A.

Test format – Listening (30 minutes)

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

 Recording 1 – a conversation between two people set in an everyday social context.

 Recording 2 – a monologue set in an everyday social context, e.g. a speech about
local facilities.
 Recording 3 – 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 – 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 an
utterance and evidence of your ability to follow the development of ideas.

IELTS Listening description

Paper format: There are four parts with ten questions each. The questions are
designed so that the answers appear in the order they are heard in the audio.

The first two parts deal with situations set in everyday social contexts. In Part 1,
there is a conversation between two speakers (for example, a conversation about
travel arrangements), and in Part 2, there is a monologue in (for example, a
speech about local facilities). The final two parts deal with situations set in
educational and training contexts. In Part 3, there is a conversation between two
main speakers (for example, two university students in discussion, perhaps
guided by a tutor), and in Part 4, there is a monologue on an academic subject.

The recordings are heard only once. They include a range of accents, including
British, Australian, New Zealand, American and Canadian.

Timing: Approximately 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes transfer time).

No. of questions: 40

Task types: A variety of question types are used, chosen from the following:
multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling, form/note/table/flow-
chart/summary completion, sentence completion.

Answering: Test takers write their answers on the question paper as they listen
and at the end of the test are given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to an
answer sheet. Care should be taken when writing answers on the answer sheet
as poor spelling and grammar are penalised.

Marks: Each question is worth 1 mark.

IELTS Listening in detail

A detailed look at the paper with links to related resources.

Task type 1 – Multiple choice

Task type and format: In multiple choice tasks, there is a question followed by
three possible answers, or the beginning of a sentence followed by three possible
ways to complete the sentence. Test takers are required to choose the one
correct answer - A, B or C.

Sometimes, test takers are given a longer list of possible answers and told that
they have to choose more than one. In this case, they should read the question
carefully to check how many answers are required.

Task focus: Multiple choice questions are used to test a wide range of skills. The
test taker may be required to have a detailed understanding of specific points or
an overall understanding of the main points of the listening text.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 2 – Matching

Task type and format: Test takers are required to match a numbered list of items
from the listening text to a set of options on the question paper. The set of options
may be criteria of some kind.

Task focus: Matching assesses the skill of listening for detail and whether a test
taker can understand information given in a conversation on an everyday topic,
such as the different types of hotel or guest house accommodation. It also
assesses the ability to follow a conversation between two people. It may also be
used to assess test takers’ ability to recognise relationships and connections
between facts in the listening text.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 3 – Plan, map, diagram labelling

Task type and format: Test takers are required to complete labels on a plan (eg
of a building), map (eg of part of a town) or diagram (e.g. of a piece of
equipment). The answers are usually selected from a list on the question paper.

Task focus: This type of task assesses the ability to understand, for example, a
description of a place, and to relate this to a visual representation. This may
include being able to follow language expressing spatial relationships and
directions (e.g. straight on/through the far door).
No. of questions: Variable

Task type 4 – Form, note, table, flow-chart, summary completion

Task type and format: Test takers are required to fill in the gaps in an outline of
part or of all of the listening text. The outline will focus on the main ideas/facts in
the text. It may be:

1. a form: often used to record factual details such as names

2. a set of notes: used to summarise any type of information using the layout to
show how different items relate to one another
3. a table: used as a way of summarising information which relates to clear
categories – e.g. place/time/price,
4. a flow-chart: used to summarise a process which has clear stages, with the
direction of the process shown by arrows.

Test takers may have to select their answers from a list on the question paper or
identify the missing words from the recording, keeping to the word limit stated in
the instructions. Test takers do not have to change the words from the recording
in any way.

Test takers should read the instructions very carefully as the number of words or
numbers they should use to fill the gaps will vary. A word limit is given, for
example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. Test takers are
penalised for writing more than the stated number of words, and test takers
should check this word limit carefully for each task. Contracted words will not be
tested. Hyphenated words count as single words.

Task focus: This focuses on the main points which a listener would naturally
record in this type of situation.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 5 – Sentence completion

Task type and format: Test takers are required to read a set of sentences
summarising key information from all the listening text or from one part of it. They
then fill a gap in each sentence using information from the listening text. A word
limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER’.

Test takers are penalised for writing more than the stated number of words. (Test
takers should check this word limit carefully for each task: the limit is either ONE,
TWO or THREE words). Contracted words will not be tested. Hyphenated words
count as single words.
Task focus: Sentence completion focuses on the ability to identify the key
information in a listening text. Test takers have to understand functional
relationships such as cause and effect.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 6 – Short-answer questions

Task type and format: Test takers are required to read a question and then write
a short answer using information from the listening text. A word limit is given, for
example, ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. Test takers
are penalised for writing more than the stated number of words. (Test takers
should check this word limit carefully for each task.) Contracted words will not be
tested. Hyphenated words count as single words. Sometimes test takers are given
a question which asks them to list two or three points.

Task focus: Sentence completion focuses on the ability to listen for concrete
facts, such as places, prices or times, within the listening text.

No. of questions: Variable

IELTS Listening – how it's marked

The Listening test is marked by certificated markers, who are regularly monitored
to ensure their reliability. All answer sheets, after being marked, are further
analysed by Cambridge English.

Band score conversion

A Band Score conversion table is produced for each version of the Listening test
which translates scores out of 40 into the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are
reported in whole bands and half bands.

One mark is awarded for each correct answer in the 40-item test. Care should be
taken when writing answers on the answer sheet as poor spelling and grammar
are penalised.

B. Test format – Reading (60 minutes)

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

IELTS General Training test - this includes extracts from books, magazines, newspapers,
notices, advertisements, company handbooks and guidelines. These are materials you are
likely to encounter on a daily basis in an English-speaking environment.

IELTS General Training Reading description

Paper format: There are three sections. Section 1 may contain two or three short
texts or several shorter texts. Section 2 comprises two texts. In Section 3, there is
one long text.

Timing: 60 minutes

No. of questions: 40

Task types: A variety of question types are used, chosen from the following:
multiple choice, identifying information, identifying writer’s views/claims, matching
information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings,
sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion,
flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions.

Sources: The first section, ‘social survival’, contains texts relevant to basic
linguistic survival in English with tasks mainly about retrieving and providing
general factual information, for example, notices, advertisements and timetables.

The second section, ‘Workplace survival’, focuses on the workplace context, for
example, job descriptions, contracts and staff development and training materials.

The third section, ‘general reading’, involves reading more extended prose with a
more complex structure. Here, the emphasis is on descriptive and instructive
rather than argumentative texts, in a general context relevant to the wide range of
test takers involved, for example, newspapers, magazines and fictional and non-
fictional book extracts.

Answering: Test takers are required to transfer their answers to an answer sheet
during the time allowed for the test. No extra time is allowed for transfer. Care
should be taken when writing answers on the answer sheet as poor spelling and
grammar are penalised.

Marks: Each question is worth 1 mark.

IELTS General Training Reading in detail

A detailed look at the paper with links to related resources.

Task type 1 – Multiple choice

Task type and format: In this task type, test takers choose the best answer from
four alternatives A, B, C or D, or the best two answers from five alternatives (A, B,
C, D or E), or the best three answers from seven alternatives (A, B, C, D, E, F or
G). They write the letter of the answer they have chosen on the answer sheet.

The questions may involve completing a sentence, in which the ‘stem’ gives the
first part of a sentence and test takers choose the best way to complete it from
the options, or could involve complete questions, choosing the option which best
answers them. The questions are in the same order as the information in the text:
that is, the answer to the first question in this group will be located in the text
before the answer to the second question, and so on. This task type may be used
with any type of text.

Task focus: This task type tests a wide range of reading skills including detailed
understanding of specific points or an overall understanding of the main points of
the text.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 2 – Identifying information

Task type and format: The test taker will be given a number of statements and
asked: ‘Do the following statements agree with the information in the text?’ They
then write ‘true’, ‘false’ or ‘not given’ in the boxes on their answer sheets. The
questions are in the same order as the information in the text: that is, the answer
to the first question in this group will be located in the text before the answer to
the second question and so on.

It is important to understand the difference between 'false' and 'not given'. 'False'
means that the passage states the opposite of the statement in question; 'not
given' means that the statement is neither confirmed nor contradicted by the
information in the passage.

Any knowledge students bring with them from outside the passage should not
play a part when deciding on their answers.

Task focus: This task type assesses the test takers' ability to recognise particular
points of information conveyed in the text. It can thus be used with more factual
texts.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 3 – Identifying writer’s views/claims

Task type and format: The test taker will be given a number of statements and
asked: ‘Do the following statements agree with the views/claims of the writer?’
They answer ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘not given’ in the boxes on their answer sheet. The
questions are in the same order as the information in the text: that is, the answer
to the first question in this group will be located in the text before the answer to
the second question, and so on.

It is important to understand the difference between 'no' and 'not given'. 'No'
means that the views or claims of the writer explicitly disagree with the statement,
i.e. the writer somewhere expresses the view or makes a claim which is opposite
to the one given in the question; 'not given' means that the view or claim is neither
confirmed nor contradicted. (Any knowledge students bring with them from
outside the passage should not play a part when deciding on their answers.

Task focus: This task type assesses the test takers’ ability to recognise opinions
or ideas, and is thus often used with discursive or argumentative texts.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 4 – Matching information

Task type and format: Test takers locate specific information in the lettered
paragraphs/sections of a text, and write the letters of the correct
paragraphs/sections in the boxes on their answer sheet. They may be asked to
find; specific details, an example, a reason, a description, a comparison, a
summary, an explanation. They will not necessarily need to find information in
every paragraph/section of the text, but there may be more than one piece of
relevant information in a given paragraph/section. When this is the case, test
takers will be told that they can use any letter more than once. The questions do
not follow the same order as the information in the text. This task type can be
used with any text as it may test a wide range of reading skills, from locating
detail to recognising a summary or definition.

Task focus: This task type assesses the test takers’ ability to scan for specific
information. Unlike task type 5 (Matching headings), it is concerned with specific
information rather than with the main idea.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 5 – Matching headings

Task type and format: Test takers are given a list of headings, usually identified
with lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.), referring to the main idea of the
paragraph or section of the text. They must match the heading to the correct
paragraphs or sections, which are marked alphabetically, and write the
appropriate Roman numerals in the boxes on their answer sheets. There will
always be more headings than there are paragraphs or sections, so some
headings will not be used. It is also possible that some paragraphs or sections
may not be included in the task. One or more paragraphs or sections may already
be matched with a heading as an example. No heading may be used more than
once. This task type is used with texts that contain paragraphs or sections with
clearly defined themes.

Task focus: This task tests the ability to recognise the main idea or theme in the
paragraphs or sections of a text, and to distinguish main ideas from supporting
ones.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 6 – Matching features

Task type and format: Test takers match a set of statements or pieces of
information to a list of options. These are a group of features from the text, and
are identified by letters. Test takers may, for example, be required to match
different characteristics to age groups or events to historical periods, etc. It is
possible that some options will not be used, and that others may be used more
than once. The instructions will advise whether options may be used more than
once. The questions do not follow the same order as the information in the text.

Task focus: This task assesses the ability to recognise relationships and
connections between facts in the text, and to recognise opinions and theories. It
may be used both with texts dealing with factual information, description or
narrative. Test takers need to be able to skim and scan the text in order to locate
the required information and to read for detail.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 7 – Matching sentence endings

Task type and format: Test takers are given the first half of a sentence based on
the text and choose the best way to complete it from a list of possible options.
They will have more options to choose from than there are questions. The
questions are in the same order as the information in the text: that is, the answer
to the first question in this group will be found before the answer to the second
question, and so on. This task type may be used with any type of text.

Task focus: This task type assesses the test takers’ ability to understand the
main ideas.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 8 – Sentence completion

Task type and format: Test takers complete sentences in a given number of
words taken from the text, writing their answers on the answer sheet. The
instructions will make it clear how many words/numbers should be in the answers,
e.g. ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage’,
‘ONE WORD ONLY’ or ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS’. If test takers write more
than the number of words asked for, they will lose the mark.

Numbers can be written using figures or words. Contracted words will not be
tested. Hyphenated words count as single words. The questions are in the same
order as the information in the passage: that is, the answer to the first question in
this group will be found before the answer to the second question, and so on.

Task focus: This task type assesses the test takers’ ability to locate
detail/specific information.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 9 – Summary, note, table, flow-chart completion

Task type and format: Test takers are given a summary of a section of the text,
and are required to complete it with information drawn from the text. Note that the
summary will usually be of only one part of the passage rather than the whole.
The given information may be in the form of; several connected sentences
(referred to as a summary), several notes (referred to as notes), a table with
some of its cells empty or partially empty (referred to as a table), a series of
boxes or steps linked by arrows to show a sequence of events, with some of the
boxes or steps empty or partially empty (referred to as a flow-chart). The answers
will not necessarily occur in the same order as in the text. However, they will
usually come from one section rather than the entire text. There are two variations
of this task type. Test takers may be asked either to select words from the text or
to select from a list of answers. Where words have to be selected from the
passage, the instructions will make it clear how many words/numbers test takers
should use in their answers, e.g. ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A
NUMBER from the passage’, ‘ONE WORD ONLY’ or ‘NO MORE THAN TWO
WORDS’. If test takers write more than the number of words asked for, they will
lose the mark. Numbers can be written using figures or words. Contracted words
are not tested. Hyphenated words count as single words. Where a list of answers
is provided, they most frequently consist of a single word, There are always more
words or phrases in the box than there are gaps to fill. Because this task type
often relates to precise factual information, it is often used with descriptive texts.

Task focus: This task type assesses the test takers’ ability to understand details
and/or the main ideas of a section of the text. In the variations involving a
summary or notes, they need to be aware of the type of word(s) that will fit into a
given gap (for example, whether a noun is needed, or a verb, etc.).
No. of questions: Variable

Task type 10 – Diagram label completion

Task type and format: Test takers complete labels on a diagram which relates to
a description contained in the text. The instructions will make it clear how many
words/numbers test takers should use in their answers, e.g. ‘NO MORE THAN
THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage’, ‘ONE WORD ONLY’ or
‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS’. If they write more than the number of words
asked for, they will lose the mark. Numbers can be written using figures or words.
Contracted words will not be tested. Hyphenated words count as single words.
The answers do not necessarily occur in order in the passage.

However, they will usually come from one section rather than the entire text. The
diagram may be of some type of machine, or of parts of a building or of any other
element that can be represented pictorially. This task type is often used with texts
describing processes or with descriptive texts.

Task focus: This task type assesses the ability to understand a detailed
description, and to relate it to information presented in the form of a diagram.

No. of questions: Variable

Task type 11 – Short-answer questions

Task type and format: Test takers answer questions about factual details in the
text. Test takers must write their answers in words or numbers on the answer
sheet. Test takers must write their answers using words from the text. The
instructions will make it clear how many words/numbers test takers should use in
their answers, e.g. ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from
the passage’, ‘ONE WORD ONLY’ or ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS’. If they
write more than the number of words asked for, they will lose the mark. Numbers
can be written using figures or words. Contracted words are not tested.
Hyphenated words count as single words. The questions are in the same order as
the information in the text: that is, the answer to the first question in this group will
be located in the test before the answer to the second question, and so on.

Task focus: This task type assesses the ability to locate and understand precise
information in the text.

No. of questions: Variable

IELTS General Training Reading - How it's marked

The General Training Reading test is marked by certificated markers, who are regularly
monitored to ensure reliability. After being marked, all answer sheets, are further analysed
by Cambridge English.
Band score conversion

A band score conversion table is produced for each version of the General
Training Reading test which translates scores out of 40 into the IELTS 9-band
scale. Scores are reported in whole bands and half bands.

C.Test format – General Training Writing (60

minutes)
Topics are of general interest. There are two tasks:

 Task 1 - you will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter requesting
information, or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or
formal in style.
 Task 2 - you will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument
or problem. The essay can be fairly personal in style.

IELTS General Training Writing description

Paper format: There are two Writing tasks to complete.

Timing: 60 minutes

No. of questions: 2

Task types: In Task 1, test takers are asked to respond to a situation, for
example, by writing a letter requesting information or explaining a situation. In
Task 2, test takers write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or
problem.

Answering: Answers must be written in full in the answer booklet. Notes or bullet
points in whole or in part are not acceptable as answers. Test takers may write on
the question paper but this cannot be taken from the test room and will not be
seen by the examiner.

A detailed look at the paper with links to related resources.

Task 1

Task type and format: In Writing Task 1, test takers are presented with a
situation and required to write a personal response in the form of an informal,
semi-formal or formal letter of at least 150 words in the answer booklet provided.
The situations they are asked to write about are common, everyday ones such as:
writing to a college accommodation officer about problems with accommodation,
writing to a new employer about time management problems they are having,
writing to a local newspaper about a plan to develop a local airport, writing to a
renting agency to sort out problems with the heating system in their house.

Test takers are told what kind of information (in the form of three bullet points)
they must include in their response. They may be required to request or give
information and/or explain a situation. To do this, they may need to do some of
the following: ask for and/or provide general factual information, express needs,
wants, likes or dislikes, express opinions or complaints, make requests or make
suggestions/recommendations.

The style of writing that test takers use depends who they are asked to write to
(i.e. the audience) and how well they are supposed to know them. They need to
write in a style that is appropriate for their audience and that will help them to
achieve their purpose for writing, e.g. writing to a friend (informal) or writing to a
manager (semi-formal or formal). Test takers do not need to include any
addresses at the head of their letters.

Test takers should spend no more than 20 minutes on this task. They are asked
to write at least 150 words and will be penalised if their answer is too short. While
test takers will not be penalised for writing more than 150 words, they should
remember that a longer Task 1 answer may mean that they have less time to
spend on Task 2, which contributes twice as much to the Writing band score.

Test takers should also note that they will be penalised for irrelevance, if the
response is off-topic or is not written as full, connected text (e.g. using bullet
points in any part of the response, or note form, etc.). They will be severely
penalised for plagiarism (i.e. copying from another source).

Task focus: This task assesses the ability to follow English letter-writing
conventions (i.e. what order to put information in, what style to use, how to start
and finish a letter), to use language accurately and appropriately and to organise
and link information coherently and cohesively.

No. of questions: 1

Task 2

Task type and format: In Writing Task 2, test takers write a semi-formal/neutral
discursive essay of at least 250 words in the answer book provided.

The task instructions give information about a point of view, argument or problem.
They then tell test takers how to discuss this, which may involve providing general
factual information, outlining and/or presenting a solution, justifying an opinion,
evaluating evidence and ideas.
Topics are of general interest, - such as: whether children’s leisure activities
should be educational, why families are not so close as they used to be and how
they could be brought closer, how environmental problems can be solved, who
should pay for the care of old people, whether smoking should be banned in
public places.

Test takers should make sure that they complete the task carefully and provide a
full and relevant response. They should organise their ideas clearly and make
sure to support their argument with relevant examples (including from their own
experience where relevant) or evidence. For this task, test takers need to be able
to communicate more abstract and complex ideas and use a range of vocabulary
and grammatical structures. Task 2 contributes twice as much to the final Writing
band score as Task 1. Therefore, test takers who fail to attempt to answer this
task will greatly reduce their chance of achieving a good score.

Test takers are asked to write at least 250 words and will be penalised if their
answer is too short. They should spend no more than 40 minutes on this task.

Test takers should also note that they will be penalised for irrelevance if the
response is off-topic or is not written as full, connected text (e.g. using bullet
points in any part of the response, or note form, etc.). They will be severely
penalised for plagiarism (i.e. copying from another source).

Task focus: This task assesses the ability to follow English discursive writing
conventions (i.e. what order to put information in, what style to use, how to start
and finish discursive writing, how to paragraph), to organise and link information
coherently and cohesively and to use language accurately and appropriately.

No. of questions: 1

IELTS General Training Writing - How it's marked

Marking and assessment

Writing responses are assessed by certificated IELTS examiners. All IELTS

examiners hold relevant teaching qualifications and are recruited as examiners by
the test centres and approved by the British Council or IDP: IELTS Australia.

Each task is assessed independently. The assessment of Task 2 carries more

weight in marking than Task 1.Scores are reported in whole and half bands.
Detailed performance descriptors have been developed which describe written
performance at the nine IELTS bands. They are available on the How IELTS is
scored page. The descriptors apply to both the Academic and General Training
versions and are based on the following criteria.

Task 1 responses are assessed on:

  Task achievement
 Coherence and cohesion
 Lexical resource
 Grammatical range and accuracy.

Task 2 responses are assessed on:

 Task response
 Coherence and cohesion
 Lexical resource
 Grammatical range and accuracy.

Performance descriptors

Task 1

Task achievement
This assesses how appropriately, accurately and relevantly the response fulfils
the requirements set out in the task, using the minimum of 150 words. General
Training Writing Task 1 is a writing task with a largely predictable output in that
each task sets out the context and purpose of the letter and the functions the test
taker should cover in order to achieve this purpose.

Coherence and cohesion

This assesses the overall clarity and fluency of the message: how the response
organises and links information, ideas and language. Coherence refers to the
linking of ideas through logical sequencing. Cohesion refers to the varied and
appropriate use of cohesive devices (for example, logical connectors, pronouns
and conjunctions) to assist in making the conceptual and referential relationships
between and within sentences clear.

Lexical resource
This refers to the range of vocabulary the test takers have used and the accuracy
and appropriacy of use in terms of the specific task.

Grammatical range and accuracy

This refers to the range and accurate use of grammar, as manifested in the test
takers’ sentence writing.

Task 2

Task response
In both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training versions, Task 2 requires
test takers to formulate and develop a position in relation to a question or
statement. Ideas should be supported by evidence, and examples may be drawn
from the test takers’ own experience. Responses must be at least 250 words in
length. Scripts under the required minimum word limit will be penalised.
The other three assessment criteria (Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource,
Grammatical Range and Accuracy) are the same for Task 1 and Task 2.

D. Test format – Speaking (11–14 minutes)

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.

IELTS Speaking description

Paper format: The Speaking test consists of an oral interview between the test
takers' and an examiner. All Speaking tests are recorded.

Timing: 11–14 minutes

Task types: There are three parts to the test and each part fulfils a specific
function in terms of interaction pattern, task input and test takers output.

IELTS Speaking in detail

A detailed look at the paper with links to related resources.

Part 1 – Introduction and interview

Task type and format: In this part, the examiner introduces him/herself and
checks the test takers' identity. They then ask the test takers general questions
on some familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies and interests. To
ensure consistency, questions are taken from a script. Part 1 lasts for 4–5
minutes.

Task focus: This part of the test focuses on the ability to communicate opinions
and information on everyday topics and common experiences or situations by
answering a range of questions.

No. of questions: Variable

Part 2 – Long turn

Task type and format: Part 2 is the individual long turn. The examiner gives the
test takers a task card which asks the test takers to talk about a particular topic,
includes points to cover in their talk and instructs the test takers to explain one
aspect of the topic. Test takers are given one minute to prepare their talk, and are
given a pencil and paper to make notes. The examiner asks the test takers to talk
for 1 to 2 minutes, stops the test takers after 2 minutes, and asks one or two
questions on the same topic.

Using the points on the task card effectively, and making notes during the
preparation time, will help the test takers think of appropriate things to say,
structure their talk, and keep talking for 2 minutes. Part 2 lasts 3–4 minutes,
including the preparation time.

Task focus: This part of the test focuses on the ability to speak at length on a
given topic (without further prompts from the examiner), using appropriate
language and organising ideas coherently. It is likely that the test takers will need
to draw on their own experience to complete the long turn.

No. of questions: Variable

Part 3 – Discussion

Task type and format: In Part 3, the examiner and the test takers discuss issues
related to the topic in Part 2 in a more general and abstract way and, where
appropriate, in greater depth. Part 3 lasts 4–5 minutes.

Task focus: This part of the test focuses on the ability to express and justify
opinions and to analyse, discuss and speculate about issues.

No. of questions: Variable

IELTS Speaking - How it's marked

Marking and assessment

Speaking performances are assessed by certificated IELTS examiners. All IELTS

examiners hold relevant teaching qualifications and are recruited as examiners by
the test centres and approved by the British Council or IDP: IELTS Australia.

Scores are reported in whole and half bands. Detailed performance descriptors
have been developed which describe spoken performance at the nine IELTS
bands. These are available on the How IELTS is scored page.

Fluency and coherence

This refers to the ability to talk with normal levels of continuity, rate and effort and
to link ideas and language together to form coherent, connected speech. The key
indicators of fluency are speech rate and speech continuity. The key indicators of
coherence are logical sequencing of sentences, clear marking of stages in a
discussion, narration or argument, and the use of cohesive devices (e.g.
connectors, pronouns and conjunctions) within and between sentences.

Lexical resource
This criterion refers to the range of vocabulary used and the precision with which
meanings and attitudes can be expressed. The key indicators are the variety of
words used, the adequacy and appropriacy of the words used and the ability to
circumlocute (get round a vocabulary gap by using other words) with or without
noticeable hesitation.

Grammatical range and accuracy

This refers to the range and the accurate and appropriate use of the test takers'
grammatical resource. The key indicators of grammatical range are the length and
complexity of the spoken sentences, the appropriate use of subordinate clauses,
and the range of sentence structures, especially to move elements around for
information focus. The key indicators of grammatical accuracy are the number of
grammatical errors in a given amount of speech and the communicative effect of
error.

Pronunciation
This criterion refers to the ability to produce comprehensible speech to fulfil the
Speaking test requirements. The key indicators will be the amount of strain
caused to the listener, the amount of the speech which is unintelligible and the
noticeability of L1 influence.