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The IELTS Listening Test is approximately 30 minutes long. There are four parts with 40 questions in total. You are tested on your ability to understand spoken English in various contexts and accents. You will hear monologues, dialogues and discussions, with a range of accents such as British, North American, Australian, and others.
In the IELTS Listening Test, you will hear the recording only once. This is is because your are being tested on your ability to understand spoken English in real-time. You'll need to pay close attention and answer the questions as you listen because you won't have the opportunity to hear the recordings again.
In the IELTS Listening section, there are various question types designed to assess different listening skills. The question types include: Multiple Choice: You listen to a recording and choose the correct answer from a set of options. Matching: You match information provided in the recording with options given in a list. Plan/Map/Diagram Labelling: You label a plan, map, or diagram based on the information in the recording. Form Completion: You fill in the blanks in a form based on the information you hear. Note Completion: You fill in the blanks in sentences or notes based on the recording. Sentence Completion: You complete sentences with information from the recording. Table Completion: You complete a table with information from the recording. Flowchart Completion: You complete a flowchart with information from the recording. It's important to be familiar with each question type and practice them during your preparation for the IELTS Listening Test.
The IELTS Listening Test consists of 40 questions divided into four parts. Each part has 10 questions, and the difficulty increases as you progress through the parts.
Yes, in the IELTS Listening Test, you are given some time before the recording starts to read the questions. You'll have the opportunity to read the questions and familiarise yourself with the content. This time is given to help you prepare for the upcoming audio, so use it wisely to gain a better understanding of what to listen for in each part.
Yes, in the IELTS Listening Test, you can write your answers in all capital letters. Capitalisation is not tested in IELTS Listening Test, so you can use all uppercase, all lowercase or a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters. The key is to ensure that your handwriting is clear and legible when you transfer your answers onto the answer sheet. You can do this if you are sitting IELTS on computer, too, even though handwriting is not an issue there.
Pencil is recommended for the IELTS Listening Test. This means that, you can easily erase your answer and start again. If you forget to bring a pencil and/or an eraser, the test centre will provide them for you.
In the IELTS Listening Test, you may hear a range of accents from English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. It's essential to be familiar with different accents to effectively understand the spoken English in various contexts. Practicing with materials that include a variety of accents can help you prepare for the test.
Correct spelling is crucial in the IELTS Listening Test. If your answer is misspelled, it will be marked as incorrect. Paying attention to spelling is essential because even if your answer is correct in terms of content, a spelling mistake can result in you losing out on marks.
Yes, it is absolutely fine to make notes on the question paper during the IELTS Listening Test. The test includes time for you to read and underline keywords in the questions before each part begins. You can use this time to write down any notes or keywords that might help you remember key information while listening to the audio.
The IELTS Reading Test is 60 minutes long, including the time it takes to transfer your answers from your question booklet to your answer sheet. In this time, you have to read three passages and answer a series of questions related to those passages. It's very important to manage your time wisely during the test to ensure that you can read all the passages and answer all the questions within the given time.
The IELTS Academic Reading Test consists of three sections, and there are 40 questions in total. Each section contains a different reading passage, and the questions are designed to assess various reading skills. It's essential to manage your time effectively to read the passages and answer all the questions within the 60-minute time frame. The General Training Reading Test also has 40 questions distributed across three sections.
There is a total of 14 question types used in the IELTS Reading Test. Multiple Choice: Test takers choose the correct answer from a list of options.
Matching Information: Test takers match information in the text to a set of options.
Yes/No/Not Given,True/False/Not Given: Test takers determine if statements given in the questions are true, false, or not given according to the information in the text.
Matching Headings: Test takers match a list of headings or titles to sections or paragraphs in the text.
Matching Features: Test takers match a set of statements or features to specific sections or paragraphs in the text.
Sentence Completion: Test takers complete sentences with information from the text.
Summary, Note, Table, or Flow-Chart Completion: Test takers complete a summary, notes, a table, or a flow chart based on information from the passage.
Diagram Labeling: Test takers label a diagram or illustration with information from the text.
Short Answer Questions: Test takers provide brief answers with information from the text.
These question types are designed to evaluate your ability to understand and interpret information from a variety of texts, such as articles, reports, and essays, and to demonstrate different reading skills like skimming, scanning, and detailed comprehension. It's important to be familiar with each question type and practice accordingly to perform well in the IELTS Reading Test.
No, you will not be given additional time to transfer your answers onto the Answer sheet in the IELTS Reading Test. The 60-minute time allocated for the Reading Test includes both the time to read the passages and answer the questions, as well as the time needed to transfer your answers to the official answer sheet.
Yes, you can leave a question unanswered in the IELTS Reading Test. There is no penalty for leaving a question blank, and your score is based solely on the number of correct answers. If you're uncertain about an answer or if you run out of time for a particular question, it's okay to skip it and move on to the next one and then come back to if, if there is time. Our advice would be to attempt all the questions, even if you are unsure of the answer, especially if you are running out of time.
No, there are no negative marks in the IELTS Reading Test. In the IELTS test, each correct answer is awarded one point, and there is no penalty for incorrect answers.
Pencil is recommended for the IELTS Reading Test. This means that, you can easily erase your answer and start again. If you forget to bring a pencil and/or an eraser, the test centre will provide them for you.
Correct spelling is important in the IELTS Reading Test, as well as in other sections of the IELTS exam. In the Reading Test, your responses are assessed based on whether they are accurate, spelled correctly and fit grammatically. Incorrect spelling will lead to a response being marked as incorrect, even if the meaning is clear.
Yes, it is absolutely fine to make notes on the question paper during the IELTS Reading Test.
It is helpful to know that the notes you make on the question paper will not be looked at. Only the answers you transfer to the answer sheet will be assessed. Make sure to manage your time wisely and transfer your final answers accurately onto the answer sheet within the 60 minutes of the Reading Test.
Transferring your answers from the question paper to the official answer sheet is a crucial step in the IELTS Reading Test. If you do not transfer your answers onto the answer sheet, or if you forget to do so for some questions, those responses will not be considered in the scoring.
IThe IELTS Writing section consists of two tasks and has a total time limit of 60 minutes. The two tasks are as follows:
Task 1 (20 minutes): In Academic IELTS, test-takers are presented with a visual representation of information, such as a graph, chart, table, or diagram, and are required to write a descriptive report based on the information provided. In General Training IELTS, Task 1 involves writing a letter based on a given situation.
Task 2 (40 minutes): For both Academic and General Training IELTS, Task 2 involves writing an essay in response to a prompt or question.
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 and IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 differ in terms of content and purpose. Here are the key differences:
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1:
In Academic Writing Task 1, test-takers are presented with a visual representation of information, such as a graph, chart, table, or diagram.
IELTS General Training Writing Task 1:
In General Training Writing Task 1, test-takers are asked to write a letter based on a given situation.
Yes, you can write more than 150 words in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1. There is not upper limit and certainly no penalty for writing more than 150 words. In fact, often to write a really thorough report, you will need to write about 170-180 words.
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 is assessed based on four criteria, each contributing equally to your overall band score. The four assessment criteria for Task 1 are:
Task Achievement (for Task 1): This criterion assesses how well you have addressed the specific task given in the prompt. It considers whether you have provided a clear and accurate description of the visual information, including the overview or main trends, other features, and comparisons.
Coherence and Cohesion: This criterion evaluates the organisation and logical flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource (Vocabulary): This examines the range and precision of your vocabulary. It assesses whether you can use varied and appropriate vocabulary to describe the visual or tabulated information.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: This criterion considers the complexity and accuracy of your sentence structures. It assesses your ability to use a variety of sentence structures, and whether you can use grammar accurately to convey your ideas.
In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, the number of paragraphs you should write depends on the specific requirements of the task and the type of visual data you are given. However, a common and effective approach is to structure your response as follows:
Introduction: Begin with a brief introduction that includes paraphrasing the information given in the prompt and providing an overview of the main trends or features shown in the visual data.
Body Paragraph(s): Write one or more body paragraphs focusing on specific details and trends that support your overview. Remember to include the actual data e.g. amounts, years.
Conclusion (if time): There is no need to write a concluding paragraph. However, if you have time or your report is less than 150 words, you can conclude by re-phrasing the overview from your introduction.
While there is no strict rule preventing you from spending more than 20 minutes on IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, it is generally advisable to manage your time carefully to ensure that you have sufficient time for Task 2. Task 2 carries more weight in terms of scoring, so it's crucial to allocate enough time to address it effectively.
The suggested time distribution is as follows:
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Around 20 minutes
IELTS Academic Writing Task 2: Around 40 minutes
The IELTS Writing section consists of two tasks and has a total time limit of 60 minutes.
Task 1 (20 minutes): In Academic IELTS, you are presented with a visual representation of information, such as a graph, chart, table, or diagram, and are required to write a report based on the information provided. In General Training IELTS, Task 1 you are required to write a letter based on a given situation.
Task 2 (40 minutes): For both Academic and General Training IELTS, Task 2 you are required to write an essay.
IELTS Writing Task 2 is the same for both Academic and General Training. You are required to write an essay in resonse to the prompt.
While 250 is the minimum word count, there is actually no upper limit and no penalty for exceeding 250. Often it's hard to contain your ideas and arguments to only 250 words so it's no problem at all to write more than this. Just be sure that you don't write so much that you are worried about time or that the coherence of your ideas is lost.
Much like Writing Task 1, there are 4 criteria that the examiner uses to assess your writing. These are Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The details of what is required for each band under these 4 criteria can be found here https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/ielts-web-static/production/Guides/ielts-writing-band-descriptors.pdf
There is no prescribed number of paragraphs, no model answer that the examiner is comparing your response to. The conventions of essay writing are that you'll write around 4 or 5 paragraphs including an introduction, two or three main body paragraphs and a conclusion. To get help structuring your essay, see our Writing Task 2 Lesson Pack here https://www.teamielts.com/writing-task-2-pack
No more than 40 minutes.
There is no 'ideal length' of answer but remember that you will need to write at least 250 words. The examiner is reading your writing to find evidence to be able to meet the criteria of the band descriptors. Writing at least 250 words ensures there is enough 'rateable' language there for the examiner to be able to award you a band score.
As you prepare for the test, do count roughly how many words you tend to write per line. This will give you an idea of what 100, 200, 250 words looks like in you own handwriting so that you don't need to waste time counting words on the test day itself. Remember that there is a word counter in IELTS on computer.
Yes. In both IELTS on paper and on computer you can choose which task to start writing first.
The IELTS Speaking Test consists of three parts:
1. Part 1: Introduction and Interview: This part involves the examiner introducing themselves and asking the test taker to introduce themselves. The examiner then asks the test taker a series of questions about familiar topics such as hobbies, studies, work, family, and interests.
2. Part 2: Long Turn: In this part, the test taker is given a task card with a topic written on it and some prompts to guide their response. They have one minute to prepare and make notes, after which they must speak about the topic for up to two minutes. The examiner may ask a follow-up question related to the topic.
3. Part 3: Discussion: This part involves a discussion between the test taker and the examiner. The examiner asks further questions related to the topic of Part 2, which are more abstract and require the test taker to express opinions, discuss ideas, and speculate on different aspects of the topic.
Each part of the IELTS Speaking Test assesses different aspects of the test taker's speaking ability, including fluency, coherence, vocabulary range, grammatical accuracy, pronunciation, and ability to express opinions and ideas clearly.
Accent is not assessed in IELTS Speaking. IELTS Speaking examiners focus on assessing pronunciation based on clarity and intelligibility, without favoring any particular accent over others.
The pronunciation criterion in the IELTS Speaking Test is primarily concerned with how clearly and effectively you can convey your message, regardless of your accent.