IELTS Exam Syllabus 2025 (Section-Wise): Listening, Reading, Writing & Speaking

IELTS Syllabus

Thus, for a candidate to get a better band in IELTS, the candidate must understand the syllabus of the IELTS exam. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is offered in two formats: IELTS – Academic and the IELTS – General Training. Texts claim that choosing a suitable exam depends on one’s needs or the specifications of the university or course one is applying to.

The IELTS exam syllabus includes four sections: These are the four language skills that entail Reading, Speaking, Writing, and Listening. However, the Speaking and Listening sections follow the same IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training syllabus, while the Reading and Writing sections have the following syllabuses. However, it should be noted that the two formats of IELTS do provide the fairest reflection of a candidate’s ability in terms of the four ultimate skills, namely listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The IELTS test takes 2 hours and 45 minutes for the four skills test and the academic or general training module.

Section-wise IELTS Exam Syllabus

IELTS Writing Section

Overview: This consists of short essays or general reports for an educated non-specialist reader who comes across the document. As mentioned before, we have two obligatory functions. Task 1 of the test demands 150 words minimum; the candidates explain in their own words what a diagram, table or data represents. Task 2 entails at least 250 words that involve contributing factual information, giving probable solutions, defending opinions, assessing ideas, and evidence in response to a viewpoint, an argument, or a problem.

Total number of questions: 2

Total time: 60 minutes

Writing - IELTS Academic: The current section contains two tasks with popular topics to give the candidates an idea of what questions can be asked if they are applying for an undergraduate or a postgraduate course.

• Task 1: Candidates are provided with a graph, a table or a diagram and are supposed to rewrite the data in their own words. They may have to describe an entry in a computer spreadsheet, sort it out, or interpret a flowchart to generate results.

• Task 2: For this, candidates are expected to write an essay that they will develop from the gathered data and to accompany their insights with examples. About the writing style, the preferred style should be formal.

• Writing - IELTS General Training: This section also comprises two tasks; however, it is comparatively easier than the academic format.

Writing - IELTS General Training: This section also comprises two tasks; however, it is comparatively easier than the academic format.

• Task 1: Candidates complete writing a letter according to a scenario given in the assessment. It can be of business style, formal, semi-formal, or personal. They may want or have to talk to tell, ask for something or justify their stand on a particular issue.

• Task 2: This essay writing task whereby candidates write an essay justifying the given standpoint from the first task and backing the alternate view with arguments and examples from experience. The voicing can be diary-like.

IELTS Reading Section

Overview: The reading module has three texts of general interest for the candidates who plan to continue postgraduate or undergraduate education. Each of the reading modules has three passages or sections and consists of forty questions in total. More assessment question forms are multiple-choice, sentence or summary completion, short-answer questions, matching lists or phrases, and identifying the writers’ views/attitudes.

Total number of questions: About 40

Total time: 30 minutes

Reading - IELTS Academic: This section ranges from three large paragraphs that may be proscriptive, educational, or analytical. These passages are obtained from newspapers, research documents, journals, books and even magazines. As mentioned, they are oriented to a non-academic target. They can be used for candidates intending to study at a higher level or professionals wishing to work in a foreign country.

Reading - IELTS General Training: As in the academic style, this section contains extracts from newspaper advertisements, company handbooks, brochures and similar documents. This format is less complex than the academic one, as the presented texts are usually familiar to people.

IELTS Listening Section

Overview: The Listening module contains four parts related to the social necessity and educational sphere. Every section has different types of questions, such as multiple choices, short questions, note taking, sentence filling and labelling the diagram. Typically, the monologues and dialogue conversations are roughly three minutes long and only audible for one play-through.

Total number of questions: 40+

Total time: 30 minutes

Sections 1 and 2 (Everyday Social Situations):

• Recording 1: People’s interaction in a social setting that occurs during the normal course of human interactions.

• Recording 2: A scene of a normal social situation involving normal people with normal actions performed by the protagonist as a monologue.

• Recording 3: A dialogue that involves four characters in an educational/training setting.

• Recording 4: An academic lecture where the lecturer speaks non-stop for a certain time about a certain topic.

IELTS Speaking Section

Overview: The Speaking part is an approximate interview in which several components aim to reveal general speaking skills and the candidate’s ability to use English for daily communication with native speakers.

Total number of questions: 3 parts – Personal Interview, Long Turn, and a Discussion.

Total time: 11 to 14 minutes.

• Part 1: Speaking Test Part 2:  In this part, the examiner will walk around the class and approach the candidate with questions concerning the family, home, studies, hobbies/interests, etc.

• Part 2: Long Turn (2–3 minutes): Flashcard given with a particular topic, has to speak for 2-3 minutes. You then have to provide a speech on the topic which should not take more than two minutes. The examiner then asks questions about the speech given.

• Part 3: Question and answer (5–6 minutes): This part entails more sophisticated questions on the topic and speech and abstract discussions of the given topic and the speech. This section usually takes five to six minutes of classroom time.

How to Prepare for IELTS?

• Command of English: Indeed, adequate preparation and knowledge of the required materials adequately, as well as a good command of the English language, is necessary to get a high score in IELTS. It is advised that special coaching classes are there for first-timers and those trying out self-study; good grammar for IELTS or a good set of IELTS books, helpful software and CDs are required.

• Book Selection: The kind of IELTS book that one should use depends on the current level of English proficiency. Here's a list of the best IELTS books for general readership:

1. IELTS Cambridge Test Books: The following books are actual IELTS tests by IELTS for practice. The speaking test has four practice tests, questions, and topics. Despite their high cost, they are helpful.

2. Grammar for IELTS Writing Task 2 Ebook: It is evident that this e-book enhances grammatical skills in writing task 2 because it enables the candidates to develop sophisticated writing structures and also diminish common errors. This is helpful for IELTS and overall grammar at the same time.

3. Ideas for IELTS Essay Topics Ebook: This book contains 151 task 2 IELTS essay topics for writing to help ideas and vocabulary raise writing scores. It is also provided in portable document format, PDF.

4. IELTS Trainer: This book is designed to provide five actual test papers and important tips for the IELTS practice for the Academic module.

5. IELTS Official Practice Materials: IELTS – Specification and Preparation is another book to help IELTS candidates, specifically the Academic and the General Training ones, familiarise themselves with the test format and sample questions.

6. Cambridge IELTS 10 Student's Book with Answers: These four papers are Original IELTS past papers, complete tests for Academic candidates, and Reading and Writing modules for General Training candidates. You can buy it on Amazon, and it is cheaper than other stores because most of the sold items originate from Amazon.

7. IELTS Trainer: Included in this book, the reader will find six actual tests and recommendations on how to get a good band score in the Academic module.

8. IELTS Tutor Kit: A CD with a brief intended to facilitate the passing of IELTS for non-English speakers, providing about 40 minutes of training, including expanded to the CD, minute booklet approximately equal in size to the text of the present book.

9. The Cambridge IELTS Course Workbook: “Insight into IELTS” offers much practice and familiarises the students with what tasks look like in the exam; it focuses on thematic vocabulary and exam paper four, Speaking.

10. Step Up to IELTS Personal Study Book with Answers: This book is for the intermediate level and has the tips for the exam for the Academic modules taught in 60 hours with the practice sections included for sample IELTS tests.

11. Cambridge Grammar for IELTS Student's Book with Answers and Audio CD: This book serves the purpose of many other books, which should cover all the necessary facets of the grammar to be used in IELTS, as there are listening and self-discovery activities in the book CD.

12. Barron’s IELTS Superpack: A substantial and definitive material with a range of past papers for Academic and General modules and subject revision, audio clips and keyword lists, suitable for candidates with more than three weeks’ preparation time.