IELTS Modules – Reading
Reading consists of three sections and includes texts totaling 2150-2750 words. The Reading test includes a variety of question types, such as multiple-choice, short-answer questions, identifying information, identifying the writer’s views, labeling diagrams, completing sentences, and matching headings/features in the text/endings. Candidates must be careful with their answers as incorrect spelling and grammar can result in losing marks.
- Section 1 contains two or three short texts or several shorter texts dealing with everyday topics, such as timetables or notices – things a person needs to understand when living in an English-speaking country.
- Section 2 contains two texts related to work, such as job descriptions, contracts, and training materials.
- Section 3 contains one long text on a topic of general interest. The text is generally descriptive and more complex than the texts in sections 1 and 2. It is typically taken from newspapers, magazines, books, or online sources.
IELTS Modules – Writing
The Writing module consists of two tasks, both of which must be completed within 60 minutes. In Task 1, you must write at least 150 words in approximately 20 minutes. In Task 2, you must write at least 250 words in approximately 40 minutes. Candidates are penalized for responses that are too short or off-topic. Answers should be written in full sentences as continuous text (candidates must not use notes or bullet points).
IELTS Academic
- Task 1: Candidates describe a graph, table, chart, or diagram in their own words.
- Task 2: Candidates discuss a viewpoint, argue, or present a problem. Depending on the task, candidates may be asked to provide solutions to a problem, present and justify an opinion, compare and contrast evidence, opinions, and implications, and evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence, or arguments.
IELTS General Training
- Task 1: Candidates write a letter in response to a given everyday situation. For example, writing to a housing manager about issues with accommodation, writing to a new employer about internal discrepancies, or writing to a local newspaper about a plan to develop a local airport.
- Task 2: Candidates write an essay on a general topic. For example, whether smoking should be banned in public places, whether children's leisure activities should be educational, or how environmental problems can be solved.
IELTS Modules – Speaking
The Speaking module is a face-to-face interview between the candidate and an examiner.
- Part 1: Introduction and interview (4-5 minutes). The examiner will ask questions about the candidate’s home, family, work, studies, hobbies, interests, reasons for taking the IELTS test, and other general topics such as fashion, free time, computers, and the Internet. If a question is too personal, candidates can request to change the question for personal reasons.
- Part 2: Long turn (3-4 minutes). The candidate receives a task card with a topic and has one minute to prepare their response. The topic card includes points that should be covered in the response. The candidate is expected to speak for one to two minutes. The examiner may ask follow-up questions related to the topic.
- Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes). This part involves a discussion between the examiner and the candidate, generally about questions related to the topic discussed in Part 2.
