About the IELTS test

IELTS stands for the International English Language Testing System.

The IELTS test is the most widely used test of language proficiency test for work and study purposes.

The IELTS Exam originated in the 1980s with the first tests being given to students in 1989 and continues to be a popular choice of language test by users and institutions.

In 2018, as many as 3.5 million IELTS candidates took the test and the figures are set to recover in 2022, proving that the IELTS test is reliable, accurate and respected around the world by institutions and test takers.

Is the IELTS test difficult?

IELTS is a skills and proficiency level test.  Those with a higher language proficiency and some training in the exam format will find the test easier than those without. Good IELTS preparation should be based on improving your language skills as well as understanding the test format and practicing

The IELTS Test

The IELTS test can be taken on computer and the more traditional paper-based version.

Both the computer and paper-based IELTS test are generally taken and completed in one day, but some IELTS centres require you to take the IELTS speaking test on different day, either before or after the other sections. 

The booking IELTS test centre will tell you about their IELTS test procedure in detail when you book.

The IELTS Format

There are two types of IELTS test.

There is the Academic IELTS test format and the General IELTS test format. 

The Academic IELTS test is for those entering Further and Higher Education study in an English speaking country or environment.

The General IELTS test is for those in a professional or working situation which requires operational English and for immigration purposes.

The Academic and General IELTS test differ in the IELTS writing and reading section, but the tests are identical for IELTS listening and speaking.

Both tests are challenging in their own way and so one IELTS exam cannot be regarded as easier than the other.

Besides, institutions will only accept the IELTS format as specified, so you cannot use a General IELTS Test result for entrance to university, for example.

Always check the test requirements and the band scores you need with your potential university or employer before you take an IELTS test.

How many sections are in the IELTS test. 

There are four sections to the IELTS Test in each Academic or General IELTS module.

• IELTS Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

To obtain a higher IELTS band score, it’s important to have a good understanding of the test format and learn what to expect in the IELTS test.

Doing this will help you understand how the IELTS test works and help you learn shortcuts, tips and the vital things you have to do to reach IELTS Band 6, 7, 8 or 9.

Students who don’t do IELTS preparation and don’t understand the IELTS test always score IELTS Band 5 or lower, even native speakers.

The IELTS Reading section and IELTS Reading format

In this part of the IELTS test you are given three sections of reading and a number of associated questions.

Section 1 may contain two or three short texts or several shorter texts.

Section 2 comprises two texts.

In Section 3, there is one long text and this is the most challenging.

The IELTS Academic Reading test presents with a series of academic topics from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. The test is designed to rate your ability to read and understand passages on academic topics.

How long does the IELTS Reading test last?

The IELTS Reading test is divided into three sections or passages and lasts 60 minutes in total, including answer transfer time.

How many questions are in the IELTS Reading test?

There are 40 IELTS Reading questions to answer on three different passages and in each passage there are two or three different tasks designed to test a number of different IELTS reading skills.

You can find out more about the 13 different types of IELTS reading questions in this post, What you need to  know about IELTS Reading questions, but it is important to understand that these IELTS reading questions can appear in any of the three IELTS reading passages.

What is the difference between the Academic and General Reading test?

There are differences in these two IELTS Reading tests and they reflect the purpose of reading for work and for study.

Academic IELTS Reading focusses on the type of reading materials you would expect to encounter on a university degree programme, while IELTS General Reading focusses on the demands of the workplace. There are still three reading passages, however, section 1 may have two or three shorter texts or even several short passages.

The next section in the IELTS General Reading test has two texts and then the test finishes with a longer passage in the final section.

The reading materials reflect the working world and are more general in nature, so they may be advertisements or notices, information from company handbooks and documents as well as newspaper and magazine articles.

How difficult is the IELTS Academic Reading test?

The reading passages and questions tend to start in order of simplicity. So, the language in an IELTS Reading passage 1 uses simpler language and ideas than the other two IELTS Reading passages.

IELTS reading Passage 3 uses the most complex language and considers more complex ideas.

Naturally, the IELTS reading questions become more challenging as you work through the academic reading.

One useful point to remember is that in most sections, the questions follow the order of the passage. The questions that do not follow the order of the IELTS reading are listed in this post.

Another interesting point is that you may not only be required to read. You may also need to look at visual information, for example a diagram and use the reading passage to complete labels on this.

We can summarise the timing for each IELTS reading passage as 20 minutes per passage.

You may need to spend longer on IELTS Reading passage 3 however, as there are more questions and the ideas and language are more complex.

This demonstrates that practicing and timing yourself before the IELTS exam is important.

Summary of the IELTS Reading Test

Passage 1 has 13 questions and should be completed within 20 minutes

Passage 2 has 13 questions and should be completed in 20 minutes

Passage 3 has 14 questions and should be completed in 20 minutes

Remember there is no extra time to transfer your answers to the IELTS answer sheet.

IELTS Reading Section 1

Passage 1 in the IELTS reading test contains information that is mostly based on facts and so the language and ideas are easier to follow than Passage 2 or Passage 3. There are 13 questions and two or three different types of task.

The questions in Passage 1 ask you to use your skim and scan reading skills to locate and check specific information.

Often the questions are related to true, false or not given facts or may require a gap to be completed in a set of notes or a table.

Reading Section 2

IELTS Reading Passage 2 is a transition between mostly factual information and the introduction of limited opinions and arguments.

In addition to the skimming and scanning IELTS reading subskills, you may need to look at the IELTS reading globally.

The types of question often move onto matching sections of the passage to questions or for example, summary note completion of ideas, arguments or opinions.

Reading Section 3

The third and final passage in IELTS reading has 14 questions.

The test focus moves onto understanding more detailed information and ideas found in the passage, for example, the writer may express opinions or report information from other sources.

Either way, this is the more difficult IELTS reading passage. Questions may involve choosing an answer from a list of similar options to reading statements and deciding if they agree with the views of the writer, or whether the information exists at all.

IELTS Reading Preparation

As with any test, preparation is important so reading this post will help you understand the format of IELTS Reading. If you are clear about what you need to do in each section and are aware of the different task types, you will feel better and more confident when it comes to the IELTS test day. ( Link)

There are plenty of online tests you can do but the best preparation is to time yourself with an official IELTS practice test. Only then will you get a realistic idea of the test and test materials.

If you find a particular IELTS reading question a challenge, or you take too long on a particular type of question, you may need to get more practice in that particular question format. You can understand more about reading questions and strategies here.

You cannot predict the content of an IELTS reading test, so the best thing you can do is to continue to improve your overall reading skills.

Make the most of opportunities to read, in particular, newspapers and magazines or suitable online articles. These are the kinds of texts and passages that will help you most.

When you read, pay attention to the language used to make points and notice the organisation of paragraphs. As you read, you may notice how the writer makes progress though their ideas and makes links.

These will help you with your listening and writing skills too.

Finally, it is not necessary to understand every word in a passage. Consider how much you need to understand before you can move on. This will help you with your scanning and skimming reading subskills too.

Things to remember in the IELTS Reading test

There are a number of strategies to remember in the IELTS reading test. Some people view these as tips and tricks, but I like to think about them as ‘useful reading skills’ you can apply to other situations.

Like reading a newspaper or an article, the simplest ideas are at the beginning.

Passage 1 is easier than Passage 3, so you should spend less of your 20 minutes for each question on Passage 1. This gives you more time to work on Passage 2 and Passage 3 which become more complex in language and ideas.

Like paragraphing, most of the question tasks will refer to a particular part of the passage, so locate the relevant passage first.

The majority of the tasks follow the order of the passage too. So start with the first questions and work through them in order.

Most of the skills you will use are skimming to find the sections and scanning to find the exact answer.

In Passage 2 you will need to read in more detail and more carefully to check ideas and opinions.

Passage 3 requires the most detailed reading of the three passages.

Be careful how you write on the test paper.

You may have a favourite way of marking important sections of a reading passage but underlining words or sections of text can make the reading more difficult, especially if done too much.

It’s better to write the question number that you think is relevant to that section of the passage. It is less distracting, and you can easily refer to a question number at the end for any questions you have left to answer than lines of text.

Once a question has been answered you can usually assume you can move to the next section of the passage. Matching tasks break this rule, so remember this.

Skimming and scanning will help you locate words, but remember you are moving through the text with the questions. There will be distractors placed around the passage that don’t follow the order of the questions.

An inexperienced reader will waste time reading around ‘distractors’.

Only write the number of words that the instructions ask for.

If your answer has one word, but you have to write three, note your response and revisit the question at the end.

An incorrect number of words, means the answer is wrong.

If you are confident you can write the answer directly onto the answer sheet. This can help if you want to allow more time for reading and answer the questions, rather than transferring answers to the answer sheet. You only have 60 minutes in total and no extra transfer time.

How the IELTS Reading test is marked

The reading test is worth one mark per question. Marks are not deducted but if an answer is wrong then you won’t receive a mark for that question. If you leave a space or blank, no mark is given, so it is always a good idea to write something, even if you are not sure.

Read the instructions very carefully to avoid receiving no mark. The instructions will make it clear how many words you must write.

If the instructions state ‘Write TWO WORDS for each answer’, you must write 2 words. If you write one word, or three, the answer is marked wrong even if the information is correct.

Remember, IELTS is testing your language and not just your skills and abilities.

You can write your answers in UPPER or lower case and punctuation is not necessary, for example, the word on-line can be written as on-line or online in the IELTS Reading test.

Spelling is very important though.

The answers will mostly come from the passages, so you only have to copy the answer correctly. Don’t worry about spelling variations in British English and American English, both are accepted varieties.

If a word is not written clearly or an individual letter cannot be read, the answer is marked as wrong.

Finally, when a question is written using a letter or a Roman Numeral, like this example,

i)

ii)

ix)

a)

b)

c)

only write the letter or the numeral and don’t write the words of the answer.

😊

Can the IELTS test be remarked?

If you are unhappy with your test result, there is an option to have the test remarked but there seems to be little point in this.

Only in the speaking or writing test is there a remote chance that your score can increase when a remark is asked for but remember the Overall Band Score can decrease after further criteria inspection.

The IELTS Writing test and IELTS Writing format

To do well in the IELTS writing test, it’s important to have a good understanding of the IELTS test format and IELTS requirements, and also an awareness of the IELTS writing examiner expectations of each writing task in IELTS.

This understanding and awareness, gives you, the IELTS candidate, the best chance and opportunity to display your language skills and helps you achieve the IELTS score you need.

Remember, you need to practice and master language as well as understand what you need to give the examiner, whether it is for IELTS General or IELTS Academic writing.

How long does the IELTS writing test last?

The IELTS Writing exam lasts 60 minutes and is divided into two parts. There is no break or interim, so you need to plan and balance your time effectively to complete both parts of the IELTS Writing Exam tasks

What does the IELTS writing exam test?

There are a number of features that the IELTS writing test is designed to assess, but overall, the writing section measures your ability to write clear and coherent English which is also well-organised and suitable for the writer’s audience.

How many questions are in the IELTS writing test?

There are two parts to the IELTS Writing Exam.

The two separate writing tasks are called IELTS Task 1 and IELTS Task 2.

The instructions are very clear and suggest you should spend 20 minutes working on IELTS Task 1 and 40 minutes on IELTS Task 2.

In IELTS Task 1, there is always some form of visual information to work with. This could be a chart, table, graph, diagram or a map. You have 20 minutes to respond to the question and describe the information in your own words This means paraphrasing an introduction, providing a trend or observation about the numbers, figures or layout and reporting the key or important information.

You should not include your opinion or give a conclusion because you are simply reporting what can be seen. Sometimes, IELTS task 1 is referred to as an IELTS Report.

In IELTS Task 2, instead of a visual piece of information, a point of view or an argument is presented which you need to respond to. You need to read the prompt carefully and respond in your own words.

Often you will need to paraphrase the argument, produce a clear and logical response that follows the instructions and often you will need to give your own opinion and include examples from you own existing knowledge and experience.

An IELTS Task 2 response requires more words and so you have more time to write your answer. It also means that there are more marks available.

Which is more difficult, IELTS Task 1 or IELTS Task 2.

Just because you have longer to write and a higher word count does not mean that IELTS Task 2 is more difficult than IELTS Task 1. More students are familiar with writing opinion essays and so they may find that this task is easier than the IELTS visual report writing of IELTS Task 1.

What is the difference between the Academic and General Writing test?

The main difference between the academic and general IELTS writing test is the assessment purpose.

In the General IELTS test, the writing is assessing your written ability to deal with work or social related tasks, whereas, the academic written task asks you to deal with visual information and data and report it concisely.

The task for General IELTS Task 1 is a prompt which asks you to write a letter or an email in a suitable style and level of formality for the reader.

It will also require you to perform a number of written instructions, such as complain, advise, request, apologise, inform or suggest.

For Task 2, both the General and Academic writing task is in the form of an academic essay.

An IELTS Academic Word List  can help you improve your vocabulary for all parts of the test. 

How hard is the IELTS writing exam?

How hard you think the writing exam will depend on your current level of English and how prepared you are for the writing test.

As a test, it assesses your current language skills and ability and your understanding of the test format.

As a test, you have to organise and write a concise a report and write an essay often with an opinion, so how much practice and feedback you get is important to your success.

Even native speakers can perform poorly in the IELTS Writing sections. This is why it is important to get feedback on what you do, so you don’t keep making the same mistakes.

Summary of IELTS writing Task 1 

IELTS Writing Task 1

IELTS Task 1 is always a response to some form of visual information represented in a table, graph chart or map. There may be a diagram which shows a process or how something works, numbers or trends presented in a graph or bar chart, or changes made in a plan.

However this information is presented in the IELTS visual, the information often shows how something has changed over time or there is more than one time period.

There is often more than one visual set of information to consider.

To complete the task well, you will need to report the important points in your own words.

You need to introduce the task with a paraphrased introduction, select and report the most important features in statistical information or diagrams, compare or contrast the data that can be seen, as well as observe and identify any trends in an IELTS overview.

In addition, maps require a report that compares feature and location changes over time while diagrams require a report that explains a process from beginning to end.

You can practice writing IELTS modal essays using my close test essays, they’re really useful way to test your IELTS vocabulary too.

What are the main types of IELTS Task 1 questions

There are seven types of question in IELTS Task 1 – bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, tables, diagrams ( there are a number of different types of diagrams, such as natural processes or manufacturing processes) , maps and plans as well as questions which may have a number of different pieces of visual information – these are known as multiple charts in IELTS.

Summary of IELTS writing Task 2

IELTS Writing Task 2

IELTS Task 2 writing is an academic essay response to a contemporary issue. The issue is presented in the form of a question prompt to which you must respond and give a direct or indirect opinion. You do not need any specialist knowledge to answer these questions because the topics should be familiar to most students preparing for IELTS.

It is important to read the question wording carefully because not all the writing tasks are the same. For example, you may have to discuss solutions to a contemporary problem, compare and contrast examples, evidence or the opinions of others, consider whether there are more advantages or disadvantages. You may not need to give your opinion directly.

What is the IELTS Task 2 Question format

It is typical that the task is presented in the form of a short, general statement, and the prompt which provided the task instructions, like this.

• In many countries today, people are able to buy a wider range of household goods and appliances than ever before.

Is this a positive or negative development?

You may have to state how much you agree or disagree with the statement and say why , using examples or evidence.

You may have to argue both sides of the statement and give your own opinion.

You may have to consider the reasons for a problem or issue, that is, say why something is the case, and then propose solutions or suggest measures to the problem, like this example.

It is important to read and react to the prompt carefully.

What are IELTS prompts in Task 2 writing

IELTS Writing prompts are the argument in the form of a statement, the ideas that support the argument and are the instructions which follow.

Following the prompt carefully means you will more likely answer the question

This question states that students work while studying, and then goes onto provide some effects of this situation.

In this example, your task is not to disagree with this statement, even if you think it is wrong, but say why it might be true (what are the causes) and are there any alternatives to this situation.

What is a good structure for an IELTS Task 2 essay

It is very easy to layout the structure for an IELTS Task 2 essay. You don’t need any special training for this just some awareness of writing conventions and style.

IELTS essay introduction

A typical IELTS essay will have a paraphrased introduction which effectively uses synonyms to introduce the question to the reader.

 A good essay won’t simply copy the question or present another question.

Let’s look at this example question.

• In many countries today, people are able to buy a wider range of household goods and appliances than ever before.

Is this a positive or negative development?

A Paraphrased Introduction

The ability to purchase a range of goods and appliances is becoming increasingly common place in the 21^st century. While consumers, old and new, have come to expect such conveniences no longer as luxuries but necessities, concerns about climate change and consumerism have led some sections of society to question whether this is a positive development.

Notice how very few words or direct ideas are taken from the original ILETS question, and notice how two arguments are immediately presented, one being that these are necessities and the other that some people have a different opinion to this. 

I have to say that this is just an example and not the only way to introduce your IELTS essay.

However, it is a good, clear introduction.

IELTS Body or Main Paragraphs

A good essay will have two or even three body paragraphs that focus on the task requirements of the question.

So, for example, if the essay is a ‘what are the causes and measures’ type of question, the first paragraph should focus on the causes of the problem and the second paragraph would move on to the topic area of providing solutions or measures.

IELTS Paragraph Structure

When we begin to look at the structure of sentences within IELTS paragraphs, then the PEEL method of writing is often the most appropriate for the IELTS exam.

PEEL stands for Point Evidence Example and Link. If I were to write this as a sentence explanation, it would be:

First, present the point you are making, then provide support for your point with evidence, next give an explanation how this evidence supports your point and finally, refer or link back to the original point so you can move onto the next part.

You need to be clear in your points, roadmap the ideas for your reader and move onto the next point and do all of this within 40 minutes so practicing this technique is a good idea.

Research the PEEL method of writing more here.

IELTS Conclusions

Finally, in most IELTS essays you are required to provide an opinion and the best place for this is in the conclusion.

A good conclusion can sum up briefly the main ideas of the essay, and then conclude, that is, with your opinion or an interesting point about the topic if your opinion is not required.

What are the common topics on IELTS Task 2

You do not need specialist knowledge to answer these IELTS questions, but it is a good idea for your IELTS Preparation to think about the common IELTS topics before the test.

Commonly themed IELTS questions include the topics of work, entertainment, crime, travel, transportation, the environment, education, health, culture, family and technology.

What are good features of an IELTS academic Task 2 essay?

It’s impossible to define exactly what makes a good IELTS academic essay and IELTS Experts have different opinions of ‘what an essay should be’.

To summarise, I feel that there are some features that a writer should aim for when writing an examination essay for IELTS which are different to high school and university writing.

The things I notice in a good academic IELTS essay are whether the writing is

• Clear and concise
• Whether the introduction is paraphrased or copied
• Have synonyms been used to avoid repeating words.
• Does the essay display a good vocabulary awareness and level?
• Does the writer use a variety of academic language and grammar formality with no contractions?
• Is there progression through the paragraphs and the sentences?
• Do linking words aid progression and make the writing clearer
• Have referencing words been used effectively, if needed?
• Have complex sentences been used naturally when needed for clarity or just for the sake of it (which leads to confused writing)

IELTS Writing preparation Part 1

There are always things you can do to improve you language, to improve your knowledge and experience of the writing test to increase your chances of getting a good IELTS band score in IELTS writing.

Being familiar with the test format is the first thing you should do. You can find that information on this website, ielts-jonathan.com

Be clear on exactly what you need to do for both sections of the IELTS writing test. If you do this then I can guarantee you will feel more confident and better prepared on the IELTS test day.

Let me tell you, it is easy to spot the students that have prepared and those that are wasting time because they haven’t carried out enough IELTS preparation.

To get a good understanding of the writing style and expectations, you can read sample essays  from IELTS  and see what IELTS band scores the essays were awarded.

Practice writing some Task 1 and Task 2 essays and be strict with the timing. You need to complete Task 1 within 20 minutes and Task 2 in 40 minutes.

Use an IELTS Academic Word List to help improve your tone and formality of IELTS vocabulary.

Set a timer, and go for it, when you hit 20 minutes move onto Task 2.

Students who don’t practice IELTS in this way always get lower scores because spending too much on the first task leaves less time for IELTS Task 2, which has more marks.

IELTS Writing preparation Part 2

In IELTS task 1, it’s a good idea to practice looking at the visual information before you start writing. You need to be clear that you fully understand what you need to report.

Take sections of Task 1 questions and practice identifying the key features, and identifying the main trend or overview.

Do this by making a list, for example, or by underlining the key points on the visual.

In the test, if you don’t report all the key features, or omit a clear overview you are limited to IELTS Band Score 5 in Task Achievement.

Once you are confident and quick at identifying the important features and trend or noticeable overview, then you can start practicing the writing side.

Writing Clearly in IELTS Task 1

The trick to writing a good IELTS report is to be clear and concise.

If you think that high-level writing requires lots of long, complicated, complex sentences, just analyse the sentences in this post.

Writing clearly in a few words is a clear skill which IELTS candidates should really practice.

Ways to encourage good, clear IELTS report writing are to read a selection of well-written IELTS reports. Notice how trends, ideas and figures are used within the same sentences and how linking words can be used between short sentences and phrases.

Practice using signalling words to show comparisons and changes in the writing direction.

Make a list of useful IELTS Task 1 linking words and practice using the words when you can in your IELTS timed writing, like this.

Although – Although the number of post graduate students was around 1,500, the number of undergraduates was even higher.

Whereas – In Melbourne, tea is the popular choice for inhouse beverages, whereas coffee is bought more as a takeout drink.

In comparison – In chart C, 28 % of holiday makers choose self-catering options, in comparison to 35% who had the breakfast and evening meal option.

IELTS Task 2 essay Ideas Preparation

The questions in IELTS Writing Task 2 do not require any special knowledge, yet many students still struggle to give clear and concise answers because they lack ideas.

This is easy to fix.

Select some of the broad IELTS topic themes or find a genuine IELTS Task 2 question and make some notes.

Note down your opinion and how you might develop an answer to the question. You don’t need to write an essay yet; you just need to generate enough ideas.

Do this with as many topics or questions as you can. You only need to spend 5 minutes doing this activity.

This may be difficult at first, but it is a creative task and it will become easier.

Once you are happy with generating ideas, the next stage in essay development is planning.

IELTS Essay Structure

Each of the three different IELTS essay types require a slightly different plan but the paragraph structure will be the same.

Write out the introduction, two paragraphs for the main topic areas, at least, and then finally the conclusion.

Within the introduction you can add your ideas. You can do the same for the remaining paragraphs and you can check that you are following the question prompts too.

Practise this technique with a number of different IELTS questions, it will make this stage so much easier in the IELTS exam.

Complex sentences in IELTS

Although the word count for a task 2 essay is higher than for task 1, the secret to writing a good IELTS academic essay is still related to being clear and concise and using sufficient vocabulary to explain what you are thinking.

High-level writing does not require long, complicated, complex sentences to explain your ideas and opinions.

It is much more difficult to notice how sentence structures are used in IELTS essays but reading good examples will defiantly help you get a feel for academic essay writing and IELTS examiner expectations. 

One other thing that you can do is practice using signalling words to show comparisons and changes in the writing direction of your essays.

Make a list of useful IELTS Task 2 linking words and practice using the words when you can in your IELTS timed writing, like this:

Although – Although many people think that becoming vegan or vegetarian is a difficult process, I don’t completely agree with this idea. There are certainly challenges, however…….

Whereas – People that live in cities, it seems, tend to know their neighbours less than smaller communities. Their friends and colleagues may also be spread over wider distances leading to more reliance on technology as a form of communication, whereas in smaller cities or towns, I believe, there is more of a community and less need for such use of technology.

How IELTS Writing is marked using IELTS Band scores

All the IELTS writing sections are marked by examiners who are trained in detailed criteria understanding for fairness and validity of the IELTS test.

Your exam paper is marked by two or more examiners who mark blind, that is they do not know the name, nationality or the test centre the exam paper comes from.

An examiner will review IELTS Task 1 and a different IELTS examiner will look at your Task 2 IELTS question.

After reading and reviewing a band score is given from Band 0 to Band 9 based on four IELTS marking criteria.

The marking criteria are Task Achievement and Task Response, Cohesion and Coherence, Lexical Resource and finally, Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

IELTS task 1 is worth less and accounts for one third of the overall mark, Task 2 is worth two-thirds.

When the two scores are added together, half band scores can result, for example a 6.5 IELTS Band Score.

What does the IELTS Marking criteria mean?

It’s quite easy to read the IELTS band descriptors and marking criteria.

You can find the IELTS Descriptors here for Task 1 and Task 2.

Good IELTS teachers and coaches will understand how to apply each IELTS band score to your writing and will be able to give examples from your own writing that examiners would notice.

If you want to understand the marking band score in easy to understand language, then read on.

Task Achievement and Task Response

IELTS Task 1 tests your ability to respond successfully to detailed instructions, that is introduce the report, provide details of the main trend, and report the key features. The examiner will have to consider how well you introduced the writing, if you have used your own words, how effective the trend described in the overview is and whether you have included only the relevant information. To achieve this, you will have to write 150 words

IELTS Task 2 tests your ability to respond successfully to a question prompt. The examiner has to consider whether you have addressed all aspects of the prompt, have you given sufficient support and examples to make the writing relevant and have you kept on task and on topic. To respond well to the task you will need to write 250 words, but not 400.

IELTS Coherence and Cohesion

This section of the IELTS marking criteria applies to both Task 1 and Task 2.

The examiner will read your writing and consider whether how you have presented your writing and whether it is logically and if there is progression throughout your writing.

 It will be obvious if you have organised your writing in effective paragraphs, and whether the sentences in paragraphs are arranged and written in a clear and coherent manner.

Another point the examiner will consider is if you have overused linking and signposting words between sentences and paragraphs or are they used effectively and naturally.

IELTS Lexical Resource

In this section the IELTS criteria assess whether you have used enough vocabulary to avoid repetition and to answer the question sufficiently and whether the words you choose are appropriate and accurate

So, spelling errors and word ending mistakes are noted, as well as odd or inappropriate collocations and word choices. A good essay and answer will have a wide enough vocabulary that does not draw attention to words which may have to be repeated.

IELTS Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Finally, the examiner will notice the range of sentences and grammatical structures you use and how accurately they are produced. In most cases, the examiner  would like to see how you can change tense where appropriate, how you alter the intended meaning of your writing by the grammar structures you use, for example, modal verbs and hedging, and how accurate the sentences are formed. 

Are there any free resources I can use for IELTS writing preparation?

There are plenty of free resources and groups you can use to help you improve your IELTS writing.

To be honest though, your best resource is a good IELTS teacher with a good reputation and high level of experience.

I know that’s not always achievable due to time, location and financial situation so just be careful when you are online.

Don’t try and take shortcuts, they rarely work. Be careful that you are not being sold fake certificates and/or given bad advice.

Plenty of online teachers claim to be experts but I am constantly surprised at how much basic advice is wrong or misinformed or not very useful.

If you are an advanced candidate, you can use my essay writing example tests as a free IELTS resource.

I’ve added 6 so far, with the aim of students understanding examiner expectations in writing.

There is no one way to write an academic report or essay because writing is quite a creative process and skill.

Ideally feedback is your best friend in IELTS but any good teacher worth their salt will agree that these kinds of mini paragraph tests are a great resource for students and teachers.  

The IELTS resources on this blog are a good indication of topic and idea awareness as well as an aid to vocabulary acquisition and checking.

Read the essay first, then try and remember the gaps.

It’s a great way to acquire vocabulary and understand the structure of an IELTS essay or report.

You can also gain a sense and feeling of what academic writing might be if you are moving onto university.

How does reading help my IELTS writing?

Reading in English, as often as you can, only has a positive effect on your writing. Select wisely what you read, whether you’re a native speaker of not.

Of course, you can find articles on the internet, but the language may not be the type of language you need to learn and use in IELTS writing.

Being British myself, I have some bias towards the BBC News channels. I like these services because language you will read and hear is mostly formal, and not specifically British anymore.

BBC news is good for news articles, BBC Sounds is good for listening and vocabulary improvement, here I have chosen the science links to the podcasts, while there are often good articles that may help you on BBC Radio 4 and The World Service – use the search to find articles and programmes you will enjoy and ignore any news bias.

For academic style articles and language, this resource, The Conversation,  has been a favourite with my past students for a long time. You can choose a topic of your choice and decide whether to read regional or global articles.

The important point about reading is to find something that’s interesting to you, and then to try and read on as many different topics as you can.

Reading widely for IELTS should provide you with sufficient ideas and language for most of the questions found in the IELTS exam.

As you read, make lists of words and phrases that are related to that topic. If you are a native speaker, check the spellings – you may know the word, but you need to be able to spell it correctly in the IELTS test.

Don’t just note the meaning of the word, identify the word group it belongs to, note how it is used in  example phrases, for example, whether it uses dependant prepositions,  and what other words it can collocate with.

Things to do and remember in the IELTS writing exam?

There are some basic pointers to remember to follow during the IELTS examination.

The IELTS question papers and the IELTS writing answer sheet are separate. It is clearly marked on the answer sheet where you can write each of the two tasks, Task 1 and Task 2.

Any notes you make on the question paper do not count towards your IELTS writing band score because these papers are collected and destroyed.

If you run out of paper, and this is very unlikely, put you hand up and an IELTS invigilator will provide you with extra answer sheets.

If you make a mistake, don’t ask for more paper. Just cross out the word, or the sentences or the paragraph, and continue writing.

Don’t ask for a new answer sheet and transfer your report and essay.

No marks are deducted for an untidy answer paper, so don’t waste time doing this.

However, your writing must be legible, so take care with this. Every word and sentence must be clearly written so it can be easily read by the IELST examiner.

Make sure you write the minimum word count for each task.

That’s 150 words for IELTS task 1 and 250 words for IELTS Task 2. I have found that clear writing around the suggested word count mark, scores much better than long answers.

Your work needs to be paragraphed correctly, so it’s a good idea to leave a double space to clearly indicate the start of a new section in the IELTS report or essay.

If you have prepared in advance, you will know that Task 1 is worth less that Task 2.

You will have practiced writing your answer to Task 1 in under 20 minutes, so you can focus on the task that is worth more

Once the IELTS writing section has finished – reflect!

There is no point stressing about the exam after it is done. What’s done, is done and the IELTS exam is probably not over yet.

However, always take some time to think about what went well in the exam, and learn from any mistakes you think you made. 😊

The IELTS Speaking test and IELTS Speaking format

How long is the IELTS Speaking Exam

The speaking test can be as short as 11 minutes and as long as 14 minutes and depends on the questions the IELTS examiner selects and how long the examiner allows you to speak for.

An experienced examiner will know when to close a test and they will have formed an opinion based on the oral evidence you have given them of your current language level, skills and abilities according to the IELST band scores.

How many questions are in the IELTS Speaking test?

There are three parts to the IELST exam and each part gives you the opportunity to display your English speaking skills in a number of different ways.

It is difficult to say how many questions you will get asked in each section as it depends on the questions you are given, how quickly you respond and on the level of detail you provide.

As an example, in Part 1 you can expect to answer between 9 and 12 questions, in Part 2 you only have one question prompt and a question which may follow that, while in Part 3 there is only time to answer 4 out of 5 questions if they are well-developed responses.

How long is each part in IELTS speaking?

IELTS Part 1

The section is the introduction and the interview stage. This part takes between 4 to 5 minutes and the IELTS examiner asks questions which focus on everyday topics and daily life. For example, you might get asked about what kind of weather you prefer in the summer, you might get asked to describe your house, flat or accommodation or you might be asked if you prefer reading online.

IELTS Part 2

The section is the individual long-turn, so it is a monologue.

The part of the IELTS test lasts for 3 minutes. You are given a prompt and then you are asked to think about it for 1 minute. Making notes is a good idea as it will structure your response. You then will be asked to speak about it for between 1 and 2 minutes. The topic is usually in something quite familiar. f

IELTS Part 3

This section is based on a two-way discussion and lasts for between 4 and 5 minutes and is based on a discussion between you and the IELTS examiner. The questions are always related to the topic in Part 2 but will be more challenging to answer. The examiner will push you to provide evidence, to evaluate or consider your own opinion on the topic.

Summary of the IELTS Speaking exam

Before the IELTS test – opening questions

Every IELTS speaking test begins with an introduction monologue. This is where the examiner records the date, names of the examiner and the student and centre number.

After that the examiner asks you some questions to check your name and identity check.

These questions do not form part of the test. Anything you do here will not count towards the opinion the examiner forms to assess you IELTS Band score.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 in detail

In IELTS Part 1, you are given a series of questions on a different everyday topics. The first set of questions are always related to work or study, or where you live and will probably focus on two or three questions related to either of these topics.

If you are planning to study with your IELTS score, this is where the topic with develop, if you are using IELTS for work then you will get questions on you job or what you do.

Once the first set of questions have been completed the topics more onto further everyday topics such as likes and dislikes, food, weather and so on. You will get a number of questions based on two topics that the examiner should have randomly chosen so this means questions are fair for all candidates.

The trick here is not to give too much information but to give just enough information that the examiner does not need to follow up their question with’ why’ or ‘why not’.

So, if you’re asked what kind of summer weather do you like, you should say the ‘what’ and then follow up with the ‘why’ and the ‘example’.

‘I like it when it’s sunny but not too hot. When its sunny I feel like going out and doing things, but when it’s too hot then it restricts what you can do because ….well…it’s just too hot!

When the examiner thinks you have said enough for each question, they will move onto the next one in the set.

IELTS Speaking Part 2 in detail

This part of the IELTS test is a monologue. You are given some information in an IELTS Task card. The Task card will contain the topic that you have to talk about.

The guidelines say that you have to talk between 1 and 2 minutes but you should plan to speak for the full two minutes. You are also given 1 minutes thinking time where you should make notes to help structure what you’re going to say and give examples.

The prompt (the question) is presented in bullet points. These are there to give you some ideas about what to include in your talk, but it is not necessary to follow the bullet points exactly.

These are only a guide about what you could include.

Any notes you make should be written on the note paper you are given.

Topics for IELTS Task 2 do not require any specialist knowledge; they are based on everyday situations.

Past topics have included a time when you had to prepare for an exam, a holiday you enjoyed, a special gift you received or something you want to buy.

Remember the bullet points?

Use these to help you.

It’s surprising how many candidates can’t think of ideas at this stage, so those bullet points can really help you generate some ideas to talk about, and help you with the structure or order of the points you are going to make.

Once your 1 minute is over, the examiner will ask you to begin and will let you talk without any interruptions.

 If you stop, or pause for longer than normal, the examiner may ask you if you can say anymore, otherwise they will wait until the 2 minutes is up, and stop you by saying ‘thank you.’

Before moving to the next part, you may get a question that ‘rounds off’ this part of the IELTS test.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 in detail

Finally, after the ‘rounding off’ question, the discussion stage of the IELTS test starts.

This is related to the topic of IELTS Part 2, but the examiner will begin to ask more detailed questions that encourage you to explain what you think or mean and justify your ideas.

This is the longest stage of the test and lasts up to 5 minutes. At the end the examiner will tell you that the IELTS test has come to the end and you can then stand up and leave the room.

You should not try to speak to the examiner or ask them about your performance or speaking.

Is there a difference between Academic and General IELTS speaking?

There is only one exam format for IELTS Speaking, so there is no difference if you are taking the academic test or the general IELTS test.

What are the challenges of the IELTS speaking exam?

The main challenges I’ve noticed IELST candidates have are

• Giving short answers in Part 1
• Not answering Part 1 questions fully
• Lack of topic ideas for Part 2
• Not being able to speak for two minutes in Part 2
• Repeating ideas in Part 2
• Pauses and delayed response time
• Repeating vocabulary or a lack of variety
• Using simple tenses in response to advance grammar questions
• Strong Pronunciation features

How does the examiner mark or rate my speaking in the exam?

DETAILS – Uses band scores here is the link

The IELTS Speaking Marking Criteria

While the IELTS speaking test is being conducted, as well as asking you questions, the examiner is listening to you carefully and assessing your English-speaking skills, ability and level.

You are given a rating on the basis of this. This is called an IELTS Band Score for Speaking.

This ranges from zero for a non-user of English to nine for an expert user. An expert user does not mean that you are a native speaker, it means you have the skills and abilities to communicate at that level.

It’s important to remember that the IELTS speaking test isn’t a test that you can pass or fail.

It is simply a measure of your skills and ability to communicate well and effectively in spoken English.

To help assess your speaking ability, the examiner carefully uses a set of criteria, which are divided into four parts.

These focus on different aspects of speaking skills in English.

A band score is awarded to each aspect and this is then divided by four to give your overall IELTS Speaking band score

What does the marking criteria mean?

The IELTS marking criteria is very different to the IELTS writing criteria.

Fluency and Coherence, as well as Pronunciation, replace Task Achievement and Response

and Coherence and Cohesion in the IELTS writing band scores.

Fluency and Coherence.

In this section, the examiner assesses your ability to keep talking without making noticeable or unnatural pauses.

For example, the examiner will be listening carefully for whether you say more than just a few words, or a phrase in answer to a question or whether you can provide a naturally, extended response without too much time to think.

The examiner is also assessing your ability to also express your ideas clearly and logically, so that your ideas seem natural when you speak at length.

An example to illustrate this could be, can you link ideas when moving from one point to the next, or can you use a range of different connecting words or phrases.

The examiner also considers whether you use long pauses or repeat yourself and whether this interferes with the communication process or is a natural part of communication.

Lexical Resource

Lexical resource is a more formal way of saying how much vocabulary you know and can use well.

The examiner is considering whether you use a wide range of vocabulary in an accurate and appropriate way. So, for example do you know enough words to say what you mean on a number of different topics, or do you have to repeat words to explain your ideas.

The IELTS examiner is also considering whether you can you use more formal words, when necessary, or even idiomatic phrases when appropriate.

As well as displaying your vocabulary knowledge, the examiner is assessing whether you can do this without making too many mistakes in word forms or collocations and whether this upsets the communication message you’re giving.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

In this section of the band scores the examiner is looking for higher level grammatical structures that you can use to express more complex ideas and opinions and how accurately you can do this.

So, for example, do you

• attempt to use complex sentences or stick to simple structures
• can you describe time and complex problems effectively?
• and how many errors, do you make

Pronunciation.

The final band score assesses your ability to speak English clearly enough to be understood in most situations.

For example, do you produce each of the sounds correctly or well enough to be understood, and do put stressed syllables in the expected places in words and in sentences and are you able to use intonation to help communicate your ideas.

The examiner is considering how well you can do this and how much interference from your first language makes it more difficult for people to understand your pronunciation.

IELTS Speaking preparation and strategies

There are always some important things you can do before the IELTS Speaking test to improve speaking test score.

These tips will give you the experience and confidence to go into the test and give your best performance.

I tell my students it’s always a good idea to familiarise yourself with the format of the speaking test.

Doing this means you know exactly what you have to do in each part of the test, so you can feel more confident and prepared on the day of the IELTS test.

One way of doing this is watching IELTS speaking test videos to see what the examiner and candidate do in each part of the IELTS test.

Try to use up-to-date materials as the test has been revamped in some sections. You can find many good examples on YouTube.

Try preparing for the speaking test with a friend, or if you have one, a teacher. Take it in turns to play the roles of the examiner or the candidate so you can practice and hear different responses to IELTS questions.

You can use the freely available practice questions of the speaking module here to practice answering and asking questions.

Another good way is to record yourself using Flipgrid, and then listening to the recording.

By doing this, you can focus on different aspects of your performance. For example, checking how you use word endings or verb tenses or your use of collocations.

You can consider the variety of your vocabulary, and how you use linking expressions.

The big tip is, ask yourself, how could you improve your performance in the IELTS speaking test.

 If you’re not sure, ask your teacher to take a look your recordings and comment.

Giving complete answers in IELTS speaking

When you practice answering questions in IELTS Part one speaking, get into the habit of expanding your answer.

In other words, when you answer a question, don’t just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but ‘give a reason’ or ‘an example’ as well.

I like shopping online because there is a wider choice. I also find it  more convenient to shop online than in person.

This means that the examiner will not need to ask ‘why ‘or ‘why not’.

When you practice giving a talk in IELTS Part 2, use a stopwatch or an app like this one.

This will help you get an idea of how much content you need to say to keep going for about two minutes.

You can use Flipgrid again and record yourself so you can review it and if you don’t know what the good and weak points are, find a teacher, and ask them.

Another good tip for IELTS Part 2 is to practice reading the topic and brainstorming some ideas.

Of course, you have the prompts, and these can help you.

So, use these to note down your ideas on a piece of paper and use the stopwatch again because you only have one minute to do this part of IELST Part 2.

Always make the most of every opportunity to practice your speaking especially if you’re a non-native speaker.

If you’re asked to participate in a discussion in an English class, do so.

Use this as a good opportunity to practice for IELTS Part Three of the speaking test.

If you’re a native speaker taking IELTS.

Ask friends or family to ask you more challenging questions, so you can develop a good response.

Believe me, sometimes native speakers are the worst candidates in the answers that they provide. ☹

Listen to podcasts in English as often as you can.

The internet is a great place to keep up with the latest news. The BBC website is a good resource but there are others. There are also plenty of good, decent podcasts that will help you with your reading and listening and will help you form opinions on the current issues of the day.

These will help you find something to say about a variety of different topics that come up in the IELTS exam.

As you listen and read about current issues, don’t be a passive reader or listener. Always try to make a small list of words or phrases that you think relate to that topic and note how these words are pronounced.

You can use a good online speaking dictionary to help you, or even Google.

I use Google with my Mandarin and Japanese studies. 

Get to know where the word stress is and review sentence stress for more natural English. You can copy and paste from Google or Bing straight into your own IELTS word bank to review later.

If you’re a student, use your study time to practice talking about different topics with peers.

Don’t memorise answers for IELTS

It’s really important to remember not to use memorised answers for Part One or Part Two of IELTS speaking.

 The examiner will know when they hear a memorised, word for word, answer and to be honest, the chances of getting the exact question, are very low. So, don’t waste time doing this.

Finally, remember to practice your pronunciation.

There’s no longer a standard pronunciation that we aim to aspire to, and the examiner won’t care if you have a British, American or Arabic accent. As long as the message is clear and the pronunciation is intelligible then that’s all that matters.

When we talk about pronunciation when we are referring to communication.

How can you communicate clearly to the widest possible audience?

So, find your exercises with a recording to practice individual sounds or word stress or sentence stress, and think about the intonation patterns of connected speech in English.

Practice these and get feedback.

What to remember during the IELTS Speaking test?

During the test, the IELTS examiner will give you all the instructions that you need.

During the test, the examiner will guide you through the three parts of IELTS speaking test.

The examiner may interrupt you at any point, but don’t worry about this, it’s not a personal thing and the examiner is not being rude.

 The examiner, as part of their IELTS training, has strict time limits for each part of the test.

To make the test valid for all candidates means the examiner may have to stop you at some point so the timing is always equal for all IELTS candidates.

During the speaking test and when you enter the speaking exam room, be friendly, be polite, but don’t be chatty.

You should be sitting facing the examiner, and you should try to make eye contact, regularly, while taking part in the conversation.

If the examiner moves the recording device this could mean that you’re not speaking loudly enough, so be aware of that.

Try to make the interview interesting for the examiner too.

The examiner will be the kind of person that enjoys hearing what candidates have to say.

If you do make a mistake, don’t worry about it. The important thing is just to keep going.

Mistakes in English happen naturally and so does the occasional error.

The examiner knows this and is assessing your overall performance during the whole of the IELTS speaking test.

In IELTS Parts One and Part Three, the examiner may be asking you some tricky questions.

You can use a filler expression, such as,

• ‘Let me think’.
•  That’s a good question’.
• ‘Well, I’ve never thought about that before’

 to give yourself a little more natural thinking time to consider your answer.

Silence is your worst enemy in the IELTS exam.

In Part Two, when you’re planning your talk there are bullet points. These are optional, but they are really useful to help guide your talk.

If you don’t mention all of them, it doesn’t matter, but use them to help structure what you’re going to say, and to provide suitable and relevant examples.

Don’t worry, if the examiner stops you before you’ve finished covering all your bullet points.

It’s not necessarily necessary to cover them all and that just means that the time is up for that part of the IELTS Speaking test.

IELTS Part Three – giving a full and developed answer

In part three, to help you fully extend your answers, you can try and use the PREP method.

The prep method stands for point, reason, example, and point.

So, in part three when answering a question, try to make a point, give a reason, give an example and then restate your point.

But don’t forget to use connecting words to link those ideas together.

Finally, what to do if you can’t think of a word in the IELTS Speaking test

Sometimes if you can’t think of a perfect word to use to express a meaning or what you want to say, don’t worry about it.

Even native speakers have this problem.

Try to use a different word instead or even better try to paraphrase what you mean and then move smoothly on.

Your ability to paraphrase is a positive thing that the IELTS examiner will notice and it’s something that native speakers do naturally.

Once the IELTS Test has finished

When the test has finished, the examining will say ‘That’s the end of the speaking test’.

Don’t try to ask the examiner about how well you’ve done because examiners aren’t allowed to talk about the IELTS exam with candidates.

You’ll be expected to simply leave the room, which may be awkward for you, but it is completely normal. ☹

Things to remember after the speaking test

it’s always a good idea to reflect on how you performed in the IELTS Speaking test but there’s really no reason to waste time and energy worrying about any mistakes that you’ve made. 😊  

The IELTS Listening test and IELTS Listening format

This section of the IELTS test tests your ability to understand spoken English in a number of different situations and for different purposes.

How long is IELTS Listening

The listening section of the IELTS test is shorter than other IELTS sections. It lasts just 30 minutes and is divided into four sections that increase with difficulty. At the end of the test, there is a 10-minute window where you can transfer your answers from the IELTS question paper to the separate IELTS answer sheet.

How many questions are in the IELTS Listening Test

There are 40 questions in the complete IELTS listening.

There are four sections to the listening test.

In each section, you have 10 questions to answer. In each section there is a recording. Recordings for the IELTS listening are divided into separate parts. 

Pre-listening, a pause and then the recording.

Before the recording begins, you can hear essential information about the situation, for example, you will be told who is speaking, what the situation is and which topic is being discussed.  This adds to the context of the situation.

You are also told the questions numbers you should look at, for example, 1 – 10, and that you should read the instructions carefully.

Between each part, there is a pause. This is your opportunity to read the questions and instructions before you listen.

Then you hear the recording.

You only hear the recording ONCE, so you need to answer the questions as you are listening.

Write your answers on the question sheet.

Don’t write the answers straight onto the answer sheet.

You need to focus on the question paper only and besides, you get 10 minutes to transfer your answers at the end.

Is there a difference between the IELTS listening test – General and Academic

Unlike the IELTS Reading and IELTS writing test, there is no difference between the Academic and General IELTS Listening test.

The recordings are the same for AC IELTS and GT IELTS.

Is IELTS listening hard

Section 1 IELTS Listening

The listening generally becomes more challenging through the sections. In section 1, the focus is on work or social situations. There are two people having a conversation about either living, working or studying in an English-speaking country.

The dialogue may be between friends, or a work or study-based situation such as talking to a student accommodation advisor, or a work colleague.

There is always a purpose to the dialogue such as making plans, making and checking a booking or requesting information and so the test is checking your ability to listen for, understand and check details.

The questions often ask you to complete a table or a form or choose the correct answer from a list, such as a, b or c.

Section 2 IELTS Listening

Section 3 is a monologue.  That is, one person talking to a group of people on a topic about living, working or studying in an English-speaking country.

There is always an aim. The aim might be to understand detailed instructions or to check the content of an announcement.

This section is checking your ability to understand more detailed information than in Section 1.

Question types are different too. There may be alternative answers, such as a, b or c or multiple choice and matching information questions.

The options will be longer than in Section 1 or you may need to read some visual information and complete labels or complete gaps in sentences.

Remember the instructions will tell you about the number of words you must write.

Section 3 IELTS Listening

In Section 3 of the IELST Test the focus moves away from everyday situations and focuses on educational and academic settings. The conversation also moves to a dialogue of two or three speakers engaging in an ideas and opinions exchange.

The situations could be a group of students or co-workers involved in a project or activity or a lead tutor meeting with other tutors or with other students.

There may be a number of agreements or differing opinions before a conclusion or agreement is reached so the test is checking your ability to follow a number of ideas, recognise different points of view and understand the outcome of the discussion.

Information may change in the discussion, so you have to listen carefully to be certain of the correct answer.

Question types are similar to the questions in section 2, however the list of options will be longer or visual information may be more complex, for example, a visual might be a flowchart or diagram.

Section 4 IELTS Listening

The final of IELTS listening is a monologue. That is, one speaker giving a presentation or an academic lecture.

Whatever the presentation or lecture is, the topic is discussed by the speaker in more depth.

The test is checking your ability to follow and understand detailed information as well as arguments and opinions on the speaker’s topic or subject.

The type of questions in this section test if you have understood the information and arguments. The test does this by asking for short phrases or words to be completed in a set of notes or a summary on the main topic or selecting the correct answer, such as i), ii) or ix).

IELTS Listening Preparation

As with any test, preparation is important so reading this post will help you understand the format of IELTS Listening.

Being clear about what you need to do in each section and different task types will make you feel better and more confident when it comes to the IELTS test day.

Things you can do before the IELTS Listening test for preparation.

Review each section for the aim, purpose and what to expect.

For example,

• Section 3 is a conversation of two or more people with differing ideas and opinions that reach a conclusion or an agreement
• that information that you use may be visual
• or you may need to select the most suitable answer from a list.

So be clear on the purpose of each section, for example, giving information, instructions, follow discussions or understanding conclusions.

Be clear on the type of situation as to whether you expect to hear a monologue dialogue or a number of different speakers.

When using official practice test, use the pause between recording to look at the questions.

Then try to predict the type of information you need to complete, for example, dates, times, places and the type and number of words.

This will help you to do this naturally in the real IELTS test.

You cannot predict the listening test, but you can use opportunities to practice and improve your listening skills by listening to podcasts and the news in English and in different accents.

The internet is a great resource but when you listen to ‘anything other’ than entertainment, consider the language used by the speaker to introduce and make specific points.

Use an IELTS Academic Word List to help improve your understanding of IELTS vocabulary in the listening test.

Things to remember while doing the IELTS Listening test

There are certain things you can do and remember to help your performance in the IELTS Listening test.

Remember that one voice introduces the instructions and leads you through the different parts of the test.

Pay attention to the pauses before a section and between sections. Use this time to check the questions and make predictions.

You only hear the recording once – as soon as one section finishes, get ready to move onto the next instructions and the situation to listen to.

Answer the questions as you hear the recording. If you miss a question, move to the next question otherwise you will lose marks.

Always write as you listen. Don’t wait for confirmation or you may miss the answer.

Spelling is important, but not as you are listening. Check your spellings at the end, unless the word is spelt in the actual test, letter by letter.

Write your answers clearly. You need to be able to read your answers when you transfer to the answer sheet after the recordings have stopped.

As the recording plays, you will hear information and words that will help you keep you place in the questions.

If you miss a question, don’t panic. Remain calm and move to the next question.

How the IELTS Listening test is marked

In the IELTS Listening test each question is worth one mark.

Marks are not deducted but if an answer is wrong then you won’t receive a mark for that question.

If you leave a space or blank, no mark is given, so it is always a good idea to write something, even if you are not sure about the answer.

If you have a blank space at the end of the IELTS Test, guess and write something.

Read the instructions very carefully to avoid receiving no mark. The instructions will make it clear how many words you must write.

If the instructions state ‘Write THREEE WORDS for each answer’, you must write 3 words. If you write one word, or three, the answer is marked wrong even if the information is correct.

Remember, IELTS is testing your language and not just your skills and abilities.

Using Upper Case, lower case and using punctuation in the IELTS Listening Test

You can write your answers in UPPER or lower case and punctuation is not necessary, for example, the word on-line can be written as on-line or online in the IELTS Listening test.

Spellings in IELTS Listening

Spelling is very important though. The words you write must be spelt correctly.

The majority of the words you will need to write will be familiar to most learners of English. In these cases, you don’t need to worry about spelling variations in British English and American English, both are accepted varieties.

For example, the words you have to write won’t be technical or words that are tricky to spell.  (English is well-known for that!)

Often, however, you will have to write the names of people or of places. The good news is that these words will be spelt out in the recording, like this, Jonathan J-o-n-a-t-h-a-n.

 It’s always a good idea to review how the words from the alphabet are sounded as there are some differences in British and American English that could catch you out.

So, remember, that IELTS is testing your alphabet knowledge.

Also remember, if a word is not written clearly or an individual letter cannot be read, the answer is marked as wrong, so clear handwriting is very important!

A final point in this section is that you must only write the words that you hear in the IELTS listening.

Don’t write you own words, and don’t paraphrase and write only the number of words the instructions state.

Final points to remember about IELTS Listening.

Unlike IELTS reading, there is always 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

This is the time to check what you have written and you have spelt the words correctly.

Don’t change the answers you wrote. You first decision will be probably correct.

If you were unsure about an answer and wrote two answers, or marked two letters, you must cross out one. You can only have one answer otherwise you won’t receive any marks for that question.

Take your time when transferring answers. Make sure you are transferring to the correct number on the answer sheet.

Information about the IELTS Test

When the IELTS test can be taken

You can use this link

How long is IELTS Valid for?

The IELTS test results last for two years.

How much does IELTS Cost

The average cost in the UK is £185.

More centres are now running the computer based IELTS Test at the same price. Southwark College runs many computer-based IELTS tests in central London.

If you want to check the exam costs for IELTS centres in the UK, you can find and check an  IELTS centre and booking here.

For worldwide tests, use this IELTS worldwide link and then select your region. 

Who sets the pass mark for the IELTS test? 

There is no pass mark for the IELTS exam. An IELTS examiner will grade your speaking and listening.

Scores are graded on the 9-band system and this means that any educational institution or organisation can set its own level of IELTS scores to meet its individual or visa requirements.

Always check with the university or employer what IELTS band score requirements they have.

How long does your IELTS score last? 

IELTS Test Report Forms are valid for 2 years. If you want to raise your IELTS band score, you can attend the IELTS exam as many times as you like but be aware that your report is based on the latest result only.

Which is better: the computer or paper-based IELTS test?

This answer is based purely on your preferences and time constraints. The exam format and materials are identical, only the reading, listening and writing delivery is different to the paper based IELTS.

You can read my opinion of the computer-based test here.

How long does it take to get my IELTS result?

If you have taken the computer-based IELTS then the results are available after 5 or 7 days after the IELTS test.

For the paper-based test, the results are usually available 13 days after the test

You will always receive a paper copy to your postal address, and this is sent to you within 28 days but you will never get your result by phone or email.

If you are a test taker and want to send your results to an organization, you should contact the test centre where you took the test.

How can I get my IELTS result?

Once you have registered with a test centre and taken the IELTS test  you can access your results using this link and a TRF number

You will need the email that you registered with.

How do organisations use your TRF number? What about data protection?

When you register with IELTS, you are given a TRF number, also known as a Test Result Form. Organisations will use this TRF number to check your results against the IELTS score you have given them.

They will not and cannot use your personal information in any other way.

Follow this interactive link to understand how your TRF is used by organisations.

How can I find my IELTS TRF number?

You can easily find your TRF number when you register. Your reference number is a 13 digit number that starts with your country code (UK) and includes your name like this example.

e.g. UK021-40127-11151 – JAMES COOKE

Quoting the registration Test Reference Number as described above will ensure that there is no delay in processing your application.

Your IELTS score is the score that currently reflects your performance.

For a preview of your results for IELTS, you can log in to Test Taker Portal where the results from your IELTS test remain for 28 days on the website. This result should not be used as the official confirmation of your result and you will still need to provide evidence of the original documents sent by post.

Can I change my IELTS test centre?

You can change the centre where you plan to take the IELTS test, but each centre will have its own conditions and may charge a cancellation fee.   

You will need to contact the IELTS centre directly

The standard cancellation agreement is to inform the IELTS centre at least 5 weeks in advance to get a full refund or to change the test dates.

There is usually an administration fee of 25 percent of the IELTS test cost.

Does IELTS test location matter?

Yes, as it is a physical computerized/ written test and needs to be given in a booked time period, the candidates must reach the test centre on the scheduled time and date.

Where you do the test is up to you, but you need to ensure that you can travel to the IELTS centre and get there on time.

Are some IELTS test centres easier than others?

There are lots of myths about test centres that have a reputation for being easier than others.

I know students who have travelled hundreds of miles because they have believed that the IELTS test centre is easier than elsewhere, but this is simply not true.

It does not matter if you take the IELTS test in a certain region, at a certain centre or in a particular city. IELTS is a standardised test so there are no IELTS tests which are easier than others.

Which dates are available for the IELTS test?

Once you register yourself on the official IELTS website and choose your preferred test centre, you will see available time slots and dates for the next IELTS testing session.   

Can I do the IELTS test online?

Yes, the IELTS test is also online but you need to take the test in an IELTS Test centre.  This information will give you an idea of the advantages of the computer based IELTS test.

What level is 6.5 in IELTS?

An IELTS score of 6.5 is regarded as a B2 level of English. It is considered as an above-average score but may not be enough with the university or workplace of your choice, so always check their particular terms and conditions.

How hard is IELTS

How to book an IELTS test

The IELTS test procedure on the day

Good practice IELTS Tips

IELTS Training and IELTS Feedback

What do you know about the IELTS Test?

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test has been providing opportunities to people around the world for almost thirty years, taking them closer to their dreams of studying, working, or immigrating abroad.

But while the test has been around for a long time, there are still a lot of misconceptions surrounding it and what exactly is the IELTS exam.

I’ve collected some common IELTS rumours found on the internet and debunked seven of these myths to help potential IELTS test takers understand IELTS better and how IELTS could make their ambitions, dreams and aspirations a reality.

IELTS myths

1. IELTS is a “pass or fail” test

Many test takers mistake the IELTS for being a “pass or fail” test.

This is not the case; the IELTS is just an accurate indicator of one’s English language skills and proficiency. IELTS uses 9-band scoring system to identify a proficiency level, from non-user through to expert user. The IELTS requirements from universities and trade organizations differ so there is no pass or fail.

2. IELTS is only for study purposes

The IELTS is not just for studying abroad.

In fact, it is recognised by more than 10,000 organisations around the world, not just educational institutions, but employers and immigration bodies as well. Many countries use it as a measure of proficiency in work place situations such as the NHS in the UK, or for entering a trade or profession in Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

3. Test takers can score higher if they take the test outside their country

This widely held myth is certainly incorrect.

All IELTS test centres around the world follow the same set of standards when it comes to the content and delivery of the test, so it won’t matter whether it is taken within or outside of one’s home country or whether it’s the IELTS paper based test or IELTS computer based test.

4. Face-to-face interviews can be unfair and biased

The Speaking section of the test entails a face-to-face interview that is delivered by a trained examiner, enabling real-life, two-way interaction as in the real world.

This makes it an effective means of assessing speaking skills because it prompts a more realistic performance from test takers.

5. Using English and American accents in the Speaking test yields a higher score

The Speaking test is not marked according to the accent used.

Test takers can speak in whatever accent they feel comfortable with, and scoring is based on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy and pronunciation.

6. The test taker’s opinion can affect the results of their speaking and writing test

The IELTS is not a test of opinion, but an assessment of English language skills.

Examiners evaluate the test taker’s ability to express their opinion fluently, coherently and accurately using the right words. What is true is that if you go into the test with a negative opinion, you are less likely to do as well as other candidates.

7. IELTS is not recognized in the USA

This is false since there are over 3,000 US universities that now recognise IELTS. Since 2021, there is also a dedicated website for IELTS in the USA.

In addition, according to the 2016 US Admissions Officers Online Survey, 83% of admission officers in the country recommend IELTS as reliable evidence of English language proficiency.

To learn more about organisations recognising IELTS in the US, you can visit www.takeielts.britishcouncil.org.

I’m Jonathan, an online-IELTS preparation specialist.

I have taught IELTS and University English in more than a dozen universities and schools around the world.

I’m a parent, traveller and passionate about language teaching and helping students achieve their dreams.

Whilst living in Austria or working in Asia, I run IELTS courses to help students get to where they want to be.

If you are serious about IELTS, connect with me to see how I can help you.