Band Booster IELTS does not register students, run a test centre or check anyone's ID. This guide sets out what ielts.org and a handful of US centre pages say about ID on test day, when Speaking may be held and what one centre says about late arrival. The pages were read in October 2026 and centres change them, so read the current page for your own centre. This page quotes no exam fee or test date.
The rule ielts.org states: the same ID you booked with
ielts.org's on test day page says to bring the same identification document that you used when you booked your test. It also says that you will not be able to take your test if you bring the wrong ID or forget to bring it.
That leaves two things to settle before you pay for a test rather than on the morning of it: which document you will use to book, and whether you will still have that exact document on test day. The pages read for this guide that name accepted documents are centre pages, set out next.
What some US centre pages say about ID
The rows below come from ielts.org and from five other pages: an FAQ from an organisation that runs several US centres, and the pages of the centres in Portland (Oregon), Denver (Colorado), the Seattle area and Arlington (Virginia). They are examples of what centres publish, not a US-wide list.
| Source | What it says about ID |
|---|---|
| ielts.org, on test day page | Bring the same identification document you used when you booked. Wrong or forgotten ID: you cannot take the test. |
| FAQ of an organisation that runs several US centres | Lists four documents as the only ones accepted: a passport, a US Passport Card, a US Permanent Resident Card or a US Employment Authorization Card. Bring the same original document on test day. |
| Portland, Oregon centre | A driver's licence or state ID is not valid identification for registering. Photocopies, electronic images (for example a picture of your ID on your phone) and other forms of ID will not be accepted on test day. |
| Denver, Colorado centre | Registration needs a digital copy of your ID (it lists the same four documents) and a credit or debit card to complete payment. |
| Seattle-area centre | The ID used at registration must be the one shown on test day, and no other ID is accepted. Documents are listed in more than one place on the page and the lists do not match. |
| Arlington, Virginia centre, UKVI tests | Only a valid passport is accepted unless an alternative document has been specifically approved. |
Reading the rows together
One point recurs: ielts.org, the FAQ and the Seattle-area page each tie test-day ID to the one used to register, and the FAQ and the Portland page want the original, not a copy. Do not plan on showing a photocopy or a phone picture, and if you think your centre differs, ask it before test day.
The documents are where the pages part. The FAQ and the Denver page name the same four, and neither list includes a driver's licence. The Portland page says a driver's licence or state ID is not valid for registering. The Seattle-area page says no other ID is accepted but is not consistent about which documents count. Because some centre pages list four documents and others word the rule differently, this page cannot say that every US centre accepts a given document. If you are unsure whether the document you hold is on your centre's list, ask the centre before you book: ielts.org ties test-day ID to the document you booked with, so the choice is made at booking.
Registration is not test day: copies, images and cards
At registration, the Denver page says you need a digital copy of your ID and a credit or debit card to complete payment. On test day, the FAQ expects the same original and the Portland page does not accept photocopies or electronic images. On those pages, a digital copy that satisfies a booking form is not the document you carry on the day. This page does not say whether other centres also ask for a card at registration; your centre's page and the booking form will show what it asks for.
UKVI tests: a passport-only rule at the Arlington centre
The Arlington centre's page says that for UKVI tests only a valid passport is accepted, unless an alternative identification document has been specifically approved. That sentence is about the UKVI tests at that centre, not about its other tests or any other centre. Whether you need a UKVI test is something to check with the organisation asking for your result, and Band Booster IELTS gives no visa or immigration advice. See IELTS for UKVI in the United States and Academic or General Training.
Speaking day: usually the same day, but one FAQ says it can differ
The FAQ of the organisation that runs several US centres says its centres usually hold the Speaking test on the same day whenever possible, and that you will be notified if your Speaking test must be completed on a different day. It also says that, depending on the test centre, the Speaking test may be taken up to 7 days either before or after the test date if it is not held on test day. So the day you sit Listening, Reading and Writing may not always be the day you sit Speaking. Check the Speaking date and time you are given by your centre instead of assuming they match.
That is one organisation's FAQ, and it says the arrangement depends on the centre. It does not say which centres hold Speaking on another day, so it cannot tell you what yours does. None of the centre statements used for this guide says whether ID is checked again on a separate Speaking day, so ask your centre if yours is held on another day. For how Speaking is delivered and how fast results arrive, see computer-delivered IELTS in the United States.
If you arrive late: what one centre's page says
The Denver centre's page says that if you arrive late it will not be able to admit you, and that no refund or transfer without charge will be provided; it states this in line with the IELTS Terms and Conditions. Because Denver's page cites those terms, do not assume your centre is more flexible. This page does not say how every centre words the rule, and it states no arrival or start time, because none of the pages used for this guide gives one that applies to every US centre; check your centre's page for the times and rules that apply to you.
What you are sitting: section lengths
These are the section lengths of the test. This page states no total for the day.
- Listening: 30 minutes, 40 questions, 4 parts, with the recording played once.
- Reading: 60 minutes, 40 questions, 3 sections.
- Writing: 60 minutes. Task 1 is at least 150 words (about 20 minutes) and Task 2 at least 250 words (about 40 minutes); Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1.
- Speaking: 11 to 14 minutes in three parts: Part 1 on familiar topics (4 to 5 minutes), Part 2 a cue card with 1 minute to prepare and 1 to 2 minutes of speaking (3 to 4 minutes with the follow-up questions), and Part 3 abstract questions linked to Part 2 (4 to 5 minutes).
A checklist for the week before
- Write down which ID document you used to book. ielts.org says to bring that same document.
- Check that you still have it, that it is the original and that it has not expired or been replaced. If anything has changed since you booked, ask your centre before test day.
- Read your centre's own page for the documents it lists; the pages above differ, so ask the centre if yours is not clearly on the list.
- Note the date and time your centre gives you for every part, including Speaking, which one operator's FAQ says may be on another day.
- Read your centre's late-arrival wording. The Denver page says late arrivals are not admitted and ties this to the IELTS Terms and Conditions; check what yours says.
- For a UKVI test, check the passport rule on your centre's page, as at the Arlington centre.
Item 2 is this page's own suggestion, not a rule from ielts.org or a centre. Pages and rules change, so confirm each point with your centre.
What this page leaves out
- Which centre to use: see IELTS test centres in the United States and the ielts.org test centre finder. Tutor pages for learners in Portland, Denver and Seattle cover each city.
- Retaking one skill: see One Skill Retake or a full retake.
- Exam fees and test dates: centres set them and they change, so this page quotes no exam fee or test date.
Where lessons with Mike fit
Band Booster IELTS is a private tutoring service, not an IELTS test centre. It does not register candidates, set exam fees, check ID or run the test, so you book the test with a centre, not with Band Booster. Mike is a Cambridge CELTA-certified teacher based in Hanoi who teaches every session himself, one-to-one, live on Google Meet and in English. His own IELTS Speaking result is 8.5 (About Mike).
Sessions cover Listening, Reading, Writing (Task 1 and Task 2, marked against the public band descriptors) and Speaking in the real three-part format, with feedback during the session rather than days later. A session can concentrate on a single skill, such as Speaking. See Speaking coaching and IELTS Speaking tutor for the USA. No band is promised: progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between sessions.
The booking page shows each time in your own time zone and your price in your own currency before you pay; the time differences between Hanoi and the US zones are set out on online IELTS tutor for the USA. You can reschedule at no charge up to 12 hours before a slot, and a cancellation inside 12 hours is not refunded. A paid 30-minute trial can be taken once, on your first booking.