Academic IELTS

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a standardized international test of English language proficiency for speakers of other languages. The IELTS test was first conducted in 1989 AD, and it is now one of the leading English language tests in the world.

IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are the two types of IELTS tests, with the type of test being determined by the purpose of taking the test.

You can follow more about the IELTS test and its types in more detail here:

A quick overview of the general format of the IELTS test:

The exam is divided into 4 sections, and its duration is 2:45:00, 2 hours and forty-five minutes, distributed over a period of 3-8 hours. The examinee takes these sections in sequence on the same day.

1. reading for an hour
2. one hour writing
3. Listen 30 minutes
4. 15 minute conversation

The exam is graded out of 9, i.e. the highest possible mark is 9 out of 9. The final grade is the average of the four tests, each of which is graded out of 9 and a final test result is given in addition to the grade for each part of the exam.

Details of the Listening test format in the IELTS Academic and General Training exam:

- Listening (30 minutes)

In the Listening Questions section you will listen to four recordings of native English speakers and then write your answers to a series of questions.

• Recording 1 - A conversation between two people in an everyday social context.
• Recording 2 - Monologue in an everyday social context, e.g. a speech about local amenities.
• Recording 3 - A conversation between up to four people in an educational or training context, for example a university teacher and a student discussing an assignment.
• Recording 4 - Monologue on an academic topic, e.g. university lecture.

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The assessors will look for evidence of your ability to understand the main ideas and detailed factual information, the speakers' opinions and positions, the purpose of the speech and evidence of your ability to follow the development of ideas .

IELTS Listening Test Description:

For question paper format:

• There are four parts, each with ten questions.
• The questions are designed so that the answers appear in the order they are heard in the audio.
• The first two parts deal with specific situations in everyday social contexts . In the first part, there is a conversation between two speakers (e.g., a conversation about travel arrangements), and in the second part, there is a one-on-one dialogue (e.g., a discourse about local affairs or amenities).
• The last two parts deal with specific situations in educational and training contexts. In Part 3, there is a conversation between two main speakers (for example, two university students in a discussion, perhaps guided by a teacher), and in Part 4, there is a one-on-one dialogue on an academic topic.
• The recordings are heard only once and cover a range of accents including British, Australian, New Zealand, American and Canadian.

Regarding the exam timing:

Time: about 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes transfer time).

Regarding the number of questions in the exam:

Number of questions: 40

For the types of tasks required in the questions:

A variety of question types are used, chosen from the following: multiple choice, matching, labelling on a plan/map/diagram/form completion/observation/table/flowchart/summary, and sentence completion.

For the answer method:

Test takers write their answers on the question paper as they listen and at the end of the test they are given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to the answer sheet. Care must be taken when writing answers on the answer sheet as poor spelling and grammar are penalised.

For evaluation by marks:

Each question is worth one mark.

Details of the Speaking test format in the IELTS Academic and General Training exam:

Conversation: Speaking (11-14 minutes)

For test format:

The Speaking section assesses your use of spoken English, and each Speaking test is scored.

For the types of tasks required in the speaking test:

There are three parts to the test and each part performs a specific function in terms of interaction pattern, task input and test taker output.

For the speaking test parts:

• Part 1 - The examiner will ask you general questions about yourself and a range of familiar topics, such as home, family, work, studies and interests. This part lasts between four and five minutes.
• Part 2 - You will be given a card asking you to talk about a particular topic, you will have one minute to prepare before speaking for up to two minutes, the examiner will then ask one or two questions on the same topic.
• Part 3 - You will be asked more questions about the topic in Part 2. These will give you the opportunity to discuss more abstract ideas and issues. This part of the test lasts between four and five minutes.

Description of the conversation in the IELTS test:

• The speaking test consists of an oral interview between the test taker and the test taker.
• All speaking tests are recorded.

For the time allocated for the conversation:

Time: 11-14 minutes

Details of the parts of the questions in the conversation:

Part One - Introduction and Interview

Task type and format : In this part, the examiner (test taker) introduces himself and verifies the identity of the test takers.

It then asks test takers general questions on familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies and interests. To ensure consistency, the questions are taken from the script.

Part 1 lasts 4-5 minutes.

Reason for this question:

This part of the test focuses on the ability to communicate opinions and information about everyday topics, common experiences or situations by answering a set of questions.

Number of questions : Variable

Part 2 – Long Single Question:

Task type and format:

Part 2 is the long single part.

• The examiner gives the test takers a task card that asks the test takers to talk about a particular topic, includes points to be covered in their talk and directs the test takers to explain one aspect of the topic.
• Test takers are given one minute to prepare their speech, and are given a pencil and paper to take notes .
• The examiner asks the test takers to speak for one to two minutes, stops the test takers after two minutes, and asks one or two questions on the same topic.
• Using the bullet points on the task card effectively, and taking notes during preparation time, will help test takers think of appropriate things to say, organize their speech, and keep talking for two minutes.
• Part 2 lasts 3-4 minutes, including preparation time.

Reason for this question:

This part of the test focuses on the ability to speak at length about a given topic (without further prompts from the examiner), using appropriate language and organising ideas coherently.

Test takers will likely need to draw on their own experience to complete the long course.

Number of questions: Variable

Part 3 - Discussion

Task type and format:

In Part 3, the examiner and test takers discuss issues related to the topic in Part 2 in a more general and abstract way, and if necessary in greater depth.

Part 3 lasts 4 to 5 minutes.

Reason for this question:

This part of the test focuses on the ability to express and justify opinions, analyse, discuss and speculate on issues.

Number of questions: Variable