice as possible and give you the choice of either a full refund, or a transfer to a future test date – whichever you prefer. 

If your test is cancelled or postponed due to other circumstances such as technical failure, venue or environmental factors, your test centre will provide you with as much notice as possible and give you the choice of a refund or a transfer to a future test.

About your results

Receiving your results

The Test Report Form tells you your IELTS score and will be available 13 days after you have taken your test or 3-5 days if you have taken IELTS on a computer. You can collect it in person or see it online https://ielts.britishcouncil.org/CheckResults.aspx  (it’s available for 28 days after publication).

Understanding your IELTS score

The test gives you a score for each section (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) – the average of these gives you your overall band score.

How long your IELTS score is valid for

Your IELTS score will usually be valid for two years, but you should check the rules of the organization you’re applying to.

We can send your Test Report Form directly to an organisation you’re applying to.

When you register for your test, you can nominate up to five organisations to be sent your IELTS Test Report Form directly. If you would like us to do this, please add these addresses on the Test Taker Portal within two years of taking your test.

Want your test to be re-marked?

If you believe your test has been scored incorrectly, you can apply for it be marked again.

There’s a charge for doing this, but it’s refunded if your score is increased for any section of the test. Find more detailed information below.

Have a complaint?

Your feedback is very important to us and all comments, good or bad, help us to improve the way we do things.

Please make sure you tell us about any complaints within 90 days of the problem happening or when you become aware of it. You can contact us at ielts@squ.edu.om

Collection of TRFs

Distribution of the TRF (Test Report Forms)

You can receive only one TRF.

Up to five copies of a TRF can be sent to Recognising Organisations at no extra charge, if they are listed on the Application Form. But you will be charged 10/- OMR for courier costs.

Additional TRFs

You can request copies of your TRF to be sent to Recognising Organisations any time within the two-year validity period. This is not restricted to Recognising Organisations identified on the Application Form.

You must complete the Application for the Issue of Additional TRFs.

The Centre charges 5/- OMR as an administrative fee and 10/- OMR for courier charges.

Additional copies can only be sent to Recognising Organisations, not given to candidates.

Lost TRF

If you lose your TRF and need a replacement, you have to come to the SQU IELTS Centre to fill in the request form and pay 10/- OMR.

Enquiry on Results (EOR)

An Enquiry on Result is a request by a candidate for one or more components to be re-marked.

EOR process

You can apply for an EOR by either through the Test Taker Portal.

You must submit your EOR request within six weeks of the test date.

You may apply for a full re-mark (i.e. all four components) or a partial re-mark (i.e. one, two or three components). EOR fee is 48/- OMR. It is the same for partial and full remarks.

Improvement in score

If your scores change as a result of an EOR, you will be required to return your TRF before a new one is issued. A full refund of the EOR fee will be given to you in the event of an improved score.

No improvement in score

If there is no improvement to the original score, you will be notified. There will be no refund of the re-mark fee and you will retain the original TRF.

The SQU IELTS Centre is committed to providing services to our customers to the highest global standard. On the Test Day you we will asked to submit your feedback to the IELTS Administrator or any test day staff.

If you have a complaint about any IELTS service offered, you can familiarise yourself with the IELTS Complaint Policy and file a complaint by visiting https://www.ielts.org/book-a-test/ielts-complaints-policy .

You can also request a Test Taker Complaint form to file a complaint on the day of your exam.

Sultan Qaboos University IELTS Centre is a closed testing centre established by the British Council. Our IELTS Certificates are recognized by more than 6,000 universities and colleges around the globe.  

• Location: Centre for Preparatory Studies - Ground Floor
• Office Hours: 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Sunday to Thursday

IELTS Administrator: Ms. Kristina Bayburtsyan

•  24142159 – office #40

Assistant to IELTS Administrator: Ms. Rahma Al-Shamakhi

•  24142197 – office #41

Email: IELTS@squ.edu.om

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