IELTS Test Format 2026 — 4 Sections in 2 Hours 45 Minutes

The Listening test is the same for both IELTS Academic and General Training candidates. You listen to four separate recordings of native English speakers featuring a range of accents -- including British, American, and Australian -- and answer 40 questions as you listen. Each recording is played only once.

Section 1 is a conversation between two people in an everyday social context, such as booking a hotel or making arrangements for an event. Section 2 is a monologue in an everyday social context, such as a speech about local facilities, a guided tour, or a radio announcement.

Section 3 is a conversation involving up to four people in an educational or training context, such as a tutor and student discussing an assignment, or a group of students planning a research project. Section 4 is a monologue on an academic subject, such as a university lecture. This is generally the most challenging section.

Question types include multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary completion, and sentence completion.

An important distinction: if you take the paper-based IELTS, you receive an extra 10 minutes at the end of the recording to transfer your answers from the question booklet to the answer sheet. If you take the computer-based test, you receive only 2 minutes at the end to review your answers, since you type them directly as you listen. Paper-based IELTS is being discontinued globally by June 27, 2026.

The Reading test gives you 60 minutes to answer 40 questions across 3 sections. Unlike the Listening test, no extra transfer time is provided -- you must complete all your answers within the 60-minute window.

IELTS Academic Reading features three long texts ranging from descriptive and factual to discursive and analytical. The texts are authentic and sourced from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. They cover topics accessible to candidates entering university courses or seeking professional registration. At least one text contains detailed logical argument.

IELTS General Training Reading has three sections with different text types. Section 1 contains two or three short factual texts relevant to everyday life in an English-speaking country (advertisements, notices, timetables). Section 2 features two short texts focusing on work-related issues, such as applying for jobs, company policies, or employee training. Section 3 features one longer, more complex text of general interest, sourced from newspapers, magazines, or online publications.

Question types include multiple choice, identifying information (True/False/Not Given), identifying writer's views (Yes/No/Not Given), matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, and short-answer questions.

The Writing test consists of 2 tasks that must both be completed within 60 minutes. It is strongly recommended to spend approximately 20 minutes on Task 1 (minimum 150 words) and 40 minutes on Task 2 (minimum 250 words), because Task 2 contributes twice as much to your overall Writing band score as Task 1.

Academic Writing Task 1 presents you with visual information -- a graph, table, chart, map, or process diagram -- and requires you to describe, summarise, or explain the data in your own words. You are expected to identify the main trends, make comparisons where relevant, and write a clear overview of the key features. You should not give your opinion.

Academic Writing Task 2 requires you to write a formal essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem. Common question types include agree/disagree, discuss both views, advantages/disadvantages, problem/solution, and two-part questions. You are expected to present a clear position, support it with relevant examples and reasoning, and organise your ideas coherently.

General Training Writing Task 1 gives you a specific situation and asks you to write a letter requesting information or explaining the circumstances. The letter may be personal (to a friend), semi-formal (to a landlord or manager), or formal (to a company or government office). Your tone must match the formality level required.

General Training Writing Task 2 is similar to the Academic version -- you write an essay responding to a point of view, argument, or problem -- but the style can be slightly more personal than in the Academic test.

Both tasks are assessed by trained examiners across four criteria, each worth 25%: Task Achievement/Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource (vocabulary), and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

The Speaking test is a face-to-face interview with a certified IELTS examiner. It lasts between 11 and 14 minutes and is the same for both Academic and General Training candidates. The interview is recorded for quality assurance and potential remarking purposes.

Part 1 (4-5 minutes): The examiner introduces themselves and asks you general questions about familiar topics such as your home, family, work, studies, hobbies, and interests. This section assesses your ability to communicate opinions and information on everyday topics.

Part 2 (3-4 minutes): Known as the 'long turn.' The examiner gives you a task card with a specific topic and several bullet points to address. You have exactly 1 minute to prepare and make notes, then you must speak uninterrupted for 1 to 2 minutes on the topic. The examiner may ask one or two brief follow-up questions after your long turn.

Part 3 (4-5 minutes): The examiner asks you further, more abstract questions connected to the topic from Part 2. This part tests your ability to discuss ideas at a deeper level, express and justify opinions, analyse issues, and speculate about possibilities. It is the most challenging section of the Speaking test.

Speaking is assessed across four criteria, each worth 25%: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.

You do not pass or fail the IELTS test. Instead, you receive a band score on a scale from 1 (Non-user) to 9 (Expert user) for each of the four sections. Your overall band score is the average of the four section scores, rounded to the nearest half band (for example, 6.25 rounds up to 6.5, while 6.75 rounds up to 7.0).

For Reading and Listening, scoring is straightforward: you receive one mark for each correct answer out of 40. Your raw score out of 40 is then converted to a band score using a conversion table. The conversion can vary slightly between test versions to account for differences in difficulty.

For Writing and Speaking, assessment is more nuanced. Both modules are scored by trained human examiners using the four criteria described above. Each criterion is weighted equally at 25% of the section score. Your section band score is the average of the four criteria scores.

The band scale definitions range from Band 1 (Non-user: essentially no ability to use English) through Band 5 (Modest user: partial command, can handle basic meaning in most situations), Band 7 (Good user: handles complex language well with occasional inaccuracies), to Band 9 (Expert user: fully operational command of the language).