IELTS Exam Pattern 2023: Paper Pattern, Marking Scheme

IELTS exam pattern 2023 for each section is discussed below. The exam is conducted in two formats - Academic and General Training. Each organization sets its own entry requirements. In some cases both Academic or General Training may be accepted. If a candidate is in doubt as to which to take, they should contact the organization you are applying to in order to check their requirements.

Candidates must go through the exam pattern carefully to gauge the kind of preparation required for the IELTS exam.

IELTS Exam Pattern 2023 Highlights

Important highlights related to the IELTS test pattern 2023 are summarised below. 

Test Duration: The duration of the test is 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Categories and Sections: The IELTS 2023 exam is of two categories, IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Both of these categories consists of 4 sections each. They are,

• Reading
• Writing
• Listening
• Speaking

IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training have the same pattern for Listening and Speaking. For the sections of Writing and Reading, the IELTS Academic is much tougher than IELTS General Training. Check the IELTS syllabus for more details.

IELTS Exam Pattern 2023 for Listening

The registered candidates will listen to four recordings of native English speakers. Candidates are supposed to then write answers to a series of questions. The listening section is claimed as one of the toughest sections by candidates because they will hear the word only one time and it carries 40 marks in a component band score of the IELTS exam.

IELTS 2023 Syllabus: Listening Exam Highlights

Element	Details
Timing	40 Minutes
Questions	40 Questions
Test Parts	There are 4 sections  Section 1 is a conversation between two people set in an everyday context. Section 2 is a monologue set in an everyday context. Section 3 is a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context. Section 4 is a monologue on an academic subject.
Skills Assessed	A wide range of listening skills are assessed, including: Understanding of main ideas.  Recognizing the opinions, attitudes, and purpose of a speaker. Understanding of specific factual information. Following the development of an argument.
Marking	Each correct answer is awarded 1 mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.

Note: All answer sheets, after being marked, are further analyzed by Cambridge Assessment English. Poor spelling and grammar mistakes are also penalized.

The various types of questions in the IELTS listening section have been mentioned below:

IELTS 2023 Syllabus: Task Types

Type 1	Multiple Choice	Choose one or sometimes more than one answer
Type 2	Matching	Match the numbered list of items
Type 3	Plan, map, diagram labeling	Candidates have to select the answer from a list on the question paper
Type 4	Form, note, table, flow-chart, summary	Candidates are required to select their answers from a list on the question paper or identify the missing words from the recording select their answers from a list on the question paper or identify the missing words from the recording
Type 5	Sentence Completion	Candidates are supposed to fill a gap in each sentence using information from the listening text
Type 6	Short-answer questions	Write a short answer using the listening text

 IELTS Exam Pattern 2023 for Speaking

The speaking test is conducted to test the fluency of the candidate's language speaking ability. Depending on the number of people taking the exam, the candidate can either finish this on the same day or would be asked to return the following day.

IELTS 2023 Syllabus: Speaking Exam Highlights

Element	Details
Timing	11-14 Minutes
Test Parts	There are three parts to this section.  Part 1: Introduction and interview (4-5 minutes) The examiner introduces him/herself and asks the candidate to introduce themselves and confirm their identity. The examiner asks the candidate general questions on familiar topics, e.g. home, family, work, studies, and interests. Part 2: Individual long turn (3-4 minutes) The examiner gives the student a task card which asks them to talk about a particular topic and which includes points the candidate can cover in the talk. Note that the candidates are given 1 minute to prepare the talk, and are given a pencil and paper to make notes. Candidates are required to talk for 1-2 minutes on the topic. The examiner may then ask the candidate one or two questions on the same topic. Part 3: Two-way discussion (4-5 minutes) The examiner asks further questions which are related to the topic of Part 2. These questions gives an opportunity to discuss more abstract issues and ideas.
Skills Assessed	A wide range of speaking skills are assessed, including:  The ability to communicate opinions and information on everyday topics and common experiences and situations by answering a range of questions. The ability to speak at length on a given topic using appropriate language and organising ideas coherently. The ability to express and justify opinions and to analyse,discuss and speculate about issues.
Marking	The candidate's performance is assessed throughout the test by certificated IELTS examiners according to the IELTS Speaking test assessment criteria (Fluency and Coherence Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Pronunciation). The public version of the assessment criteria can be found at www.ielts.org/criteria. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.

 IELTS Exam Pattern 2023 for Academic Reading

The IELTS reading exam for academic purposes contains questions that are designed to check the academic understanding of the candidate. The paragraphs are generally taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. 

IELTS 2023 Syllabus: Academic Reading Exam Highlights

Number of Sections	3
Duration	60 minutes
Task	Variety
No. of Questions	40
No. of Marks	I mark is awarded for every correct answer

 IELTS Exam Pattern 2023 for General Training Reading

The IELTS reading exam for general training is designed to check the general reading skills of the candidate. The material is general in nature, and the text is taken from books, magazines, newspapers, etc.

IELTS 2023 Syllabus: General Training Reading Exam Highlights

Number of Sections	3
Duration	60 minutes
Task	Variety
No. of Questions	40
No. of Marks	1 mark is awarded for every correct answer

 IELTS Exam Pattern 2023 for Academic Writing

The IELTS writing exam of academic purpose is to test the candidate of his descriptive and derivative writing skills of english.

IELTS 2023 Syllabus: Academic Writing Exam Highlights

Duration	60 minutes
Number of Tasks	2
Task 1	Describe the visual information (Word Count: 150 Time: 20 minutes)
Task 2	Respond to a point of view or an argument or a problem (Word Count: 250 Time: 40 minutes)

 IELTS Exam Pattern 2023 for General Training Writing

The IELTS writing exam for general training purpose is to test the general writing skills of the candidate.

IELTS 2023 Syllabus: General Training Writing Exam Highlights

Duration	60 minutes
No. of Questions	2
No. of Tasks	2
Task 1 Assessed on	Task Achievement Coherence and cohesion Lexical Resource Grammatical range and accuracy (Word Count: 150  Time: 20 minutes)
Task 2 Assessed on	Task Response Coherence and cohesion Lexical Resource Grammatical range and accuracy (Word Count: 250  Time: 40 minutes)

IELTS 2023 Preparation Tips

Candidates can use the following tips while preparing for the IELTS exams.

• Take a practice test
• Understand the test format
• Be aware of the exam time constraints
• Develop your English capabilities and IELTS strategies
• Multitask when listening in English
• Develop a wide range of reading skills
• Use appropriate and assertive English terms when writing
• Speak with fluency or coherence in direct communication
• Immerse yourself in English