Updated on Jun 27, 2025
Ankita Banerjee
IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern has major parts: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The exam format has been designed to assess the English proficiency of non-English speakers. Also, there are two different tests held in IELTS 2025, which include Academic and General Training. The Academic version is conducted for students who wish to move abroad for study purposes. On the other hand, the General Training version is for students who want to move abroad for work and immigration purposes. The Speaking and Listening tests are the same in both versions, but the Reading and Writing tests are different.
IELTS Exam 2025 is conducted for a duration of 2 hours and 45 minutes. For each section of the exam, a specific time is allocated. The Reading and the Writing sections are held for 60 minutes each, whereas the Listening section is held for 30 minutes. 11-14 minutes are allocated for the Speaking section. Based on the IELTS Exam 2025 format, the Listening section includes 4 recordings, the Reading section includes 40 questions on 3 comprehension tasks, and the Writing section contains 2 tasks. The speaking section comprises a face-to-face interview. Read the full article to know about the detailed IELTS Exam Pattern 2025, including the exam structure, syllabus, and question paper pattern.
IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern: Overview
The IELTS exam has four sections, and the Listening, Reading and Writing sections are conducted on the same test day. The test for the Speaking section usually takes place 7 days before or after the test day. The total time allotted for this exam is 2 hours and 45 minutes. Find a quick overview of the IDP IELTS in the table given below:
IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern and Marks Distribution
The marks distribution structure in the IELTS Exam 2025 remains the same, where each of the sections contributes 25% to the overall IELTS band score. Since it is an English proficiency test, there is no pass or fail mark. Also, the scoring system does not include any negative marking in case of wrong answers. Students are scored either on full or half bands, like 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, etc.
The exam for IELTS 2025 is divided into two parts: Academic and General Training. These two exams are conducted for different purposes. The Academic version is for students who wish to study abroad, whereas the General Training is for candidates who want to move abroad for work or immigration purposes in countries like the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, etc.. Both of these versions of exams consist of the Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking sections. The first three sections are conducted on the same day of the test, and the Listening is usually scheduled for a few days before or after the test day. Each section is scored on a band scale ranging from 1 to 9, and students are scored based on the average marks secured in each of the four sections.
Check More: IELTS Application Process 2025
IELTS Exam Pattern 2025: Section-wise
Students who are planning to take the IELTS exam must understand the exam pattern in detail to achieve a higher band score. All four sections of the IELTS exam are important, and each section contributes nearly 25% to the overall score. The Listening section assesses students’ ability to understand English, the Reading section evaluates students’ comprehension of English texts, the Writing section tests students’ ability to express themselves effectively, and finally, the Speaking section assesses candidates’ ability to communicate orally in English. Given below is the detailed section-wise IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern India:
IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern: Listening
As per the IELTS Exam Pattern PDF, the Listening section of this test contains a total of 40 questions, which include matching, note completion, and multiple-choice questions (MCQs). There will be four recorded texts included in the Listening section, among which 2 will be monologues and the other 2 will be conversations. The recordings will be played only once, and they will be in different accents, such as British, North American, Australian, etc. The total duration of this test is 30 minutes. Students can check out all four parts of the IELTS Listening Exam Pattern for the year 2025:
IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern: Reading
The test duration of the Reading section is 30 minutes, and the total number of questions included in this section is 40. The question types are MCQs, True or False, Matching, etc. The Reading section of IELTS 2025 differs on the basis of the Academic and General Training versions. In the Academic version of this section, students will find 3 long passages with accompanying tasks. On the other hand, there will be 4 to 5 texts with tasks for the General Training section. Given below are the details of the Reading section for students’ reference:
IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern: Writing
The IELTS exam duration for the Writing section is 60 minutes. In this section, students will be asked to write two tasks of at least 250 words. The questions of this test are different for the Academic and General Training versions. In the Academic version, students are required to describe and interpret visual information, whereas in the General Training version, students must write a letter and an essay on a general topic. For more details, students can refer to the table shown below:
IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern: Speaking
The Speaking section of IELTS 2025 involves a face-to-face interview for both the General and Academic Training versions. The duration of this section will be 11-14 minutes, and it is recorded for review. Further details are provided in the table below:
Also Read: IELTS Dates 2025
IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern: Question Paper Pattern
The tests for the IELTS 2025 Listening and Speaking sections for the Academic and General Training versions are the same. However, the Reading and Writing sections for these two versions are different. This creates a difference in the IELTS question paper. Before appearing for the IELTS 2025, students must make sure that they go through the question paper format correctly for their version of the test. Given below is the section-wise IELTS 2025 question paper pattern:
IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern: Syllabus
The IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern and Syllabus involves all four sections: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. The total number of questions included in the Listening and Reading sections is 40. The total time given for these sections is 40 minutes and 60 minutes, respectively. The syllabus includes interpreting graphs and tables, writing essays and letters, listening to recordings, answering questions according to them, and many more. Given below is the table containing the detailed IELTS Syllabus 2025, including the scoring criteria:
IELTS 2025 Exam Pattern FAQs
What is the IELTS 2025 exam pattern?
The exam pattern for IELTS 2025 involves a detailed analysis of the IELTS exam, including the types of questions asked, total marks, exam duration and tasks. Students willing to appear for the IELTS 2025 must know the complete exam pattern to achieve a higher band score in this exam.
What are the different sections involved in the IELTS exam 2025?
There are a total of 4 different sections involved in the IELTS 2025: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. These sections assess candidates’ proficiency in different aspects of English. The Reading section evaluates the ability to understand main ideas and texts, the Writing section assesses the ability to express ideas clearly through writing, the Listening section evaluates the understanding of spoken English, and the Speaking section evaluates the ability to speak English effectively.
Is the IELTS exam 2025 the same for the Academic and General Training versions?
The IELTS exam 2025 is the same for the Academic and General Training versions, only for the Listening and Speaking sections. The IELTS 2025 syllabus and the test pattern for these versions are different for the Reading and Writing sections.
What is the Writing exam pattern for IELTS 2025?
In IELTS 2025, the Writing section is conducted differently for the Academic and General Training versions. For the Academic writing sections, students get two tasks, i.e., describing and interpreting visual information and responding to an argument with an essay. For the General Training version, the first task is writing a letter (formal and informal), and the second is writing an essay on a general topic. The total duration of this test will be 60 minutes.
What is the duration of IELTS 2025?
The total exam duration of IELTS 2025 is 2 hours and 45 minutes. However, for each section, a specific time is allotted that students must adhere to while taking this test. Students receive 60 minutes each for the Reading and Writing sections; however, for the Listening test, the duration is 30 minutes, and IELTS Speaking section duration will be 11-14 minutes.
What happens in the Speaking test of IELTS 2025?
The IELTS Speaking section evaluates candidates’ ability to communicate effectively in English, including fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. This section is divided into three parts: Introduction and interview, individual long-turn, and discussion. The test duration for this section will be 11-14 minutes.
What kind of questions are usually covered in the IELTS 2025 Listening section?
The IELTS 2025 Listening section consists of 4 recorded tests, i.e., two monologues and two conversations. There will be recordings, which will be played only once, and the accents will vary (British, North American, Australian, etc.). The context of the questions will include everyday social settings, educational or training settings, or academic subjects.
How are the IELTS 2025 scores calculated?
The IELTS 2025 scores are given in the form of band scores in full or half, such as 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, etc. Each of the four sections contributes 25% to the overall score. There will be no negative marking in case of wrong answers. Hence, only the correct answers will be counted, and based on this, students will receive scores in the form of bands ranging from 1 to 9.
What is the IELTS 2025 Reading syllabus?
The IELTS 2025 Reading syllabus comprises three texts of general interest that deal with issues that are mostly of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students. It consists of a total of 40 questions, and the question types include MCQs, True or False, Matching Headings, Claims, etc.
How can I practise for the IELTS exam?
To prepare for the IELTS exam, students must focus on improving their English skills, understanding the test format, and practising under time constraints. This includes regular practice with sample questions and mock tests, alongside enhancing their grammar, vocabulary, and overall English proficiency.
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