IELTS Syllabus 2020
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an exam taken by students in order to prove
their proficiency in the English language. This is taken by people who want to migrate, work or study in some
country and require to prove their proficiency in English. It is of two types – IELTS Academic and IELTS
General. IELTS tests reading, speaking, writing and listening to skills and so the IELTS syllabus for all these
are discussed below.
IELTS Exam Syllabus
Syllabus for IELTS covers all the different test sections. All the four sections are covered in the syllabus.
IELTS Academic and IELTS General training have the same speaking and listening parts, only the reading
and writing syllabus varies. The general syllabus is mentioned below.
Listening: It has conversations and monologues which the candidates are allowed to listen to once.
After that, they have to answer questions related to the conversation/monologue that they heard and
do so in a limited time.
Reading: In the reading section, passages are given that may include charts/diagrams. Candidates
have to carefully study the passages and diagrams and answer related questions.
Writing: This section comprises two writing tasks. One task has a word limit of 150 words and the
other has a limit of 250 words.
Speaking: In this, candidates have to sit in a face to face interview. They have to answer questions,
speak on something they know about and have structured discussions.
IELTS General
IELTS General training is the test taken to prove proficiency in the English language when going for
secondary education, work experience or in some cases, migration. A general syllabus has been mentioned
above. IELTS General and IELTS Academic differ only in reading and writing sections depending on the
requirements. The reading and writing syllabus for IELTS General Training is mentioned below.
The candidates have to read extracts from books, newspapers, company handbooks, notices
etcetera. This is very important for reading General IELTS.
It has 3 sections. The third section contains one long passage. The rest contain passages or different
excerpts.
These are mostly general stuff that one may encounter in an English speaking environment.
The passages have to be read thoroughly followed by questions that have to be answered.
Two essays, one of 150 and another of 250 words, are to be written within 60 minutes.
The 150-word essay is generally a letter or something explaining a situation and proving points.
The other essay requires a proper structure along with relevant and grammatically correct content.
IELTS Academic
Academic IELTS is taken by students seeking admission for higher studies or any other professional
registration. The listening and speaking part is the same for both and is mentioned above. However, the slight
difference in reading and writing parts are mentioned below.
The reading section comprises passages that are generally factual or analytical and are taken from
books, magazines and journals.
It has 3 reading passages with many task types.
The topics are general that are understandable by students getting admitted to undergraduate
courses.
The 150 words writing task will consist of a chart, graph or picture which has to be described and
analyzed.
The second task is an essay generally a response to an argument and stating a point of view
IELTS Exam Pattern and Syllabus
The different sections of the test and IELTS pattern are discussed in the table below.
Section Pattern Time
4 recordings – 2 monologues and 2 conversations
Listening 30 minutes
10 questions based on each recording
Writing 2 essays – one of 150 words another of 250 words 60 minutes
Interview
Speaking Speaking on a topic for up to 2 minutes 11 – 14 minutes
Follow up questions and discussion of ideas related to the speech
3 sections having passages
Reading 60 minutes
Total 40 follow up questions
IELTS Academic Vs General
There are some differences between the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests.
IELTS Academic IELTS General Training
It is taken to prove English language proficiency It is needed for proof of English language proficiency
in an academic environment. in day to day context.
It can be taken for studying undergraduate or It is needed for studying anything below degree level
postgraduate level. like secondary education.
It can be taken by people seeking a job in People wanting to migrate to another English
English speaking countries. speaking country are required to take this.
It is also used by some multinational companies as
It can only be used for academic purposes.
proof of English language proficiency.
FAQs
1. What is the syllabus for the IELTS exam?
The exam tests four sections. There is no hard and fast syllabus for this but the pattern is fixed and
candidates prepare accordingly. The syllabus and pattern have been mentioned above.
2. What is the eligibility for IELTS?
The minimum age allowed is 16 and the candidate must have a valid passport.
3. What is the passing score for IELTS?
A score of band 7 is excellent. Different institutions, corporations and countries require different scores.
4. Is IELTS difficult to pass?
IELTS is a tough exam for which preparation is required. With apt preparation, it can be passed easily.
Students who have completed education from an English medium school can pass this without much difficulty.
