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IELTS Exam Syllabus 2024

IELTS Exam Syllabus 2024

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IELTS Exam Syllabus

The IELTS Exam Syllabus is an essential guide for students preparing for the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam. Whether you are planning to study, work, or migrate abroad, understanding the IELTS exam syllabus is the first step towards achieving a high band score. The IELTS exam is recognised globally and is accepted by countries like the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many others. 

It assesses your English language proficiency in four sections: writing, reading, listening, and speaking. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the IELTS exam syllabus, including the two main types of IELTS exams - Academic and General Training, key highlights about the syllabus, exam pattern, and marking criteria. Read on to get detailed insights and prepare effectively for your IELTS exam.

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a globally recognised English language proficiency test taken by individuals who wish to study, work, or migrate abroad. The IELTS syllabus consists of four sections: writing, reading, listening, and speaking. Both the Academic and General Training versions of the test have the same listening and speaking sections, but the reading and writing sections vary.

IELTS Academic

The IELTS Academic test is designed for candidates who want to pursue higher education or professional registration in English-speaking countries. It assesses the English language proficiency required for academic purposes and tests skills such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Countries like the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand accept IELTS scores for studies. The total duration of the test is 2 hours and 45 minutes.

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IELTS General Training


The IELTS General Training test is suitable for those who wish to attend secondary school training programs or gain work experience in English-speaking countries. It assesses English language skills in the context of social and workplace environments. This test is also relevant for applicants intending to immigrate to countries like the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Key Highlights of the IELTS Syllabus

 

The IELTS syllabus 2024 encompasses four sections, each testing different language skills. For both the Academic and General Training tests, the listening and speaking sections are the same, while the reading and writing sections differ slightly. Here is a brief overview of each section:

  • Listening: Four recordings, including 2 conversations and 2 monologues, related to social and academic contexts. 40 questions, 30 minutes duration.
  • Reading: Three reading passages with different question types, sourced from books, journals, etc., 40 questions, 60 minutes duration.
  • Writing: Task 1 involves a 150-word essay based on a given chart, map, diagram, or letter. Task 2 involves a 250-word essay based on a given situation. 2 tasks, 60 minutes duration.
  • Speaking: Part 1 is a personal interview, Part 2 involves speaking in detail on a familiar topic, and Part 3 involves a structured discussion: 3 parts, 11-14 minutes duration.

Sections

Description

Number of questions/Duration

Marks

Band Descriptors/Band score

Listening

Four recordings, including 2 conversations and 2 monologues related to social and academic contexts.

40 questions/30 minutes

1 mark per question

0-9 band scale

Reading

Three reading passages with different question types, sourced from books, journals, etc.

40 questions/60 minutes

1 mark per question

0-9 band scale

Writing

Task 1: 150-word essay based on a given chart, map, diagram, or letter. Task 2: 250-word essay based on a given situation.

2 tasks/60 minutes

Both writing tasks 1 and 2 are evaluated separately. Task 2 carries more weightage than Task 1.

Task Achievement (Task 1), Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and cohesion, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy

Speaking

Part 1: Personal interview. Part 2: Task Card. Part 3: Structured discussion.

3 parts/11-14 minutes

-

Fluency and coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy, Pronunciation

IELTS Listening Syllabus

 

The IELTS Listening Syllabus includes four sections, each with ten questions. The sections focus on social and educational contexts, and you'll be required to listen to conversations and monologues and answer questions accordingly. The four recordings include a conversation between two people, a monologue speech, a conversation between up to four people, and a monologue speech on an academic basis. 

Question types include multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary/sentence completion. The listening test lasts for 30 minutes, with an additional 10 minutes to transfer answers to the answer sheet. This pattern is the same for both the academic and general training types of the IELTS exam.

IELTS Reading Syllabus

 

The IELTS Reading syllabus is divided into academic and general training tests, each comprising three sections or passages. For the academic test, the three long texts can be descriptive, factual, discursive, or analytical and may include non-verbal materials such as diagrams, graphs, or illustrations. The passages are sourced from books, magazines, journals, and newsletters suitable for non-specialist audiences seeking higher education or professional registration. For the general training test, the passages are taken from notices, advertisements, newspapers, magazines, books, company handbooks, and guidelines. The three sections include social survival, workplace survival, and general reading. 

Question types for both tests include multiple choice, identifying information/views/claims, matching information/headings/features/sentence endings, summary/note/table/diagram label/flow-chart completion, and short-answer questions. Both tests last 60 minutes and include 40 questions.

IELTS Writing Syllabus


The IELTS Writing syllabus also varies for the academic and general training tests, but both include two tasks to be completed in 60 minutes. For the academic test, Task 1 involves writing a 150-word essay to describe, summarise, or explain a graph, chart, table, or diagram, whereas Task 2 requires writing a 250-word essay responding to a viewpoint, argument, or problem. For the general training test, Task 1 involves writing a 150-word letter requesting information or explaining a situation, and Task 2 involves writing a 250-word essay responding to a viewpoint, argument, or problem. Task 2 essays for both tests must be written in a formal style, whereas Task 1 letters for the general training test can be formal, semi-formal, or informal.

IELTS Speaking Syllabus

 

The IELTS Speaking syllabus is the same for both the academic and general training tests. It involves a face-to-face oral interview session comprising three parts: introduction and interview, long turn, and discussion. Part 1 lasts 4-5 minutes and involves introducing yourself and answering questions on general topics. Part 2 lasts 3-4 minutes, including 1 minute of preparation time, and involves speaking about a topic given on a task card. Part 3 lasts 4-5 minutes and involves discussing more abstract ideas and issues related to the Part 2 topic. The entire speaking test lasts 11-14 minutes and is recorded for evaluation.

10 Key Points of the IELTS Syllabus


  • Two types of IELTS tests: Academic and General Training.
  • There are four sections: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
  • Academic and general reading involves three passages with 40 questions to be completed in 60 minutes.
  • Academic and general writing involves two tasks to be completed in 60 minutes.
  • Academic writing task 1 involves a 150-word essay analysing a given visual representation in 20 minutes.
  • General writing task 1 involves writing a 150-word essay in the form of a letter for a given situation in 20 minutes.
  • Writing task 2 involves responding to a viewpoint, argument, or problem in a 250-word essay.
  • Listening involves four recordings with 40 questions to be completed in 30 minutes plus 10 minutes of transfer time.
  • Speaking involves three parts conducted for 11-14 minutes.

The IELTS exam syllabus is comprehensive and designed to assess a range of English language skills. It includes listening, reading, writing, and speaking sections, each with specific question types and topics. The academic and general training tests vary in terms of the reading and writing sections, but the listening and speaking sections are the same for both. Understanding the IELTS syllabus in Bangladesh or any other country is crucial for effective preparation and success in the exam. Moreover, recent IELTS exam questions in Bangladesh or the IELTS question paper in Bangladesh can be helpful for practice and to get an idea of the kind of questions you might encounter.

If you are preparing for the IELTS exam in 2024, make sure you are well-versed with the IELTS syllabus 2024 and practice with recent exam questions and papers. Additionally, seeking guidance from IELTS counsellors in Bangladesh, like AECC, can provide valuable resources and expertise to help you achieve your desired score.

For comprehensive guidance and expert IELTS Syllabus, trust AECC's dedicated services to illuminate your path forward.

Frequently Asked Questions
 

What is the IELTS test format, and how long does it take?

The IELTS test format includes four sections: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The total test time is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes.

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