What is IELTS Exam Pattern


IELTS Exam Pattern and what is IELTS exam? why it’s taken? who takes this ielts exam. how many bands need to pass IELTS exam? and many more questions. I am sure you also have the same questions in your mind regarding IELTS exam and IELTS Exam Pattern. let’s discuss all the above questions and explain it in details.

What is IELTS Exam


IELTS(International English Language Testing System) is the world’s most popular English Language proficiency test for higher education and global migration or work.

There are two types of the IELTS Exam: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. The IELTS exam is based on the 4 modules(Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking).

IELTS Academic:

IELTS Academic test is for those people who want their further studies in English speaking countries and it will help them to understand their academic syllabus and training. IELTS is wildly acceptable in most of the english speaking institutions.

IELTS General Training:

IELTS General Training test is for those people who want to apply for direct PR in Canada, Australia, UK, New Zealand etc. English speaking countries work experience or training programs and. The test focuses on basic survival skills in broad social and workplace contexts.

IELTS Exam total time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. IELTS Exam grade/score is valid for two years.

For IELTS Academic and IELTS general training Listening and Speaking modules are the same. Reading and Writing are different for both IELTS Academic and IELTS general training.

The Listening, Reading and Writing modules are completed on the same day, with no breaks in between them. And the Speaking test is scheduled separately. IELTS is scored on a nine-band scale (0-9).

For each section of the IELTS exam are divided into different parts. IELTS Listening is divided into 4 different parts. IELTS Speaking is divided into 3 different parts. IELTS Writing is divided into 2 tasks. IELTS Reading is divided into 3 passages.


IELTS Exam Pattern

As we discuss above, IELTS Academic and IELTS General both have different exam pattern let’s discuss in detail.

IELTS Academic Exam Pattern

  1. IELTS LISTENING (30 minutes)

In the Listening section, you have to listen to the audio clip of 30 minutes and write their answers to a series of questions. While you are listening, write your answers on the question paper with the pencil.

When you complete your listening you have 10 minutes to write your answers to a separate answer sheet. Listen to the instructions carefully of each section and then answer accordingly.

PART 1: This is the first part of your Listening test. Listen to the audio and answer questions 1-10 (conversations between two speakers).
PART 2: This is the second part of your Listening test. Listen to the audio and answer questions 11-20(monologue).
PART 3: This is the third part of your Listening test. Listen to the audio and answer questions 21-30(deal with situations set in educational and training contexts).  
PART 4: This is the fourth part of your Listening test. Listen to the audio and answer questions 31-40(an academic subject).

The recordings are heard only once. in the recording include a range of accents, including British, Australian, New Zealand, American and Canadia.

Note:- LISTENING would be the same for both this exam. IELTS Academic and General Training.

2. IELTS Academic Reading (60 minutes)

IELTS Academic Reading

The IELTS academic reading section consists of three long paragraphs. You will have one hour to read all three paragraphs, answer the questions, and transfer your answers from the reading paper onto an answer sheet.

The reading section of the IELTS academic is one has a long and you have 40 questions internal. as a diagram shows, this section has three passages of the texts you must read. Each passage has 950 words in a line. For each passage there about 12 to 14 questions. You have 20 minutes to read a passage and answer the corresponding questions so all of the section of the test tack your about hour 14 questions internal.

The passages are taken from books, academic journals, magazines and newspapers. articles you don’t need any special knowledge to answer the questions all of the information you need the answer the question is in the passages. Now they have a better idea of the structure of the reading section list tack a look of the specific task you will see on your test.

A specific type of questions:

The eleven different task types you can see on your test. Each task is design to test a different reading skill.

  • Fill in the blanks
  • Multiple choices
  • Completion
  • Matching
  • Questions Types
  • short answer task

Time Management of the reading section

You will have 60 minutes for the reading test with 40 questions cover of this section. Try to time on your self to spend 15minutes on the first reading, 15 on the second reading and 20 on the third reading. Try to give your self an extra 5 minutes for the last reading passage as this is usually the most difficult so if you total about time you can see 15 + 15 + 20 equals 50. This means we have an unused of 10minutes why do you have 10 minutes. You need the extra 10 minutes to transfer your answer from the question sheet to your answer sheet. You very carefully transfer your answer to the answer sheet.

3. IELTS Academic Writing (60 minutes)

IELTS Writing section consists of two Different tasks for both Academic and General Training writing tests. You can write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2.

IELTS Writing section takes 1hour and you will need to complete two writing tasks, each task requires different text types (description, report, discussion, argument, opinion text).

Task 2 is longer than Task 1, you can spend approximately 40 minutes on this task and 20 minutes on the first task. 

In Academic Writing, the test contains two tasks. First one is Task 1 and the second one is Task 2. Topics are basically of general interest and suitable for students enrolling in under-grade and post-grad programs. In Writing Task 1, all candidates are asked to describe information presented in a graph, table, chart or diagram etc.

Write a description in your own words. Candidates write at least 150 words in task 1. In Writing Task 2, requires the candidates to formulate and develop a position in relation to a given prompt in the form of a question. Responses must be at least 250 words in length and academic writing task is 60 minutes long. examples are drawn from the candidates’ own experience.

Writing Task 1: 

In this task, a candidate will be asked to describe, explain or summarize the information presented in graph/ table/ chart/ diagram. The total description should be more than 150 words long. You should spend 20 minutes on task 1 of the academic writing section. Candidates have 20 minutes to finish the task and write at least 150 words.

Academic writing task 1 general format :

Introduction + General Trends + Details Description + Conclusion/Summary (Optional).

There are four steps to write a better Academic writing task 1:

1. What type of presentation it is and what it is asking.
2. Collect data/information.
3. Plan for writing.
4. Represent in an organised form.

First Step: Analyze.
First, Analyze the question. Look where it is a diagram / table / figure / illustration / graph / figure / chart / flow chart or a picture. and also look at what the question is asking to do. For example, the question asks to compare, contrast, analyse, summarise or more than one thing.

Second Step: Collecting data/information.
In the second step, You collect/understand the following data and information from the figure.
a) Time: Be sure where the time presented in the graph/ figure is present/ past/ future or a mixture of these three. Your writing has to be in the correct Tense according to the time presented.
b) Theme: check what the figure/ diagram/ picture is trying to represent.
c) Place and Position: What place or field the data are all about?
d) Main Point: What is the central idea of the graph/diagram?
e) General Trend: Candidates Figure out the General Trend(s).
f) Effects & Result: Candidates Find out the effects and results.
g) Conclusion: Plan what you should write in the conclusion.

Writing Task 2 (Essay):

 In Task 2, a candidate requires to write an essay on a basic/general topic in response to a point of view, argument or problem. A candidate’s response to both the tasks should be in a formal style. The essay should be more than 250 words long. You will be given an essay question to answer in 40 minutes by writing at least 250 words long.

4. IELTS Speaking (15 minutes):

The Speaking Module of ielts is the final part of the exam. It does not need to be taken on the same day. It takes the form of a three-part oral interview. Candidates have a discussion with a certified Examiner. It is interactive and as close to a real-life situation as a test can get. Speaking exam is the same for both Academic and General Training tests.

Part 1: the interview (4 to 5 minutes)

  • In part 1, the examiner will ask you general questions about yourself, your family, your work, your studies, your interests and your hobbies. you have to answer the questions.

Part 2: the short presentation (3 to 4 minutes)

  • In part 2, you have to speak about a topic. You will be given a Q card which asks you to speak about a particular topic and includes points that you can cover in your talk. You will be given 1 minute to prepare your talk before you speak. You will then speak for 1-2 minutes. then the examiner will ask one or two questions on the same topic.

Part 3: the discussion (4 to 5 minutes)

  • you have a longer discussion with a certified Examiner on the topic. The examiner will ask you further questions connected to the topic in Part 2.

Note:- Speaking would be the same for both this exam. IELTS Academic and General Training.

IELTS General Training Exam Pattern

1. IELTS General Training Reading (60 minutes):

The IELTS general reading test consists of four to five shorter paragraphs and a total of 40 questions. You will have one hour to read all three paragraphs, answer the questions, and transfer your answers from the reading paper onto an answer sheet.

A specific type of questions:

Short answer questions
Fill in the blanks
Multiple choices
Complete a sentence
Matching headings to paragraphs
Matching opinions to names
Yes, no or not given
True, false or not given

2. IELTS General Training Writing(60 minutes):

The General Training Writing test consists of two tasks (Task 1 & Task 2) which are basically based on general topics. IELTS General Writing section takes one hour to complete two tasks, of 150 and 250 words, as in the Academic module. Task 1 is a letter and Task 2 is an essay based on the given topic.

Writing Task 1 (Letter):

In General Training IELTS Writing Task 1, candidates are asked to respond to a given problem with a letter requesting information or explaining a situation. Candidates should spend 20 minutes on task 1 and write at least 150 words.

Writing task 2 (Essay):

In General Training IELTS Writing Task 2, A candidate will be asked to write an essay in response to an argument or problem and point of view. Candidates should spend 40 minutes on task 2 and write at least 250 words.

Also Read:-

IELTS test in Canada – May 2019

IELTS Test in Indonesia – May 2019 


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