IELTS Preparation
IELTS Syllabus: What the Test Actually Covers
IELTS has no syllabus to memorise. It has a structure — four modules, fixed timings, a known set of question types and published marking criteria. This page is that structure, module by module, with the band-score maths and a 12-week study plan. The same material is on the free PDF at the bottom of the page.
- 2 hours 45 minutes, four modules
- Academic and General Training
- Band 1 to 9, valid for 2 years
- Free syllabus PDF, no sign-up
What is IELTS?
International English Language Testing System
IELTS measures how well you use English across four skills. It comes in two versions. Academic is for university admission and professional registration. General Training is for immigration and work experience. Listening and Speaking are the same in both; Reading and Writing differ.
Listening, Reading and Writing are taken on the same day, in that order, with no breaks between them. The Speaking test is a face-to-face interview of 11 to 14 minutes and can be scheduled up to seven days before or after the rest. Results are reported on a 1 to 9 band scale and stay valid for two years. Both computer-based and paper-based formats are available.
The four modules, in detail
IELTS Syllabus
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Listening — 30 minutes, 40 questions
- 10 extra minutes to transfer answers (paper test)
- Section 1: everyday conversation between two speakers
- Section 2: monologue in an everyday social context
- Section 3: discussion in an educational or training context
- Section 4: academic monologue or lecture
- Question types: multiple choice, form and sentence completion, short answer, matching, labelling
-
Reading — 60 minutes, 40 questions
- No extra transfer time — write answers straight onto the sheet
- Academic: three long passages of increasing difficulty from books, journals and newspapers
- General Training: social texts, workplace texts, then one longer passage
- Roughly 20 minutes per passage
- Question types: multiple choice, True/False/Not Given, Yes/No/Not Given, matching headings, summary and sentence completion, diagram labelling
-
Writing — 60 minutes, 2 tasks
- Task 1 (20 minutes, 150 words): Academic describes a graph, table, chart or diagram; General writes a letter
- Task 2 (40 minutes, 250 words): essay — opinion, discussion or problem and solution
- Task 2 carries more marks than Task 1
- Marked on Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy
-
Speaking — 11 to 14 minutes, 3 parts
- Part 1: introduction and familiar questions, 4 to 5 minutes
- Part 2: long turn on a topic card, 1 minute to prepare, speak for 2 minutes
- Part 3: two-way discussion on the Part 2 theme, 4 to 5 minutes
- Marked on Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Pronunciation
- The whole interview is recorded for assessment
How the band score is calculated
Band 1 to 9, and where the half bands come from
Every module is scored from 1 to 9, and your overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest whole or half band. That rounding is why a 6.75 average is reported as 7.0 and a 6.6 as 6.5 — half a mark in one module moves the overall score.
Listening and Reading are marked objectively: one mark per correct answer out of 40, converted to a band. Writing and Speaking are marked by trained examiners against four criteria each, listed on the module cards above.
What band 7 means: a Good User — operational command of English with occasional inaccuracies. It is the score most universities and professional registration bodies ask for. Many universities accept an overall 6.5, medical and professional registration often wants 7.0 or higher, and immigration requirements vary by country.
A 12-week study plan
Weeks 1–2 · Foundation
- Get familiar with the test format
- Take a diagnostic test
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses
- Build a daily study habit
Weeks 3–4 · Skills
- Grammar and vocabulary work
- Learn the question types in each module
- Practise one section at a time
Weeks 5–8 · Intensive practice
- Timed practice across all four modules
- Review every mistake and log the pattern
- Put extra hours into your weakest module
- Work on module-specific strategy
Weeks 9–12 · Mock tests and polish
- Full-length tests under exam conditions
- Detailed review after each one
- Fine-tune timing and strategy
- Final week: light review and test-day logistics
Download the full IELTS syllabus PDF
The same syllabus as a printable study guide: all four modules, the scoring system, sample questions, a week-by-week timeline, the common mistakes that cost bands, and a final preparation checklist. Free, no sign-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IELTS syllabus?
IELTS has no prescribed syllabus in the way a school subject does. What it has is a fixed test structure: four modules — Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking — each with its own format, timing, question types and marking criteria. Knowing that structure is what people mean when they search for the IELTS syllabus.
Is the syllabus the same for IELTS Academic and General Training?
Listening and Speaking are identical in both. Reading and Writing differ: Academic Reading uses three long passages from books, journals and newspapers, and Academic Writing Task 1 asks you to describe a graph, table, chart or diagram. General Training Reading uses social, workplace and general-interest texts, and its Task 1 is a letter.
How long is the IELTS test?
Two hours and forty-five minutes in total. Listening, Reading and Writing are taken on the same day, in that order, with no breaks. The Speaking test is 11 to 14 minutes and may be scheduled up to seven days before or after the other three.
How is the overall IELTS band score calculated?
Each module is scored from 1 to 9. Your overall band is the average of the four module scores, rounded to the nearest whole or half band. In Listening and Reading each correct answer is worth one mark out of 40, and that raw score is converted to a band. Writing and Speaking are marked against four published criteria each.
How many weeks does IELTS preparation take?
For a beginner aiming at band 7, plan on 8 to 12 weeks of focused preparation at one to two hours a day: two weeks on the test format and a diagnostic test, two on grammar, vocabulary and question types, four on timed practice, three on full-length mock tests, and a final week of light review.
Is the IELTS syllabus PDF free to download?
Yes. The complete IELTS study syllabus PDF on this page is free, with no sign-up. It covers all four modules, the scoring system, a week-by-week study timeline, sample questions and a final preparation checklist.