IELTS (International English Language Testing System) – Academic
There are 4 parts to the IELTS exam.
Paper 1: Listening (25% of final grade)
Paper 2: Reading (25% of final grade)
Paper 3: Writing (25% of final grade)
Paper 4: Speaking (25% of final grade)
Paper 1: Listening 🔊
4 sections, each with 10 questions.
There are 6 types of questions:
1) multiple choice;
2) matching;
3) plan/map/diagram labelling;
4) form/note/table/flow chart/summary completion;
5) sentence completion;
6) short-answer questions
The answers will appear in the order in which information is heard in the audio.
Section 1 and 2 deal with situations in everyday social contexts.
Section 3 and 4 deal with academic-related contexts.
Section 1: a conversation between 2 speakers.
For example, a conversation about travel arrangements.
Section 2: a monologue.
For example, a speech about local facilities.
Section 3: a conversation between 2 main speakers.
For example, 2 university students, perhaps guided by their tutor.
Section 4: a monologue on an academic subject.
The recordings are heard once only.
They include a range of accents, including British, Australian, New Zealand and American.
The listening exam lasts 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes to transfer answers to answer sheet.)
Paper 2: Reading 📖
Texts for the Academic Reading test are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers.
There will be 40 questions, 3 sections.
The total length of texts will be 2,150 to 2,750 words.
Answers must be written on the answer sheet during the exam.
There is 1 mark per question.
Care must be taken with spelling and punctuation so marks are not lost.
There are different types of questions:
1) Multiple choice (Choose A, B, C or D. There might be more options and/or a need to give more than one answer.)
2) Identifying information (‘True’, ‘False’, ‘Not Given’)
3) Identifying writer’s views/claims (‘Yes’, ‘No’, ‘Not Given’)
4) Matching information (Write correct letter of paragraph A, B, C, D etc. in box.)
5) Matching headings (Write correct Roman numerals of headings to paragraphs.)
6) Matching features (Write correct letter of feature A, B, C, D etc. to statement or piece of information.)
7) Matching sentence endings (Write correct letter of second half of sentences A, B, C, D etc. to first half.)
8) Sentence completion (Fill in gap in each sentence using words from text. Respect the word limit. Hyphenated words count as one word.)
9) Summary completion (2 possible formats: Complete summary using words from text or choose from a list of words identified by A, B, C, D etc. to fill the gaps. Respect the word limit. The text may be a continuous text, several notes, an incomplete table, or a series of incomplete boxes/steps such as a flow chart.
10) Note completion; Table completion; Flow-chart completion; Diagram (such as a machine or building); Label completion. Respect the word limit. Hyphenated words count as one word.)
11) Short-answer questions. (Answers to be taken from words in text. Respect the word limit.)
The reading exam lasts 60 minutes.
Paper 3: Writing ✍️
There are 2 writing tasks: one with a minimum of 150 words and one with a minimum of 250 words.
Write using full sentences.
Task 2 has twice as much value as Task 1.
In Task 1, you will be asked to describe some visual information (graph/table/chart/diagram) and to present the description in your own words.
Write 150 words in about 20 minutes.
In Task 2, you will be presented with a point of view, argument or problem and you will need to discuss this.
Focus on: logical ideas; appropriate linking words; range of vocabulary and grammatical accuracy. Avoid writing in a very general way. Include relevant examples.
Write 250 words in about 40 minutes.
The writing exam lasts 60 minutes.
Paper 4: Speaking 💬
You will be tested on 4 areas:
1) Fluency and coherence
2) Lexical resource
3) Grammatical range and accuracy
4) Pronunciation
Part 1: This is the introduction.
The examiner will introduces himself/herself and check your identity.
The examiner will ask you general questions on some familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies and interests.
To ensure consistency, questions are taken from a scripted examiner frame.
This lasts for 4 to 5 minutes.
Part 2: This is the long turn.
The examiner will give you a task card which asks you to talk about a particular topic, includes points to cover in your talk and instructs you to explain one aspect of the topic. You will be given 1 minute to prepare and will be given a pencil and paper to make notes. Using the points on the task card effectively, and making notes during the preparation time, will help you think of appropriate things to say, structure your talk, and keep talking for 2 minutes.
The examiner will ask you to talk for 1 to 2 minutes, then ask 1 or 2 questions on the same topic.
This lasts for 3 to 4 minutes, including the preparation time.
Part 3: This is the discussion.
The examiner and you will discuss issues related to the topic in Part 2 in a more general and abstract and – where appropriate – in greater depth.
This lasts 4 to 5 minutes.
The speaking exam lasts 20 minutes.
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