IELTS Exam Pattern: Test Pattern, Question Type, Section wise Exam Details, Tips

IELTS Exam Pattern is divided into four sections: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The objectives of each segment are to evaluate various linguistic competencies. The exam pattern of IELTS has two modes: paper-based and computer-based. IELTS Academic and IELTS General are two versions that different groups of candidates undertake, although they follow the same pattern. The total duration of IELTS is 2hrs 45 minutes. IELTS reading, writing, and listening are conducted on the same day whereas IELTS Speaking can be scheduled on the afternoon of the test day or within a week. 

The IELTS reading and IELTS Writing syllabus are different for IELTS Academic and IELTS General. The speaking and listening sections are similar. The IELTS listening and IELTS Reading section has 40 questions each. There are three passages in IELTS reading and 4 sections in IELTS Listening. The IELTS Writing and IELTS Listening section has 2 parts each. You need to master all sections during IELTS preparation. Candidates must complete all the sections within the allocated time. 

The total time allocated to complete the IELTS test is 2 hours and 45 minutes. The IELTS Listening, writing, and reading tests are conducted on the same day. The speaking test is organized on the same day or within 7 days after or prior to the exam. This depends on the availability of slots. The IELTS score ranges from 0-9 band and you get 1 marks for each correct answer. The raw scores are then conversted to scaled scores. The IELTS score validity is for 2 years from the test date. 

IELTS Listening

The IELTS Listening section comprises four tasks to be completed. In a task, there will be 1 recording with 10 questions. In total, there will be 40 questions and the total time is 30 minutes. Candidates will be given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to the answer sheet. 

Recording Details

• Section 1: 10 questions (General conversation between 2 English natives)
• Section 2: 10 questions (Monologue on the general topic)
• Section 3: 10 questions (Conversation between 2-4 people around academics)
• Section 4: 10 questions (Monologue on an academic topic)

IELTS Listening Question Types

Exam pattern of IELTS for listening section is given below:

• Multiple choice
• Matching
• Plan, map, diagram labeling
• Form, note, table, flowchart, summary completion
• Sentence completion
• Short-answer questions

Pattern of IELTS exam check how the candidates are focused on the details, and their ability to fetch details as well as their understanding of visual details, key information, and concrete facts, For IELTS academic and general training, there is no difference for this section. You can check IELTS listening practice questions to improve your listening ability. 

IELTS Speaking

IELTS exam paper pattern for the speaking section is quite easy. The speaking section is like a face-to-face interview between the test taker and the examiner. In IELTS Speaking, grammar, accuracy, coherence and fluency, lexical resources, and pronunciation of each candidate are assessed in 11-14 minutes. Most IELTS Speaking Topics are general in type. Candidates can practice these topics listed on the official website of IELTS. 

IELTS Speaking Questions

IELTS exam syllabus and pattern for speaking is the same for both the Academic and IELTS General Training. 

• Test takers have to complete 3 tasks in this section
• In Task 1, the test-taker has to give a general introduction like education, home, family, and work. Time: 4-5minutes.
• The test-taker has to pick up a task card for choosing a topic to talk about with the examiner for Task 2. Time: 3-4 minutes (including preparation time). 
• In Task 3, the examiner will discuss whatever said by the test taker in Task 2. Time: 4-5 minutes.
• These tasks check the ability of the candidates to communicate their views on everyday topics, any given topic, and the ability to justify what they have said. 

IELTS Speaking Sample

• Describe An Interesting Animal You Have Seen Cue Card​
• Describe an Outdoor Sport you Played for the First Time Cue Card​
• Describe a Goal that You would Like to Achieve Cue Card​
• Describe A Meal You Had With Your Friends in a Restaurant Cue Card​
• Describe A Time When You Visited A Farm Cue Card​
• Describe A Family Which You Like And are Happy to Know Cue Card​
• Describe a Happy Person You Know Cue Card​
• Describe a Historical Figure Cue Card​
• Describe A Museum You Have Visited And Liked Cue Card​
• Describe a Useful Website You have Visited Cue Card​

IELTS Reading

For IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, the reading section is different for test-takers. According to IELTS exam pattern 2023 test takers get 60 minutes to complete this section of IELTS Reading. 40 questions to be answered in this section.

For IELTS Academic Reading, the reading passages are of medium length and they are taken from journals, books, magazines, and newspapers. The writing style of most of these reading excerpts ranging from descriptive, factual, discursive, and analytical. In all these passages, a test-taker has to recognize the purpose, attitude, or opinions present in writers behind writing these.

For IELTS General Training Reading, 3 sections are the excerpts from newspapers, books, magazines, guidelines, advertisements, handbooks, and notices. For Task 1, the test-taker has to write about “social survival”. For Task 2, the test-taker has to write about “workplace survival” and for Task 3 it is a general reading passage with a little complex structure.

IELTS Reading Question Types

With proper practice of all the questions, candidates can achieve a good IELTS reading score. IELTS reading question types include:

• Multiple choice
• Identifying information
• Identifying the writer’s views/claims
• Matching information
• Matching headings
• Matching features
• Matching sentence endings
• Sentence completion
• Summary, note, table, flow-chart completion
• Diagram label completion
• Short-answer questions

As the types of passages are different in IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, the difficulty levels are also different. The answer to is IELTS exam difficult depends the level of preparation. These tasks also check the candidate’s focus on detail and their skills of understanding relationships between two factors and analytical skills.

IELTS Reading Samples

• Anxiety IELTS Reading Answers 
• Russian Icons Reading Passage Answers
• Dino Discoveries IELTS Reading Answers
• Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons Reading Answers
• Storytelling IELTS Reading Answers
• Air Traffic Control in the USA IELTS Reading Answers
• Evening Courses IELTS Reading Answers
• Gourmet Restaurants Reading Answers
• Keeping Cut Flowers Reading Answers
• National Cuisine and Tourism Reading Answers 

IELTS Writing

Like IELTS Reading, IELTS Writing is different for both Academic and General Training test takers. IELTS exam question paper 2 tasks, and candidates have to write it in 60 minutes. For IELTS writing task 1, candidates get 20 minutes to write 150 words and for IELTS Writing task 2, candidates get 40 minutes to write 250 words. No IELTS exam pattern change has been made for the Writing section.

IELTS Writing Question Types

• For IELTS Writing Task 1, the test taker gets a minimum of 20 minutes. The word limit to complete Task 1 is 150 words. For Academic Writing Task 1, candidates have to write a report analyzing a graph or table and for General task 1, candidates have to write a letter. 
• For IELTS Writing Task 2, the test-taker gets a minimum time of 40 minutes. The word limit for the 2nd task is 250 words. For Academic task 2, candidates have to write an article in response to a situation and for General task 2, candidates also have o write an essay in response to an argument or point of view. 

Every piece of information should be relevant enough to complete a writing task. Test takers should write down all the important information given through graphical representation. Examiners mark the test takers on basis of 4-5 criteria like task achievement or task response, coherence, lexical resource, and grammatical accuracy.

The duration, word limit, and marking criteria are the same in the IELTS general training writing section. Here Task 1 is a letter-writing but in IELTS academic, task 1 is a description of a graph or chart. For Task 1, the test-taker has to write in a formal, semi-formal, or personal format. Task 2 (essay) will be personal in style. 
 

IELTS Writing Samples 

IELTS Writing Task 1

• Average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients IELTS writing task 1
• Southland’s Main Exports in 2000 and Future Projections For 2025 IELTS Writing Task 1
• Different Sources of Air Pollutants IELTS Writing Task 1 
• Different Types of Crime in England and Wales From 1970 to 2005 IELTS Writing Task 1
• The Graph below shows the Total Births and the Total Deaths in a European Country from 1950 to 2050 IELTS Writing Task 1
• Line Graph Showing Percentage of Car Ownership in Great Britain IELTS Writing Task 1
• Number of Books Read by Men and Women at Burnaby Public Library IELTS Writing Task 1
• Journeys made by Different Forms of Transport in Four Countries IELTS Writing Task 1

IELTS Writing Task 2

• Art is Considered an Important Part of a Society as Well as an Expression of its Culture IELTS Writing Task 2
• Museums and Art Galleries Should Concentrate on Local Works IELTS Writing Task 2 
• People Think Governments should Fund Art IELTS Writing Task 2
• Some People say that Art can be made by Everyone IELTS Writing Task 2
• Government Should Invest More Money in Science Education Rather than Other Subjects IELTS Writing Task 2
• Education in Developing & Rural Areas IELTS Writing Task 2
• Secondary Schools Aim To Provide A General Education Across A Range Of Subjects IELTS Writing Task 2
• Nowadays Education Quality is Very Low IELTS Writing Task 2
• Guarantee A Good Job Is To Complete A Course Of University Education IELTS Writing Task 2

IELTS Scoring Pattern

The IELTS band score shows candidates' English language proficiency skills. The table below shows an overview of the IELTS score pattern and their corresponding levels of English proficiency: