Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

4 PASS 5 REVIEW 4 FIX

Link & Button Quality

Action

8 issue(s) across 129 links and 18 buttons

FIX

8 issue(s) across 129 links and 18 buttons

3 link(s) with no accessible text

Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.

Got: https://ielts.org/take-a-test; https://ielts.org/organisations; https://ielts.org/researchers

7 link(s) open in new tab without warning

Add '(opens in new tab)' to link text or aria-label.

Got: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org; https://ielts.idp.com; https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/?utm_medium=organic&utm_source=website&utm_c…; https://www.linkedin.com/company/ielts-official/; https://www.youtube.com/user/IELTSOfficial; https://ielts.org/legal/cookies; https://www.onetrust.com/products/cookie-consent/

5 button(s) with no accessible text

Icon-only buttons need an aria-label so screen readers can announce them.

Got: button.button (#551 on page); button (#869 on page); button (#879 on page); button (#893 on page); button (#907 on page)

119 link(s) with descriptive text

129 links

3 empty

0 generic text

7 new tab

5 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://ielts.org/take-a-test	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://ielts.org/organisations	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://ielts.org/researchers	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org	brc	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://ielts.idp.com	idp	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/?utm_me…	cbr	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ielts-o…	LinkedIn	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.youtube.com/user/IELTSOffici…	YouTube	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://ielts.org/legal/cookies	More information about your pr…	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.onetrust.com/products/cookie…	Powered by OneTrust Opens in a…	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label

132 links and buttons have descriptive text

Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.

https://ielts.org/take-a-test; https://ielts.org/organisations; https://ielts.org/researchers

Why this matters

Links with no accessible text (empty <a></a>, image-only no alt, icon-only no aria-label) are unidentifiable to screen readers.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4

Add '(opens in new tab)' to link text or aria-label.

https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org; https://ielts.idp.com; https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/?utm_medium=organic&utm_source=website&utm_c…; https://www.linkedin.com/company/ielts-official/; https://www.youtube.com/user/IELTSOfficial; https://ielts.org/legal/cookies; https://www.onetrust.com/products/cookie-consent/

Why this matters

Links with target="_blank" without rel="noopener" leak the originating page's window context — security and UX issue.

Learn more ▾

Without rel="noopener", the new tab can navigate the original tab via window.opener (tab-nabbing attack). Modern browsers default to noopener for target=_blank but only since recent versions. Always set rel="noopener noreferrer" explicitly.

Source: MDN target / OWASP

Icon-only buttons need an aria-label so screen readers can announce them.

button.button (#551 on page); button (#869 on page); button (#879 on page); button (#893 on page); button (#907 on page)

Why this matters

Buttons with no accessible text (icon-only, no aria-label) can't be activated by voice control or understood by screen readers.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.2

Dark Mode Support

Action

Theme color only

FIX

Theme color only

Theme-color present but no dark variant

A theme-color is set but no dark-specific variant was found. The browser toolbar may not adapt for dark mode users.

Got: #ffffff

No dark mode signals detected

Consider adding CSS with @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) and <meta name='color-scheme' content='light dark'>.

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles

External CSS files may contain prefers-color-scheme rules not visible to this scan.

Dark ModePartial Dark Mode

color-scheme meta Not set ✗Dark theme-color Not set ✗CSS indicators Not detected ✗

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.

Print Stylesheet

Action

No print styles

FIX

No print styles

No print-specific styles detected

When users print this page, they get the screen layout including navigation and non-essential elements. Add @media print rules to hide navigation and optimize layout for paper.

Print Stylesheet No Print Styles

Print stylesheet Not found ✗Inline @media print Not detected ✗

Navigation UX

Action

No navigation patterns

FIX

No navigation patterns

3 navigation landmark(s) detected

No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected

These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.

Breadcrumbs

Skip Link

Labeled Navigation 3 <nav> element(s)

Hamburger Menu

Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)

1 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Limited navigation support. Consider adding breadcrumbs, search, and skip link.

Landmark Structure

Action

6 landmarks

REVIEW

6 landmarks

<main> landmark present

3 <nav> landmark(s) found

3 of 3 <nav> elements are unlabeled

Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.

No banner (header) landmark

No contentinfo (footer) landmark

Skip navigation link is missing (WCAG 2.4.1)

Add a skip link as the first focusable element so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.

Why this matters

Some <nav> elements lack aria-label — screen-reader users hear 'navigation' multiple times with no way to distinguish them.

Learn more ▾

When a page has multiple <nav> regions (primary, footer, breadcrumb), each needs aria-label or aria-labelledby. AT users navigate by landmark; identical 'navigation' announcements force them to enter each one to discover purpose.

Source: WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices

Add a skip link as the first focusable element so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.

Why this matters

Without a skip-nav link, keyboard users tab through every nav item before reaching content — every page, every visit.

Learn more ▾

WCAG 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks) requires a mechanism to skip past repeated content. The standard implementation is a 'Skip to main content' link that's the first focusable element, visually hidden until focused. Three lines of HTML + four of CSS.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.1

Form Accessibility

Action

3 of 12 controls have issues

REVIEW

3 of 12 controls have issues

3 control(s) without accessible label

Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.

Got: <input type="search" name="q">; <input type="submit">; <textarea name="g-recaptcha-response" id="g-recaptcha-response-100000">

9 control(s) properly labeled

12 controls

9 labeled

0 placeholder only

3 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#navigation-search-dropdown-input	search	search input	aria-label
#ot-group-id-C0003	checkbox	Functional Cookies	for/id
#ot-group-id-C0002	checkbox	Performance Cookies	for/id
#ot-group-id-C0004	checkbox	Targeting Cookies	for/id
#vendor-search-handler	text	Cookie list search	aria-label
#chkbox-id	checkbox	checkbox label	for/id
#select-all-hosts-groups-handler	checkbox	checkbox label	for/id
#select-all-vendor-groups-handler	checkbox	checkbox label	for/id
#select-all-vendor-leg-handler	checkbox	checkbox label	for/id
#g-recaptcha-response-100000	textarea	(none)	none
q	search	(none)	none
input	submit	(none)	none

Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.

Why this matters

Form controls without labels — assistive tech announces 'edit text' with no context; users can't complete forms.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2

Favicon & Branding

Action

5 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

5 icon(s) detected

No favicon.ico at site root

Some older browsers, bookmark tools, and RSS readers look for /favicon.ico. Add one as a fallback.

HTML icon links detected

Apple touch icon present

Multiple icon sizes detected

✗ favicon.ico Missing

✓ PNG Icons Present

✓ Apple Touch Present

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✓ Manifest Icons Present

✓ Multiple Sizes Present

Web Manifest

Action

Valid manifest

REVIEW

Valid manifest

No name or short_name

Add a name field to identify the app.

192x192 icon present

512x512 icon present

Display mode: standalone

PWA Install Criteria Not Installable

Name ✗192×192 icon ✓512×512 icon ✓Start URL ✗Display Mode standalone ✓

Display Mode standalone Theme Color #ffffff Background Color #ffffff Icons 2 icon(s)

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 14 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

Analyzes text contrast against the actual rendered page, including background images, gradients, and overlays that CSS-based tools cannot detect.

6 pass 14 fail WCAG AA

title IELTS | Welcome to IELTS

1.77:1

#000000

#710C1B

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

div Test Takers

1.77:1

#000000

#710C1B

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Back to All

1.04:1

#000000

#090506

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

div Why choose IELTS?

1.06:1

#000000

#110807

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Back to Why choose IELTS?

1.17:1

#000000

#24120D

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Why choose IELTS?

1.06:1

#000000

#0E0808

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a What can IELTS do for you

1.10:1

#000000

#1D0B08

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Ways to take IELTS

1.05:1

#000000

#110504

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Who accepts IELTS?

1.10:1

#000000

#1B0C09

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

div Test types

1.10:1

#000000

#1D0B07

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Back to Test types

1.08:1

#000000

#170A08

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Test types

1.10:1

#000000

#1B0C08

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a IELTS Academic

1.10:1

#000000

#1D0B08

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a IELTS General Training

1.08:1

#000000

#160A08

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · mid-page

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 The world's	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h1 English test	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 This website uses Co…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Privacy Preference C…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 Manage Consent Prefe…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 Cookie List	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
title IELTS \| Welcome to I…	1.77:1	4.5:1	#000000	#710C1B	Fail
div Test Takers	1.77:1	4.5:1	#000000	#710C1B	Fail
a Back to All	1.04:1	4.5:1	#000000	#090506	Fail
div Why choose IELTS?	1.06:1	4.5:1	#000000	#110807	Fail
a Back to Why choose I…	1.17:1	4.5:1	#000000	#24120D	Fail
a Why choose IELTS?	1.06:1	4.5:1	#000000	#0E0808	Fail
a What can IELTS do fo…	1.10:1	4.5:1	#000000	#1D0B08	Fail
a Ways to take IELTS	1.05:1	4.5:1	#000000	#110504	Fail
a Who accepts IELTS?	1.10:1	4.5:1	#000000	#1B0C09	Fail
div Test types	1.10:1	4.5:1	#000000	#1D0B07	Fail
a Back to Test types	1.08:1	4.5:1	#000000	#170A08	Fail
a Test types	1.10:1	4.5:1	#000000	#1B0C08	Fail
a IELTS Academic	1.10:1	4.5:1	#000000	#1D0B08	Fail
a IELTS General Traini…	1.08:1	4.5:1	#000000	#160A08	Fail

Methodology: The top 20 text elements by font size were checked. Background color was sampled from the desktop screenshot using a 5-point pattern. WCAG 2.1 AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

A+

Heading Hierarchy

9 headings

PASS

9 headings

Single H1 present

H1 The world's most trusted English test
H2 This website uses Cookies
H2 Privacy Preference Centre
H3 Manage Consent Preferences
H4 Strictly Necessary Cookies
H4 Functional Cookies
H4 Performance Cookies
H4 Targeting Cookies
H3 Cookie List

A+

Alt Text Quality

All 3 images OK

PASS

All 3 images OK

1 decorative image(s) correctly marked

2 image(s) with good alt text

3 images 2 good alt text 1 decorative

All images have appropriate alt text.

404 Error Page

HTTP 404, custom page

PASS

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

Navigation links present on 404 page

Homepage link present on 404 page

Search form present on 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title IELTS | International English Language Testing System ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✓

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 91/100 — 2 failing, 26 passed

PASS

Accessibility

These checks highlight opportunities to improve the accessibility of your web app. Automatic detection can only detect a subset of issues and does not guarantee the accessibility of your web app, so manual testing is also encouraged.

Names and labels

Labels ensure that form controls are announced properly by assistive technologies, like screen readers. Learn more about form element labels.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div.row > div.col-12 > form.navigation__search-dropdown-form > input.navigation__search-dropdown-input `div.row > div.col-12 > form.navigation__search-dropdown-form > input.navigation__search-dropdown-input`

Link text (and alternate text for images, when used as links) that is discernible, unique, and focusable improves the navigation experience for screen reader users. Learn how to make links accessible.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
ul.navigation__mobile-link-list > li.navigation__mobile-link-list-link > div.container > a `ul.navigation__mobile-link-list > li.navigation__mobile-link-list-link > div.container > a`
ul.navigation__mobile-link-list > li.navigation__mobile-link-list-link > div.container > a `ul.navigation__mobile-link-list > li.navigation__mobile-link-list-link > div.container > a`
ul.navigation__mobile-link-list > li.navigation__mobile-link-list-link > div.container > a `ul.navigation__mobile-link-list > li.navigation__mobile-link-list-link > div.container > a`

These are opportunities to improve the semantics of the controls in your application. This may enhance the experience for users of assistive technology, like a screen reader.

○Interactive controls are keyboard focusable

○Interactive elements indicate their purpose and state

○The page has a logical tab order

○Visual order on the page follows DOM order

○User focus is not accidentally trapped in a region

○The user's focus is directed to new content added to the page

○HTML5 landmark elements are used to improve navigation

○Offscreen content is hidden from assistive technology

○Custom controls have associated labels

○Custom controls have ARIA roles

●`[aria-*]` attributes match their roles

●`[aria-hidden="true"]` is not present on the document `<body>`

●`[role]`s have all required `[aria-*]` attributes

●`[role]` values are valid

●`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values

●`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled

●Buttons have an accessible name

●`[user-scalable="no"]` is not used in the `<meta name="viewport">` element and the `[maximum-scale]` attribute is not less than 5.

●ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role

●Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.

●`[aria-hidden="true"]` elements do not contain focusable descendents

●Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes

●Background and foreground colors have a sufficient contrast ratio

●Document has a `<title>` element

●`<frame>` or `<iframe>` elements have a title

●`<html>` element has a `[lang]` attribute

●`<html>` element has a valid value for its `[lang]` attribute

●Lists contain only `<li>` elements and script supporting elements (`<script>` and `<template>`).

●List items (`<li>`) are contained within `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` parent elements

●No element has a `[tabindex]` value greater than 0

●Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing.

●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

●Identical links have the same purpose.

●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

○`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names

○ARIA input fields have accessible names

○ARIA `meter` elements have accessible names

○ARIA `progressbar` elements have accessible names

○Elements with an ARIA `[role]` that require children to contain a specific `[role]` have all required children.

○`[role]`s are contained by their required parent element

○Elements with the `role=text` attribute do not have focusable descendents.

○ARIA toggle fields have accessible names

○ARIA `tooltip` elements have accessible names

○ARIA `treeitem` elements have accessible names

○The page contains a heading, skip link, or landmark region

○`<dl>`'s contain only properly-ordered `<dt>` and `<dd>` groups, `<script>`, `<template>` or `<div>` elements.

○Definition list items are wrapped in `<dl>` elements

○ARIA IDs are unique

○No form fields have multiple labels

○`<html>` element has an `[xml:lang]` attribute with the same base language as the `[lang]` attribute.

○Image elements have `[alt]` attributes

○Input buttons have discernible text.

○`<input type="image">` elements have `[alt]` text

○Links are distinguishable without relying on color.

○The document does not use `<meta http-equiv="refresh">`

○`<object>` elements have alternate text

○Select elements have associated label elements.

○Skip links are focusable.

○Cells in a `<table>` element that use the `[headers]` attribute refer to table cells within the same table.

○`<th>` elements and elements with `[role="columnheader"/"rowheader"]` have data cells they describe.

○`[lang]` attributes have a valid value

○`<video>` elements contain a `<track>` element with `[kind="captions"]`

○Tables have different content in the summary attribute and `<caption>`.

○All heading elements contain content.

○Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements

○Image elements do not have `[alt]` attributes that are redundant text.

○Tables use `<caption>` instead of cells with the `[colspan]` attribute to indicate a caption.

○`<td>` elements in a large `<table>` have one or more table headers.

All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.