IELTS Exam Structure

International English Language Testing System - Your Gateway to Global Education and Opportunities

The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is globally recognized for assessing English proficiency across four key skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Available in two versions:

Note: Listening and Speaking tests are identical for both versions, while Reading and Writing differ.

Listening

30 minutes + 10 minutes transfer time

Format: 4 audio recordings, 40 questions total

  • Section 1: Everyday social conversation
  • Section 2: Monologue in social context
  • Section 3: Educational/training discussion
  • Section 4: Academic lecture
Question Types: Multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labeling, form/note/table/flow-chart completion, sentence completion, short-answer

Reading

60 minutes (no extra transfer time)

Academic: 3 long authentic texts (books, journals, newspapers)

General Training: 3 sections of increasing difficulty (notices, ads, articles)

Question Types: Multiple choice, True/False/Not Given, matching headings/features, sentence completion, summary completion, short-answer

Writing

60 minutes

Task 1 (20 mins, 150+ words):

  • Academic: Describe visual information (graph/chart/diagram/map)
  • General: Write a letter (formal/semi-formal/informal)

Task 2 (40 mins, 250+ words): Essay on a given topic (same for both versions)

Speaking

11-14 minutes (face-to-face interview)
  • Part 1 (4-5 mins): Introduction and interview about familiar topics
  • Part 2 (3-4 mins): Long turn - speak for 1-2 minutes on a cue card topic
  • Part 3 (4-5 mins): Discussion of abstract ideas related to Part 2

Same format for Academic and General Training

IELTS Band Scores

Each section scored 0-9 • Overall Band: Average of four sections (rounded to nearest 0.5 or whole band)

Scores valid for 2 years • Results typically available in 13 days (paper) or 3-5 days (computer)

9.0 Expert
8.0 Very Good
7.0 Good
6.0 Competent
5.0 Modest