In 2024, over 4 million students appeared for the IELTS exam, opening doors to countless opportunities, hoping to be on the same pitch in 2025 as well. Whether you are aiming for academic studies, immigration, or work abroad, the IELTS exam and its score will help you to sail through all these in an English-speaking country. But if you are a student appearing for the IELTS exam, first of all, you need to understand the IELTS exam syllabus and format. This will give you an idea of what this exam looks like, its types, sections, and duration. Therefore, in this article, you are going to explore the format and syllabus of the IELTS exam in detail. So, let’s dig into this.
What is The IELTS Exam Syllabus 2025
The IELTS exam syllabus consists of four components: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Every section evaluates different skills, and the overall exam pattern remains the same in both types of IELTS exam, that is, Academic and General Training. This exam is 2 hours and 45 minutes long. Also, in these two types, the writing and speaking sections may be different, but the other two will remain the same. Thus, for better understanding, here is the table of the IELTS exam syllabus. Let’s have a look.
| Test Component | IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training | Time Allotted |
| IELTS Listening | 4 parts, 40 questions | 4 parts, 40 questions | 30 minutes |
| IELTS Reading | 3 passages, 40 questions | 3 sections, 40 questions (Question styles vary in this type of test) | 60 minutes |
| IELTS Writing | Task 1: Describing visual information. Task 2: Write an essay | Task 1: Writing a letter (Formal, Informal, Semi-Formal) Task 2: Write an essay | 60 minutes |
| IELTS Speaking | Part 1: Introduction Round Part 2: Cue Card Round Part 3: Long Discussion or Follow-Up Questions | Part 1: Introduction Round Part 2: Cue Card Round Part 3: Long Discussion or Follow-Up Questions | 11-14 minutes |
IELTS Syllabus Sections-Wise: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking
The IELTS exam has four sections, and each of them is different from the other. Also, they assess skills through different tasks and questions to check your preparation. Thus, in this section, you will explore the IELTS exam syllabus according to the section-wise format in detail.
1. Listening
The IELTS listening section assesses your hearing skills by making you listen to the audios and understand different tones. Apart from this, you will listen to four recordings, and a total of 40 questions will be asked. Moreover, the time allocated for this module is 30 minutes, and you get an extra 10 minutes for writing the answer. In addition, for every correct answer, you will get 1 mark. Here are the types of recoding and question types you will receive in this section.
Types of Recordings
- Recording 1: A conversation between two people related to the social context, for instance, confirming details for an exam.
- Recording 2: A monologue speech that carries a topic of everyday life, such as weather conditions
- Recording 3: A conversation between four people related to the educational basis, such as students discussing assignments.
- Recording 4: Monologue speech on an academic basis, such as a professor’s lecture.
Types of Questions
- Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Matching
- Plan/Map/Diagram/ labelling
- Form/Note/Table/Flow Chart/Summary Completion
- Sentence Correction 6 Short Answer Questions
2. Reading
The IELTS reading section evaluates your skills in understanding the English written text, vocabulary, and grammar. Besides, you will get a total of 40 questions and three passages in both the Academic & General Training IELTS exam. Also, the average length of the passage is 2150 -2750 words, and you will receive 1 mark for each correct answer. Thus, below is the list of types of tasks and questions you will acquire in the IELTS reading section.
Types of tasks
IELTS Academic
- One long reading passage with several questions
IELTS General Training
- Contains two or three short texts on everyday topics
Types of Questions
- Multiple Choice Questions
- True/False/Not Given
- Matching Information
- Matching Headings
- Matching Features
- Matching Sentence Endings
- Sentence Completion
- Summary/Table/Note/Flow Chart Completion
- Diagram Label Completion
- Short Answer Questions
3. Writing
The IELTS writing section assesses your writing skills by testing grammar, spelling, vocabulary, ideas, opinions, and more. Additionally, there are a total of 2 tasks, and you get 60 minutes to complete them. Besides, for task one, you will get 20 minutes, and for task two, 40 minutes. Moreover, for every correct answer, you will get one mark. However, keep in mind that in IELTS academic and general training, you will get different types of questions and tasks. Below is the overview of these tasks.
Types of Questions
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 & 2
You need to describe visual information in 150-200 words in task 1. Conversely, write an essay in at least 250 words providing your viewpoint on task 2
IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 & 2
Write a letter of at least 250 words in task one. Further in task 2, write an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem.
4. Speaking
The IELTS speaking section evaluates your speaking skills through pronunciation, fluency, and accuracy. Further, you will acquire two tasks and 11-14 minutes to complete them. Also, for every correct answer, you will get one mark. In addition, confidence is the key to success in scoring well in this section.
Types of task
- Part 1- Introduction and Interview
- Part 2- Cue Card on any topic, such as a person, a place, a situation, etc.
- Part 3- Follow-up questions or discussion based on the cue card answer.
This is the IELTS exam syllabus for 2025 according to section-wise. Thus, it is vital to get familiar with the pattern so that you can easily understand the exam format. Now, let’s explore some of the IELTS preparation tips from the next section.
Latest IELTS Exam Preparation Tips for Aspiring Students
Securing good scores in the IELTS exam is no less than achieving a gold medal in a competition. Thus, in this exam, many students lack in their preparation and practice, leading to low band scores. Therefore, using some tips and strategies can save you from getting low scores. Here are some of the useful preparation tips for the 2025 batch students.
- Understand the Test Format and Scoring Criteria – Know the IELTS exam syllabus and pattern in detail. Also, it will help you to become familiar with the format, question types, difficulty level, and duration.
- Develop Core English Skills – Doing regular practice, solving mock tests, and practice tests can help to improve language skills. Moreover, improving vocabulary, using synonyms by reading newspapers, and listening to podcasts can also assist in this.
- Practice with Official Materials and Mock Tests – Use resources related to the official IELTS, such as sample questions and tools, like the IELTS essay checker, to help you check your essay writing skills. Hence, there are many more tools available on the internet.
- Focus on Your Weaknesses – To find weaknesses, the mock test result report gives feedback and a brief explanation regarding the mistakes. Hence, letting students know areas that need attention to make improvements.
- Make a Robust Study Plan and Stick to it. – Create a robust study plan that is tailored to your daily goals and routine. Thus, it can help you stick to your daily practice.
Conclusion
In short, the IELTS exam has two types: general training and academic. Both have the same section and may vary in question types. Giving this exam is no less than cracking a hard nut. You need to work backwards and forward to get the desired scores. Moreover, solving mock tests would be the best idea to get used to the exam pattern, scoring system, and get to know its difficulty level. However, if you want to score well and need proper expert guidance, you can enrol in offline or online coaching for IELTS at Gradding.com. Hence, professionals here will guide you to the right path and assist you in getting a band score.
Many test takers often wonder about the right time to register. Since IELTS test dates fill up quickly, especially during peak academic and immigration seasons, it’s always wise to plan ahead. Learn more in our detailed guide on when to book your IELTS test.
