The IELTS syllabus has four parts: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The whole test takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes. Listening and Speaking are the same for everyone. Reading and Writing change depending on whether you take IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training.
That is the short answer. The longer answer matters more, because IELTS does not test a list of topics the way a school exam does. There is no chapter to memorise and no fixed reading list. Instead, the IELTS exam syllabus is a set of skills, task formats and question types. Once you know those formats well, you stop losing marks to surprises and start spending your energy on the English itself.
This guide walks through each section in detail: how long it takes, what the tasks look like, which question types appear, how it is marked, and what trips people up. It covers both the IELTS Academic syllabus and the IELTS General syllabus, so you can see exactly where they overlap and where they split.
IELTS syllabus at a glance
| Section | Time | Parts / tasks | Questions | Same for Academic and General? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 30 minutes (+10 min transfer on paper, 2 min review on computer) | 4 parts | 40 | Yes |
| Reading | 60 minutes (no extra transfer time) | 3 sections | 40 | No |
| Writing | 60 minutes | 2 tasks | 2 | No |
| Speaking | 11 to 14 minutes | 3 parts | Face-to-face interview | Yes |
Listening, Reading and Writing are taken on the same day, back to back, with no breaks between them. Speaking can be on the same day or up to seven days before or after, depending on your test centre.
One point that surprises many first-time candidates: there is no pass or fail. You receive a band score from 0 to 9 for each section and an overall band. The score you need depends on the university, employer or immigration body you are applying to.
IELTS Academic syllabus vs IELTS General syllabus
Before you study a single question type, confirm which version of the test you need. Picking the wrong one is an expensive mistake, because the results are not interchangeable.
IELTS Academic is for people applying to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, or joining a profession (such as medicine or nursing) where the regulator asks for it. The reading passages come from books, journals and magazines, and Writing Task 1 asks you to describe a chart, table, map or process.
IELTS General Training is for people moving to an English-speaking country for work, secondary education, training programmes or permanent residency. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK all accept General Training for many migration routes. The texts come from everyday life and the workplace, and Writing Task 1 is a letter.
| Area | IELTS Academic syllabus | IELTS General syllabus |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 4 parts, 40 questions | Identical |
| Reading texts | 3 long passages from academic sources | 5 to 6 shorter texts from notices, ads, handbooks, workplace documents and one longer general-interest piece |
| Writing Task 1 | Describe visual data (graph, table, chart, map or process), 150+ words | Write a letter (formal, semi-formal or informal), 150+ words |
| Writing Task 2 | Essay, 250+ words, slightly more formal and abstract topics | Essay, 250+ words, topics of general interest |
| Speaking | 3 parts, 11 to 14 minutes | Identical |
| Typical use | University admission, professional registration | Work, migration, training |
A quick rule: check the exact requirement on your university or visa authority’s own website. Some institutions state “IELTS Academic, overall 6.5 with no band below 6.0”, and anything else will not be accepted.
There is also IELTS for UKVI, which follows the same Academic or General Training syllabus but is taken at approved centres for certain UK visa applications, and IELTS Life Skills, a separate speaking and listening test at levels A1, A2 and B1. This guide focuses on the main Academic and General Training tests.
IELTS Listening syllabus
Listening lasts 30 minutes, has four recorded parts and 40 questions, and is the same for Academic and General Training. You hear each recording once only. That single rule shapes how you should prepare.
On the paper-based test you get 10 extra minutes at the end to copy answers onto the answer sheet. On the computer-delivered test you type answers as you go and get 2 minutes at the end to review them. Plan for that difference in your practice, because paper candidates often scribble in the booklet and rush the transfer.
The four parts
| Part | Format | Typical context | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Conversation between two people | Everyday social situation, such as booking a hotel room or registering for a gym | 1 to 10 |
| Part 2 | Monologue | Everyday social situation, such as a tour guide describing a site or a talk about local facilities | 11 to 20 |
| Part 3 | Conversation between up to four people | Education or training, such as students discussing an assignment with a tutor | 21 to 30 |
| Part 4 | Monologue | Academic lecture on a general-interest subject | 31 to 40 |
The parts get harder as you go. Part 1 mostly tests whether you can catch specific details like names, numbers, dates and addresses. Part 4 asks you to follow a structured lecture with no pauses in the middle, often on a subject you know little about.
Listening question types
The IELTS Listening syllabus uses a fixed family of question types. Any of them can appear in any part, though some are more common in certain parts.
- Multiple choice: choose one answer from three options, or two or more answers from a longer list.
- Matching: link items in one list (people, places, opinions) to options in another.
- Plan, map or diagram labelling: fill in labels on a visual, often a building layout or a town map.
- Form, note, table, flow-chart or summary completion: fill gaps with words from the recording.
- Sentence completion: complete sentences using key information.
- Short-answer questions: answer a direct question in a set number of words.
What the Listening section is really testing
Beyond basic understanding, examiners want to see that you can follow the main idea, pick out specific facts, recognise a speaker’s opinion or attitude, and track how an argument develops. You will hear a range of native-speaker accents, including British, Australian, North American and New Zealand English.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most lost marks in Listening are not about understanding. They come from small, avoidable errors:
- Ignoring the word limit. If the instruction says “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER”, a three-word answer is wrong even if the meaning is right.
- Spelling. Misspelled answers score zero. Practise spelling common words like “accommodation”, “environment” and days of the week.
- Falling for distractors. Speakers often say one thing, then correct themselves (“The meeting is on Tuesday… actually, no, let’s make it Thursday”). The second answer is the one that counts.
- Not using the reading time. Before each part you get a short pause to read the questions. Use it to underline keywords and predict the type of answer (a number, a name, a noun).
Each correct answer earns one mark. Your raw score out of 40 is then converted into a band. As a rough guide, around 30 correct answers usually lands near band 7, and around 35 near band 8, though the exact conversion can shift slightly between test versions.
IELTS Reading syllabus
Reading lasts 60 minutes and has 40 questions in both versions of the test. The difference is the type of text you read. Unlike Listening, there is no extra time to transfer answers on paper, so your 60 minutes must include writing answers on the answer sheet.
IELTS Academic Reading
The IELTS Academic syllabus for Reading has three long passages, with a combined length of roughly 2,150 to 2,750 words. The texts come from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. They are written for a non-specialist audience, so you do not need subject knowledge in, say, marine biology or urban planning. You do need to handle dense paragraphs, unfamiliar vocabulary and arguments that build over several paragraphs.
At least one passage presents a detailed logical argument. Some passages include diagrams, graphs or illustrations, and a short glossary is given if a text uses technical terms. Difficulty increases from Passage 1 to Passage 3, which is why many strong readers aim to finish the first two passages in about 35 to 40 minutes.
IELTS General Training Reading
The IELTS General syllabus for Reading uses texts you might meet in daily life in an English-speaking country. It is split into three sections:
| Section | What you read | Example sources |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1 (social survival) | Two or three short factual texts | Timetables, notices, advertisements, hotel or course information |
| Section 2 (workplace survival) | Two short work-related texts | Job descriptions, contracts, staff training materials, workplace policies |
| Section 3 (general reading) | One longer, more complex text | A general-interest article from a magazine, newspaper or book |
Do not assume General Training Reading is “easy”. Section 3 is close to Academic level, and the band conversion is stricter. You generally need more correct answers in General Training than in Academic to get the same band. For example, band 7 typically needs around 30 correct answers in Academic but around 34 in General Training.
Reading question types
Both versions draw from the same set of question types:
- Multiple choice
- Identifying information (True / False / Not Given): does the text agree with a factual statement, contradict it, or not mention it?
- Identifying the writer’s views or claims (Yes / No / Not Given): the same idea, but about the author’s opinions rather than facts.
- Matching information: find which paragraph contains a specific piece of information.
- Matching headings: choose the right heading for each paragraph or section.
- Matching features: link statements to people, dates, theories or places named in the text.
- Matching sentence endings
- Sentence completion
- Summary, note, table or flow-chart completion: sometimes with words from the text, sometimes from a box of options.
- Diagram label completion
- Short-answer questions
The skills behind the questions
The Reading section tests how you read, not just what you understand. You will need to skim for the gist, scan for names and numbers, read closely for detail, follow an argument, and tell the difference between what the writer states and what they imply.
The question type that causes the most trouble is True / False / Not Given. The trick is to judge the statement only against the text, never against your own knowledge. “False” means the text says the opposite. “Not Given” means the text simply does not say. If you catch yourself reasoning “well, it’s probably true”, the answer is almost always Not Given.
Matching headings is the other common trap. Read the paragraph first and summarise its main idea in a few words. Then look at the headings. Going the other way round pulls you toward headings that share a keyword with one sentence but miss the paragraph’s overall point.
Time plan for Reading
A simple split works for most people: about 17 to 18 minutes for the first passage or section, about 20 minutes for the second, and 22 to 23 minutes for the last. If a question is eating time, mark a best guess and move on. There is no negative marking, so never leave a blank.
IELTS Writing syllabus
Writing lasts 60 minutes and has two tasks. Task 1 needs at least 150 words and Task 2 needs at least 250 words. Task 2 carries twice the weight of Task 1, so the recommended split is about 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes for Task 2.
Task 2 is broadly similar across both versions. Task 1 is where the IELTS Academic syllabus and IELTS General syllabus go in completely different directions.
Academic Writing Task 1: describing visual information
You are shown one or more visuals and asked to summarise the main features in your own words. Possible visuals include:
- Line graphs, bar charts and pie charts
- Tables of data
- A combination of two chart types
- Maps showing how a place changed over time
- Process diagrams showing how something is made or how a natural cycle works
The key word in the instructions is summarise. Examiners are not looking for every number. They want an overview of the main trends or stages, key features selected and compared, and accurate data to support them. You should not give opinions or explain causes that are not shown in the visual.
A reliable structure is four short paragraphs: a one-sentence introduction that paraphrases the question, an overview of the two or three biggest trends, and two body paragraphs grouping the details logically. Candidates who skip the overview rarely score above band 5 or 6 for Task Achievement, however good their grammar is.
General Training Writing Task 1: writing a letter
You are given a situation and asked to write a letter covering three bullet points. Situations include requesting information, complaining about a product or service, apologising, making arrangements, or explaining a problem to a landlord, employer or friend.
The tone depends on who you are writing to:
| Letter type | Written to | Opening and closing | Tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal | Someone you do not know (a company, a council) | Dear Sir or Madam, … Yours faithfully | Polite, no contractions |
| Semi-formal | Someone you know in a professional way (a manager, a landlord) | Dear Mr Patel, … Yours sincerely | Polite but personal |
| Informal | A friend or relative | Dear Anna, … Best wishes / Love | Relaxed, contractions fine |
Every bullet point must be covered clearly. Missing one of the three is one of the fastest ways to lose Task Achievement marks.
Writing Task 2: the essay (Academic and General Training)
In both versions you write an essay responding to a point of view, argument or problem. Academic topics lean toward education, technology, environment, government policy and society. General Training topics are of general interest and can be a little more personal, but the task and marking are the same.
The most common essay types are:
- Opinion: To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- Discussion: Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
- Problem and solution (or causes and solutions): What are the causes of this issue, and what can be done?
- Advantages and disadvantages: Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
- Two-part or direct questions: Two separate questions about one topic, each needing an answer.
Many weaker essays fail not because of grammar but because they answer a slightly different question from the one asked. Before writing, circle every part of the prompt and check that your plan responds to all of it.
How Writing is marked
Both tasks are marked against four criteria, each worth 25% of the task score:
| Criterion | What the examiner checks |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2) | Did you do what the task asked, fully and relevantly? Is your position clear in Task 2? |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Is the writing logically organised, with clear paragraphs and natural linking? |
| Lexical Resource | Do you use a good range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately? |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Do you use a mix of sentence structures with few errors? |
Answers under the minimum word count lose marks. Writing far above it does not earn extra credit and increases the chance of mistakes, so aim for roughly 170 to 190 words in Task 1 and 260 to 290 in Task 2. Memorised essays and copied chunks of the prompt are also penalised, since examiners assess only your own language.
IELTS Speaking syllabus
Speaking is a live, face-to-face conversation with a certified examiner that lasts 11 to 14 minutes. It is identical for Academic and General Training, and it is recorded for quality control. At some centres it is held by video call with the examiner on screen, using the same format and marking.
The three parts
| Part | Length | What happens | Sample topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Introduction and interview | 4 to 5 minutes | The examiner checks your ID, then asks short questions about familiar topics | Your hometown, work or studies, hobbies, daily routine, food, weather |
| Part 2: Individual long turn (cue card) | 3 to 4 minutes | You get a task card, 1 minute to prepare with paper and pencil, then speak for up to 2 minutes. The examiner may ask one or two follow-up questions | Describe a book you enjoyed, a place you want to visit, a person who helped you |
| Part 3: Two-way discussion | 4 to 5 minutes | Deeper, more abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic | Why reading habits are changing, how tourism affects local communities |
The shift from Part 1 to Part 3 is deliberate. Part 1 checks whether you can talk comfortably about yourself. Part 3 checks whether you can explain, compare, speculate and justify opinions on wider issues. Many candidates prepare hard for the cue card and then struggle in Part 3 because they give short, one-line answers.
How Speaking is marked
The examiner scores you on four equally weighted criteria:
- Fluency and Coherence: speaking at length without long pauses, and linking ideas logically.
- Lexical Resource: using a range of vocabulary, including less common words and natural phrases, and paraphrasing when you lack a word.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: mixing simple and complex sentences with good control.
- Pronunciation: being easy to understand, with natural stress, rhythm and intonation. A native-like accent is not required.
Practical tips for the Speaking test
Extend your answers in Part 1 with a reason or a short example, but do not give a speech. Two or three sentences is about right.
For Part 2, use the minute of preparation to jot down four or five keywords, not full sentences. Cover every prompt on the card, and keep talking until the examiner stops you. Running out of things to say at 60 seconds hurts your fluency score.
In Part 3, it is fine to pause briefly and say “That’s an interesting question, let me think about it.” What matters is that you then give a developed answer: an opinion, a reason, and an example or comparison.
Finally, avoid memorised answers. Examiners are trained to spot rehearsed speech, and it tends to sound unnatural when a question shifts slightly from what you prepared.
How IELTS is scored
Each of the four sections gets a band score from 0 to 9, in whole or half bands. Your overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, and one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band.
Here is a worked example. Listening 7.0, Reading 6.5, Writing 6.0 and Speaking 7.0 add up to 26.5. Divided by four, that is 6.625, which rounds to an overall band of 6.5.
This is why a single weak section matters so much. Many universities and visa routes set a minimum for each section as well as an overall score, so a 5.5 in Writing can block an application even when the overall band looks fine. The official band descriptors for Writing and Speaking are published on ielts.org, and reading them is one of the most useful things you can do before you start preparing.
Paper-based vs computer-delivered IELTS
The IELTS exam syllabus is the same whichever way you take the test. The questions, timings and marking do not change. What changes is the experience:
| Feature | Paper-based | Computer-delivered |
|---|---|---|
| Listening answers | Written in booklet, then 10 minutes to transfer | Typed directly, 2 minutes to review |
| Writing | Handwritten | Typed, with a live word counter |
| Speaking | Face to face with an examiner | Same, face to face (not with a computer) |
| Results | Around 13 days | Usually within a few days |
| Test dates | Fewer sessions | More frequent sessions at many centres |
| One Skill Retake | Not available | Available at participating centres |
Computer-delivered IELTS has expanded quickly, and paper-based sessions are being reduced in some countries. If you type faster than you write, the computer version is usually the more comfortable choice for Writing. If you like to underline and annotate texts heavily, try a few computer-based practice tests before booking, since highlighting works differently on screen.
Where to find the IELTS syllabus PDF
Many candidates search for an IELTS syllabus PDF expecting one official document titled “syllabus”. In practice, the official information is spread across a few free resources from the organisations that own and run the test (the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press and Assessment):
- Test format pages on ielts.org, the British Council and IDP IELTS websites, covering every section of the Academic and General Training tests.
- Official sample test questions for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, with answer keys, for both Academic and General Training.
- Band descriptors for Writing and Speaking, available as downloadable PDFs.
- Information for Candidates booklets and official practice materials, such as the Cambridge IELTS book series.
A sensible approach is to save this article as your working IELTS syllabus PDF (most browsers let you print any page to PDF), then pair it with the official band descriptors and sample questions. Be careful with third-party PDFs that circulate on messaging groups. Many are outdated, some mix up Academic and General Training content, and a few contain invented “new rules”.
A simple 6-week study plan built around the syllabus
The best way to use the IELTS syllabus is to turn it into a plan. This outline assumes about 1 to 2 hours of study a day. Stretch it out if you are starting further from your target band.
| Week | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diagnose | Take one full timed practice test. Score it honestly and note your weakest section and question types. |
| 2 | Listening and Reading formats | Practise each question type separately. Build a list of the spelling and word-limit errors you make. |
| 3 | Writing Task 1 | Academic: practise one visual type a day (line, bar, table, map, process). General: one letter a day across formal, semi-formal and informal. |
| 4 | Writing Task 2 | Plan and write essays for each of the five main essay types. Compare your work with the band descriptors. |
| 5 | Speaking | Record yourself answering Part 1, 2 and 3 questions. Listen back for pauses, repeated words and short answers. |
| 6 | Full mocks | Take two or three full timed tests under exam conditions. Review every mistake, not just the score. |
If you can, get feedback on Writing and Speaking from a qualified teacher. These are the two sections where self-study plateaus fastest, because it is hard to judge your own work against the band descriptors.
Frequently asked questions about the IELTS syllabus
Is there a fixed list of topics in the IELTS syllabus?
No. The IELTS syllabus defines formats, skills and question types, not topics. Texts and prompts can cover almost any general subject, from climate and health to technology and education. Wide reading and listening in English is the best preparation for unfamiliar topics.
Is the IELTS exam syllabus the same for Academic and General Training?
Partly. Listening and Speaking are identical. Reading and Writing differ: Academic uses academic texts and a visual-description task, while General Training uses everyday texts and a letter-writing task. Writing Task 2 is an essay in both.
Which is harder, the IELTS Academic syllabus or the IELTS General syllabus?
Neither is easier overall. Academic Reading texts are more complex, but General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band. Choose the version your university, employer or visa route asks for, not the one that seems easier.
How many questions are in the IELTS exam?
Listening and Reading have 40 questions each. Writing has two tasks. Speaking is an interview in three parts rather than a set number of questions.
Can I download an official IELTS syllabus PDF?
There is no single document called the “IELTS syllabus”. The official test format pages, sample questions and band descriptor PDFs from ielts.org, the British Council and IDP IELTS together make up the full syllabus.
Is there negative marking in IELTS?
No. A wrong answer in Listening or Reading scores zero, the same as a blank. Always write an answer for every question.
How long is the IELTS score valid?
Most organisations accept IELTS results for two years from the test date, though some set their own limits. Always check with the organisation you are applying to.
Does handwriting or typing affect my Writing score?
No. Examiners mark language, not handwriting or typing speed, as long as your writing is readable. On paper, write clearly so the examiner can follow every word.
Key takeaways
- The IELTS syllabus has four sections: Listening (30 minutes), Reading (60 minutes), Writing (60 minutes) and Speaking (11 to 14 minutes).
- Listening and Speaking are identical for everyone. Reading and Writing differ between the IELTS Academic syllabus and the IELTS General syllabus.
- Listening and Reading each have 40 questions from a fixed set of question types. Learn them all before test day.
- Writing Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1, so give it 40 minutes.
- Scores run from 0 to 9 per section. Check both the overall and per-section minimums your target organisation sets.
- The official format pages, sample questions and band descriptors are the most reliable IELTS syllabus PDF resources.
Final thoughts
Knowing the IELTS syllabus inside out will not raise your English level on its own, but it removes a whole category of lost marks: misread instructions, broken word limits, poor time management and panic over unfamiliar question types. That alone can be worth half a band.
Start with one timed practice test so you know where you stand. Then work through the sections above one at a time, using official materials and the band descriptors as your benchmark. When the format feels routine, all your attention on test day can go where it belongs, on showing what your English can do.