FAQs

Modules
There are two modules of the IELTS:
– Academic Module and General Training Module
There is also a separate test offered by the IELTS test partners, called IELTS Life Skills:
* IELTS Academic is intended for those who want to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education and for professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practice in an English-speaking country.
* IELTS General Training is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.
* IELTS Life Skills is intended for those who need to prove their English speaking and listening skills at Common European Framework of Reference for Languages(CEFR) levels A1 or B1 and can be used to apply for a family of a settled personal visa, indefinite level to remain or citizenship in the UK.
The four components of the IELTS test:

1) Listening: 30 minutes( plus 10 minutes transfer time)
2) Reading: 60 minutes
3) Writing: 60 minutes
4) Speaking: 11-14 minutes
The total test time is 2 hours and 55 minutes.
Listening, Reading and Writing are completed in one sitting. The Speaking test may be taken on the same day or up to seven days before or after the other tests.
All test takers take the same Listening and Speaking tests, while the Reading and Writing tests differ depending on whether the test taker is taking the Academic or General Training versions of the test.

Questions
There are 40 questions. A variety of question types are used, chosen from the following: multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labeling, form completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, summary completion, sentence completion, short –answer questions.
Test Parts
There are 4 sections:
Section 1 is a conversation between two people set in an everyday social context(e.g. a conversation in an accommodation agency).
Section 2 is a monologue set in an everyday social context ( e.g. a speech about local facilities or a talk about the arrangements for meals during a conference).
Section 3 is 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, or a group of students planning a research project).
Section 4 is a monologue on an academic subject (e.g. a university lecture).
Each section is heard once only.
A variety of voices and native-speaker accents are used.
Skills assessed
A wide range of listening skills is assessed, including:
* Understanding of main ideas
* Understanding of specific factual information
* Recognizing opinions, attitudes, and purpose of a speaker
* Following the development of an argument
Marking
Each correct answer receives 1 mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale.
Scores are reported in whole and half bands.

Questions
There are 40 questions. A variety of question types are used, chosen from the following: multiple choice, identifying information(True/False/Not given), identifying a writer’s views/claims(Yes/No/Not Given), matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, short- answer questions.
Test Parts
There are 3 sections. The total text length is 2,140 – 2,750 words.
Academic Reading
Each section contains one long text. Texts are authentic and are taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. They have been written for a non-specialist audience and are on academic topics of general interest. Texts are appropriate to, and accessible to, test takers entering undergraduate or postgraduate courses or seeking professional registration. Texts range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical. Texts may contain non-verbal materials such as diagrams, graphs, or illustrations. If texts contain technical terms, then a simple glossary is provided.
General Training Reading
Section 1 contains two or three short factual texts, one of which may be composite (consisting of 6-8 short texts related by topic e.g. hotel advertisements). Topics are relevant to everyday life in an English- speaking country.
Section 2 contains two short factual texts focusing on work-related issues(e.g. applying for jobs, company policies, pay and conditions, workplace facilities, staff development, and training).
Section 3 contains one longer, more complex text on a topic of general interest.
Texts are authentic and are taken from notices, advertisements, company handbooks, official documents, books, magazines, and newspapers.
Skills assessed
A wide range of reading skills is assessed, including:
* Reading for gist
* Reading for main ideas
* Understanding inferences and implied meaning
* Recognizing writer’s opinions, attitudes, and purpose
* Following the development of an argument.
Marking
Each correct answer receives 1 mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale.
Scores are reported in whole and half bands.

Tasks
There are 2 tasks. You are required to write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2.
Test parts
There are 2 parts
Academic Writing
In Task 1, you are presented with a graph, table, chart, or diagram and are asked to describe, summarize or explain the information in your own words. You may be asked to describe and explain data, describe the stages of a process, how something works, or describe an object or event.
In Task 2, you are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem.
The issues raised are of general interest to, suitable for, and easily understood by test takers entering undergraduate or postgraduate studies or seeking professional registration. Responses to Task 1 and Task 2 should be written in an academic, semi-formal/neutral style.
General Training writing
In Task 1, you are presented with a situation and are asked to write a letter requesting information or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal or semi-formal/ neutral in style.
In Task 2, you are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem. The essay can be slightly more personal in style than the Academic Writing Task 2 essay.
The topic is of general interest.
Skilled assessed
In both tasks, you are assessed on your ability to write a response that is appropriate in terms of :
* Content
* The organization of ideas
* The accuracy and range of vocabulary and grammar.
Academic Writing
In Task 1, depending on the task type, you are assessed on your ability to organize, present, and possibly compare data; to describe the stages of a process or procedure; to describe an object or event or sequence of events; to explain how something works.
In Task 2, depending on the task type, you are assessed on your ability to present a solution to a problem; to present and justify an opinion; to compare and contrast evidence, opinions, and implications; to evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence, or an argument.
General Training Writing
In Task 1, depending on the task type, you are assessed on your ability to engage in personal correspondence to: elicit and provide general factual information; express needs wants, likes and dislikes; express opinions (views, complaints, etc).
In Task 2, you are assessed on your ability to provide general factual information; to outline a problem and present a solution;
to present and possibly justify an opinion; to evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence, or an argument.
Marking
You are assessed on your performance on each task by certificated IELTS examiners according to the IELTS Writing test assessment criteria (Task Achievement / Response, Coherence, and Cohesion, Lexical Resources, Grammatical Range, and Accuracy). The public version of the assessment criteria can be found at www.ielts.org/criteria.
Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.
Scores are reported in whole and half bands.

Test Parts
There are 3 parts.
Part 1 Introduction and Interview (4-5 minutes)
The examiner introduces him/herself and asks you to introduce yourself and confirm your identity. The examiner asks you general questions on familiar topics, e.g. home, family, work, studies, and interests.
Part 2 Individual long turn (3-4 minutes)
The examiner gives you a task card that asks you to talk about a particular topic and which includes points you can cover in your talk. You are given 1 minute to prepare your talk and are given a pencil and paper to make notes. You talk for 1-2 minutes on the topic. The examiner may then ask you one or two questions on the same topic.
Part 3 Two- way discussion (4-5 minutes)
The examiner asks further questions that are connected to the topic of Part 2. These questions allow you to discuss more abstract issues and ideas.
Skills assessed
A wide range of speaking skills is assessed, including:
* the ability to communicate opinions and information on everyday topics and common experiences and situations by answering a range of questions
* the ability to speak at length on a given topic using appropriate language and organizing ideas coherently
*the ability to express and justify opinions and to analyze, discuss and speculate about issues.
Marking
You are assessed on your performance throughout the test by certificated IELTS examiners according to the IELTS Speaking test assessment criteria (Fluency and coherence, Lexical Resource. Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Pronunciation). The public version of the assessment criteria can be found at www.ielts.org/criteria
Scores are reported in whole and half bands.

Listening
*Each recording in the Listening test is heard once only.
*You will be given time to read through the questions before you listening.
*As you listen, write your answers on the question paper.
At the end of the test, you will have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet as nothing you write on the question paper will be marked.
*You must write your answers in pencil.
*An example of a completed Listening answer sheet is given on the next page.
*Completion question types (e.g. note completion):
-Pay attention to the word limit. For example, if you are asked to complete a sentence using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS, and the correct answer is ‘ leather coat’, the answer ‘ coat made of leather’ would be incorrect.
– Transfer only the missing word(s) to the answer sheet.
For example, if you have to complete the note’ in the…’, and the correct answer is ‘ morning’, the answer ‘in the morning’ would be incorrect.
-You will hear the word(s) you need to use in the recording.
You will not need to change the form of the word(s) you hear.
-Pay attention to spelling and grammar: you will lose marks for mistakes.
-You may write your answers in lower case or capitals.
Reading
-You may write your answers directly on the answer sheet or you may write them on the question paper and transfer them to the answer sheet before the end of the test. You will not be given extra time to transfer answers at the end of the test. Nothing you write on the question paper will be marked.
-You must write your answers in pencil.
-An example of a completed Reading answer sheet is given on the next page.
-Completion question types(e.g. note completion):
-The same rules apply to ‘completion’ question types as in Listening (see above).
-the word(s) you use must be taken from the Reading text.
You will not need to change the form of the word(s) in the text.
Writing
–You may write your answers in pencil or pen.
-Pay attention to the number of words required for each task. You will lose marks if you do not write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2.
– You should spend approximately 20 minutes on Task 1 and approximately 40 minutes on Task 2.
-You must write your answers in full; answers written in note form or bullet points will lose marks.
-Pay attention to spelling, grammar, and punctuation; you will lose marks for mistakes.
-You may write your answers entirely in capitals if you wish.
-You may make notes on the question paper but nothing you write on the question paper will be marked.

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