Sufficient good-quality (free) resources are available on the internet to help you on your journey to IELTS success.
The test questions shown here are accurate reproductions of past IELTS test questions, so be wary of any materials which claim to be genuine but are very different to these examples in content and format.
Take a look at the practice test papers below to familiarise yourself with the official IELTS test format, before checking out the links at the bottom of this page for more free test materials and other great resource-rich IELTS study websites.
Listening Test
Allow yourself 33 minutes to complete this test.
The test has 4 sections and 40 questions. Each question is worth 1 mark.
There's a sample IELTS Listening Test answer sheet at the end of the test questions.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Click here to check your answers.
Reading Test
Allow yourself 60 minutes to complete this test.
The test has 4 sections and 40 questions. Each question is worth 1 mark.
There's a sample IELTS Reading Test answer sheet at the end of the test questions.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Click here to check your answers.
Writing Test
The writing test is made up of 2 parts:
- a 150 word descriptive report, followed by a 250 word discursive essay (Academic)
OR
- a 150 word letter, followed by a 250 word discursive essay (General Training)
Allow yourself 60 minutes to complete the writing test.
Task 1 (Ac)
Task 1 is worth a third of the available marks for the writing section, so you should aim to spend around 20 minutes on this task.
Click here to see a model answer to this question.
Task 2 (Ac)
Task 2 is worth two-thirds of the available marks for the writing section, so you should aim to spend around 40 minutes on this task.
Click here to see a model answer to this question.
Task 1 (GT)
Task 1 is worth a third of the available marks for the writing section, so you should aim to spend around 20 minutes on this task.
Click here to see a model answer to this question.
Task 2 (GT)
Task 2 is worth two-thirds of the available marks for the writing section, so you should aim to spend around 40 minutes on this task.
Click here to see a model answer to this question.
The writing task is often the part of the IELTS test in which candidates score lowest. The key to achieving the band score you need is to clearly understand the requirements of the task, be familiar with the IELTS writing assessment critieria and to develop a clear, well-practiced IELTS essay writing technique.
Speaking Test
The Speaking Test has 3 sections and will last 13 - 14 minutes.
One full set of interview questions can be seen below.
Part 1
Introduction and short answer questions (4-5 mins)
Part 2
Long turn (1 minute preparation, 2 minutes talking time)
Part 3
Discussion (4 - 5 minutes)
Many candidates get very nervous before taking the IELTS Speaking Test interview. It is the final part of the IELTS test and it's normal to feel this way. The key to performing well in the Speaking Test is to be familiar with the interview format and content, and to have a clear understanding of the IELTS speaking assessment critieria that the examiner is using to rate your performance.
Have a look at the websites listed below for good quality free practice resources:
Good quality practice resources