Exam Structure
IELTS is divided into four skills tested over roughly 2 hours 45 minutes. There are two versions — Academic (for university and professional registration) and General Training (for migration and work experience). Listening and Speaking are identical in both.
| Skill | Time | Questions / Tasks | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 30 min + 10 min transfer | 40 questions / 4 sections | Multiple choice, form completion, matching, map labelling, short answers |
| Reading | 60 min | 40 questions / 3 passages | Academic: long academic texts (700–900 words each) · General: shorter everyday texts + one long passage |
| Writing | 60 min | 2 tasks | Academic: Task 1 — data/graph description (150+ words) · Task 2 — discursive essay (250+ words) · General: Task 1 — letter |
| Speaking | 11–14 min | 3 parts (face-to-face) | Part 1: Introduction & interview · Part 2: Individual long turn (cue card) · Part 3: Two-way discussion |
Band Scoring
IELTS uses a 9-band scale in 0.5 increments. Each skill receives an individual band, and the Overall band is the average of all four, rounded to the nearest 0.5.
Example: 7.0 + 6.5 + 6.0 + 6.5 = 26.0 ÷ 4 = 6.5 Overall
Rounding rule: .25 rounds up to .5 · .75 rounds up to next full band
- → Each skill is scored independently — a weak Writing score cannot be offset by Reading.
- → Half bands exist (6.5, 7.5) — most universities and visa bodies specify minimum bands per skill.
- → Results are valid for 2 years from the test date.
- → You can retake IELTS as many times as needed — there is no waiting period.
Band Targets by Goal
Different institutions set different thresholds. This is a general reference — always verify requirements directly with your target institution or authority.
Most UK universities require Overall 6.0–6.5, often with no individual skill below 5.5–6.0.
Russell Group institutions typically require Overall 7.0 with no skill below 6.5.
Minimum 7.0 in all four skills individually — Overall is not enough on its own.
Depends on role — minimum B1 (CEFR) in speaking & listening. Must use IELTS for UKVI version.
Points-based — higher bands earn more points. Competent English = 6.0 each; Proficient = 7.0 each.
CLB 7 = roughly IELTS 6.0 per skill. Higher CLB improves CRS score for Express Entry draws.
Writing: The Four Criteria
IELTS Writing is marked against four equally-weighted criteria. Each contributes 25% of the total Writing band. Understanding them precisely is the single fastest route to a higher score.
Task Achievement / Response
How fully and accurately you address all parts of the task. Task 2 measures argument development, position clarity, and the relevance of ideas. Task 1 measures how completely you describe the data or fulfil the letter purpose.
Coherence & Cohesion
The logical flow and organisation of your writing. This covers paragraph structure, the sequencing of ideas, and the appropriate use of cohesive devices (linking words, referencing, substitution). Over-use of connectives is penalised as heavily as under-use.
Lexical Resource
The range, accuracy, and appropriacy of your vocabulary. Examiners look for precise word choice, awareness of collocation, and the ability to paraphrase without distorting meaning. Repetition and over-reliance on basic words limits this score.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Both the variety of sentence structures you use and how correctly you use them. A band 7+ essay mixes complex and simple structures deliberately — overusing complex grammar with frequent errors is worse than writing simpler sentences accurately.
Task 1 — Data Description (Academic)
You have 20 minutes to write at least 150 words describing a visual (graph, chart, table, diagram, map, or process). You must select and report the key features — not interpret, not opinion.
- Paraphrase the question (1–2 sentences)
- Overview: 2 main trends, no data figures
- Body 1: Highest / most notable group
- Body 2: Comparisons / contrasts
- → Never give your opinion
- → Include an overview (no overview = capped at Band 5)
- → Use precise data: "rose by 15%" not "increased a lot"
- → Use past tense for historical data, present for diagrams
Task 2 — Essay (Academic & General)
You have 40 minutes to write at least 250 words. Task 2 carries more weight than Task 1. There are five question types — each requires a different approach.
| Question Type | What it asks | Recommended structure |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion / Agree-Disagree | "To what extent do you agree or disagree?" | Clear position intro → 2 body paragraphs supporting your view → conclusion restating position |
| Discussion | "Discuss both views and give your opinion." | Intro with balanced preview → View A body → View B body → Opinion in conclusion |
| Problem–Solution | "What are the problems? What are the solutions?" | Intro → Problems body → Solutions body → Conclusion |
| Advantages–Disadvantages | "Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?" | Position clear in intro → Advantages body → Disadvantages body → Conclusion with judgement |
| Two-Part Question | "Why is X? What can be done about it?" | Each question gets its own body paragraph — address both fully |
Task 2 contributes approximately two-thirds of the total Writing band score.
Submit any Task 1 or Task 2 and get instant band scores across all four criteria.
All Four Skills
Reading
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 passages. Academic texts are drawn from books, journals, and magazines — written for a non-specialist educated audience. No specialist knowledge is required. All answers are in the text.
- True / False / Not Given
- Yes / No / Not Given (for opinions)
- Matching headings to paragraphs
- Matching information / features / sentence endings
- Summary / note / table / diagram completion
- Multiple choice
- Short-answer questions
- → Read the questions before the passage — know what you're hunting.
- → T/F/NG: "Not Given" means the text is simply silent — not contradicting.
- → Matching headings: cover the options, find the main idea of each paragraph first.
- → Write answers directly on the answer sheet — there is no transfer time.
- → Allow ~20 minutes per passage; passage 3 is always hardest.
Listening
30 minutes of audio + 10 minutes to transfer answers. Four sections increasing in difficulty: social conversation → monologue → educational discussion → academic lecture.
- → Use the reading time before each section to predict answers.
- → Answers follow the order of the audio — do not skip ahead.
- → Spelling must be correct. "Fourty" for "Forty" is wrong.
- → Numbers, dates, and proper nouns are common trap items in Sections 1 & 2.
Speaking
11–14 minutes with a trained examiner. Marked on the same four criteria as Writing (Fluency & Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range & Accuracy, Pronunciation). It is conducted on a different day to the other skills.
Familiar topics: family, hobbies, work, hometown. Aim for extended answers (2–4 sentences) not one-word replies.
1 minute to prepare, 2 minutes to speak. Use the 4 bullet points on the card. Running out of things to say = fluency penalty.
Abstract, society-level questions linked to Part 2 topic. Here you're expected to speculate, analyse, and justify — this separates band 6 from band 7+.
Common Mistakes by Band Level
Most students plateau because they repeat the same errors. These are the patterns that separate each band level — based on real examiner feedback.
Writing Task 2 without a clear position — sitting on the fence when the question asks for your view.
Omitting the overview in Task 1. This hard-caps Task Achievement at Band 5.
Writing under 250 words in Task 2 — automatic penalty regardless of quality.
Reading answers: confusing "False" and "Not Given" — the most common single-point loss.
Speaking Part 2: stopping before the 2 minutes, or reading notes rather than speaking naturally.
Over-using connectives ("Furthermore, Moreover, In addition, Additionally" — all in one essay).
Vocabulary: relying on the same high-frequency words (important, significant, many, a lot of).
Attempting complex grammar but making errors that impede meaning — safer to use accurate simple structures.
Listening: missing Section 3 & 4 because the accent or academic vocabulary is unfamiliar.
Speaking: using filler phrases ("you know", "like") too frequently — flags as low fluency.
Writing essays that are "competent but safe" — no sophisticated argument development, just making points.
Lexical Resource: near-misses in collocation (e.g. "make a crime" instead of "commit a crime").
Reading: spending too long on one difficult question instead of moving on and returning.
Speaking Part 3: giving short answers to abstract questions instead of developing a full analytical response.
Pronunciation: stress patterns — misplacing stress on multi-syllable words reduces intelligibility even at high fluency.
Put this guide into practice
Submit an essay and see your band across all four criteria, or take a full timed mock test — free to start.