IELTS is an exam that tests your ability to communicate, listen, read and write in English in less than three hours, to be precise, in 2 hours and 45 minutes. It consists of four sections:
- Speaking
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
Usually, speaking is tested a day before or on the day of the whole test after Listening, Reading and Writing. It depends on the center and on you, as while registering for the exam you can choose convenient dates. The testing center offers to take Speaking on the same day or separately (but not always).
It should be noted that all candidates take the Speaking and Listening sections at the same time, regardless of which test module they choose General or Academic. The tasks are the same for all candidates. This usually happens in one large room or hall.
After listening, you do Reading and Writing without leaving the room. The tasks in your paper, if you, for example, take General IELTS, will be different from the tasks of another candidate who takes Academic IELTS. However, you will still not know about it, as you are not allowed to talk to each other during the test.
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LISTENING
Listening is the first written part of the exam. The audio recordings are played only once. They contain various accents, including British, Australian, New Zealand, American and Canadian.
You will have to write your answers in the question paper while listening, and at the end of the test you are given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. When transferring answers onto the answer sheet, you should be very careful as your wrong spelling and grammar will be taken into account and affect the overall score.
In total, there are four tasks of ten questions each. The questions are structured in such a way that the answers are displayed in the order in which they sound in the audio. The first two tasks deal with situations that occur in everyday social contexts. The other two are situations that occur in educational and learning contexts.
| YOU LISTEN
(30 minutes) |
TYPES OF TASKS
(40 questions) |
|
Multiple choiceYou will see a question and three possible answers, or the beginning of a sentence and three possible ways to complete it. You must choose one correct answer A, B or C.Sometimes there are more possible answers, and the instructions to the task say that you need to select more than one answer. In this case, read the instructions very carefully to know how many answers you need.MatchingYou should match the numbered items from the listening with another list in the question paper.Plan, map, diagram labelingYou should label the objects on a plan (for example, of a building), a map (for example, a part of a town) or a diagram (for example, a piece of equipment). Choose the answers from the list provided.Form, note, table, flow-chart, summary completionYou have to fill in the gaps in the text, which is a summary of the listening. The summary itself focuses on the general idea/facts discussed in the audio recording. The number of words is limited, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’.Sentence completionRead the sentences that summarize the key information from all or part of the listening. Next, you need to fill in the gaps in each sentence using the information from the listening. The number of words is limited, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’.Short-answer questionsRead the question and then write down the short answer using the information from the listening. The number of words is limited. |
READ ABOUT: Common mistakes made by candidates in IELTS Speaking
SPEAKING
This part of the exam tests your ability to communicate in English. The examiner will record your conversation. It lasts not more than 10–15 minutes. This part of the test consists of three tasks.
Task 1. In this part, the examiner introduces himself/herself and checks the identity of the candidate. The examiner will give you some general questions about yourself and a number of familiar topics, such as home, family, work, training, and interests. This part of the test lasts four to five minutes.
Task 2.The examiner will give you a task card in which you have to talk about a specific topic. You will have one minute to prepare before speaking. Your monologue should last one to two minutes. After two minutes, the examiner will stop you. He/she will then ask one or two questions about the same topic.
Task 3. The examiner will ask additional questions about the topic of the previous task. You will have the opportunity to analyze and discuss the problem more deeply, to justify your opinion. This part of the test lasts four to five minutes.
READING
The Reading section consists of 40 questions that test a wide range of reading skills. These include understanding general ideas, details, finding information in the text, understanding logical arguments and attitudes, views and goals of the authors.
The IELTS General Training exam contains abstracts from books, magazines, newspapers, announcements, advertisements, reference books, and manuals, i.e. materials you would meet every day if you lived or worked in an English-speaking environment.
IELTS Academic contains three long texts that range from descriptive and factual to discursive and analytical. These are the texts from coursebooks, periodicals, magazines and newspapers, i.e. suitable for people entering universities or those who wish to pursue further studies or research.
READ ABOUT: Tips and resources to get ready for IELTS Reading
| TYPES OF TASKS | HOW TO DO |
Multiple choice |
Choose the best answer from four options A, B, C, or D, or two answers from five options (A, B, C, D, or E) or three answers from seven options (A, B, C, D, E, F or G). |
Identifying information |
You will see a list of statements and a question: ‘Do the following statements agree with the information in the text?’ The answer options are ‘true’, ‘false’ or ‘not given’. It is important to understand the difference between ‘false’ and ‘not given’. ‘False’ means that there is an opposite statement in the text; ‘Not given’ means that the statement is not confirmed and does not contradict the information in the text. |
Identifying writer’s views/claims |
You will see a list of statements and a question: ‘Do the following statements agree with the information in the text?’ The answer options are ‘true’, ‘false’ or ‘not given’. It is important to understand the difference between ‘false’ and ‘not given’. ‘False’ means that there is an opposite statement in the text; ‘Not given’ means that the statement is not confirmed and does not contradict the information in the text. |
Matching information |
You have to find some information in the paragraph(s)/section(s) of the text and write the correct paragraph letter in the boxes on the answer sheet. You will need to look for specific details, such as the reason, description, comparison, summary, explanation. |
Matching headings |
You will see a list of headings. They are usually numbered with small Roman numbers (i, ii, iii, etc.) and refer to the general idea of a paragraph or part of text. You need to match the headings with the correct paragraphs. |
Matching features |
You have to match the statements or abstracts of information to a list. |
Matching sentence endings |
You are given the first half of a sentence based on the text. You need to choose the best way to complete it from the list of possible options. |
Sentence completion |
You have to complete the sentence with a given number of words taken from the text and write the answer in the answer booklet. |
Summary, note, table, flow-chart completion |
You will see a brief summary of a part of the text and you need to complete it with information from the text. The number of words is limited. |
Diagram label completion |
Label the diagram related to the description in the text. The number of words is limited. |
Short-answer questions |
You need to answer the question about the facts from text. The number of words is limited. |
WRITING
You will have 60 minutes to complete this part of the exam. There are 2 tasks in each exam module.
IELTS General Training exam covers general topics.
Task 1. You will be given a situation, and have to write a letter requesting additional information or explaining the situation. The letter can be personal, semi-formal or formal in style. Write at least 150 words.
Task 2. Write an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or a problem. The essay can be quite personal in style. At least 250 words.
For IELTS Academic Training, the tasks cover general topics and are suitable for students entering undergraduate or postgraduate studies.
Task 1. You will see a graph, chart or diagram and you will need to describe, summarize or explain the information in your own words. For example, you need to describe and explain the data, describe the stages in the process, how something works, or describe the object or event.
It should be written in academic or semi-formal/neutral styles and cover the most important points. Some minor details can be omitted. Write at least 150 words.
Task 2. Write an essay regarding a point of view, argument, or problem. Use formal style. At least 250 words.
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