IELTS and PTE

IELTS/PTE

Planning to study abroad in countries like Australia, Canada, the UK, the USA, or New Zealand? Then you must be familiar with IELTS and PTE Academic, which are the two most accepted English proficiency tests worldwide. This detailed guide will help you understand everything you need to know today's date.

What are IELTS and PTE?

IELTS

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. It’s one of the most widely used English-language proficiency tests worldwide. It’s jointly administered by organisations like the British Council, IDP IELTS Australia (IDP), and others. There are two main versions of IELTS.

IELTS Academic for studying abroad
IELTS General Training for immigration or work-related English requirements

IELTS Test Format (2025 )

1. Listening (30 minutes + 10 minutes transfer time in PBT)

46 recordings (2 conversations + 2 monologues)
40 questions to attend
Fill-ups, MCQ, Matching, Map labelling
Same audio for Academic & General

2. Reading (60 minutes)

Academic Reading	General Training Reading
3 long passages (from journals, books)	Passage 1: Social survival (notices)
Total 40 questions	Passage 2: Workplace texts
Very academic vocabulary	Passage 3: General interest long article

3. Writing (60 minutes)

Task 1 (20 mins)

In academic IELTS, writing contains graphs/charts/maps / Process descriptions
In general IELTS, contains formal/semi-formal/informal letters

Task 2 (40 mins)

In both academic and general IELTS, there is essay writing on the same topics

4. Speaking (11–14 minutes)

In speaking, you have to communicate face-to-face with the examiner

· Part 1 (4–5 mins): Introduction & personal questions

· Part 2 (3–4 mins): 1–2 minute speech on cue card + 1 min preparation

· Part 3 (4–5 mins): Two-way discussion

Total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes

Score in IELTS

Each section has 0–9 bands and the overall band is the average of 4 sections (rounded to the nearest 0.5). Example: 7.0 Listening + 6.5 Reading + 6.0 Writing + 7.5 Speaking = 6.75 which is 7.0 overall.

Minimum Scores Required in 2025–2026 (Real Requirements)

Country	Undergraduate	Master/PhD	Permanent Residency (PR)
Canada	6.5 overall	6.5–7.0	IELTS 8 Listening, 7 others
Australia	6.0–6.5 overall	6.5–7.0	7.0–8.0 (Superior English)
UK	6.0–6.5	6.5–7.5	6.5–7.0 (depending on visa type)
New Zealand	6.0–6.5	6.5 overall	6.5–7.0
Ireland	6.0–6.5	6.5–7.0	6.0-6.5

Where to Book IELTS in Nepal (2025 Official Only)

1. British Council Nepal:

Website: https://www.britishcouncil.org.np/exam/ielts

Locations: Kathmandu (Lainchaur), Lalitpur, Pokhara, Chitwan, Biratnagar, Birtamod, Dang, Nepalgunj

2. IDP IELTS Nepal:

Website: https://ielts.idp.com/nepal

Locations: Kathmandu (Dillibazar & New Baneshwor), Pokhara, Chitwan, Narayangarh, Butwal, Biratnagar

Both certificates are 100% equal. Choose based on date & location convenience.

Best Practice Resources (Free + Paid)

Free:

British Council Road to IELTS: https://www.roadtoielts.com/
IDP Free Practice Tests: https://ielts.idp.com/
IELTS Liz (legend): https://ieltsliz.com/
IELTS Simon: https://www.ielts-simon.com

Apps:

· APEUni IELTS

· IELTS prep app

· IELTS Champ

· Vocab24

YouTube:

· E2 IELTS : https://www.youtube.com/c/E2IELTS

· IELTS Advantage: https://www.youtube.com/c/IELTSAdvantage

· Asad Yaqub: https://www.youtube.com/c/AsadYaqubIELTS

· Keith: https://www.youtube.com/@EnglishSpeakingSuccess

Paid :

E2Language Full Course
IELTS Online Prep by British Council/IDP

PTE

PTE Academic is an English proficiency test offered by Pearson. Unlike IELTS, PTE Academic is entirely computer-based, including Speaking and Writing. It is accepted by many universities and institutions worldwide for study or visa/immigration requirements. If you’re more comfortable with computer-based tests, typing and speaking into a mic, and prefer faster results, PTE could suit you better.

Speaking & Writing (54–67 minutes):

1. Personal Introduction (30sec for preparation, 30sec to speak)

2. Read Aloud, repeat sentence, describe image, re-telling lecture

3. Listen to simple question and reply with short answers

4. Summarize Written Text (Writing Task 1): read the paragraph and summarize it in one sentence within 75 words

5. Essay Writing (Writing Task 2): write essay of 200 to 300 words

Reading (29–30 minutes):

1. Multiple Choice, Choose Single Answer

2. Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers

3. Re-order Paragraphs

4. Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Drag & Drop)

5. Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks

Listening (30–43 minutes):

1. Summarize Spoken Text

· Listen to a 60–90 second audio

· Write a 50–70-word summary

· Tests note-taking, comprehension and writing

2. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

· Choose all correct answers

· There will be Negative marking as well

3. Fill in the Blanks (Listening)

· Listen and type missing words in the transcript

· Tests listening accuracy

6. Select Missing Word

· Listen to the audio and choose the correct ending

7. Highlight Incorrect Words

· After the audio plays, you should click on words that are different from what you hear

Where to Book PTE Exam in Nepal (Official Only)

We should only book PTE through Pearson official website: https://www.pearsonpte.com. Many company and website might be offering you bulk booking for PTE but you might have to face various problems by such bookings, thus you should only do it from the official website of Pearson.

Some of the Test Centers in Nepal (2025) are:

Kathmandu: New Baneshwor, Thapathali, Satdobato
Pokhara
Chitwan (Bharatpur)
Biratnagar
Butwal, Dang, Nepalgunj (new centers added 2025)

Fee: Approx NPR 26,000 to 29,500

Best PTE Practice Resources (2025)