IELTS Exam Format 2026: Academic vs General Training, Sections & Timing

The IELTS exam format has four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Academic and General Training use the same Listening and Speaking tests, but their Reading texts and Writing Task 1 are different.

This guide reflects official information reviewed on 25 August 2026, including the move away from paper-based testing announced for mid-2026. The delivery method is changing across markets; the skills, scoring and task types are not.

IELTS Format at a Glance

The full test takes about 2 hours 45 minutes. Speaking may be scheduled separately depending on the centre. Check the appointment details rather than assuming all four skills happen at the same time.

Academic vs General Training

This is a purpose guide, not a booking rule. A university, regulator or immigration authority determines what it accepts. Check the exact requirement before choosing a test.

IELTS Listening Format

Listening has four parts with ten questions in each. Parts 1 and 2 use everyday social contexts; Parts 3 and 4 use educational or training contexts. Recordings include a range of accents and are heard once only.

Common tasks include multiple choice, matching, map or diagram labelling, form or note completion, sentence completion and short answers. Spelling, grammar and the stated word limit can affect whether an answer receives the mark.

The traditional extra ten minutes for transferring Listening answers applied to IELTS on paper. On computer, candidates enter answers directly and the timing is slightly different because that transfer step is unnecessary. Practise in the current official computer interface and follow the instructions shown in your booked test.

IELTS Academic Reading Format

Academic Reading has three sections, 40 questions and 60 minutes including answer entry. The total text length is normally 2,150–2,750 words. Texts may come from books, journals, magazines, newspapers and online resources and are written for a non-specialist audience.

At least one text contains detailed logical argument. Task types can include multiple choice, matching headings, identifying information, identifying a writer's views, summary completion, diagram labels and short answers.

There is no extra transfer time for Reading. Budget the full hour across reading, answering and checking.

IELTS General Training Reading Format

General Training Reading also has three sections, 40 questions and 60 minutes. It moves from everyday material to workplace contexts and then a longer general-interest text.

Academic and General Training Reading use the same 9-band reporting scale, but IELTS notes that a greater number of correct answers is usually needed for a given General Training band because the material differs in difficulty. Raw-score conversions can vary slightly between test versions.

IELTS Academic Writing Format

Academic Writing has two compulsory tasks:

• Task 1: describe visual information such as a graph, table, chart, process or diagram; write at least 150 words and spend about 20 minutes.
• Task 2: respond to a point of view, argument or problem in essay form; write at least 250 words and spend about 40 minutes.

Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score. Answers must be connected prose rather than notes or bullet points.

IELTS General Training Writing Format

General Training Writing also has two compulsory tasks:

• Task 1: write a personal, semi-formal or formal letter responding to a situation; at least 150 words in about 20 minutes.
• Task 2: write an essay about a point of view, argument or problem; at least 250 words in about 40 minutes.

Task 2 again carries twice the weight of Task 1. The required register matters in the letter: a message to a friend should not sound like a complaint to a public authority, and vice versa.

How IELTS Writing Is Marked

Certificated IELTS examiners use four criteria:

• Task Achievement for Task 1 or Task Response for Task 2
• Coherence and Cohesion
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The criteria are equally weighted within a task, while Task 2 has greater weight in the final Writing score. Memorised “band 9” phrases do not compensate for an incomplete or irrelevant response.

IELTS Speaking Format

Speaking is a recorded interview with a certificated examiner:

• Part 1, 4–5 minutes: questions about familiar topics such as home, study, work and interests.
• Part 2, 3–4 minutes: one minute to prepare, then a long turn of up to two minutes, followed by brief questions.
• Part 3, 4–5 minutes: a deeper discussion connected to the Part 2 topic.

Speaking is assessed for Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. The goal is clear, flexible communication, not a particular national accent.

Computer, Writing on Paper and IELTS Online

IELTS announced that all standard test-centre tests would move to computer from mid-2026, with exact dates varying by market. Questions for Listening, Reading and Writing appear on screen and answers are typed.

Selected countries offer Writing on Paper within IELTS on computer. Only the Writing answers are handwritten; the tasks, scoring and 60-minute allocation are unchanged. It is available for Academic and General Training but not IELTS for UKVI.

IELTS Online is the Academic test delivered remotely in selected countries. IELTS says it is not currently accepted for migration, and individual institutions decide whether to accept it.

What to Learn Before Practising

1. Confirm the correct test type for your exact purpose.
2. Learn the question families and instructions for each section.
3. Complete the official Academic or official General Training samples.
4. Review every error by cause, not only by correct answer.
5. Use our IELTS preparation plan to add timing gradually.

For booking, fees and results, see the IELTS Exam 2026 guide. To interpret practice results responsibly, read IELTS band scores explained.