Zach Johnson CEO IELTS USA

Johnson will be responsible for working with the growing network of test centres in the country to increase opportunities to take the test.

Johnson said IELTS was “truly international.. covering the main varieties of English so that students coming to study in the US are accustomed to a wide variety of accents and ways of speaking English”.

He added that the test covers four language skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing – in different contexts preparing learners to have the flexibility to deal with English in contexts inside and outside of the classroom.

Over 3,000 institutions and programmes recognise IELTS in the USA

IELTS owners recently reported 12% growth pushing up its number of test takers to 1.7 million, with significant demand coming from the USA. Over 3,000 institutions and programmes recognise IELTS in the USA and candidates can choose from regular test dates at over 50 locations.

Johnson joins the company after holding various leaderships positions at Blackboard, Inc. for seven years. He is taking over from former CEO Beryl Meiron who is retiring.

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. IELTS’ USA office has been operating since 2000.