IELTS Exam Format

IELTS
• Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking

Listening/Reading/Writing – 2:30 hours

Speaking – 11-14 minutes (On a separate timetable)
 1

IELTS Listening
 IELTS Listening

Time Questions Sections

Approx: 30 Minutes 4 sections: 10 questions in
40 Questions each section
+
1 Mark for each correct Section 1&2: Social context
10 Minutes answer transfer answer
time (paper-based) Section 3&4: Academic
context
 What kind of text will you hear?

Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4

A monologue on a general A conversation between A monologue in an
A conversation between two
topic with a transactional two or more people in an academic context.(e.g. a
people about a general topic
with a transactional purpose.(e.g. giving academic context.(e.g. a lecture).
purpose.(e.g. finding out information about events in student and a tutor
information about travel) the community) discussing an academic
problem).
IELTS Listening Question Types
1. Notes/summary/table/flow-chart completion
2. Multiple choice/ Pick from a list
3. Short-answer questions
4. Sentence completion
5. Labelling a diagram, plan or map
6. Classification
7. Matching
 1.Notes/summary/table/flow-chart completion

Complete notes/a
summary/table/flow-chart with a
suitable word or words within the
word limit given.
 2. Multiple Choice/Pick from a list

• Choose one answer from

alternatives A-C.
• Choose two answers from
alternatives A-E.
 3. Short-answer questions

• Answer questions in the word

limit given.
 4. Sentence completion

• Complete a sentence with a

suitable word or words within
the word limit given.
 5. Labelling a diagram, plan or map

• Label a diagram/plan or map

with a suitable word(or words)
or by choosing from a box of
possible answers.
 6. Classification

• Classify the information given

in the question according to
there different criteria (A,B or
C). These may be dates,
names, types, etc.
 7. Matching

• Match a list of statements to a

list of possible answers in a
box. (e.g. people, theories or
dates).
IELTS LISTENING TEST SCORES

There are 40 questions in the IELTS Listening test. Each correct answer receives one point, so the
maximum score is 40. These scores are then converted to IELTS band scores (6.0, 6.5, 7.0 ... up to
9.0)

Band Score (Listening) Correct answer (out of 40)

9.0 39-40
8.5 37-38
8.0 35-36
7.5 33-34
7.0 30-32
6.5 27-29
6.0 23-26
5.5 20-22
5.0 16-19
 IELTS LISTENING TEST SCORES
Your answer will be marked wrong
• If your spelling is incorrect
• Your answer are grammatically incorrect
• You write the incorrect number of words

Read the questions very carefully as many will state the number of words you must write or give
you a maximum number of words permitted. For example,
• Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER
• Write ONE WORD ONLY
• Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS

You only hear the recording once.

 2

IELTS Academic Reading

 IELTS Academic Reading

Time Passages Questions

60 Minutes Three Passages (Authentic Contains a total of 40
Including answer transfer and academic in nature, Questions. Each question is
time. increasing in difficulty.) worth one mark.
 IELTS Reading Question Types
1. Multiple Choice 7. Matching sentence endings

2. Identifying information (True/False/Not 8. Sentence completion

Given)
9. Notes/summary/table/flow-chart completion
3. Identifying the writer’s views or claims
(Yes/No/Not Given) 10. Labelling a diagram

4. Matching Information 11. Short-answer questions

5. Matching Headings

6. Matching Features
 1.Multiple Choice

• Choose one answer from

alternatives A-D
• Choose two answers from
alternatives A-E
• Choose three answers from
alternatives A-G
 2.Identifying information
(True/False/Not Given)

• Say whether a statement is True,

False or Not Given.
 3. Identifying the writer’s views
(Yes/No/Not Given)

• Say whether a statement agrees

with claims or views (Yes),
disagrees with the views (No) or
whether there is no information
on this (Not Given).
4. Matching Information
• Match information to a paragraph in the test.
5. Matching Headings
• Match a heading from a
list of possible answers to
the correct paragraph or
section of the text.
6. Matching Features
• Match a list of statement to a list
of possible answers in a box. (e.g.
specific people or theories or
dates)
7. Matching sentence endings
• Complete a sentence by
choosing a suitable
ending from a box of
possible answers.
 8. Sentence completion
• Complete a sentence with a suitable word or words from the text within the word
limit given.
 9.Notes/summary/table/flow-chart
completion

• Complete notes/a summary/a table/flow-chart

with a suitable word(or words) from a text.
 10. Labelling a diagram

• Label a diagram with a suitable

word (or words) from the text or
from a box of possible answers.
 11. Short-answer questions
• Answer questions using words
from the text.
 3

IELTS Academic Writing

 IELTS Academic Writing

Time Task Length

60 Minutes Task 1: Describe and Task 1: Minimum 150 words
summarize visual
Tip: 20 Minutes for Task 1 Task 2: Minimum 250 words
information
40 Minutes for Task 2
Task 2: Essay Writing
 Assessment Criteria

Task Response Coherence and Cohesion Lexical Resources Grammatical Range

Relates to your answer and Relates to how you link your The range and accuracy of The range of the grammar
ideas connected to the issue or ideas, how you organize your your vocabulary, including you use and the accuracy of
issues presented in the essay ideas, how you use paragraphs spelling. your grammar, including
question. and your use of referencing. punctuation.
 4

IELTS Speaking
 IELTS Speaking

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

4-5 minutes
4-5 Minutes 3-4 Minutes
The examiner will ask you
Questions on familiar topic You will be given a booklet more detailed and more
(e.g. Hobbies, likes and with a topic (e.g. describe abstract questions about
dislikes ,etc). a good friend) and some the topic in Part 2 (e.g. How
suggestions. important is friendship?)
 Assessment Criteria

Fluency Pronunciation Lexical Resources Grammatical Range

• Talking at length ● Able to be understood ● Using a range of words ● Using a range of
• Talking without pauses or throughout the test and paraphrasing sentence structures
hesitations ● Able to use intonation ● Using collocations ● Using a range of
• Talking without self- ● Accent does not affect ● Using less common grammar tenses
correction understanding vocabulary ● Avoiding errors
● Accurate word and ● Avoiding errors
• Able to be understood sound pronunciation
• Using linking devices