IELTS Test Format Explained: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking

The four sections at a glance

• Listening — 30 minutes, 4 recordings, 40 questions. Same for Academic and General Training.
• Reading — 60 minutes, 3 passages, 40 questions. Academic uses journal-style texts; General Training uses everyday and workplace texts.
• Writing — 60 minutes, 2 tasks. Task 1 is a report on a chart or diagram (Academic) or a letter (General Training); Task 2 is a formal essay for everyone.
• Speaking — 11–14 minutes, 3 parts, a live interview with an examiner. Same for both versions.

Academic vs General Training

Choose Academic IELTS for university admission and professional registration. Choose General Training for migration and some work visas. Listening and Speaking are identical in both versions; only Reading and Writing Task 1 differ.

Paper vs computer

The content, marking and band scores are identical. On computer you type your Writing answers and get results faster (usually 3–5 days vs 13 days). Pick whichever format lets you write faster and more accurately.

How the test is scored

Each section gives a band score from 0 to 9 in half-band steps. Your overall band is the average of the four sections, rounded to the nearest half band. Most universities ask for 6.0–7.0 overall with no section below 6.0.

Test-day timing plan

• Arrive 30–45 minutes early with your ID — the same one you registered with.
• Listening: use the 30-second preview time to read ahead and underline key words.
• Reading: never spend more than 20 minutes on one passage; answers come in text order for most question types.
• Writing: 20 minutes on Task 1, 40 on Task 2 — Task 2 is worth twice as much.
• Speaking: treat it as a conversation, not a test of knowledge; there are no wrong opinions.

What to do next

Once you know the format, learn how examiners mark you in our band scores guide, then start practising Writing and Speaking with instant AI feedback.