Exam fees and test centres by country

Where can I take IELTS in Kazakhstan?

IDP lists 24 IELTS test centres in 18 Kazakh cities, and the British Council tests in 13 cities, so most regional capitals have at least one option. Almaty and Astana have both providers and are the only cities with IELTS for UKVI. Nearly every session is on computer; IDP also runs Life Skills on paper in Almaty and Astana and the odd paper IELTS session in Astana.
  • Checked against official sources · 10 October 2026
  • 3 sections
  • IELTS
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IELTS test cities in Kazakhstan by provider

City lists come from IDP's test centre finder, the British Council's dates, fees and locations page and the ielts.org test centre finder for Kazakhstan, read on 10 October 2026. IDP's Almaty listing includes a venue at SDU University in Kaskelen. We leave out addresses because venues move; use the finders when you book.

CityIDPBritish Council
AlmatyYes, including UKVI and Life SkillsYes, including UKVI and Life Skills
AstanaYes, including UKVI and Life SkillsYes, including UKVI and Life Skills
Aktau, Aktobe, Atyrau, Karaganda, KostanayYesYes
Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, ShymkentYesYes
Taldykorgan, Taraz, TurkestanYesYes
Kokshetau, Kyzylorda, Petropavlovsk, Semey, UralskYesNot listed

How to choose a centre

For a UK visa, book IELTS for UKVI or Life Skills in Almaty or Astana; the British Council says those are its only UKVI cities (UKVI page), and ielts.org marks IDP's Almaty and Astana venues as UKVI approved. Elsewhere you sit standard IELTS Academic or General Training, which is fine for universities and for Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

In the north and west (Kokshetau, Petropavlovsk, Semey, Uralsk, Kyzylorda) only IDP is listed, so compare its session dates first. Both providers offer One Skill Retake on computer: the British Council for any test taken on computer in the last 60 days, and IDP at most of its venues. A retake is booked with the same provider as your original test.

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Booking

Book with the provider running your centre: the British Council online, through its Test Taker Portal or its WhatsApp line, and IDP online or at an IDP branch. Fees, Kaspi payment and refund rules are in our IELTS exam fee in Kazakhstan guide, and One Skill Retake rules are on the British Council's page.

Frequently asked questions

Which cities in Kazakhstan have IELTS test centres?+

Between IDP and the British Council: Almaty, Astana, Aktau, Aktobe, Atyrau, Karaganda, Kokshetau, Kostanay, Kyzylorda, Oskemen, Pavlodar, Petropavlovsk, Semey, Shymkent, Taldykorgan, Taraz, Turkestan and Uralsk.

Where can I take IELTS for UKVI in Kazakhstan?+

In Almaty and Astana, with either IDP or the British Council.

Is there an IELTS test centre in Shymkent?+

Yes, with both IDP and the British Council.

Can I take IELTS in Semey or Uralsk?+

Yes, with IDP. The British Council does not list either city.

How fast are IELTS results in Kazakhstan?+

The British Council says 1 to 2 days for IELTS on computer; IDP's sessions say 1 to 5 days.

Keep reading

Related

Verified against the linked official sources on 10 October 2026. Rules change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.

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