Faq’s

An IELTS Test result is valid for 2 years.

A candidate may retake the IELTS exam any time.

You must be at least 16 years old to write an IELTS exam.

IDP and BCD facilitates pen and paper-based tests on 48 fixed dates annually and depending on local demand up to four times a month.

Call us at +91 172 5000060 for registration help. Alternatively, you may also give us a chance to assist you by visiting any of our 60+ offices spread across Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh and Sri Ganganagar.

You will be marked as an absentee and the fee will not be refunded and you will get zero bands in your test.

If you postpone or cancel your application at least 5 weeks before the test date, you will receive a refund after deduction of administration charge. If you postpone or cancel after 5 weeks of the test date, you will be charged the full fee. However, if you have a serious medical condition and you are able to provide a medical certificate within 5 days of the test date, you will receive a refund after deduction of administrative cost.

You are allowed to carry only pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners and your passport in the examination room. Everything else like mobile phones, tabs, wrist watches and handbags must be placed in the area designated by the testing authority.

IELTS is an international test. Examples of accents that can be heard are American, British, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand. These are just examples and the kinds of accents heard are not just restricted to these.

You can apply for a re-evaluation or an Enquiry on Results at your test centre not later than six weeks of the test date. You must pay an enquiry fee, which will be refunded if your bands score changes after re-evaluation.

You must write the Listening and Reading parts in pencil. You may choose to use either a pen or a pencil to take the writing section of the test.

There are no pass marks in IELTS. Your performance in each section will be rated on a band scale of 1 to 9. All educational institutions set their own minimum IELTS scores eligibility.

Pearson Test of English

PTE is accepted by limited colleges and universities. It is advisable to check if the university or college in which you are seeking admission accepts PTE or not.

Yes, PTE also has general and academic versions. In addition, PTE also has a young learner test for children.

PTE also has reading, listening, speaking and writing sections. All sections are conducted on a computer. A microphone is used for speaking section. Each section has a fixed duration and there is no option of going back to the previous attempted questions. PTE academic results are available online in five business days.

There is no fixed minimum requirement. It is advisable to check the minimum PTE score required for the university or college in which you are seeking admission.

TOEFL is an internationally accepted test to check the reading, writing, speaking and listening abilities of a non-native English speaker in English as per foreign colleges’ and universities’ standards.

TOEFL is accepted in over 9000 colleges across 130 English speaking countries.

The TOEFL iBT test is administered more than 50 times a year on fixed dates.

Yes, it takes about four hours to complete a TOEFL test.

Yes, you are. There is no limit to the attempts to take the test. However, you are allowed to take it once in 12 days.

The test fee varies from location to location.

You can reserve it online, in person, by phone or by mail. Online registration is advisable because it is the fastest and easiest way. You can choose the location of the test and check date availability.

You can register at least 4 days prior to the test date. If the test date you want is not listed, either the deadline for registration may have passed, or all seats for that date might have been filled.

Score reports are sent via email about 13 days after the test date. But ETS has no control over mail delivery to various locations around the world. It takes 7 to10 days after the mailing date for delivery in the United States and 4 to 6 weeks for other locations.

2 years after the test date.

The TOEFL iBT® test is done via the Internet, and the TOEFL PBT test is done in a paper format. The TOEFL iBT test is done online at testing sites across the world. The TOEFL PBT test is done only in locations where testing via the Internet is not available.

I-20 is an official U.S. Government form, issued by a certified school, which a prospective non immigrant student must have in order to get a student Visa. It is an acceptance proof and contains information required to pay the fee, apply for a visa or change visa status. The Form I-20 has the student's SEVIS identification number, which starts with the letter N and is followed by nine digits, on the upper right side directly above the barcode.

It is advisable to apply for the student visa as soon as you have your I-20. To ensure you get an early and timely date you may apply at any time. A student visa can be issued 120 days before the start date mentioned on your I-20.

You will be allowed to enter the United States within 30 days of the beginning of the course stated on your I-20, regardless of when your visa was issued.

Full time students on F1 visa are allowed to work on campus for a maximum of 20 hours per week. After 1 year a student may apply for an off campus employment with authorization from USICS.

Yes, your family can visit you after securing a tourist visa.

Canada is the most preferred study destination because of its academic excellence, ample research opportunities, affordable accommodation with high standards of living, vibrant and lively campus life, immigration opportunities, and so on. All these and many other features let Canada stand out as a popular country to study among Indian students.

Student Direct Stream helps fast-track the processing of study permits for designated learning institutions (DLI) in Canada. It is available to the legal residents of 14 nations including India.

Anyone with the following documents is eligible for SDS processing:
- Proof of valid language test result (with a minimum of 6 bands in each module)
- Proof of GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) of CAD $10,000
- Proof of full payment of tuition fees of first year
- Letter of acceptance from DLI (Designated Learning Institutions)
- Proof of upfront medical examination report
- Proof of recently completed education

Tuition fee is the primary study expense in Canada that ranges between CAD 16,000 and CAD 20,000 per year. The figures may rise depending on your choice of program and institution.

Students are allowed to work 20 hours per week while studying and 40 hours per week during vacations.

GIC stands for Guaranteed Investment Certificate which is a short-term liquid investment usually for upto a year. International students applying for their study permit in Canada require a minimum GIC of CAD 10,000 from a participating Canadian financial institution.

Co-op is short for cooperative education that combines school studies with an official paid work term. This helps you gain valuable practical experience in a career you are interested in while earning your degree.

Those who wish to stay in Canada after completing their graduation may stay back with a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) from a designated learning institution.
How long this work permit will be valid depends on the length of your program:
For program duration of over 8 months & less than 2 years = valid for the same length as your study program (eg. for a course of 9 months, you get the work permit for 9 months as well)
For programs of 2 years or more = PGWP valid for 3 years

Admissions in Canada are pretty competitive. It is always advised to begin atleast a year before. One should start shortlisting programs & institutions while gathering information about scholarships, study permits, etc. Don’t forget to contact career counseling experts at Touchstone for all sorts of insider information and to have an edge in your admission procedure.

Canada welcomes everyone with open arms. No matter your background in studies, there sure is a course in the universities of Canada. All you need is the right guidance from Touchstone experts to help you select one for yourself.

You will be required to show evidence of available funds to support your stay. For an annual stay in Australia the official amount is: • Student/guardian - AUD 21041 • Partner/spouse - AUD 7362 • Child - AUD 3152

Yes, you will be able to include your dependent family members on your visa. Their visas will be valid for the same duration as yours .

Yes, you can work for up to 40 hours fortnightly.

Your course must be a full time one to apply for a student visa. If you want to work full time and study part time it is advisable to apply for a Sponsorship Visa.

You may book any course which is registered with the Australian Government as a course for foreign students.

Yes, if your current visa does not have a “no further stay” condition.

Yes, you can leave and re-enter Australia at your will during the validity period of your student’s visa.

The processing time for a student’s visa is about 4 to 8 weeks but the timeframes change depending on immigration. In most cases, applications are finalised in a month. However, failure to provide all documents or submitting misleading information will delay the process or result in visa refusal

Yes, students are allowed to work part time @ 20 hours a week during the course duration and full-time during vacation.

Your partner can accompany you after securing either a work visa or a visitor’s visa.

Student visa can be granted either for level 5 and above courses or for courses listed in the long-term skill shortage list.

Police clearance certificate can either be obtained from the office of Senior Superintendent of Police or from the Regional passport office.

English is the majorly used language. The other official language used in New Zealand is Maori.

Yes, if your current visa does not have a “no further stay” condition.

Yes, you can leave and re-enter New Zealand at your will during the validity period of your student’s visa.

The processing time for a student’s visa is about 4 to 8 weeks but the timeframes change depending on immigration. In most cases, applications are finalised in a month. However, failure to provide all documents or submitting misleading information will delay the process or result in visa refusal.