IELTS
Sources
Everything this course cites. Every source is on an official site: ielts.org, britishcouncil.org, idp.com, cambridgeenglish.org, cambridge.org.
- IELTS Frequently Asked Questions: Academic moduleCambridge University Press & Assessment · accessed 2026-11-09 · Official answers on Listening (pauses, reading time, spelling, UK and US spellings, word limits), Reading (spelling, about 20 minutes a text), Writing (no direct penalty for short answers but less evidence; memorised answers penalised; Task 1 introduction and overview; no speculation about causes) and Speaking. Some answers describe the paper-based test, which has now been withdrawn.
- IELTS Frequently Asked Questions: General Training moduleCambridge University Press & Assessment · accessed 2026-11-09 · As the Academic FAQ, plus: General Training Reading Section 1 has 14 questions and Sections 2 and 3 have 13 each; Section 3 is usually the most difficult; do not repeat the task instructions in your writing.
- IELTS preparationCambridge University Press & Assessment · accessed 2026-11-09 · Cambridge's free IELTS resources (the Academic and General Training FAQs, sample papers, a link to the official sample questions) and its official preparation books.
- IELTS test formatCambridge University Press & Assessment · accessed 2026-11-09 · A summary of all four papers: question counts, times, task types, the Writing and Speaking criteria; Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1.
- Free IELTS practice testsIDP IELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · IDP's official practice material, including computer-delivered familiarisation tests for Listening, Reading and Writing.
- IELTS on computerIDP IELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · On computer: time to read the questions before each Listening part and to review after each part; 2 minutes to check answers at the end of Listening; no transfer time; Listening between 30 and 34 minutes.
- Fast IELTS results and sharingIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · IELTS on computer results usually within 1–2 days; IELTS Online usually within 6–8 days.
- IELTS Academic sample test questionsIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · Free official sample tasks for all four Academic skills. Linked, never reproduced.
- IELTS Academic test format: ListeningIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · Four parts of ten questions (40 in all), heard once; the four recordings; the six question types; word limits, hyphenated words and contractions; one mark per question.
- IELTS Academic test format: ReadingIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · Three sections, 2,150–2,750 words in all, 40 questions in 60 minutes; text sources and styles; glossary for technical terms; the eleven question types and their rules.
- IELTS Academic test format: SpeakingIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · A recorded interview with an examiner, 11–14 minutes, three parts; Part 2 with one minute to prepare (pencil and paper given) and two minutes to speak; the four criteria.
- IELTS Academic test format: WritingIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · Two tasks in 60 minutes; Task 1 (at least 150 words, visual information) and Task 2 (at least 250 words, essay); Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1; the four criteria; full connected text, no notes or bullet points.
- IELTS General Training sample test questionsIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · Free official sample tasks for all four General Training skills. Linked, never reproduced.
- IELTS General Training test format: ListeningIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · The same Listening test as Academic: four parts, 40 questions, six question types.
- IELTS General Training test format: ReadingIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · Three sections of increasing difficulty, 2,150–2,375 words in all, 40 questions in 60 minutes; what each section contains; the eight question types and their rules.
- IELTS General Training test format: SpeakingIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · The same Speaking test as Academic.
- IELTS General Training test format: WritingIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · Task 1 letter (at least 150 words, three bullet points, personal, semi-formal or formal style, no addresses needed); Task 2 essay (at least 250 words); weighting, criteria and penalties.
- IELTS Guide for Test Takers (2026)IELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · The 2026 edition: choosing Academic or General Training; 2 hours 45 minutes; Listening, Reading and Writing on one day with no breaks, Speaking the same day or up to a week before or after; test-centre delivery on computer, Writing on Paper in selected markets, IELTS Online (Academic only); Speaking face to face or by video call; results timing; the nine bands.
- IELTS on computer (Writing on Paper)IELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · Listening and Reading on computer; Writing tasks on screen, answered by hand with a pen on an answer sheet; same task types, timing and scoring; selected countries from mid-2026; not for IELTS for UKVI; results within five days.
- IELTS One Skill RetakeIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · For a full IELTS on computer test at a participating centre: retake one skill within 60 days, one retake per test, same format and timing; results in 3–5 days on a new Test Report Form; check acceptance with your organisation.
- IELTS One Skill Retake (for organisations)IELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · Not currently available for IELTS Online; same marking and nine-band scale; what the new Test Report Form shows; organisations choose whether to accept it.
- IELTS OnlineIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · IELTS Online is available for the Academic test only, with the same format and duration as at a test centre; Speaking by video call with an examiner, usually first; results in 6–8 days; check acceptance before booking.
- IELTS scoring in detailIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · The 0–9 band scale and what each band means; overall band as the average of the four rounded to the nearest half band, with worked examples; average raw marks for Listening and Reading bands; equal weighting of Writing and Speaking criteria; two-year recommended validity.
- IELTS Speaking band descriptorsIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · The descriptors examiners use for Speaking. Linked for learners to read; not reproduced in this course.
- IELTS Speaking Key Assessment CriteriaIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · What Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy and Pronunciation each assess. Summarised in our own words, never reproduced.
- IELTS Trial TestIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · A free familiarisation test (Listening, Reading and Writing, Academic or General Training) at participating locations, marked by an IELTS examiner; not an official score.
- IELTS Writing band descriptorsIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · The descriptors examiners use for Writing. Linked for learners to read; not reproduced in this course.
- IELTS Writing Key Assessment CriteriaIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · What Task Achievement (Task 1), Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy each assess; penalties for plagiarism and for notes or bullet points. Summarised in our own words, never reproduced.
- IELTS Writing test preparation resourcesIELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · Official videos on how Writing Task 1 and Task 2 are marked against the four criteria, with links to the key assessment criteria and band descriptors.
- Understanding IELTS scoring (for organisations)IELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · The same scoring facts for organisations, with links to the key assessment criteria and band descriptors.
- Updates to IELTS test delivery (5 March 2026)IELTS · accessed 2026-11-09 · From mid-2026 IELTS is no longer offered as a paper-based test and all IELTS tests are delivered on computer, with timelines varying by market; a Writing on Paper option in selected markets; One Skill Retake in the same delivery mode as the original test.
- IELTS Academic testIELTS (British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press & Assessment) · accessed 2026-11-09 · Who the Academic test is for; the four sections and their times (Listening about 30 minutes, Reading 60, Writing 60, Speaking 11–14); 2 hours 45 minutes in all; Listening and Speaking shared with General Training, Reading and Writing different.
- IELTS General Training testIELTS (British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press & Assessment) · accessed 2026-11-09 · Who the General Training test is for; the four sections and their times; Listening and Speaking shared with Academic, Reading and Writing different.