IELTS Academic Test Format: Everything You Need to Know

The IELTS Academic test is a popular English proficiency test, especially for those who look for higher education in English-speaking countries.

In this post, Lume Test will explain the details of this worldly-accepted test, its format, band score, registration process, and basic tips for success.

Follow along!   

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Key Takeaways 

• The IELTS Academic test is proof of English proficiency for those who want to pursue higher education or work in professional fields.
• The IELTS test format includes 4 sections: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
• The cost of the exam varies depending on the country (details in a section below).
• The registration process is straightforward and can be done online.
• The last part of this blog includes useful tips for all IELTS takers. 

Related:

• FREE online IELTS practice tests
• IELTS study plan
• IDP IELTS vs British Council IELTS

What Is IELTS Academic? Who Needs It?

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System, which is used worldwide as a criterion for studying, working, and migrating visas.

The test is recognized in more than 11,000 organizations (including schools, colleges, universities, governments, industry, and professional bodies) in 140 countries. 

IELTS Academic is one of the two types of the test. 

The exam’s purpose is to assess your English language proficiency at an academic level, regardless of education, background, etc. 

The test includes 4 sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.

Candidates usually are asked to achieve IELTS Academic when they want to:

• Attend undergraduate and postgraduate courses in English-speaking countries (or English programs).
• Study at a UK Student-Route-Sponsored University. 
• Work in a professional field, such as a doctor, nurse, lawyer, or teacher. 

IELTS Test Format Explained

This table shows basic information about the IELTS Academic test format:

Section	Time allowed	Number of parts	Number of questions	Scoring
Listening	30 minutes to listen and 10 minutes to transfer the answers to the answer sheet	4	40 (each part 10 questions)	You’ll get 1 mark for each correct answer. The final score can be whole or half bands.
Reading	60 minutes (transferring answer time is included)	3 (The total text length is up to 2750 words)	40	You’ll get 1 mark for each correct answer. The final score can be whole or half bands.
Writing	Task 1: 20 minutes Task 2: 40 minutes	2		Task 1 contributes 30% to the writing score, and task 2 contributes 60%. Students use complete BOTH parts.
Speaking	11–14 minutes	3	Up to 20	Fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range, accuracy, and pronunciation are 4 criteria to assess the candidate’s performance.

Listening

Part 1 and Part  2 are about daily situations.

There are two speakers in Part 1 (conversation) and one speaker in Part 2 (speech).

Parts 3 and 4 are more difficult, with educational and training settings. 

In part 3, two speakers will have a discussion (for example, about a student’s discussion or a tutor’s guide).

Meanwhile, in part 4, one speaker will talk about an academic subject.

Candidates will face various accents, including North American, British, Austrian, and New Zealand.

Reading

The text in 3 parts of the reading section is selected from books, magazines, newspapers, journals, and online resources. 

Their topics are suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The text’s writing styles are varied. 

Sometimes, the text may include a picture, graph, or diagram.

The questions are designed to test a candidate’s understanding, grammar, and logical thinking.

Writing

In Task 1, a graph, chart, diagram, or table will be given. 

Candidates need to describe the information by writing at least 150 words within 20 minutes.

Task 2 is about giving an idea, point of view, or argument to the given issue.

Students need to complete a writing of at least 250 words within 40 minutes.

Speaking

Candidates will have a face-to-face interview with an examiner.

Their performance will be recorded.

Part 1 is about the candidate’s personal information and interest. 

For example, they will be asked questions about their family, home, or study.

In part 2, students will have a card asking about a particular topic.

They will have 1 minute to prepare the answer and 2 minutes to present.

Part 3 continues with further questions on the given topic of Part 2.

How Much Does It Cost? 

The cost of the IELTS test varies depending on countries and test versions. 

Here’s the details:

Country	Registration Fee	Country	Registration Fee
The US	$215 to $310 USD	Ethiopia	160 GBP
The UK	£175 to £205 GBP	Fiji	540 FJD
Australia	$410 AUD	Finland	250 EUR
Canada	$335 to $410 CAD	France	€235
China	1,990 CNY	Georgia	462 GEL
India	INR 15,350 to INR 16,500	Germany	€229
Afghanistan	$240 USD	Ghana	1296 GHS
Albania	170 EUR	Greece	€201
Algeria	29000 DZD	Guatemala	3,465 MXN
Argentina	$9325 AR	Honduras	380 USD
Armenia	92,400 AMD	Hungary	62,800 Ft
Austria	235 EUR	Indonesia	2,900,000 Rp
Azerbaijan	350 AZN	Iran	30,500,000 IRR
Bahrain	100 BHD	Iraq	265 USD
Bangladesh	17,000 BDT	Ireland	200 EUR
Belarus	430 BYN	Israel	1200 ILS
Belgium	235 to 247 EUR	Italy	€238
Benin	35,000 NGN	Jamaica	$34,000 JMD
Bhutan	12,100 INR	Japan	25,380 JPY
Bosnia and Herzegovina	400 BAM	Jordan	145 to 155 JOD
Botswana	2,625.00 P	Kazakhstan	54000 to 67000 KZT
Brazil	840 BRL	Kenya	23,660 KES
Brunei	$335 B	Kiribati	505 NZD
Bulgaria	405 BGN	Kosovo	170 EUR
Cambodia	185 USD	Kuwait	80 KWD
Cameroon	150,000 FRS	Kyrgyzstan	11,500 KGS
Colombia	$634,000 COP	Laos	$200
Costa Rica	$215 USD	Latvia	190 EUR
Cote d’Ivoire	200 INR GBP	Lebanon	205 USD
Croatia	1,696 HRK	Libya	475 LYD
Cuba	233.00 CUC	Lithuania	202 EUR
Cyprus	€204.00	Madagascar	EUR 220
Czechia	6050 CZK	Malawi	190,000 MWK
Denmark	DKK 1,895	Malaysia	795 MYR
Dominican Republic	455 USD	Maldives	200 GBP
Ecuador	230 USD	Malta	210 EUR
Egypt	2900 EGP	Mauritius	6,700 MUR
El Salvador	6,300 MXN	Mexico	3,600 MXN
Estonia	195 EUR	Mongolia	575,900 MNT
Montenegro	200 EUR	Morocco	2500 MAD
Mozambique	15,720.00 MZN	Myanmar	270,000 MMK
Namibia	3,620 NAD	Nepal	19,500 NPR
Netherlands	225 EUR	New Zealand	$385 NZ
Nigeria	75,000 N	Macedonia	12000 MKD
Norway	3,000 NOK	Oman	85 OMR
Pakistan	25,400 to 29,464 Rs.	Palestine	925 NIS
Panama	230 USD	Papua New Guinea	$340 AUD
Paraguay	277 USD	Peru	750 PEN
Philippines	10,680 PHP	Poland	790 PLN
Portugal	231 EUR	Qatar	1000 QAR
Romania	935 RON	Russia	14,000 to 23,000 RUB
Rwanda	£185	Samoa	505 NZD
Saudi Arabia	1,155 SAR	Senegal	142,000 CFA
Serbia	25,000 RSD	Singapore	365 SGD
Slovakia	€209	Slovenia	236 EUR
Solomon Islands	475 NZD	South Africa	3,620 ZAR
South Korea	￦260,000	Spain	€220
Sri Lanka	25,100 LKR	Sudan	177.6 GBP
Sweden	2,500 SEK	Switzerland	369 CHF
Taiwan	7,000 NTD	Tajikistan	220 USD
Tanzania	568,000 TZS	Thailand	6,900 THB
Timor-Leste	205 USD	Trinidad and Tobago	2200 TTD
Tunisia	420 TND	Turkey	990 TL
Turkmenistan	200 GBP	Uganda	912,000 UGX
Ukraine	4125 UAH	United Arab Emirates (UAE)	1092 AED
Uruguay	250 USD	Uzbekistan	1,335,600 UZS
Venezuela	220 USD	Vietnam	4,750,000 VND
Zambia	2,700 ZMW	Zimbabwe	265 USD

How To Register?

Follow these steps to register for an IELTS test:

Step 1. Visit the official IELTS website to choose the test type

After entering the site, click on “Register for test.” 

Then, you choose the IELTS Academic option. 

Select IELTS on paper or IELTS on computer based on your preference and convenience. 

Step 2. Select the test’s location

Next, choose the country, city, and the location of the center where you want to take the test. 

Step 3. Pick a date and time

Check the available date and time list and select the suitable one. 

Step 4.  Fill up the form

In this step, candidates should complete an online application by providing their personal information as required. 

Plus, you need to upload a copy of your passport. 

Step 5. Proceed with payment

You’ll pay the fee online by Master debit, Visa, or Credit card. 

Ensure your card’s validity and activate online transactions.

Once you complete the process, you’ll get a confirmation email or phone message about your booking.

How Long Do The Results Stay Valid?

Typically, your score will be valid for 2 years (counting from the test’s date). 

After this period, the result is usually considered officially invalid for most visa applications, regardless of purpose.

Therefore, you need to retake the test to update your score.

However, in some cases, the result is still accepted even though it exceeds the 2-year mark.

Thus, confirm the score validity requirements with the organizations or institutions you are applying to.

Related:

• How to send IELTS scores to universites

IELTS Academic Test Band Score Explanation

You will get a band score for each skill section and the overall band score, which is the average.

The result can be a whole or half score (for example, 6.5).

Here’s an example of how the candidates’ scores are pushed to half or whole scores:

Overall score	How it’s rounded up or down
7.1	7.0
7.85	8.0
7.25	7.5
7.75	8.0

The score level of the IELTS Academic test

Band score	Level
9	Expert
8	Very good
7	Good
6	Competent
5	Modest

Listening band score:

Correct Answers	Band scores
39-40	9
37-38	8.5
35-36	8
32-34	7.5
30-31	7
26-29	6.5
23-25	6
18-22	5.5
16-17	5
13-15	4.5
11-12	4

Reading band score

Correct Answers	Band scores
39-40	9
37-38	8.5
35-36	8
33-34	7.5
30-32	7
27-29	6.5
23-26	6
19-22	5.5
15-18	5
13-14	4.5
10-12	4
8-9	3.5
6-7	3
4-5	2.5

Writing Criteria

Writing score will be given based on 4 criteria (each contributes equally 25% to the final score).

They are Task achievement (task 1)/ task response (task 2), coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, and grammar. 

Speaking criteria

Your mark will be based on 4 criteria, each accounting for 25%.

They include fluency, lexical resources, grammar range and accuracy, and pronunciation. 

Useful Tips To Ace IELTS Academic Test

General Tips

Build a study plan

Having a tailored plan will make your practicing process go smoothly.

Start your day with a schedule so that you know what to aim for each day.

It also helps you avoid being overloaded or overstressed since you know what to practice as planned. 

Select study material

There are sources online where you can find suitable study material.

If you’re not sure about your level, attending IELTS preparation courses is a good idea.

The center will evaluate your level, assign you to the proper course, and provide materials, tips, and tricks. 

Identify your weakness

One of the useful tactics to improve your score is to work on your weaknesses.

Once you know what can negatively affect your score, focus more on it.

For example, if you’re not good at writing, build a schedule so that you can have time to practice more on it than other skills. 

Work on pronunciation

If you can pronounce words correctly and clearly, there are more chances that others will understand you and vice versa. 

Ensure you can identify different pronunciations so that it will help you understand spoken English in the IELTS Academic test. 

Record yourself

Recording yourself is a useful way to evaluate your speaking ability.

After recording, listen again to the record, fix your pronunciation and grammar, and improve your content of speech.

Pay attention to word limits

While practicing, build a bit to notice and follow the word limit requirements; otherwise, you will lose marks in the real test.

The writing task’s word limits are 150 and 250 words. 

You will also often need to provide the answer of “no more than (a certain) word(s)” in other tasks. 

Do mock tests

Mock tests are a good source to sharpen your skills before the real exam.

It’s highly advisable to read feedback after finishing a mock test.

This way, you’ll understand your level and identify the skill that needs to be improved.

Practice under time pressure

The time pressure in a real test can be a challenge that affects your results.

Practicing with a clock or timer next to you will help you get used to the time frame and manage it better.

Tips For Each Section

Here are the most highlighted tips to get a good score in all sections in the IELTS test format.

Listening

• Make use of a few seconds before the audio starts to skim all the questions.
• Pay attention to the date format.
• If you think there’s a technical issue that prevents you from hearing the recordings, inform it immediately.
• Remember that there will be different accents in the audio. 

Reading

• Reading all the questions and underlining keywords before reading will provide you with a general idea of what the content will be. 
• Once you face a difficult question, don’t spend too much time on it. 
• Skip it and come back later if you have enough time.

Writing

• It’s advisable to do task 2 first since it contributes more to your score.
• Write as tidily as possible. 
• Keep in mind that spoken English is not allowed. 

Speaking

• Listen to the judge carefully. 
• Don’t respond if you think you don’t understand the question correctly. 
• It’s okay to ask the examiner to repeat or clarify.
• Lastly, believe in yourself, relax, and try your best. 

Conclusion

The IELTS Academic test evaluates non-native speakers’ English skills in listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

The exam is a key criterion for starting your future in education and global migration.

Candidates should understand its format and devote themselves to practicing before the real exam for the best result.

(Read our Vietnamese version here)

Want to FINALLY Pass the IELTS Academic Test And Reach Your Goals? Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock… ✅ 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers ✅ FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring ✅ Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan GET YOUR FREE ACCOUNT NOW (Limited seats available!)