The stringent eligibility criteria and visa rules for the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia may have an adverse effect on the institutes coaching for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), as reports suggest the closure of 600 IELTS classes in Gujarat within months.

Agents from Ahmedabad, which specialises in processing students for Canada, have informed us that there has been a 41% drop in aspirants in recent times. This downward trend has led to the closure of 600 coaching institutes in Gujarat.

A report from an Ahmedabad-based marketing agency revealed that from January to March 2025, the number of students flying abroad has gone down by 15% compared to the same time last year.

In India, this number of students applying to study abroad went down to 7,59,064 from 8,92,989 last year, denoting a 13% drop.

On the other hand, one of the faculties working at these IELTS institutes, on the condition of remaining anonymous, said that the coaching institutions are also facing issues since the students are opting to apply themselves, instead of relying on coaching centres.

What is IELTS?

The International English Language Testing System exam is a language proficiency test that indicates the level of proficiency of a candidate in listening, reading, writing, and speaking English.