IELTS test format: the four sections

IELTS has four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. This page sets out what the official IELTS website says about each, as we read it on 12 November 2026.

Section	Time	What it contains
Listening	About 30 minutes	4 parts, 10 questions in each, 40 questions. Recordings are heard once only.
Reading	60 minutes, including transfer time	3 sections, 40 questions.
Writing	60 minutes	2 tasks, both compulsory: Task 1 of at least 150 words, Task 2 of at least 250 words.
Speaking	11 to 14 minutes	3 parts, face to face with an examiner.

The official site gives the test time of IELTS Academic as 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Listening

There are four parts. Parts 1 and 2 are set in everyday social situations: a conversation between two speakers, then a talk by one speaker. Parts 3 and 4 are set in education and training: a discussion, for example between students, then one person speaking on an academic subject. The questions follow the order of the recording. A range of accents is used, including British, Australian, New Zealand and North American. Each correct answer earns one mark.

Reading

Three sections and 40 questions in 60 minutes. For the Academic test the official page gives a total text length of 2,150 to 2,750 words, with at least one text containing detailed logical argument. There is no extra time at the end: answers must be on the answer sheet within the hour.

Writing

Two tasks, and both must be done. In Academic Task 1 you describe visual information, such as a graph, table, chart or diagram, in your own words, in at least 150 words; about 20 minutes is suggested. In General Training Task 1 you write a letter. In Task 2 you respond to a point of view, argument or problem in at least 250 words; about 40 minutes is suggested. Task 2 carries more weight in the marking than Task 1.

Speaking

The Speaking test is an interview in three parts. Part 1 is an introduction and questions on familiar topics, lasting four to five minutes. In Part 2 you are given a card with a topic, have one minute to prepare, and speak for up to two minutes; with the examiner's follow-up it lasts three to four minutes. Part 3 is a discussion of more general and abstract issues linked to the Part 2 topic, lasting four to five minutes.

Academic or General Training?

Listening and Speaking are the same in both. Reading and Writing differ. See Academic or General Training.

What this means for preparation

Writing gives you an hour for two tasks with no break between them. Managing the 20 and 40 minutes is your job; nobody will tell you to move on.
In Listening you hear everything once. Practise reading the questions ahead of the recording.
Reading has no transfer time. Write answers on the sheet as you go.
Speaking is short. The first minutes matter, so practise answering simple questions fully and naturally.

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Independent practice site. IELTS Practice is not connected with, approved by or endorsed by the British Council, IDP IELTS or Cambridge University Press & Assessment, who jointly own IELTS. The practice tasks and sample answers here are our own; they are not official test questions, and we do not award bands. Facts about the test were read on ielts.org on 12 November 2026. For registration, fees, dates and official sample tests, go to ielts.org.