Hearing or speaking difficulties

Special arrangements

You can reach out to your test centre to find out how they can make special arrangements for your IELTS test.

How should I apply for the IELTS test if I have special requirements?

If you have special requirements, you must book your IELTS test as soon as possible through your nearest IELTS test centre. It may take up to 6 weeks for the test centre to make special arrangements for you.

How will the test centre help me?

Your test centre will:

Confirm the application deadline

Get full information on your disability including a medical certificate

Make necessary arrangements for you to take the test. If your test centre is unable to facilitate your request, they will help you find the nearest test centre that can.

Hearing aids, headphones and other equipment

In the IELTS Listening test, you will:

Read some questions which are printed on a question paper

Listen to an audio recording

Write answers to the questions on a separate answer sheet.

Here is how we can help you if you have hearing difficulties:

You can use a hearing aid, wireless system or a personal FM system that you normally use. Remember to inform your test centre at least 6 weeks prior to your test.

You can ask the test centre permission to use equipment such as headphones or special amplification equipment to hear the recording in the IELTS Listening test. The supervisor should be able to hear and control the recording. You must ask your test centre at least 2 weeks prior to your test.

Hearing-impaired (lip-reading) version of the IELTS Listening test

You can request your test centre for a hearing-impaired (lip-reading) version of the IELTS Listening test. The test supervisor will read out the material to you instead of playing a recording. They will read out each text twice and will stop from time to time during the second reading. This will help you write down your answers.
Things to note include:

Make sure you can lip-read a person who is speaking English

Practice with sample test papers before the actual test.

Are there any special arrangements during the IELTS Speaking test?

You can ask for extra time if it takes you longer than usual to say things or to understand what people say to you. However, you are not allowed to use signing in an IELTS Speaking test.

Exemptions and endorsed certificates

If you have severe hearing and/or speaking difficulties, and the special arrangements listed above are not sufficient (for example, if you cannot lip-read), you can ask for an exemption from taking the IELTS Listening test and/or the IELTS Speaking test. This means you do not have to take the test(s).
You can contact your test centre for further information on how to apply for an exemption before taking your test.
For IELTS, you can ask for an exemption from one or two components. You will be given a score for the missing component(s) based on your performance on the other components of the test. This score will be used to calculate your Overall IELTS Band Score.

How will my TRF look like if I get an exemption or an endorsed certificate?

Your Test Report Form will have the following statement printed on it:

‘Due to extreme speaking/hearing (etc.) difficulties, this candidate was exempt from the Speaking/Listening (etc.) test(s). The Speaking/Listening (etc.) test Band Score(s) has/have been notionalised on the basis of the average of the other two/three Band Scores.’