1.1. What Is IELTS?
Start here. By the end you will know what IELTS is and what is in it.
The short version
IELTS is an English test for study, work and visas.
4 parts: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
The whole test takes about three hours.
There are two versions, Academic and General Training. The people who want your score tell you which one to take.
What IELTS is
IELTS is an English test. Universities, employers and visa offices use it to check that your English is good enough for what you want to do.
It has four parts
Every IELTS test has the same four parts. Each part tests a different skill. You take all four, and each one gets its own score.
The parts, in order
You hear recordings and answer questions.
You read texts and answer questions.
You write two pieces of text.
You talk with an examiner.
The order on the day
Listening, Reading and Writing are done together, in that order, with no break. Together they take about two and a half hours. Speaking is a separate interview of under fifteen minutes. It may be on the same day, or up to a week before or after, depending on your test centre.
The first three run straight through. Speaking is booked on its own.
Two versions of the test
There are two versions of IELTS, called Academic and General Training. Both have the same four parts, but the Reading and Writing parts are different in each. The next lesson helps you work out which one you need.
Quiz time3 questions
Three quick questions on what you have just read.
The parts
Choose the right number.
How many parts does IELTS have?
The interview
Choose the part that is an interview.
In which part do you talk to an examiner?
The versions
Choose the right number.
How many versions of IELTS are there?
Recap
IELTS has four parts: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
Listening, Reading and Writing run together with no break.
Speaking is a separate interview.
There are two versions of the test: Academic and General Training.
Next: how to work out which of the two versions you need to book.