Checked against the British Council's and IDP's Singapore pages and ielts.org in 2026. Rules change and the providers' pages do not always agree with one another, so confirm the details with the provider you booked with. This page is general information, not legal advice, and it quotes no exam fee or test date.
Short answer: bring the same physical ID you booked with
The British Council and IDP both ask you to bring the ID you used to book, but their Singapore pages do not word the rule in the same way. The British Council sorts ID by status: Singaporean or Permanent Resident, or foreigner. IDP's own Singapore pages give the rule in several places and do not word it the same way each time. The sections below set both out.
Do not assume that an ID accepted by one provider is accepted by the other. Go by the wording on your own provider's pages, and ask the provider before test day if anything is unclear.
What the British Council says about ID in Singapore
The British Council's Singapore booking page sorts ID by who you are:
| Status | What the page says you may use |
|---|---|
| Singaporean or Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) | NRIC or passport only. |
| Foreigner | Passport only, valid at booking and on test day. A Foreign Identification Number (FIN) is not accepted, and neither is any other form of ID. |
The same page says that only physical ID cards or passports are allowed on test day. Digital IDs are not accepted, nor are invalid or expired ones, and the ID you bring must be the one you used to book.
What IDP's Singapore pages say about ID
IDP's Singapore pages mention ID in more than one place, and the wording differs:
| IDP Singapore page | What it says about ID |
|---|---|
| What to bring, opening lines | Bring either your passport or your Permanent Resident Card, matching the one used to register, and the same ID for the Speaking test. |
| The same page, further down | Only original, current passports are accepted, with an expiry date at least 7 days after the test date. Photocopies and certified copies are not accepted. |
| Test day | Bring the same passport or national identity card that you used to book your test. The ID is checked before you enter the interview room and again during the interview. |
| Test day, Chinese version | Bring the passport or ID card (身份证) used when booking. |
Read together, these lines do not give one answer. The first names a passport or a PR Card, the second names passports only, the third names a passport or a national identity card, and the sentence in the Chinese version says only "passport or ID card", without saying which kind of card. This page therefore does not state that IDP accepts any particular card.
Our suggestion, which is not a rule from IDP: use the ID you booked with, and if it is anything other than a passport, ask IDP before test day whether it will be accepted.
If you get a new passport after booking, IDP's what-to-bring page says to bring both the old and the new passport to registration, and that photocopies are not accepted.
Under 18 and under 16
The British Council's Singapore booking page says that candidates under 18 need a parent consent form and that IELTS is not recommended for anyone under 16. This page reports no IDP rule on age, so if you or your child is under 18, ask the provider you are booking with what it requires.
On test day: identity checks, timing and what to leave outside
Identity checks
IDP's what-to-bring page says you will be asked to verify your identity both before the Speaking test and before the rest of the sections, and that part of the verification process is capturing your photo and your finger-scan. IDP's test-day page adds that your ID is checked before you enter the interview room and again during the interview.
Time to allow, and the timetable
IDP asks you to give yourself at least an hour to complete the registration process. That is the time registration can take, not a rule about when to arrive, so follow the reporting time in the messages your provider sends you. The British Council's test day page says it emails the timetable at least three days before the test and that a late arrival may not be admitted.
Which day is Speaking?
IDP's Singapore test-day page says that if you take IELTS on computer, the Speaking test is taken on the same day, before or after the other three parts. The same page also says that at some test centres you may sit Speaking on the same day or up to 7 days before or after your test date, and it does not say which format that sentence covers. Check your booking confirmation for the Speaking date. IDP's what-to-bring page says to bring the same ID for the Speaking test and that identity is verified before Speaking, so bring your ID to every session. How Speaking is held is covered in our guide to computer-delivered IELTS in Singapore.
Phones, pagers and smartwatches
IDP's Singapore test-day page says that mobile phones, pagers and smartwatches must be switched off and left with your personal belongings, which go outside the examination room in a secure area or locker, and that keeping a phone or other electronic device with you leads to disqualification. This page does not give a full list of what may and may not be brought, so ask your provider for its list.
Special arrangements: ask early
IDP Singapore's special requirements page says arrangements are available for test takers with special requirements linked to hearing loss, low vision, learning difficulties, medical conditions or infant feeding. On timing, the pages cited for this guide say:
- ielts.org's access arrangements page asks test takers to contact their test centre at least six weeks ahead, so that arrangements can be made.
- The British Council's Singapore test day page says that candidates who need special arrangements should contact its staff at the test venue six weeks in advance.
- ielts.org sets different notice periods for different equipment, so if you use any, ask your centre as early as you can.
Nothing here means that a particular arrangement will be granted, and this page cannot say whether yours would be. Ask early, and ask the provider what it needs from you. Band Booster cannot request or approve arrangements.
A short checklist, in order
- When you book: note which provider and which ID you used. If you may need an arrangement, contact your test centre or venue at least six weeks before the test.
- A few weeks before: if your ID is a passport, check its expiry date. The British Council wants it valid at booking and on test day, and IDP's what-to-bring page says at least 7 days after the test date. If you use any equipment, ask your centre early about its notice period.
- In the last days: look for the timetable email (the British Council says it sends it at least three days before the test) and for your booking confirmation, including the Speaking date.
- On the day: bring the same physical ID you booked with, and both passports if you changed passport after booking. Switch off phones and smartwatches and leave them with your personal belongings outside the examination room. Leave time for registration; IDP suggests at least an hour.
Where one-to-one lessons fit
Band Booster IELTS is a private, one-to-one online tutoring service, not a test centre or the exam board. It does not register you for the test, set exam fees or dates, check or approve your ID, or decide on special arrangements: those belong to the British Council or IDP. Mike, a CELTA-certified teacher based in Hanoi who scored 8.5 in IELTS Speaking, teaches every lesson live in English on Google Meet.
What a lesson can help with is the content of the test: Speaking Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real format with feedback in the moment, Writing Task 1 and Task 2 marked against the public band descriptors, and Listening and Reading. Progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between sessions, and no band is promised. Read more on the online IELTS tutor page for Singapore, IELTS Speaking coaching and About Mike. The booking page shows each slot in your own timezone and your price, in your own currency, before you pay; Singapore is in the higher regional price tier.
More on IELTS in Singapore
For where to sit the test, see IELTS test centres in Singapore. If your plans change, cancelling or moving an IELTS test in Singapore compares the providers' rules. After the test, IELTS results, Test Report Form copies and remarks in Singapore explains what each provider says, and One Skill Retake or a full retake compares the two retake routes.