• Only 7 percent of refugees of university age who wish to continue their studies access higher education, compared to a global average of 42 percent.

• Through partnering with UNHCR, IELTS aims to enable displaced refugees to build a long-term future via education and work.

• Over 4 million IELTS tests were taken in 2023.

Hundreds of displaced people will get the chance to take the world’s most trusted English language test for free, as the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) joins forces with IELTS.

IELTS, jointly owned by the British Council, IDP and Cambridge University Press & Assessment, is trusted by governments, employers and thousands of universities around the world and has been helping people achieve their professional, personal, and academic ambitions for over 35 years.

IELTS will work with UNHCR to provide opportunities for refugees who may otherwise not be able to achieve their ambitions due to financial, logistical or other difficulties.

The vast majority of refugees – 83 percent – are hosted by low- and middle-income countries, where they often face limited prospects for access to higher education, employment or local integration. Refugees who are of university age and wish to continue their studies have few options, with only 7 percent accessing higher education compared to a global average of 42 percent.

Challenges refugees face in accessing quality training, education and decent jobs include under-utilisation of skills, lack of recognition of qualifications, economic factors, policy restrictions, social and cultural factors and more.

Respected high-stakes English language tests like IELTS can be a key career and study requirement internationally, for refugees and non-refugees alike. In 2023, over 4 million IELTS tests were taken, in more than 140 countries around the world.

Through partnering with UNHCR, and the provision of free tests, IELTS aims to enable displaced refugees to build a long-term future via education and work. UNHCR will identify beneficiaries for the IELTS tests and will work with them to identify suitable locations and dates to take an IELTS test on paper or on computer.

Jane Mann, Managing Director of the Partnership for Education, Cambridge, said: “IELTS tests help people all around the world achieve their study and career goals – and to meet their potential.

“Refugees deserve the same educational opportunities as everyone else. Through offering IELTS tests to refugees for free, we are seeking to redress some of the inequalities that refugees face, and reduce the barriers they encounter to accessing higher education.

“A good result in an IELTS test can change the course of a person’s life for the better. When individuals are supported in pursuing study and work opportunities, wider society benefits too.”

Fran Woodward, Global Managing Director of English at Cambridge, said: “IELTS is the world’s most trusted English test for higher education and global migration.

“Cambridge English’s qualifications and tests are accepted by over 25,000 organisations worldwide. This means that with an IELTS qualification, a refugee can begin imagining and actualising a brighter future.

“Cambridge and its IELTS partners are proud to be helping bring greater opportunities to refugees.”

Sajjad Malik, Director of the Division of Resilience and Solutions, UNHCR, said: “At the UNHCR, we work to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge, having fled violence, persecution or war at home.

“Finding refuge can also involve regaining a sense of purpose beyond mere survival – and attaining educational qualifications can be a powerful part of this.

“We are excited to be partnering with Cambridge to help build better futures for vulnerable people keen to unlock their potential.”

Warwick Freeland, Managing Director – IELTS, IDP Education, said: “The IELTS and UNHCR partnership will ensure hundreds of refugees and communities can access life-changing opportunities.

“Refugees have already demonstrated incredible strength in the face of challenges.

“An IELTS score transcends boundaries and opens doors to global success, so it is our hope that offering free tests will be a start in improving access to education for a cohort of refugees around the world.”

Nick Godfrey, Deputy Director of IELTS Partnerships at the British Council, said: “The British Council's mission is to promote peace and prosperity by fostering connections, understanding, and trust between people in the UK and around the world. Through our support of English language learning and assessments, we have empowered millions to create brighter futures for themselves.

“As an IELTS delivery partner, we are incredibly excited about this partnership which will help people living through the most challenging circumstances to access these transformative opportunities.”