Everything you need for all four skills: what the test asks, how it's scored, the strategy for every question type, and Band 8–9 model answers you can copy the technique from.
IELTS Academic is for people applying to universities, colleges, or professional bodies (such as medical or nursing registration) in English-speaking countries. You sit Listening, Reading and Writing back-to-back with no break — about 2 hours 45 minutes — and the Speaking test is a separate face-to-face interview on the same day or up to a week apart.
| Skill | Time | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | ~30 min + transfer | 4 recordings, 40 questions. Everyday and academic situations. Heard once only. |
| Reading | 60 min | 3 long academic passages, 40 questions. No extra transfer time. |
| Writing | 60 min | Task 1: describe a graph/chart/map/process (150 words). Task 2: essay (250 words). |
| Speaking | 11–14 min | Face-to-face interview in 3 parts, recorded. |
Each skill gets a band from 0 to 9 (in half steps). Your Overall Band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band. For example, Listening 6.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 6.0, Speaking 7.0 averages to 6.5.
| Band | Level | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 8.0–9.0 | Expert / very good | Top universities, competitive professional registration |
| 7.0–7.5 | Good user | Most universities and skilled-migration streams |
| 6.0–6.5 | Competent | Many undergraduate courses and visas |
| 5.0–5.5 | Modest | Foundation/pathway programmes |
The questions are identical. On computer you type your answers and results come faster (3–5 days). The one real difference is in Listening: on paper you get 10 minutes at the end to copy answers onto the answer sheet; on computer you get only 2 minutes to check, because you type as you go. Speaking is a live examiner either way.
Work through each skill tab below, then test yourself free.
🎙️ Free speaking mock 📊 Free band checkYou hear four recordings and answer 10 questions on each. They get harder as you go. The audio plays once only, so the real skill is staying with the speaker and predicting what's coming.
| Part | What you hear |
|---|---|
| Part 1 | A conversation between two people in an everyday setting (e.g. booking a hotel, joining a gym). |
| Part 2 | A monologue on an everyday topic (e.g. a talk about a local event or facility). |
| Part 3 | A discussion between up to four people in a study context (e.g. students and a tutor). |
| Part 4 | An academic monologue — a short university-style lecture. The hardest part. |
Multiple choiceMatchingPlan / map / diagram labellingForm / note / table / flow-chart completionSentence completionShort answer
Complete the form. Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Booking name: Sarah (1) __________
Number of nights: (2) __________
Room type: (3) __________ with sea view
Contact number: (4) __________
Audio (paraphrased): "…that's under the name Sarah Whitfield, W-H-I-T-F-I-E-L-D… we'll stay for four nights… a double room, and yes, can we have one facing the sea?… my mobile is 0-7-8-double 4, 2-1-9."
(1) Whitfield — it's spelled out, so copy exactly. (2) 4 / four. (3) double — "with sea view" is already printed, so only "double" fits the gap. (4) 0784421 9 → 078442 19, i.e. 07844219; "double 4" = 44. Listen for "double/triple" before numbers.
Do a few practice sections daily and always review what you missed.
🎧 Free listening practice linksThree long academic texts from books, journals and newspapers, 2,150–2,750 words in total. The biggest challenge is time: about 20 minutes per passage, and there is no extra transfer time — answers must be on the sheet within the hour.
Multiple choiceTrue / False / Not GivenYes / No / Not GivenMatching informationMatching headingsMatching featuresMatching sentence endingsSentence completionSummary/table/flow-chart completionDiagram labellingShort answer
| Answer | Meaning |
|---|---|
| True | The text clearly says the same thing. |
| False | The text clearly says the opposite. |
| Not Given | The text doesn't say — you can't confirm or deny it from the passage. |
Passage extract: "The honeybee communicates the location of food through a 'waggle dance'. The angle of the dance indicates direction relative to the sun, while its duration signals distance. Researchers first decoded this behaviour in the mid-20th century, though debate continues over how precisely other bees interpret it."
1. The waggle dance shows both direction and distance to food.
2. The waggle dance was fully understood as soon as it was discovered.
3. Honeybees dance more often in warmer weather.
1. True — "angle… indicates direction" + "duration signals distance". 2. False — "debate continues" contradicts "fully understood". 3. Not Given — the text never mentions weather frequency, so we can't confirm it.
Match a heading to each paragraph. The heading captures the paragraph's main idea, not a small detail. Read the first and last sentences, decide the topic in your own words, then find the heading that matches. Cross off headings as you use them.
Speed comes from doing timed passages, then reviewing every wrong answer.
📖 Free reading testsSpend about 20 minutes on Task 1 (at least 150 words) and 40 minutes on Task 2 (at least 250 words). Task 2 is worth twice as much, so never let Task 1 eat your time.
| Criterion | What the examiner wants |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Response | You fully answer the question, cover all parts, and (Task 1) report the key data accurately. |
| Coherence & Cohesion | Clear paragraphs, logical order, smooth linking words used naturally. |
| Lexical Resource | A range of accurate vocabulary, used appropriately (not memorised chunks). |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | A mix of sentence types with few errors. |
You get a graph, chart, table, map, or process diagram and must describe the key features in your own words. Do not give opinions — only report what you see.
Task 1 prompt:
The chart below shows the percentage of households with internet access in three countries in 2005, 2012 and 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
(Data: Country A 30% → 65% → 88%; Country B 45% → 70% → 90%; Country C 12% → 40% → 75%.)
The bar chart illustrates how the proportion of households with internet access changed in three countries — A, B and C — across three years: 2005, 2012 and 2020.
Overall, internet access rose sharply in all three countries over the period. While Country B led at the start, all three had converged to broadly similar, high levels by 2020, with Country C showing by far the steepest growth.
In 2005, Country B had the widest access at 45%, followed by Country A at 30%, whereas only 12% of households in Country C were connected. By 2012, the gap had narrowed considerably: Country B reached 70% and Country A 65%, while Country C more than tripled its figure to 40%.
By 2020, the three countries had almost equalised. Country B remained marginally ahead at 90%, with Country A close behind at 88%. Country C, despite starting lowest, had surged to 75% — an increase of 63 percentage points over the fifteen years, the largest rise of any country.
You respond to an argument, opinion or problem in about 250+ words. Common question types: opinion (agree/disagree), discussion (both views), problem & solution, and advantages/disadvantages.
Task 2 prompt (opinion):
Some people believe that university education should be free for all students. Others think students should pay for it themselves. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
The question of who should fund higher education — the state or the individual — is increasingly debated. While some argue that university should be free to ensure equal opportunity, others maintain that students who benefit should bear the cost. In my view, a mixed system that keeps tuition affordable is the fairest solution.
Those who support free education point to fairness and social benefit. When cost is removed, talented students from poorer families can attend on merit alone, rather than being priced out. Society as a whole gains too: a country with more doctors, engineers and teachers is more productive and innovative. Nations such as Germany, where public universities charge no tuition, demonstrate that widening access need not lower quality.
On the other hand, completely free education is expensive and is ultimately funded by taxpayers, many of whom never attend university. Supporters of tuition fees argue that graduates earn significantly more over their lifetimes, so it is reasonable for them to contribute to a qualification that primarily benefits them. Charging fees can also give students a stronger incentive to take their studies seriously.
In my opinion, neither extreme is ideal. The most equitable approach is to subsidise tuition heavily so that no capable student is excluded, while asking graduates to repay a modest, income-linked share once they are earning. This balances opportunity with responsibility.
In conclusion, although both positions have merit, I believe a partially funded model — affordable for students yet sustainable for the state — best serves individuals and society alike.
Paste any Task 1 or Task 2 answer and see your band on all four criteria, with fixes in your language.
📊 Check my writing bandA one-to-one conversation with an examiner (recorded). It's the same for Academic and General Training. You're scored on four things, each worth 25%:
| Criterion | What it means |
|---|---|
| Fluency & Coherence | Speaking at a natural speed without long pauses; ideas that connect logically. |
| Lexical Resource | A range of vocabulary, including less common words and paraphrasing. |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | A mix of simple and complex sentences with few errors. |
| Pronunciation | Being easy to understand — clear sounds, word stress and intonation. Your accent is fine. |
Familiar topics: home, work, studies, hobbies, food, weather. Give answers of 2–3 sentences — not one word, not a speech.
Q: Do you enjoy cooking?
"Yes, I really do — I find it quite relaxing after a long day. I'm not a professional by any means, but I love experimenting with spicy dishes from my region. What I enjoy most is cooking for family, because sharing a meal you've made yourself feels really rewarding."
You get a card with a topic and 1 minute to prepare notes, then speak for 1–2 minutes alone. Use your minute to jot keywords for each bullet.
Describe a skill you would like to learn.
You should say:
– what the skill is
– why you want to learn it
– how you would learn it
– and explain how it would change your life.
"The skill I'd love to master is public speaking. [what] I've always admired people who can stand in front of a crowd and speak with confidence and clarity. [why] The main reason I want to learn it is that it would help me enormously in my career — I often have good ideas in meetings but hold back because I get nervous. [how] I'd probably start by joining a group like Toastmasters, where you practise regularly in a supportive setting, and I'd record myself to track my progress. [how it would change my life] Honestly, I think it would be life-changing. Being able to express myself clearly would open doors professionally, and just as importantly, it would make me feel far more self-assured in everyday situations."
Deeper, more abstract questions linked to your Part 2 topic. This is where you show band 7+ by discussing ideas, not just yourself.
Q: Do you think schools focus enough on practical skills?
"That's an interesting question. I'd argue that many schools still lean heavily towards academic subjects, and practical skills like communication or financial literacy are often overlooked. On the one hand, exams push teachers to prioritise theory; on the other, employers increasingly say graduates lack real-world abilities. Personally, I think a better balance — perhaps dedicated lessons in problem-solving and teamwork — would prepare young people far more effectively for life after school."
Our AI coach runs a full 3-part mock with a real voice, scores you, and shows your exact mistakes — with feedback in your language.
🎙️ Start a free speaking mock