IELTS

Practice Exercises / Tests

What is IELTS?

IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is

designed to assess the language ability of candidates who
need to study or work where English is the language of
communication.

IELTS is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL

Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP:
IELTS Australia. IELTS conforms to the highest international
standards of language assessment.

IELTS is recognized by universities and employers in many

countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the
UK and the USA. It is also recognized by professional bodies,
immigration authorities and other government agencies.

The Test Format

There are four sub-tests, or modules, to the IELTS test:
Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Students must sit all
four sub-tests. While all students take the same Listening and
Speaking tests, they sit different Reading and Writing tests,
depending on whether they have selected the Academic
Module or the General Training Module.
 You’ll take the first three parts of the test on the same day, in the following order:
Listening, Reading and Writing (there are no breaks between these tests). Your
Speaking test will be held either on the same day or seven days before or after that,
depending on local arrangements.

Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

IELTS Listening test lasts for about 30 minutes. It consists of four sections, played on
cassette tape, in order of increasing difficulty. Each section might be a dialogue or a
monologue. The test is played once only, and the questions for each section must be
answered while listening, although time is given for students to check their answers.

IELTS Reading test lasts for 60 minutes. Students are given an Academic Reading test, or
a General Training Reading test. Both tests consist of three sections, and in both tests the
sections are in order of increasing difficulty.

IELTS Writing test also lasts for 60 minutes. Again, students take either an Academic
Module, or a General Training Module. Students must perform two writing tasks, which
require different styles of writing. There is no choice of question topics.

IELTS Speaking test consists of a one-to-one interview with a specially trained examiner.

The interview is recorded and has three separate parts:
An introduction and interview, an individual long turn where the candidate speaks for one or
two minutes on a particular topic, and a two-way discussion thematically linked to the
individual long turn. This interview will last for approximately 11-14 minutes.
LISTENING TEST

The IELTS Listening test is designed to assess a wide range of listening skills, including how well you

 understand main ideas and specific factual information

 recognize the opinions, attitudes and purpose of a speaker
 follow the development of an argument

Format You will listen to four recordings of native English speakers and then
write your answers to a series of questions.

 Recording 1: a conversation between two people set in an

everyday social context.
 Recording 2: a monologue set in an everyday social context,
e.g. a speech about local facilities
 Recording 3: 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.
 Recording 4: a monologue on an academic subject, e.g. a
university lecture

Timing The IELTS Listening test takes approximately 30 minutes, and you are
allowed an extra 10 minutes to transfer your answers from your question
booklet to your answer sheet.

Number of 40 questions
Questions

Marks Each correct answer receives one mark. Scores out of 40 are converted
to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.

Section One
In the first section there is a conversation between two speakers. For example - a conversation about
travel arrangements, booking accommodation, or decisions on a night out.

Section Two
The second section is a monologue (a speech by one person). It will be set in an everyday social
context. For example - a speech about student services on a University campus or arrangements for
meals during a conference.

Section Three
Section three is a conversation between up to four people. For example - a conversation between a
tutor and a student about an assignment or between three students planning a research project.

Section Four
The final part is another monologue. It is a lecture or talk of general academic interest such as a
university lecture.
Question Types

The following types of question may appear on the test:

1. multiple choice  
2. short-answer questions  
3. sentence completion  
4. notes/summary/diagram/flow chart/table completion  
5. labelling a diagram which has numbered parts  
6. classification  
7. matching type

You will be provided with instructions on the test paper on how to answer the questions, and they are
clear and easy to follow. You will be given examples of any unfamiliar question types.

During the IELTS listening test, you are given time to read the questions and enter and then check
your answers. You enter your answers on the question paper as you listen and when the tape ends
ten minutes are allowed for you to transfer your answers to an Answer Sheet.

One mark is awarded for each of the 40 items in the test.

IELTS Listening score 

Each of the 40 questions is worth 1 point. Depending on how many points you gain, you can receive a
score from 0 to 9 points for the Listening Section. The following conversion table applies to calculate
your IELTS Listening score: 

Raw
score 
39 37 35 32 30 26 23 18 16 13 10 6
8- 4-
- - - - - - - - - - - -
(out 10 5
40 38 36 34 31 29 25 22 17 15 12 7
of
40)

Band 3.
9 8.5 8 7.5 7 6.5 6 5.5 5 4.5 4 3 2.5
score  5

Lessons/tips:

https://ielts-up.com/listening/ielts-listening-tips.html

https://ielts-up.com/exercises/ielts-listening-exercises.html

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-listening-practice.html

https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/ielts-listening-2/

https://ieltsclimber.com/listening/

Practice Exercises:

https://ielts-up.com/listening/ielts-listening-practice.html
https://ieltsclimber.com/listening/

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-listening-test.html

https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/2015/05/20/ielts-listening-practice/
READING TEST
You will need to read quickly and efficiently, and manage your time. You will be asked to read three
different passages and respond to related questions in your IELTS Reading test. The content of the
Reading test is different for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests.

The IELTS Reading test is designed to assess a wide range of reading skills, including how well you

 read for the general sense of a passage

 read for the main ideas
 read for detail
 understand inferences and implied meaning
 recognise a writer’s opinions, attitudes and purpose
 follow the development of an argument

Academic Reading

Format Three long texts which range from the descriptive and
factual to the discursive and analytical. These are taken
from books, journals, magazines and newspapers.  They
have been selected for a non-specialist audience but are
appropriate for people entering university courses or
seeking professional registration.

Timing  60 minutes including the transfer time

Number of 40 questions
Questions

Task Types Fill gaps in a passage of written text or in a table, match

headings to written text to diagrams or charts, complete
sentences, give short answers to open questions, answer
multiple choice questions

Marks Each correct answer receives one mark. Scores out of 40

are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are
reported in whole and half bands.
  Though you can mark and write on the Question Paper, you must enter your
answers on the Reading Answer Sheet, and be aware that no extra time is given
for transferring your answers from the test booklet to the Reading Answer Sheet.

Lessons/tips:

https://ielts-up.com/exercises/ielts-reading-exercises.html

https://ielts-up.com/exercises/ielts-reading-exercises.html

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-reading-practice.html

https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/ielts-reading-2/

Practice Exercises:

https://ielts-up.com/reading/ielts-reading-practice.html

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-practice-tests.html

https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/ielts-reading-2/
WRITING TEST
The IELTS Writing test is designed to assess a wide range of writing skills, including
how well you

 write a response appropriately

 organize ideas
 use a range of vocabulary and grammar accurately

Academic Writing

Format Write in a formal style in the IELTS Academic Writing

test. In Task 1 you will be presented with a graph, table,
chart or diagram. You will be asked to describe, summarize
or explain the information in your own words. This might
involve describing and explaining data, describing the
stages of a process or how something works, or describing
an object or event. In Task 2 you will be asked to write an
essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.
You should find the issues interesting and easy to
understand.

Timing  The IELTS Writing test takes 60 minutes. Spend 20 minutes

on Task 1, and 40 minutes on Task 2. You will need to
manage your own time, so make sure you move on to Task
2 after 20 minutes.

Number of 2 questions
Questions

Task Types Two tasks: Task 1 and Task 2. You will be asked to write at
least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task
2

Marks Your Writing test will be marked by a certificated IELTS

examiner. Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1 in the
IELTS Writing test. Scores are reported in whole and half
 bands

The Writing Task 1 of the IELTS Academic test requires you to write a

summary of at least 150 words in response to a particular graph (bar, line or
pie graph), table, chart, or process (how something works, how something is
done). This task tests your ability to select and report the main features, to
describe and compare data, identify significance and trends in factual
information, or describe a process.

The Writing Task 2 of the IELTS test requires you to write at least 250
words. You will be presented with a topic and will be tested on your ability to
respond by giving and justifying an opinion, discussing the topic, summarizing
details, outlining problems, identifying possible solutions and supporting what
you write with reasons, arguments and relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.

The assessment of Task 2 carries more weight in marking than Task 1.

Writing scripts are marked by trained and certificated IELTS examiners, who
all hold relevant teaching qualifications and are recruited as examiners by the
test centers and approved by British Council or IDP: IELTS Australia.

Lessons/tips:

https://ielts-up.com/exercises/ielts-writing-exercises.html

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-writing-task-1.html

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-writing-task-2.html

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-writing.html

https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/writing-task-1/

https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/writing-task-2/

https://ieltsclimber.com/writing/academic-writing/

Practice Exercises:

https://ielts-up.com/writing/ielts-academic-task-1.html

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-practice-tests.html
https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/2015/07/15/100-ielts-writing-sample-questions/

https://ieltsclimber.com/writing/academic-writing/

SPEAKING TEST
You will talk to a certified examiner in the IELTS Speaking test. The test is interactive
and as close to a real-life situation as a test can get. A variety of accents may be
used, and the test will be recorded.

The content of the IELTS Speaking test is the same for both the IELTS Academic
and IELTS General Training tests.

The IELTS Speaking test is designed to assess a wide range of skills.

The examiner will want to see how well you can

 communicate opinions and information on everyday topics and common

experiences; to do this you will need to answer a range of questions
 speak at length on a given topic using appropriate language
 organise your ideas coherently
 express and justify your opinions
 analyse, discuss and speculate about issues

Make sure that you relax and talk fluently. You will need to speak naturally.

Forma Part 1: The examiner will introduce him or herself and ask you to
t introduce yourself and confirm your identity. The examiner will
ask you general questions on familiar topics, e.g. home, family,
work, studies and interests. This section should help you relax
and talk naturally.

Part 2: The examiner will give you a task card which asks you to
talk about a particular topic, including points to include in your
talk. You will be given one minute to prepare and make notes.
You will then be asked to talk for 1-2 minutes on the topic. You
will not be interrupted during this time, so it is important to keep
talking. The examiner will then ask you one or two questions on
the same topic.

Part 3: The examiner will ask you further questions which are
connected to the topic of Part 2. These questions are designed to
give you an opportunity to discuss more abstract issues and
ideas.

Timing 11-14 minutes

Marks You will be assessed on your performance throughout the test by

certificated IELTS examiners. You will be marked on the four
 criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical
range and accuracy, pronunciation. Scores are reported in whole
and half bands.

Lessons/tips:

https://ielts-up.com/speaking/ielts-speaking-test.html

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-speaking-practice.html

https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/ielts-speaking/

https://ieltsclimber.com/speaking/

Practice Exercises:

https://ielts-up.com/speaking/ielts-speaking-practice.html

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-speaking-test.html

https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/ielts-speaking/

https://ieltsclimber.com/speaking/