The IELTS syllabus is not a list of chapters but a test of four English skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, taken in about 2 hours 45 minutes and reported on a band scale from 0 to 9. There is no fixed book to finish; what you prepare for is the format, the question types and the way examiners grade your English.
Indian students mostly take IELTS for study abroad or migration. This page sets out the IELTS exam pattern for both Academic and General Training, what each section asks of you, the marking scheme, and a preparation plan that works for someone starting from school level English.
Exam at a glance
Run by
British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press & AssessmentVersions
IELTS Academic and IELTS General TrainingSections
Listening, Reading, Writing, SpeakingTotal time
About 2 hours 45 minutesScoring
Band 0 to 9 for each skill plus an overall band, in whole or half bandsNegative marking
None; wrong answers simply score zeroMode
Computer at a test centre, paper in some centres, and an online option for Academic
Academic or General Training: pick the right one
Both versions share the same Listening and Speaking tests. Reading and Writing differ.
- IELTS Academic is what universities and colleges abroad usually ask for. Its texts come from books, journals and magazines.
- IELTS General Training is common for migration and some work routes. Its texts are everyday material such as notices, advertisements, handbooks and workplace documents.
Listening, Reading and Writing are taken in one sitting with no break. Speaking happens separately, either the same day or within about a week before or after, depending on the centre.
IELTS exam pattern section by section
| Section | Time | Questions or tasks | Same in both versions? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | About 30 minutes | 4 parts, 40 questions | Yes |
| Reading | 60 minutes | 3 sections, 40 questions | No |
| Writing | 60 minutes | 2 tasks | No |
| Speaking | 11 to 14 minutes | 3 parts, face to face with an examiner | Yes |
On the paper based test you get 10 extra minutes at the end of Listening to copy answers onto the answer sheet. On computer you type answers as you listen and get 2 minutes at the end to check them. Reading has no separate transfer time, so write answers straight onto the sheet.
Listening: four recordings, heard once
The recordings play only once, and the difficulty climbs from part to part.
- A conversation between two people in an everyday setting, such as booking a room.
- A talk by one speaker on an everyday subject, such as a guide describing a local facility.
- A discussion among up to four people in a training or study setting.
- A lecture or talk by one speaker on an academic subject.
Question types include multiple choice, matching, labelling a plan, map or diagram, completing a form, note, table or flow chart, sentence completion and short answers. Spelling counts: an answer with one wrong letter is marked wrong, so practise spelling common names, numbers, dates and places.
Reading: passages and question types
In Academic Reading you face three long passages, ranging from descriptive to argued writing. General Training splits its texts into three sections: short everyday texts, workplace texts, and one longer piece on a general topic.
The question types are the same family in both:
- True, False, Not Given (does the text agree with the statement)
- Yes, No, Not Given (does the writer hold this view)
- Matching headings to paragraphs, matching information or features
- Matching sentence endings
- Sentence, summary, note, table or flow chart completion
- Diagram label completion and short answers
- Multiple choice
Most Indian candidates struggle with the Not Given option. Train yourself to mark it only when the passage says nothing either way, not when you simply cannot find the line.
Writing: two tasks with different weight
You must finish both tasks within 60 minutes.
- Task 1 (at least 150 words, about 20 minutes): in Academic, describe a graph, table, chart, map or process; in General Training, write a letter that may be personal, semi formal or formal.
- Task 2 (at least 250 words, about 40 minutes): an essay responding to an opinion, argument or problem.
Task 2 carries twice the weight of Task 1 in the Writing band, so never let Task 1 eat into your essay time.
Speaking: three parts in under a quarter hour
- Part 1 (4 to 5 minutes): introduction and questions about familiar things like home, studies, work or hobbies.
- Part 2 (3 to 4 minutes): you get a task card, one minute to prepare notes, and then speak for up to 2 minutes on the topic.
- Part 3 (4 to 5 minutes): a deeper discussion of ideas linked to the Part 2 topic.
Examiners are not judging your opinions or your accent as such. They want ideas that connect, a range of words used correctly, varied sentences and speech that is easy to follow.
IELTS marking scheme and band calculation
Listening and Reading each have 40 questions worth one mark apiece, and your raw score out of 40 is converted to a band. Wrong answers do not cost anything, so leave no blank.
Writing and Speaking are graded by trained examiners against four criteria each:
| Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|
| Task achievement (Task 1) or task response (Task 2) | Fluency and coherence |
| Coherence and cohesion | Lexical resource |
| Lexical resource | Grammatical range and accuracy |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | Pronunciation |
The overall band is the average of the four skill bands, rounded to the nearest half or whole band. For example, bands of 6, 6, 6 and 6.5 average 6.125, which gives an overall 6. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band and one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band.
A six week plan built on the IELTS syllabus
- Week 1: take one full practice test under timed conditions to find your weakest skill.
- Weeks 2 and 3: Listening and Reading drills by question type; keep a notebook of words you misspelled and paraphrases you missed.
- Week 4: Writing. One Task 1 and one Task 2 every day, then check each against the four criteria.
- Week 5: Speaking. Record yourself on Part 2 cards and listen back for long pauses and repeated words.
- Week 6: two or three full mock tests and a final pass over your error notebook.
Use the free practice material and band descriptors published by the official test partners. If your target universities accept other tests, compare this format with the TOEFL syllabus, while for graduate study in the US the GRE syllabus may also apply. More admission tests are listed under entrance exams.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a fixed syllabus of IELTS like school exams?
No. IELTS tests skills, not memorised content. What you can prepare is the format: the four sections, the question types, the timing and the criteria examiners use.
Does IELTS have negative marking?
No. In Listening and Reading a wrong answer scores zero, the same as a blank, so always write something in every answer space.
What band score do I need?
It depends entirely on the university, course or visa route. Many ask for an overall band plus a minimum in each skill, so check both numbers on the institution's admission page.
Which is harder, Academic or General Training?
Listening and Speaking are the same. Academic Reading uses denser texts and Academic Writing Task 1 asks you to describe data, while General Training uses everyday texts and a letter. Choose the version your institution or visa route asks for, not the one that looks easier.
How long is an IELTS score valid?
Test reports are generally accepted for two years, but each university or authority decides what it will accept. Confirm their rule before you book a date.
Can I write fewer than 150 or 250 words?
You can, but writing under the minimum usually pulls down your task achievement or task response score. Aim slightly above the limit rather than far above it, and spend the saved time checking grammar.