IELTS Syllabus
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an English language competence exam for those who do not speak English as their first language but desire to study in another country. The four components of the test include reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The hearing and speaking portions are the same for all, however, the reading and writing sections for the General Training and Academic papers differ. With this blog, we will provide you with a full IELTS curriculum to assist you in your preparation.
IELTS Academic
IELTS Academic is for candidates who want to apply for higher education or professional registration in countries where English is the predominant language of communication. The main purpose of the test is to see if a candidate is ready to start studying or training in English. IELTS is accepted for academic reasons in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among other nations.
IELTS General
Students who intend to migrate to New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdom, or who want to apply for secondary school, training programmes, or work experience in an English-speaking nation, should take the IELTS General Training exam. This test focuses on a candidate's basic survival skills in a wide range of social and workplace situations.
Listening
Question
Duration
Scores
Speaking
Question
Duration
Scores
Reading
Question
Duration
Scores
Key Highlights about IELTS Syllabus 2022
Section |
Number of Questions |
Duration |
Content |
Marks |
Listening |
4 Recordings 40 Questions |
30 Minutes+10 minutes transfer time |
Four recorded monologues and conversations |
1 mark per question |
Reading |
40 |
60 minutes |
3 Passages (can be descriptive, analytical, factual or discursive) |
1 mark per question |
Writing |
2 |
60 minutes |
Writing task (minimum 150 words) Essay (minimum 250 words) |
Each task is assessed independently. The assessment of Task 2 carries more weight in marking than Task 1. |
Speaking |
3 |
11-14 minutes |
3 parts; Part 1: Q&A Part 2: Speaking in detail on a familiar topic Part 3: Structure Discussion |
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IELTS Section-wise Syllabus
- Writing syllabus
- Reading syllabus
- Listening syllabus
- Speaking syllabus
IELTS Writing Section
Candidates are required to complete an academic writing programme. Short essays or general reports are written in response to the academic writing module and are aimed at an educated non-specialist audience. There are two obligatory assignments. Candidates are given 150 words to look at a diagram, table, or data and express the information in their own words in Task 1. All applicants are given a point of view, argument, or problem and asked to provide general factual information, present a solution, justify an opinion, analyse ideas and evidence, and so on in Task 2.
- Total no. of questions: 2
- Total time: 60 minutes
IELTS Academic Writing
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It consists of two exercises on themes that are of wide interest and relevant to individuals seeking undergraduate or postgraduate programmes.
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You will be given a piece of paper with a diagram, table, or graph as your first task. You'll have to summarise and define the offered information in your own terms. You may be required to explain a specific data entry, process the information provided, or create a flowchart to arrive at a logical conclusion.
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The next job requires you to compose an essay in response to your deduction from the provided data and to back up your claim with appropriate examples based on the provided data. Please keep in mind that the writing style should be formal.
IELTS General Writing
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It also has two tasks, although they are more simple than those in the academic format.
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You will be required to write a letter in response to the given circumstances. Depending on the situation, the letter can be formal, semi-formal, or intimate. You will be asked to explain yourself, make a request, or defend your position to a higher authority.
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You will be required to write an essay based on the aforementioned views. The arguments and viewpoints expressed here should be backed up with relevant examples, and the writing style might be rather personal.
IELTS Reading Section
The reading module consists of three general-interest works that address topics relevant to candidates for postgraduate or undergraduate programmes. Both reading modules have three passages or sections with a total of forty questions in each. Multiple-choice, sentence, or summary completion questions, identifying facts for short-answer questions, matching lists or phrases, and recognising writers' views/attitudes are all examples of question kinds.
- Total no. of questions: About 40
- Total time: 30 minutes
IELTS Academic Reading
This section has three big paragraphs that can be descriptive, factual, or analytical in nature. These paragraphs are essential extracts from newspapers, research papers, journals, books, and magazines. The texts are appropriate for evaluating higher education applicants or professionals seeking work overseas because they are written for a non-specialist audience.
IELTS General Reading
The extracts can include sections from ads, company rules, brochures, and other sources, similar to the academic format. This is a less difficult format than the academic one because the chosen text is usually something that one sees on a daily basis.
IELTS Listening Section
There are four sections to the Listening module. The first two dialogues are about social needs, whereas the third and fourth are about issues that are more intimately tied to schooling. They'll all last about three minutes. It's possible that the interactions will be monologues or dialogues. These exchanges can only be heard once. Multiple-choice and short-answer questions, note completion, phrase completion, diagram labelling, and other types of questions are asked.
- Total no. of questions: 40+
- Total time: 30 minutes
IELTS Academic Listening
The Academic Listening test has four components and takes 30 minutes to complete. It evaluates your capacity to comprehend primary concepts, particular information, speaker perspectives, purpose, and attitudes, as well as your ability to follow the progression of ideas.
IELTS General Listening
The General Training Listening test will evaluate your ability to understand primary ideas, detailed information, speakers' perspectives, purpose, and attitudes, as well as your ability to follow the development of ideas.
IELTS Speaking Section
The Speaking part is arranged like an interview, with a focus on general speaking abilities. It determines if candidates possess the necessary knowledge and abilities to converse effectively with native English speakers.
- Total no. of questions: 3 parts – Personal Interview, Little Speech, and a Discussion
- Total time: 11 to 14 minutes
IELTS Academic Speaking
IELTS Speaking is a face-to-face, informal conversation with an IELTS examiner that is the same for Academic and General Training. The test is broken down into three sections and is intended to assess your pronunciation, fluency, grammar, and vocabulary.
IELTS General Speaking
The IELTS General Training Speaking test evaluates your ability to communicate in English. All speaking examinations are done in front of an IELTS examiner and are recorded in case they need to be examined. The General Training Speaking test runs between 11 and 14 minutes and consists of 3 components.
IELTS Exam FAQs for International Students
The IELTS exam can be taken online (Computer Delivered Test) and offline (Paper-Based Test). Both the modes follow the same format. The listening and speaking sections are the same for both academic and general, while the writing and reading sections differ slightly. The total duration given to complete the test is 2 hours and 45 minutes.