IELTS Exam Pattern

IELTS Exam Pattern

IELTS abbreviation: International English Language Testing System.

IELTS scores play a vital role in getting your visa stamped. What is IELTS exam pattern? It would be wise to know the pattern of IELTS exam before actually taking the exam. Familiarizing yourself with the IELTS pattern helps save time and relieves anxiety on the test day.

Types of IELTS exam: 

There are two IELTS tests based on purpose. They are:

• IELTS Academic
• IELTS General Training.

IELTS sections: 

Both of them consist of the following four components:

• Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking

IELTS exam duration:

The total duration of the test is 2 hours 45 minutes.

The first three parts will be conducted on the same day, in the following order: Listening, Reading and Writing. The speaking test may be held either on the same day or seven days prior to the test or after the test.

Listening

Four recordings of native English speakers will be played. You have to listen to them and then write your answers to the questions asked.

Recording 1: Two speakers are involved. They talk about day-to-day social life.

Eg:  Conversation about grocery prices.

Recording 2: Only one speaker is involved. He/ She talks about everyday social life.

Eg: Speech about water scarcity.

Recording 3: Two speakers are involved. The conversation revolves around education and training.

Eg: A Professor and student discussing a project.

Recording 4: Only one speaker is involved. He/ She talks about academics.

Eg: A university lecture.

Reading

It varies for Academic and General Training tests.

Pattern for Academic

There are three long passages. Each passage is adapted from books, journals, magazines, newspapers and online resources, targeted at a non-specialist audience. Topics are apt for students pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate courses. The passages may be in the following styles:

• Narrative,
• Descriptive
• Discursive
• Argumentative.
• Diagrammatic
• Graphical

Pattern for General

There are three sections with increasing difficulty. Section 1 and 2 will contain short passages on day-to-day life and work in an English speaking country respectively. Section 3 texts will be taken from newspapers, magazines, books and online resources. Overall, this passage tests whether the test taker can survive in an English speaking environment.

Writing

It varies for Academic and General Training tests.

Academic

It has 2 tasks. They are :

Task 1: Describe a piece of visual information in 150 words. [They may be graphs, tables, charts or diagrams]. Time allotted is 20 minutes.

Task 2: Write an essay for about 250 words. They may be opinion essays, discussion essays etc.

General

Task 1: Letter writing which may be formal, semiformal or informal. You need to write at least 150 words.

Task 2: Write an essay for about 250 words.

Tip:

How to use IELTS writing test time wisely?

A total of 60 minutes are allotted for writing. You are advised to spend 20 minutes on task 1 and 40 minutes on task 2.

Speaking

The Speaking test is a face-to-face interview with an examiner. It will be recorded.

How long is the speaking test in IELTS?

The Speaking test is 11-14 minutes long and is in three parts. They are:

Part 1 – Introduction

This part tests your ability to form and state opinions and give information on everyday topics by answering a range of questions. They are usually personal questions.

Part 2 – Cue Card

This part tests your ability to speak spontaneously on a given topic, using appropriate vocabulary.

Part 3 – Discussion

This part tests your ability to analyze, and discuss the topic in part 2 more elaborately.

Also check :

• IELTS Test Centres
• IELTS Exam