IELTS Guides and Tips

📖 Reading

True, False, Not Given in IELTS Reading

Answer TRUE when the passage says the same thing as the statement, FALSE when the passage says the opposite, and NOT GIVEN when the passage does not tell you either way. Yes, No, Not Given works the same way, but tests the writer's opinions and claims instead of facts.

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Matching Headings in IELTS Reading

Choose the heading that sums up the main idea of the whole paragraph, not one detail in it. There are more headings than paragraphs, so some are distractors that pick up words from the passage without matching its main point.

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Matching Information in IELTS Reading

You are told what kind of information to find (an example, a reason, a comparison, a date) and must say which paragraph contains it. The statements are not in passage order, and a paragraph can be the answer more than once unless the instructions say otherwise.

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Sentence, Summary and Note Completion in IELTS Reading

Fill each gap with words taken exactly from the passage, within the word limit in the instructions, so that the sentence is grammatically correct and means what the passage says. One word too many makes the answer wrong.

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Multiple Choice in IELTS Reading

Find the part of the passage the question is about, work out the answer from it, then choose the option that says the same thing in different words. Wrong options are often true statements from the passage that do not answer the question.

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🎧 Listening

Form and Note Completion in IELTS Listening

Part 1 is a conversation about an everyday situation, and you complete a form or notes with names, numbers, dates and short phrases. Read ahead to predict each answer, write exactly what you hear within the word limit, and watch for speakers who correct themselves.

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Map and Plan Labelling in IELTS Listening

You hear someone describe a place and match each building or area to a letter on a map or plan. Find the starting point and the compass or entrance before the audio starts, then follow the speaker's route using direction words such as opposite, next to and at the far end.

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Multiple Choice and Matching in IELTS Listening

Most or all of the options are mentioned in the recording, so hearing a word is not enough. Listen for the option that actually answers the question, and wait for the speaker to finish, because they often reject one idea before giving the real answer.

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✍️ Writing

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

Describe the main features of a chart, table, map or process in at least 150 words, in about 20 minutes. Start with a paraphrase of the task, give a clear overview of the main trends, then support it with key figures and comparisons. Do not give opinions or reasons.

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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: the Letter

Write a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes that covers all three bullet points in the task. Decide first whether it is formal, semi-formal or informal from who you are writing to, then keep the tone, opening and closing consistent with that choice.

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IELTS Writing Task 2: the Essay

Write an essay of at least 250 words in about 40 minutes that answers every part of the question with a clear position. Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1, so give it the time: plan for five minutes, then write an introduction, two developed body paragraphs and a conclusion.

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🗣️ Speaking

The IELTS Speaking Test: Parts 1, 2 and 3

The Speaking test is an 11–14 minute conversation with an examiner in three parts: questions about familiar topics, a one-to-two-minute talk on a cue card after one minute to prepare, and a discussion of more abstract ideas linked to the cue card topic. It is marked on fluency and coherence, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

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📊 Bands and modules

IELTS Band Descriptors Explained

Writing and Speaking are marked on four criteria, each given a whole band from 0 to 9. The task band is the average of the four criteria, and your overall IELTS band is the average of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, rounded to the nearest half band.

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IELTS Academic vs General Training

Take Academic for university study and some professional registration, and General Training for work, training or migration. Listening and Speaking are the same in both; Reading and Writing Task 1 are different, and General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band.

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