English
IELTS
This page explains the two IELTS tests, the four sections, and the band score. It does not label the Surf Language material as Academic or General Training.
What is this exam?
IELTS measures listening, reading, writing, and speaking in English. There are two main tests: Academic and General Training. Listening and Speaking are the same in both. Reading and Writing are not. Some UK visas use IELTS for UKVI. IELTS for UKVI Life Skills tests only speaking and listening.
Who is it for?
Academic is for university study and for some professional registration. General Training is for migration, and for work or study below degree level. Check which test the institution or authority asks for. The prep in Surf Language is not split into Academic and General Training.
Which skills does it test?
Academic and General Training both test listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
What are the sections?
Both tests have four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
- Listening — About 30 minutes.
- Reading — 60 minutes.
- Writing — 60 minutes, in two tasks.
- Speaking — 11–14 minutes.
The Academic test takes 2 hours and 45 minutes. Listening and Speaking are shared by Academic and General Training. Reading and Writing differ.
Task types
Listening is four recordings and 40 questions, about 30 minutes, plus 10 minutes to copy answers on paper. Reading is 40 questions in 60 minutes. Academic reading is three long texts, about 2,150–2,750 words. General Training reading uses everyday and workplace texts. Writing is 60 minutes and two tasks. Academic Task 1 describes a chart, table, diagram, or map in at least 150 words. General Training Task 1 is a letter. Task 2 is an essay of at least 250 words and counts twice Task 1. Speaking is 11–14 minutes with an examiner, in three parts, and it may fall on another day. Where a centre offers it, One Skill Retake lets you repeat a single section.
How are the results scored?
There is no pass or fail. Each section and the overall result are band scores from 0 to 9, including half bands. The overall band is the average of the four section scores.
What prep is in Surf Language?
Topic lessons
Topic lessons for IELTS are in the app. This page does not name each lesson, and it does not label them Academic or General Training. Open the app to see them.
Practice questions
Practice questions are there too. They are not the official IELTS questions. Surf Language is not a partner of the IELTS organisations.
Where can I start?
Read the sections on this page first. Then open the app, work through the topic lessons, and answer the questions. You can come back to anything that was difficult. The button opens the web app.
