The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a crucial exam which evaluates your English proficiency for work,studying abroad, or migration.
Based on my discussions with several IELTS aspirants, I have come to realize that many students lack clarity about the IELTS exam syllabus. However, I believe with the right knowledge of the IELTS exam syllabus and pattern, cracking the popular English test won’t be difficult.
As a non-native speaker, mastering IELTS opens doors to prestigious institutions and dynamic job markets. There are two test types—Academic and General Training which you can choose from based on your goals.
Here, I have discussed the syllabus of the IELTS exam and pattern in detail.
The IELTS exam is of two types - Academic and General Training. The IELTS Academic and General Training Test assesses a student’s English language skills in terms of their reading, writing, listening, and speaking capabilities. The IELTS Academic test is for those who want to opt for professional registration or higher education in countries where English is a fundamental language.
IELTS General Training is for those students who aspire to get admitted to countries like New Zealand, Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK for below-degree level education and training programs. Under academic and general training, there are four sections–reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
While the IELTS syllabus for listening and speaking remains the same for all test takers, the reading and writing tests are different for academic and general training types. The duration of the examination is 2 hours and 45 minutes and the score range is from 0 to 9. The IELTS score is valid for 24 months.
IELTS is one of the largest English language proficiency examinations conducted by IDP Education Ltd. More than 10,000 universities and 140 countries accept IELTS scores for admission. There is no minimum score to qualify for the examination, and it depends upon the educational institutions to decide which score is necessary for eligibility.
The top 100 globally ranked universities have a high IELTS cut-off for which international students need to be well-prepared to compete for seats. Therefore, it is important for international students to get acquainted with the IELTS full syllabus so they can score high and navigate the admission process easily.
Test Component
Academic IELTS
General Training IELTS
Time Allotted
Writing
Part 1: Define a diagram/table/graph/process in your own words.
Part 2: Write an essay based on the figure with examples.
Part 1: Write a formal, semi-formal, or informal letter based on a given situation.
Part 2: Write an essay on a similar situation with opinions and arguments backed by examples.
60 minutes
Reading
Three passages (descriptive, factual, or analytical) from newspapers, research papers, journals, and magazines.
Various question types (e.g., summary, MCQs).
Three passages from sources like advertisements, company guidelines, and brochures.
60 minutes
Listening
Section 1: Conversation in a social setting.
Section 2: Monologue in a social context.
Section 3: Conversation in an educational setting.
Section 4: Academic monologue.
Similar to the academic format.
30 minutes
Speaking
Part 1: 4-5 minutes on personal topics (family, studies, hobbies, home city).
Part 2: 2-3 minutes on a flashcard topic.
Part 3: 5-6 minutes on deeper questions related to the previous topic.
Similar to the academic format.
11-14 minutes
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IELTS Exam Pattern 2024
The exam is divided into four sections that check the students’ proficiency in the English language. These sections are reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The students need to work on all the aspects of the English language to get a good IELTS exam score.
The table below highlights the exam pattern and discusses the topics and the time allotted to attempt each of the sections:
The IELTS syllabus 2024 is vast, it includes two modules and four chunky sections. The four sections have a fixed structure, pattern, time duration, and the number of questions. Here is how the IELTS full syllabus will look like in detail:
IELTS 2024 Exam Syllabus (Academic & General Training Modules)
Aspect
Description
Sections
Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking
Duration
2 hours 45 minutes
Scoring
Band score from 1 (non-user) to 9 (expert user) for each section and overall
Module Differences
Academic: geared towards academic settings, uses more complex language. General Training: focuses on everyday practical communication.
Writing Syllabus
Writing (60 minutes)
Feature
Academic & General Training
Tasks
Task 1 - describe a graph/chart/table or write a letter (Academic: factual/descriptive; General Training: request/application/complaint).
Task 2 - write an essay (Academic: argue a point; General Training: express an opinion/discuss an issue).
The writing segment is the first section of the IELTS examination which consists of short essays or reports. There are two tasks in the writing portion. Firstly, the candidates need to draft a 150-word essay after examining and understanding the graphical representations, diagrams, data, and tables.
Secondly, the aspirants need to prepare an essay of their own words based on a view, idea, or argument that is presented to them.
1. IELTS Academic writing
The IELTS Academic syllabus for the writing section is based on general interest topics and is meant for students applying for a postgraduate or undergraduate degree. The first task will have a diagram, data, or a graphical representation that the students need to analyze and explain in their own words.
Secondly, the students need to draft an essay of 250 words based on the data documented and produce a proper view or argument with relevant examples. The writing style of the report and essay must be formal and structured.
The General writing module has two tasks, but the level will be easier than the Academic module. A situation will be given and based on that; a letter must be written by the students. This letter should be formal or semi-formal based on the type of situation.
The students need to explain, argue, or request a certain authority. Based on the viewpoint of the first letter, the next task will be an essay. The tone of this essay can be semi-personal or personal.
The IELTS reading module will have three questions that will be based on general interest and are meant for undergraduate and postgraduate degree students.
There will be a total of 40 questions that will include short questions, multiple-choice questions, matching phrases, and data lists. The reading examination of IELTS has a different pattern for academic and general training modules.
Reading (60 minutes)
Feature
Academic & General Training
Passages
3 long texts (academic journals, newspapers, magazines)
The academic reading section will have three long paragraphs. They will be analytical, descriptive, and based on facts. These paragraphs are mainly from books, newsletters, journals, and articles. The level is for professional and post-graduate students aspiring to study abroad.
2. IELTS General Training reading
The format of the general training reading examination will be the same as that of the academic module. However, this portion is relatively easier because it will have topics that the students come across in their day-to-day lives.
The three reading passages will be based on topics like pamphlets, advertising, and brochures among others.
Type of Questions in Reading Section
Multiple Choice Questions
Short-answer questions
Matching information
Matching headings
Matching features
Identifying information
Identifying writer’s views/claims
Sentence completion
Matching Sentence Endings
Diagram label completion
Summary, note, table, flow-chart completion
Listening Syllabus
The syllabus for the IELTS listening section is the same for the two modules - Academic and General Training examinations. There will be a total of four recordings that students have to listen to and answer 40 questions surrounding it. The first two conversations will be based on social and environmental needs, while the last two will revolve around educational situations.
All the conversations will be three minutes each. The students are allowed to hear the four conversations only once. Based on these conversations, questions like note completion, multiple-choice and sentence completion will be asked.
Listening (30 minutes)
Feature
Academic & General Training
Tasks
4 tasks with increasingly difficult recordings
Recording Types
Academic: lectures, conversations in academic settings. General Training: social interactions, announcements, radio broadcasts
Questions
Multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, matching, short answer
Conversations 1 and 2 will be based on social and regular situations. Under this, the first conversation will be between two people in a common scenario and setting. The second one will be a monologue that will be based on a common everyday situation too.
Conversations 3 and 4 will be based on educational situations. Under this, the third conversation will be among four people in a proper education or training context. The fourth conversation will be a monologue based on any academic context or subject.
Type of Questions in Listening Section
Multiple Choice Questions
Sentence completion
Matching
Plan, map and diagram labelling
Table, flow- chart, summary completion
Speaking Syllabus
The IELTS speaking examination is the very last section and it has the same pattern and structure for both the modules - Academic and General Training. The section assesses the general speaking skills of the candidates and will test the knowledge and effective communication skills of the candidates to communicate overseas.
There will be a total of three questions that will contain personal interviews, a discussion, and a small speech.
Speaking (11-14 minutes)
Feature
Academic & General Training
Parts
3 parts: Introduction & interview, individual long turn, discussion
Part 1 – This part focuses on the self-introduction of the candidates. Candidates are asked questions on general topics and they need to talk about themselves, their background, hobbies, and educational qualifications and achievements. The focus should be on the tone, structure, sentence construction, and usage of words.
Part 2 – Here the candidate will be given a topic for which they will get around two minutes to jot down everything related to the topic that is relevant and speak about it. After the speech of the candidates, there will be a short question and answer round.
Part 3 – This will be a lengthy discussion and the questions will be deep, relevant, and abstract. The discussion will be based on serious issues and topics.
How is Marking Done in Different Sections of IELTS 2024
Listening
The IELTS Listening test consists of 40 questions. On answering each correct answer, the candidate is awarded one mark and the scores are converted to the nine-band IELTS scale.
Band Score
Raw Score Out of 40
5
16
6
23
7
30
8
35
Reading
The IELTS Reading test contains 40 questions and a candidate is awarded one mark on every correct answer. The score that a candidate receives out of 40 is converted to the IELTS band scale from zero to nine.
The Academic and General Training Reading tests are the two tests with questions of the same genre and text type. Academic Reading tests feature questions with more difficult vocabulary or greater complexity of style. To secure a better score on a given band score, a candidate has to answer more questions in the General Training Reading test correctly.
The tables below indicate the average number of marks a candidate has to achieve to receive a particular band score in Listening, Academic Reading and General Training Reading.
Band score
Academic Reading (raw score out of 40)
General Training Reading (raw score out of 40)
5
15
23
6
23
30
7
30
34
8
35
38
Writing
The IELTS Writing section consists of two tasks where you are required to write a summary on visual information in 150 words and an essay in 250 words based on a point of view or argument.
Examiners use several assessment criteria to award a band score from zero to nine and it is weighted equally and the score on the task is the average.
Task 2 carries more weight in marking compared to Task 1.
Speaking
The IELTS Speaking test is a face-to-face interview with the examiner where the speaking capabilities of a candidate is assessed on three tasks. Examiners use assessment criteria to award a band score which is an average of the scores received in an individual task.
Fluency and Coherence
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Pronunciation
Calculation of Overall Band Score in IELTS 2024
The overall band score in IELTS is an average of the band scores received in all four sections and rounded off to the nearest whole or half band. If the average of the four band scores ends at .25, the candidate’s overall band score is rounded up to the next half band. However, if it ends in .75, the overall band score would be rounded up to the next band score. The overall band score is rounded down if the average ends with a fraction below .25 or .75.
For examples:
Reading 6.5 + Writing 5 + Speaking 7 + Listening 6.5, Total= 25 Divide the total by 4 = 6.25, since it ends in .25, the overall band score will be rounded up to the next half band which is 6.5
Reading 6.5 + Writing 5.5 + Speaking 6.0 + Listening 6., Total = 24.5 Divide the total by 4 = 6.125, since it ends in .125, the overall band score will be rounded down to the next whole band which is 6.0.
Reading 3.5 + Writing 4.0 + Speaking 4.0 + Listening 4.0 = 19.5 Divide the total by 4 = 3.875, since it ends with a fraction above .75, the overall band score will be rounded up to the next whole band which is 6.5
Get yourself oriented with the examination pattern and syllabus
Go through the previous year’s question paper and try to understand the types of questions asked and the time allotted for each section of the IELTS exam.
Chalk out a preparation strategy that suits you
Create a study plan and preparation strategies that suit you the best. Make pointers on what you intend to study each day, for how much time, and cover every section. Highlight your weak areas and devote additional time.
Make sure to practice sample tests intensively some days before the exam.
Focus on improving your vocabulary
Practice reading newspapers, news websites, and magazines. Learn common phrases and word arrangements with the help of a monolingual dictionary.
Converse every day in English, but avoid translating sentences from your native language.
Work on your writing skills
Practice various writing questions from sample tests and do not forget to keep a check on the time you are taking. Proofread your task and make sure that you do not write below the prescribed word limit.
Upgrade your listening skills
Take as many listening tests as possible and listen to the recordings without pausing them since you will be allowed to listen to them only once. Make necessary points while listening so that you do not face any problems in answering.
Focus on enhancing your fluency and pronunciation
Talk aloud for a long time in English and jot down the points you need to work on. You can also record your speech on various topics.
To improve your pronunciation, start watching English news channels, movies, and TV series.
This article provides a comprehensive understanding of the IELTS 2024 Exam Syllabus for both the Academic and General Training modules, reflecting the exam's focus on assessing English language proficiency across a range of communication skills.
Candidates should utilize this information to guide their preparation, tailoring their study strategies to address the specific requirements and challenges of each section and module.
This article provides a comprehensive understanding of the IELTS 2024 Exam Syllabus for both the Academic and General Training modules, reflecting the exam's focus on assessing English language proficiency across a range of communication skills.
Candidates should utilize this information to guide their preparation, tailoring their study strategies to address the specific requirements and challenges of each section and module.
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Which is the most difficult section in the IELTS exam?
The IELTS exam has four sections- writing, listening, reading, and speaking. Each of the sections will need a good amount of practice. The difficulty level of sections will vary from student to student.
While some students find listening difficult, others may find writing difficult. Writing includes a lot of structure and listening needs patience. When students practice and devote time equally to all the sections, all the segments will become easy.
Is it difficult to pass the IELTS exam?
IELTS is a leading examination to test English language proficiency. This test is not a difficult one. However, the four sections demand a lot of practice and consistent efforts.
If the students can focus on each section and dedicate a good amount of time to each section, it will be an easy examination to crack.
How can I prepare for the IELTS exam?
IELTS preparation can be done at home or at a coaching center. The students need to understand the test format and syllabus. The modules and sections of IELTS need to be understood clearly.
Sample questions, past papers and practice tests need to be taken on a regular basis. The listening and writing sections will need a lot of practice and improvement. The right IELTS study material will help students prepare better.
What is the eligibility for the IELTS 2024 exam?
IELTS only has an age requirement and that is 16 years of age. There are no eligibility criteria in terms of marks or percentage. Irrespective of the total percentage which the students gained in school or graduation, they can appear for the IELTS examination.
How many times can one take the IELTS exam?
The IELTS examination does not have any fixed number of attempts for international students. The examination can be attempted up to four times a month. That means IELTS exams are conducted around 48 times a year.
Students can prepare and take the examination as many times as possible. The aim should be to earn a good score according to the eligibility of the universities.
Is there any syllabus for IELTS 2024?
The IELTS test has a syllabus for its four sections, i.e. Reading, Speaking, Writing, and Listening. For the IELTS Academic and General Training test, the Reading and Writing sections are different for both versions, while the Listening and Speaking sections remain the same.
What does the IELTS test consist of?
Reading: Four paragraphs with 40 questions.
Listening: Four monologues and conversations with 40 questions.
Writing: Two tasks - a 250-word essay and a 150-word explanation of graphs/images.
Speaking: Includes a structured discussion, a short interview, and in-depth discussions on various topics.
How to change the Speaking test date in IELTS?
You can change the speaking test date anytime before your exam. To ensure that the date is available, you must make the change request within three months of your test.
If I book the IELTS test but my passport expires, will I be able to take it?
If your passport expires, it will not be accepted as a valid form of ID, even with renewal papers. Therefore, you must renew your passport before taking the IELTS exam.
What happens when a candidate can't attempt the IELTS test?
If a candidate cannot take the IELTS exam, they must postpone or cancel the test within five weeks of the test date. Note that the authorities typically charge a 100% fee unless the candidate has a valid medical reason.
Sunita Kadian, co-founder and Academic Head at Yuno Learning is an expert in IELTS and English communication. With a background in competitive exam preparation (IELTS, GMAT, CAT, TOEFL), interview prep, and corporate soft skills training, she has adapted these programs for the Yuno platform.
Her dedication and commitment earned high praise from students, especially for her public speaking and advanced speaking English courses. Sunita's mastery of language nuances and articulation makes her a favorite among IELTS students.
She holds a Postgraduate degree in English Literature, a B.Ed., and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations.
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