IELTS Exam Pattern 2025: Section-wise IELTS Exam Paper Pattern, Question Types

IELTS Exam Pattern 2025

• The IELTS exam pattern for 2025 consists of four sections:  Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, in which the candidate is assessed on the mentioned skills.

• IELTS administers two formats of the exam: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, the two broad versions of the IELTS.

• IELTS Academic is accepted by most universities for undergraduate or postgraduate course applications, and subsequently, the candidates should base their preparation on the requirements of the respective college or university.

• On the other hand, IELTS General training is taken by those who want to migrate to an English-speaking country or for any type of work training.

• Professional organisations also recognise IELTS as an indicator of their counterpart’s English language capability for those whose native language is not English.

In this regard, the candidates who wish to sit for the IELTS Exam 2025 should have some general information about the exam. The score on the IELTS test greatly influences the criteria for selection. This test is developed professionally by the British Council, IDP IELTS Australia, and Cambridge English Language Assessment. Being an esteemed education provider, It is accepted in more than 140 member countries by over 10,000 known schools and universities.

As mentioned, the IELTS format comprises various components: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. It's important for candidates to note that the Reading, Listening, and Writing sections are conducted in a single sitting. However, the Speaking section may be scheduled on the same day as the other sections or within seven days before or after the exam date.

IELTS Paper Pattern

• The IELTS Syllabus covers four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The test takes four skills and lasts for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

• Listening: This section takes 30 minutes and consists of 4 shorter sections, including 40 questions.

• Reading: This section consists of three texts on topics from the sphere of general interest; the texts are appropriate for candidates who will study at the undergraduate or postgraduate level. It is 60 minutes long and ranges from approximately 35 to 50 questions.

• Writing: This section lasts 60 minutes and comprises two tasks. Task 1 requires the candidate to write at least 150 words summarising a graph, table, or process. In the second activity, one is required to write a discursive essay with a minimum word count of 250 words.

• Speaking: The section is 11 to 14 minutes long and is a face-to-face interview. It also determines whether the candidates can effectively write and speak in English, especially when presenting their ideas.

IELTS Test Format

There are two types of IELTS tests, The Good and the BAD Division, which include Academic and General Training. The test structure is the same for both versions, the Listening and Speaking tests are the same, but the reading and writing tests differ. The preparation process depends on the category of the test one is to tackle, such as DLAB or DAEG, and so on.

IELTS Test Format - Listening

In the Listening section, candidates listen to four recordings or speeches of native English speakers and write their answers based on these recordings.

• Recording 1: A speech or talk between two people is a form of social communication.

• Recording 2: A context to include a monologue with other people.

• Recording 3: A dialogue between up to four participants occurs in an educational/training process.

• Recording 4: Speaking for an academic topic, taking at least 3 minutes on a selected topic.

Types of IELTS Listening Questions:

• Matching

• Multiple-choice questions

• Sentence completion

• Short answer questions

IELTS Test Format - Reading

The Reading section consists of 40 questions that test reading comprehension skills and understanding of the main ideas, details, and logical discussions. This is done in the form of three texts selected from magazines, journals, newspapers and books, each of which is a long text.

Types of IELTS Reading Questions:

• Identifying information

• Matching features

• Sentence completion

• Short-answer questions

• Identifying the author’s claims

IELTS Test Format - Writing

The Writing section topics are suitable for those seeking undergraduate or postgraduate admission.

Task 1:

IELTS Academic: Summarize in at least 150 words based on the table, graph or process.

IELTS General Training: This should be a letter that must be at least 150 words.

Task 2: Respond in an essay of 250 words or less to an argument, problem or point of view. This task is explicitly the same for both the Academic and General Training modules of the IELTS exam and should be written formally.

IELTS Test Format - Speaking

The Speaking section assesses the candidate's spoken English and is recorded.

• Part 1: These questions refer to the candidate and items concerning work, studies, or home that should be comprehensible except for framework questions. This part can take roughly four to five minutes.

• Part 2: Each candidate is provided with a card containing a specific subject matter, has only one minute to brief the subject, and gives a two-minute speech. The examiner then asks one or two additional questions related to the subgroup of the condition that has been previously discussed.

• Part 3: In more depth, candidates correspond to Part 2, discussing ideas and issues. This part typically lasts for 4-5 minutes.