IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is amongst the major English proficiency tests and is undertaken by those planning to study abroad or work abroad. Comprising of four main sections, the IELTS exam evaluates a candidate on four basic parameters, i.e. listening, reading, writing and speaking. Further, there are two types of IELTS exams, i.e. IELTS General and IELTS Academic which vary as per their pattern as well as syllabus. Understanding the format and structure of an exam must be the beginning step of your preparation. This blog brings you a comprehensive guide on the IELTS exam patterns for General and Academic tests as well as the type of questions they contain.
Also Read: IELTS Syllabus
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Exam Highlights
Exam Name | International English Language Testing System |
Major IELTS-Accepting Countries | Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and the USA, etc. |
Mode | Both Paper and Computer-based |
Score Range | 1 to 9 |
Main sections | Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking |
IELTS Exam Pattern
The IELTS exam is conducted for 2 hours and 45 minutes. The IELTS exam pattern consists of 4 sections, Listening, Writing, Reading, and Speaking.
IELTS Reading Test Pattern
Timing: 60 minutes
No. of questions: 40
Task types: Multiple choice, identifying information, identifying the writer’s views/claims, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion and short-answer questions.
Sources: Texts are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers, and have been written for a non-specialist audience. All the topics are of general interest. At least one text contains a detailed logical argument. Texts may contain non-verbal materials such as diagrams, graphs or illustrations. If texts contain technical terms a simple glossary is provided.
Marking Scheme: Each question is worth 1 mark.
IELTS Writing Test Pattern
Timing: 60 minutes
No. of questions: 2
Task types: There are 2 tasks given in this section. In Task 1, students are asked to describe some visual information (graph/table/chart/diagram) in their own words. They need to write 150 words in about 20 minutes. In Task 2, they respond to a point of view or argument or problem. They need to write 250 words in about 40 minutes.
IELTS Speaking Test Pattern
Timing: 11–14 minutes
Task types: There are 3 parts to the test and each part fulfils a specific function in terms of interaction pattern, task input and test takers output.
Task 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.
Task 2 – You will be given a card which asks 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.
Task 3 – You will be asked further 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.
IELTS Listening Test Pattern
Timing: 30 minutes plus 10 minutes transfer time
No. of questions: 40
Task types: Multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary completion, sentence completion. You will be required to listen to 4 recordings of native English speakers and then write your answers to a series of questions.
- Recording 1 – a conversation between two people set in an everyday social context.
- Recording 2 – a monologue set in an everyday social context, e.g. a speech about local facilities.
- Recording 3 – a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context, e.g. a university tutor and a student discussing an assignment.
- Recording 4 – a monologue on an academic subject, e.g. a university lecture.
Marking Scheme: Each question is worth 1 mark.
Must Read: IELTS Preparation Tips
IELTS Exam Pattern for General & Academic
There are two main types of IELTS exams which are conducted for different purposes. IELTS Academic is opted by those planning to pursue their education in an English-speaking country while IELTS General is mainly for those who aim to migrate to an English-speaking country to seek employment opportunities. The following sections elaborate upon the IELTS exam pattern for these two types of tests:
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IELTS Academic Exam Pattern
The IELTS Academic exam pattern has four sections, i.e. Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing. The duration of the exam is 2 hours 45 minutes. Here is the exam format for IELTS Academic:
Section | Number of Questions | Duration | Details |
Writing | 2 | 60 minutes | 2 writing tasks |
Reading | 40 | 60 minutes | 3 Reading Passages |
Listening | 40 | 30 minutes | 4 recorded monologues and conversations |
Speaking | 3 parts | 11-14 minutes | Oral Interview |
Now, let’s take a look at the type of questions in each of these questions:
Writing | Questions related to visuals graphics, tables etc. Task 1: Candidates have to write 150 words in 20 minutes. Task 2: 40 minutes will be given to candidates for writing 250 words. |
Reading | Multiple-choice, identifying information, identifying the writer’s views/claims, matching information, headings, features, sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion and short-answer questions. |
Listening | Multiple-choice, matching, plan, map, diagram labelling, form, note, table, flowchart, summary completion and sentence completion. |
Speaking | There are basically 3 parts under this section of the IELTS exam pattern for Academic Tests: Part 1: Candidates have to answer a range of questions related to the family, work, studies and interests, home etc. The duration of the section is 4-5 minutes. |
Quick Read: IELTS Writing Tips
IELTS General Exam Pattern
The IELTS Exam Pattern for the General version is quite similar to IELTS Academic except that the reading and writing sections comprise different types of questions. The duration of the General version is the same as the IELTS Academic, i.e. 2 hours 45 minutes. Take a look at the IELTS exam pattern for the General Test:
Sections | Number of Questions | Duration | Details |
Writing | 2 | 60 minutes | 2 writing tasks |
Reading | 40 | 60 minutes | 3 sections: 2 or 3 short texts, two texts and one long text |
Listening | 40 | 30 minutes | 4 recorded monologues and conversations |
Speaking | 3 parts | 11–14 minutes | Oral interview |
Now, let’s understand the various type of questions in these four sections of the IELTS General Exam Pattern:
Writing | Candidates have to write letters and essays. The letter should be 150 words, while the essay should not be less than 250 words. |
Reading | This section contains 3 main sections; Multiple-choice, identifying information, identifying the writer’s views/claims, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion and short-answer questions. |
Listening | Multiple-choice, matching, plan, map, diagram labelling, form, note, table, flow-chart, summary completion and sentence completion. |
Speaking | Three parts: Part 1: Different questions related to the family, work, studies and interests, home etc. The duration of the section is 4-5 minutes. Part 2: A particular topic is given on which candidates have to speak for up to 2 minutes. Part 3: Extending for four to five minutes, abstract ideas and issues are discussed related to the topic given in Part 2. |
Also Read: IELTS Study Material
FAQs
Ans. IELTS constitutes four main sections, i.e. Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. The types of questions asked in Writing and Reading differ for IELTS Academic and General while the remaining two sections are the same.
Ans. There is no certain passing or failing score in the IELTS. IELTS is scored on a nine-band scale and each band represents a specified competency in English. A 9 band score shows that the test-taker is an expert user while 0 corresponds to no attempt.
Ans. The IELTS exam fee in India is 14,700 INR and varies with domestic currencies.
Check Out: IELTS Exam Dates
Hopefully, this blog has helped you understand the IELTS exam pattern for both IELTS Academic and General. Preparing for the IELTS exam? Sign up for an online demo session with our Leverage Edu experts and we will guide you through your IELTS preparation, from drafting the right strategy to providing you with the best study resources to help you ace your exam with a higher score.
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Good content. Well summarized.
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5 comments
Good content. Well summarized.
Hi Brijesh,
We are glad that you liked our blog on IELTS Exam Pattern. We hope this will help you understand the exam in better depth https://leverageedu.com/blog/ielts/
Need your guidance on preparing IELTS
Hi Pooja,
We can see that you are looking for guidance on preparing for your IELTS exam. Leverage Live is your one-stop solution to ace your IELTS exam! You can be test-ready with access to superior study material, one on one doubt solving sessions and personalised guidance. Book a demo class here: https://live.leverageedu.com/
Well summary & guidence for preparing IELTS