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

IELTS, owned by the British Council, IDP and Cambridge University Press & Assessment, revealed the partnership on November 11.

Globally, 42% of young people have access to higher education but this drops to only 7% among refugees, it said.

“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,” Jane Mann, managing director of the partnership for education at the University of Cambridge.

UNHCR plans to identify potential recipients for the English test. Subsequently, the agency will locate a suitable location and date for the applicant to take the test online or on paper, it said.

Taking an IELTS test will provide refugees access to over 25,000 organisations around the world.

Warwick Freeland, managing director – IELTS, IDP Education, said: “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.”

In 2023, across more than 140 countries, over 4 million IELTS tests were taken. In forging a partnership with UNHCR, IELTS said it hopes that the number will continue to rise.

Nick Godfrey, deputy director of IELTS partnerships at the British Council, said: “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.”

We are incredibly excited about this partnership, which will help people living through the most challenging circumstances to access these transformative opportunities
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Previous initiatives from the  Duolingo English Test helped 20 refugees in 2023.

The news follows the UK government’s plans to overhaul English language testing, releasing proposals earlier this year to create a Secure English Language Test