IELTS - The way to go

IELTS - International English Language Testing System. This is one of the approved English Language tests by the UK Border Agency to show your English competency for a student visa. There are other tests that you can take instead, like the PTE (Pearson's Test of English). My daughter took the IELTS because it was also the requirement of certain Universities for admission.

Here are a few important points to understand:

1. There are 2 versions of this test. IELTS General Training and IELTS Academic. You take the General Training version if you want to study or train at an undergraduate level. You take the Academic version if you want to study at the graduate level or higher. Be sure which version you need before applying.

2. The only valid ID is your passport.

3. You will get your results within 13 days of taking the test.

4. I found booking through booking through the British Council the best way.

5. The British Council site also has all the information you could possibly require on how to prepare for the test. If you score above 70% - 75% in CBSE exam, you can prepare on your own with help of all the material provided by this site, as well as a host of other sites on the internet. But you do require practice, however good you consider yourself to be. If your English is not up to the mark you must go through a preparatory course.

6. The listening, reading and writing components are held together without any breaks on the test day. The speaking test is conducted separately, 7 days before or after the main exam date. My daughter had it on the same day, after a gap of a few hours.

7. The complete test takes 2 hours 45 minutes. Listening - 30 minutes, Reading - 60 minutes, Writing - 60 minutes and Speaking - 11 to 14 minutes.

8. You can take the test on any of the available 48 test dates in a year. Find out the exact dates here, the official IELTS site.

9. The test fee is INR 9300 as of July 2013.

10. Register early. You may not get the date you want. The places fill fast. You need time to prepare, take the test and get the result. A re-sit if required. Find out more about re-sitting here.