IELTS fee in Ethiopia: ETB 22,000 – 24,800
Some 2026 test dates are priced at ETB 26,600.
Verified August 2026 against the British Council Ethiopia registration system. Fees change — confirm the exact amount for your date when you book.
Six British Council IELTS locations now operate in Ethiopia — in Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Dire Dawa and Jimma — so you no longer have to travel to the capital to sit the test. This page covers what IELTS costs, which version to take, how to register and pay in birr, and the band score each of our destinations expects.
The British Council charges between ETB 22,000 and ETB 24,800 for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training in Ethiopia, with a number of 2026 dates listed at ETB 26,600. There is no separate registration or booking charge on top of that: the fee you see against your chosen date is the full amount.
Three things move the number: the test version (IELTS for UKVI is priced above the standard Academic test), the venue, and the exchange rate at the time the date was loaded, since the British Council prices IELTS in a hard currency and publishes the birr equivalent. That is why two dates a month apart can differ by several thousand birr — and why you should read the amount on the date you actually intend to book rather than an average quoted anywhere else, including here.
Budget separately for a possible retake. If your first attempt misses your target band, an One Skill Retake is cheaper than the full test where it is offered.
This is the version Ethiopian students applying to universities need — for a bachelor's, master's or PhD anywhere we place students. The Reading and Writing sections use academic texts, charts and essay tasks that mirror university work.
Take Academic unless you have a specific written instruction to do otherwise.
Built for work, training and migration — permanent residence applications to Canada and Australia, UK work visas, and some secondary or vocational programmes. Reading passages come from notices, adverts and workplace documents.
A General Training result will usually be rejected by a university admissions office, and the fee is not refunded when you sit the wrong version.
A third variant, IELTS for UKVI, is the same test taken under UK Home Office secure conditions. You only need it if the UK institution or visa route explicitly asks for a Secure English Language Test. In Ethiopia, UKVI is delivered only at the British Council main centre in Addis Ababa.
| Computer-delivered | Paper-based | |
|---|---|---|
| Results | About 3–5 days | About 13 days |
| Dates available | Several sittings most weeks | A few fixed dates each month |
| Where | Addis Ababa centres | Addis Ababa and the regional university venues |
| Content and scoring | Identical | Identical |
| Speaking | Face to face with an examiner | Face to face with an examiner |
If you are chasing an application deadline, choose computer-delivered: the two-week difference in results timing is the single most common reason Ethiopian students miss an intake. Choose paper if you type slowly, if you prefer to annotate the reading passages by hand, or if the only sitting near your city is a paper one.
The British Council operates six IELTS locations across Ethiopia. Availability at the regional university venues is date-dependent, so check the registration portal for your month before you plan travel.
The UKVI (IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration) test location.
Academic and General Training sittings.
Overflow venue used on high-demand dates.
Regional centre for southern Ethiopia.
Regional centre for eastern Ethiopia.
Regional centre for south-western Ethiopia.
IDP also operates IELTS in Addis Ababa. The test, the fee band and the score are the same whichever operator you book with — universities do not distinguish between them.
Academic for university study, General Training for migration, UKVI only if a UK institution asked for it — then pick computer-delivered for fast results or paper if that suits you better.
It lists every live date, the venue, and the exact fee in birr for that sitting. This is the only place the current price is authoritative.
That leaves room for results processing and, if you need it, a retake. Popular Addis Ababa dates close early in application season.
Pay by the method shown for your date — local bank transfer or in-person payment at the centre. Your seat is not held until payment clears. Bring the same passport you registered with on test day.
Maraki registers students for IELTS every week. Tell us your target intake and we will pick a date that leaves enough margin, handle the booking, and prepare you for it at no extra cost.
Typical overall band requirements at the destinations Maraki places students in. Individual universities set their own minimums, and many also require no single band below 5.5 or 6.0 — check the programme page before you book your test.
| Destination | Bachelor's | Master's |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 6.0–6.5 | 6.5–7.0 |
| Canada | 6.0–6.5 | 6.5–7.0 |
| Hungary | 5.5–6.0 | 6.0–6.5 |
| Italy | 5.5–6.0 | 6.0–6.5 |
| Germany | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| UAE | 5.5–6.0 | 6.0–6.5 |
| China | 5.5–6.0 | 6.0–6.5 |
Several of our partner institutions accept a Medium of Instruction letter instead of IELTS where your previous degree was taught in English, and some accept the Duolingo English Test at a fraction of the IELTS fee. Ask us before you pay for a test you may not need.
Computer-delivered results are released in about three to five days; paper results take about thirteen. You get an online Test Report Form first, with the printed copy available afterwards.
When you register you can nominate recognising organisations — universities, colleges, immigration bodies — and your result is sent to them electronically at no charge. Additional reports requested later may attract an administrative fee, so list every institution you intend to apply to up front.
Scores are valid for two years from the test date. Universities date this from the test, not from when you send the report, so a score taken early in a long application cycle can expire mid-process.
There is no waiting period: you may re-sit the full test as soon as a seat is available, as often as you like, paying the full fee each time.
One Skill Retake lets you re-sit a single section — Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking — and receive an updated Test Report Form. It requires that your original test was computer-delivered, that you re-sit within 60 days at a participating centre, and it costs less than a full test. Availability in Ethiopia varies by date, so confirm it is offered before you rely on it.
Not every university accepts a One Skill Retake report. Check with the admissions office if a single weak band is the only thing standing between you and an offer.
When you book a Maraki consultation, you get free practice tests, a section-by-section study plan, and referrals to vetted IELTS instructors in Addis Ababa. We also register you for your test date and make sure the timing fits your intake.