# IELTS question types

Every IELTS question type, with what it asks, how it is marked, worked items you can attempt, and the mistakes that cost the most marks. Formats are from IELTS's own pages.

## The four papers at a glance

IELTS is four papers taken on the same day, in this order: Listening, Reading, Writing, then Speaking. Listening and Reading carry 40 questions each, one mark per question. Every timing and count below is from IELTS's own format pages, checked 27 September 2026.

| Paper | Time | Length | How it counts |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Listening | About 30 minutes | 4 parts, 10 questions each, 40 in total | One mark per correct answer; the same paper for Academic and General Training |
| Reading | 60 minutes | 3 sections, 40 questions. Academic texts run 2,150-2,750 words; General Training 2,150-2,375 | One mark per correct answer; no extra transfer time on the computer-delivered test |
| Writing | 60 minutes | 2 tasks: 150 words minimum in about 20 minutes, then 250 words minimum in about 40 | Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 |
| Speaking | 11-14 minutes | 3 parts: 4-5 minutes, 3-4 minutes including 1 minute of preparation, then 4-5 minutes | Marked live by an examiner on four criteria |

- **Question types:** 17 across Listening and Reading
- **Listening types:** 6, over 4 parts
- **Reading types:** 11, over 3 sections
- **Academic-only Reading types:** 3
- **Writing:** 2 tasks: 150 words, then 250
- **Speaking:** 3 parts, 11-14 minutes

## Every question type in one table

The Module column is the part nobody prints: IELTS names eleven Reading question types for Academic and eight for General Training, and Writing Task 1 differs entirely. The linked types have a page of their own, with worked items you can attempt.

| Question type | Paper | What it asks you to do | Module |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Multiple choice](/ielts/question-types/listening-multiple-choice) | Listening | Choose one correct answer, or complete a sentence from a set of endings. | Both |
| [Matching](/ielts/question-types/listening-matching) | Listening | Match a list of items from the recording to a list of options. | Both |
| [Plan, map or diagram labelling](/ielts/question-types/map-labelling) | Listening | Label a visual using answers taken from a list or from the recording. | Both |
| [Form, note, table or flow-chart completion](/ielts/question-types/form-note-table-completion) | Listening | Fill gaps in an outline of the recording, within the stated word limit. | Both |
| [Sentence completion](/ielts/question-types/listening-sentence-completion) | Listening | Fill one gap per sentence using information from the recording. | Both |
| [Short-answer questions](/ielts/question-types/listening-short-answer) | Listening | Answer a question in a few words, within the stated word limit. | Both |
| [Multiple choice](/ielts/question-types/reading-multiple-choice) | Reading | Show detailed understanding of specific points, or overall understanding of the main ones. | Both |
| [True / False / Not given](/ielts/question-types/true-false-not-given) | Reading | Decide whether the text states the information, contradicts it, or does not give it. | Both |
| [Yes / No / Not given](/ielts/question-types/yes-no-not-given) | Reading | Do the same for the writer's opinions and ideas rather than facts. | Academic only |
| [Matching information](/ielts/question-types/matching-information) | Reading | Scan the text to find where specific information appears. | Both |
| [Matching headings](/ielts/question-types/matching-headings) | Reading | Identify the general topic of each paragraph. | Both |
| [Matching features](/ielts/question-types/matching-features) | Reading | Recognise relationships and connections between facts in the text. | Both |
| [Matching sentence endings](/ielts/question-types/matching-sentence-endings) | Reading | Complete each sentence with the ending that matches the text's main ideas. | Academic only |
| [Sentence completion](/ielts/question-types/reading-sentence-completion) | Reading | Find detail or specific information and complete the sentence with it. | Academic only |
| [Summary, note, table or flow-chart completion](/ielts/question-types/summary-completion) | Reading | Complete an outline of part of the text, showing you followed its details or main ideas. | Both |
| [Diagram label completion](/ielts/question-types/diagram-label-completion) | Reading | Relate a detailed description in the text to a diagram of what it describes. | Both |
| [Short-answer questions](/ielts/question-types/reading-short-answer) | Reading | Find and report specific information in a few words. | Both |
| Task 1: describe visual information | Writing | Describe a graph, table, chart or diagram in at least 150 words, in about 20 minutes. | Academic only |
| Task 1: letter | Writing | Respond to a situation with a personal, semi-formal or formal letter of at least 150 words. | General Training only |
| Task 2: essay | Writing | Discuss a point of view, argument or problem in at least 250 words, in about 40 minutes. Worth twice Task 1. | Both |
| Part 1: introduction and interview | Speaking | Answer general questions on familiar topics: home, family, work, studies, interests. 4-5 minutes. | Both |
| Part 2: long turn | Speaking | Prepare for 1 minute from a task card, then talk for 2 minutes and answer a question or two. | Both |
| Part 3: discussion | Speaking | Discuss the Part 2 topic in a more general and abstract way. 4-5 minutes. | Both |

*Compiled by Testmigo from ielts.org's format pages for both modules, checked 27 September 2026. Cite the row you need, not the page.*

## Three Reading types that are Academic only

Three Reading question types appear on the Academic list and not on the General Training one: yes / no / not given, matching sentence endings, sentence completion. Yes/No/Not given is the one that catches people out. It asks about the writer's opinions, while True/False/Not given asks about facts, and General Training candidates practicing from Academic material often spend time on a type their paper does not name.

> Both modules use the same Listening paper and the same Task 2 essay. The Reading texts and Writing Task 1 are what change.

## What each paper is marked on

| Paper | What decides the band |
| --- | --- |
| Listening and Reading | One mark per correct answer out of 40, converted to a band score. |
| Writing | Task achievement or task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1. |
| Speaking | Fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. |

## How to practice a question type

A question type is a habit, not a fact to memorize. Three steps that work for any row in the table:

1. Do five of the same type in a row, untimed, and write down why each wrong answer was wrong. Types fail for their own reasons: matching headings fails on paragraph topic, True/False/Not given fails on the difference between contradicted and unstated.
2. Repeat the set under the real timing. Reading gives you 60 minutes for 40 questions, which is 90 seconds each including the reading.
3. Take a full mock so the type sits back in context, then check whether it is still in your weakest three. Testmigo's [free IELTS mock](/ielts) ranks them for you, and the [band score calculator](/ielts/band-score-calculator) turns marks out of 40 into a band.

## Common questions

### How many question types are there in IELTS?

17: 6 in Listening and 11 in Reading. Writing adds two tasks and Speaking three parts, which are in the table below as well. IELTS names them on a separate format page for each paper and each module, which is why the full list is hard to find in one place.

### Are the question types the same for Academic and General Training?

The Listening paper is identical. Reading differs: IELTS names eleven question types for Academic and eight for General Training, with Yes/No/Not given, matching sentence endings and sentence completion named only for Academic. Writing Task 1 is a report on a graph or diagram for Academic and a letter for General Training. Task 2 is an essay in both.

### How long do I get per question?

Reading gives you 60 minutes for 40 questions, about 90 seconds each including reading the text. Listening runs at the speed of the recording, about 30 minutes for 40 questions. Writing gives you about 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 for Task 2.

### Which question types carry the most marks?

Every Listening and Reading question is worth one mark, so no type is worth more than another. The one weighting that exists is in Writing, where Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1.

**Sources**
- [IELTS: Academic Listening test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-academic-format-listening)
- [IELTS: Academic Reading test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-academic-format-reading)
- [IELTS: Academic Writing test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-academic-format-writing)
- [IELTS: Academic Speaking test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-academic-format-speaking)
- [IELTS: General Training Reading test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-general-training-test/ielts-general-training-format-reading)
- [IELTS: General Training Writing test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-general-training-test/ielts-general-training-format-writing)

- [Listening multiple choice](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/listening-multiple-choice)

- [Listening matching](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/listening-matching)

- [Plan, map and diagram labelling](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/map-labelling)

- [Form, note, table and flow-chart completion](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/form-note-table-completion)

- [Listening sentence completion](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/listening-sentence-completion)

- [Listening short-answer questions](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/listening-short-answer)

- [Reading multiple choice](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/reading-multiple-choice)

- [True / False / Not given](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/true-false-not-given)

- [Yes / No / Not given](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/yes-no-not-given)

- [Matching headings](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/matching-headings)

- [Matching information](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/matching-information)

- [Matching features](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/matching-features)

- [Matching sentence endings](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/matching-sentence-endings)

- [Reading sentence completion](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/reading-sentence-completion)

- [Summary, note, table and flow-chart completion](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/summary-completion)

- [Diagram label completion](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/diagram-label-completion)

- [Reading short-answer questions](https://testmigo.com/ielts/question-types/reading-short-answer)