IELTS Academic test: get ready for a higher education environment

You will write your answers using: 

• multiple choice
• matching
• diagram labelling
• sentence completion.

You will listen to four recordings of native English speakers and then write your answers to a series of questions.

• Recording 1 (social needs): a conversation between two people set in an everyday social context.
• Recording 2 (social needs): a monologue set in an everyday social context, e.g. a speech about local facilities.
• Recording 3 (education and training): a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context, e.g. a university tutor and a student discussing an assignment.
• Recording 4 (education and training): a monologue on an academic subject, e.g. a university lecture.

Assessors will be looking for evidence of your ability to understand the main ideas and detailed factual information, the opinions and attitudes of speakers, the purpose of a word and evidence of your ability to follow the development of ideas.

Note that: 

• Before the start of each part of the listening test, you will have time to read the questions.
• After the end of each part of the listening test, you will have time to review your answers.
• At the end of the listening test, you will have 2 minutes to check your answers.
• The time to complete the listening comprehension test is 30 to 34 minutes.
• Response times for the listening test are slightly different when the test is presented on a computer. This is because the paper test requires users to transfer their answers to an answer sheet. This step is skipped when responding directly from a computer.

The Reading section consists of 40 questions, designed to test a wide range of reading skills. These include skim reading, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, understanding logical arguments and recognising writers' opinions, attitudes and purpose.

This section includes three long texts which range from factual information to discussion pieces and analysis. These are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. They have been selected for a non-specialist audience but are appropriate for people entering university courses or seeking professional registration.

Topics are of general interest to, and suitable for, test takers entering undergraduate and postgraduate studies or seeking professional registration. There are two tasks:

• Task 1: you will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. You may be asked to describe and explain data, describe the stages of a process, how something works or describe an object or event.
• Task 2: you will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. 

Responses to both tasks must be in a formal style.

The speaking section assesses your use of spoken English. Every test is recorded.

• Part 1: the examiner will ask you general questions about yourself and a range of familiar topics, such as home, family, work, studies and interests. This part lasts between four and five minutes.
• Part 2: you will be given a card which asks you to talk about a particular topic. You will have one minute to prepare before speaking for up to two minutes. The examiner will then ask one or two questions on the same topic.
• Part 3: you will be asked further questions about the topic in Part 2. These will give you the opportunity to discuss more abstract ideas and issues. This part of the test lasts between four and five minutes.