IDP or British Council – Which One should you Go for?

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a highly popular exam that evaluates candidates on the basis of their English proficiency. The test is conducted by two authorised bodies, the British Council and IDP, and choosing which of these two to take the test remains a hot topic of debate. In this post, we will uncover details on which of these you should go for while appearing for IELTS.

IELTS – A Brief Intro

IELTS is primarily intended for non-native English-speaking individuals and serves as a prominent standard for assessing the English communication capabilities of individuals seeking to immigrate to a foreign country for study, work, or residence.

A total of 9,000 institutions worldwide recognise the IELTS test, including universities in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Some of the top universities in the US,  such as Boise State University, Brandeis University, Ball State University, Columbia University,  and the California Institute of Technology, also accept IELTS scores.

Taken by more than 2 million people every year, the IELTS is conducted across 140 countries at over 1,000 test centres. The British Council and IDP jointly conduct IELTS, and the big question that arises now is whether to take the IELTS with IDP or with the British Council. We will discuss this in detail in the next section.

British Council Vs IDP – What is the Difference?

When you consider applying for IELTS via either IDP or British Council (BC), there are two main areas where you would like to differentiate between the two. Listed below are the areas –

• Test difficulty level in IDP compared to BC and vice versa
• Test Marking pattern in IDP and BC

As for the test’s difficulty, it can be determined by the authorised compiler of the test. In this case, neither the IDP nor the British Council compiles the test papers. BC and IDP conduct the test jointly across 140 countries; however, the responsibility of compiling the test paper lies with Cambridge English Language Assessment, one of the co-owners of the coveted IELTS test.

Therefore, the first concern is addressed here, as the test difficulty level remains the same regardless of whether you choose IDP or British Council.

Next comes the question of marking pattern by IELTS examiners – whether marking is strict or lenient? You may be overwhelmed to know that the examiners at BC and IDP follow the same guidelines for evaluating the test and are trained uniformly. It should be made clear here which of the sub-tests of this test is marked by an examiner.

Well, the Speaking and Writing sub-tests are marked by an examiner, while the Listening and Reading sub-tests (being computer-based) are marked manually. So, you’re affected if you don’t prepare appropriately for the Speaking and Writing test. Choosing the IELTS Test Centre is a Pain for Some Candidates…

Besides having confusion about IDP and BC, some candidates are even traumatised when taking the LTStest centre. Many candidates believe that the difficulty level of the test varies with the test centre location. Consequently, they spend a significant amount of time deciding on the test centre location rather than devoting time to preparing for the test. It is a big mistake to give preference to a test centre in an endeavour to find an easy-to-crack IELTS test.

It must be mentioned here that the British Council conducts IELTS in some countries and IDP in some other countries. There are, however, some countries where both of these authorities conduct the test, and India is one of them. However, neither ID  nor BC suggests that the paper would be simpler if taken from them. The candidates must thus understand that the complexity or simplicity of the IELTS test paper is independent of the test centre location, and they will have to take the same test whether they are in city A or city B.

It is thus advised to candidates appearing for IELTS to focus purely on test preparation rather than believing in such chances. The purpose of IELTS is to assess your English proficiency and communication skills. So, Cracking the IE TS Test Successfully only requires enhancing your existing English skills to the highest of levels and not indulging in baseless rumours.