Band scores
What the residence categories ask for, and who is exempt. With a practice exercise.
IELTS for New Zealand residence is more straightforward than the Canadian or Australian systems. New Zealand generally asks for an overall band rather than a minimum in each skill, and the threshold is lower than most candidates expect.
The complication is elsewhere. Several categories accept alternative evidence instead of a test, and a significant number of applicants who book IELTS did not need to.
What is required
Six points, and the fourth saves some people the cost of a test.
An overall band of 6.5 is the usual requirement. Unlike Australia, there is normally no minimum in each individual skill.
This makes New Zealand more forgiving. A weak skill can be offset by a strong one, provided the average reaches the threshold.
General Training is accepted for residence categories. Academic is also accepted, so take whichever suits you.
Applicants who have completed qualifications in English, or who have skilled employment in New Zealand, may not need a test at all. Check before you book.
IELTS is not the only option. PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, C1 Advanced and OET are also recognised, at equivalent levels.
Partners and adult dependent children included in an application usually have their own, lower English requirement, or can pre-purchase English tuition instead.
Method
Six practical points.
Qualification and employment exemptions are real, and the test is expensive. This is the first thing to establish, not the last.
With no per-skill minimum, you can compensate. If speaking is your strongest skill, a strong speaking score genuinely lifts the average.
Compensation only works so far. A 5.0 in writing needs two 7.5s elsewhere to reach 6.5 overall.
An average of 6.375 is reported as 6.5, but 6.125 is reported as 6.0. A quarter of a band decides whether you meet the threshold.
Immigration New Zealand normally requires the result to be recent. Confirm the current period before planning your timing.
Requirements and category rules change. Immigration New Zealand publishes the current position, and that is the only source worth relying on.
Practice
Work out whether each candidate meets an overall 6.5.
Add the four skill bands, divide by four, then round to the nearest half band.
An average ending in .25 rounds up. Anything below that rounds down.
Unlike Australia, there is normally no minimum in each individual skill.
1Listening 7.0, Reading 6.0, Writing 6.0, Speaking 7.0. Does this reach 6.5 overall?
Yes. The four total 26, which averages exactly 6.5. No individual minimum applies, so the 6.0s do not matter.
2Listening 7.0, Reading 6.5, Writing 5.5, Speaking 6.5. Does this reach 6.5 overall?
Yes. The total is 25.5, averaging 6.375, which rounds up to 6.5. The weak writing is offset by the stronger listening.
3Listening 6.5, Reading 6.0, Writing 5.5, Speaking 6.5. Does this reach 6.5 overall?
No. The total is 24.5, averaging 6.125, which rounds down to 6.0. A quarter of a band short.
4What is the main difference from the Australian system?
New Zealand normally uses an overall band. That makes a weak skill much less costly than it is in the Australian system.
5You have a degree taught in English. What should you do first?
Check whether you are exempt. Qualifications completed in English can satisfy the requirement without a test, and a significant number of applicants pay for a test they did not need.
Check the exemptions before booking. Qualifications taught in English and skilled employment in New Zealand can both remove the requirement.
The complete IELTS course on IELTStestONLINE has video lessons on every question type, many more exercises like this one, and your own support tutor you can ask when an answer does not make sense. Take a look at the complete course
An overall band is easier to reach than a per-skill minimum, but it still depends on writing, which is the hardest skill to judge in your own work.
IELTStestONLINE keeps every score you get in one place, gives you an estimated band as you work, and assesses your writing and speaking against the four criteria so you can see where you stand before test day. See what full membership includes
The Skilled Migrant Category usually requires an overall band of 6.5, with no minimum in each individual skill.
Normally no. New Zealand generally uses an overall band, which means a weaker skill can be offset by a stronger one.
Possibly. Qualifications completed in English, or skilled employment in New Zealand, can satisfy the requirement without a test. Check before you book.
PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, C1 Advanced and OET are recognised at equivalent levels, so IELTS is not the only route.
Partners and adult dependants included in an application have their own requirement, which is lower, and there is usually an option to pre-purchase English tuition instead.
Full membership
With an overall requirement, the difference between 6.125 and 6.375 is the whole application, and it usually comes down to writing.
IELTStestONLINE assesses your writing and speaking against the four IELTS criteria, instantly and as often as you like, using a system built by a former IELTS examiner and examiner trainer. It keeps every score in one place with an estimated band, and it carries no advertising.
See what membership includes