100+ Free IELTS Academic Practice Questions

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Academic Reading True/False/Not Given practice: Passage: "The observatory opened to researchers in 1982 and to school groups in 1995." Statement: "School groups could visit the observatory before researchers could." What is the correct answer?

Not Given

Cannot be answered because dates are never tested

True

False

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IELTS General Training

Practice Questions100 questions

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: IELTS Academic Exam

Sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking

IELTS Academic official page

2h 45m

Official total test time

IELTS Academic official page

Listening questions

IELTS Academic test format in detail

Academic Reading questions

IELTS Academic test format in detail

Academic Writing tasks

IELTS Academic Writing format

Speaking parts

IELTS Academic Speaking format

0-9

IELTS band score scale

IELTS scoring in detail

100

Free practice questions here

OpenExamPrep IELTS Academic practice bank

IELTS Academic is a 2 hour 45 minute English proficiency test with Listening, Academic Reading, Academic Writing, and Speaking. Listening has four recordings and 40 questions; Academic Reading has three long texts and 40 questions in 60 minutes; Writing has Task 1 visual-information reporting and Task 2 essay writing in 60 minutes, with Task 2 weighted twice as much; Speaking is an 11-14 minute recorded interview in three parts. Results use the IELTS 0-9 band scale in whole and half bands, and there is no universal pass/fail score.

Sample IELTS Academic Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your IELTS Academic exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which set of sections matches the official IELTS Academic test?

A.Listening, Academic Reading, Academic Writing, and Speaking

B.Grammar, Vocabulary, Translation, and Interview

C.Listening, General Reading, Letter Writing, and Speaking

D.Reading only, Writing only, and an optional interview

Explanation: IELTS Academic has four sections: Listening, Academic Reading, Academic Writing, and Speaking. Listening and Speaking are shared with General Training, while Reading and Writing differ.

2In the official IELTS Listening test, how many questions are there?

A.20 questions

B.30 questions

C.40 questions

D.60 questions

Explanation: IELTS Listening has four parts with 10 questions in each part, for a total of 40 questions.

3Which description best matches IELTS Academic Reading?

A.Three long texts selected for a non-specialist academic audience

B.Five short workplace notices and advertisements

C.One literary extract followed by an oral summary

D.A grammar test based on isolated sentences

Explanation: Academic Reading uses three long texts from sources such as books, journals, magazines, and newspapers, selected for readers entering university or professional registration.

4What is the core requirement of IELTS Academic Writing Task 1?

A.Write a personal letter about a familiar situation

B.Describe, summarise, or explain visual information in at least 150 words

C.Write a 250-word essay giving your opinion on a social issue

D.Answer short grammar questions about a diagram

Explanation: Academic Writing Task 1 asks candidates to report visual information such as a graph, table, chart, map, process, object, or event in at least 150 words.

5Which statement about IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 is accurate?

A.It is optional if Task 1 is longer than 250 words.

B.It asks for a formal essay response to a point of view, argument, or problem.

C.It is scored separately and does not affect the Writing band.

D.It requires a chart description of at least 150 words.

Explanation: Academic Writing Task 2 requires an essay of at least 250 words responding to a point of view, argument, or problem. It contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.

6Which description best reflects the IELTS Speaking test?

A.A recorded 11-14 minute interview with a certified examiner in three parts

B.A group discussion with two other candidates lasting 45 minutes

C.A written response to three conversation prompts

D.A pronunciation-only test read from a prepared script

Explanation: IELTS Speaking is an interactive, recorded interview with a certified examiner. It has Part 1 familiar questions, Part 2 an individual long turn, and Part 3 a more abstract discussion.

7Which set lists the four IELTS Writing assessment criteria?

A.Pronunciation, fluency, eye contact, and confidence

B.Speed, handwriting, spelling, and punctuation

C.Task Achievement or Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy

D.Introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, and word count

Explanation: IELTS Writing is assessed using Task Achievement for Task 1 or Task Response for Task 2, plus Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

8Which set lists the four IELTS Speaking assessment criteria?

A.Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy

B.Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation

C.Accuracy, speed, memorisation, and accent

D.Vocabulary, listening, reading, and confidence

Explanation: Speaking is assessed for Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.

9A university asks for IELTS Academic 7.0 overall with no section below 6.5. What does this imply?

A.IELTS itself has a universal passing score of 7.0.

B.The university has set its own required band scores.

C.The candidate only needs a 7.0 in Speaking.

D.The requirement applies only to General Training IELTS.

Explanation: IELTS reports band scores but does not set a universal pass or fail score. Receiving organisations decide what overall and section bands they require.

10Which statement best distinguishes IELTS Academic from IELTS General Training?

A.Academic uses different Listening and Speaking tests.

B.Academic and General Training differ in Reading and Writing, while Listening and Speaking are the same.

C.Academic has no Writing section.

D.General Training is scored from 0 to 100, but Academic is scored from 0 to 9.

Explanation: IELTS Academic and General Training share Listening and Speaking. Their Reading and Writing sections differ in text types and writing tasks.

About the IELTS Academic Exam

IELTS Academic assesses English proficiency for undergraduate and postgraduate study, professional registration, and other academic purposes. It has four sections: Listening, Academic Reading, Academic Writing, and Speaking. Listening and Speaking are shared with General Training, while Academic Reading and Academic Writing use academic texts and tasks.

Assessment

Official IELTS Academic has Listening (40 questions), Academic Reading (40 questions), Academic Writing (2 tasks), and Speaking (3 parts). This practice bank adapts the full test into 100 selected-response study questions.

Time Limit

2 hours 45 minutes total test time: Listening about 30 minutes, Reading 60 minutes, Writing 60 minutes, Speaking 11-14 minutes

Passing Score

No universal pass/fail; IELTS reports 0-9 band scores and institutions set required scores

Exam Fee

Varies by country, test type, and test centre; verify in the official booking flow (IELTS Partners: British Council, IDP IELTS, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment)

IELTS Academic Exam Content Outline

40 official questions

Listening

Four recordings with 10 questions each. Parts 1 and 2 cover everyday social situations, while Parts 3 and 4 cover educational, training, and academic contexts. The recordings are heard once and may include British, Australian, New Zealand, North American, and other accents.

40 official questions

Academic Reading

Three long texts, 2150-2750 words total, from books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and online resources. Questions test detail, gist, inference, writer views, information location, heading selection, sentence endings, completion, diagram labelling, and short answers.

1 task; about 20 minutes

Academic Writing Task 1

At least 150 words describing, summarising, or explaining visual information such as a graph, table, chart, map, process, object, or event. Strong answers include an overview and select the most important comparisons, trends, or stages.

1 task; about 40 minutes; twice Task 1 weight

Academic Writing Task 2

At least 250 words responding to a point of view, argument, or problem. Strong answers address all parts of the task, maintain a clear position, develop ideas with relevant support, and use coherent academic paragraphs.

3 parts; 11-14 minutes

Speaking

A recorded interview with a certified IELTS examiner. Part 1 asks familiar questions, Part 2 is an individual long turn using a task card, and Part 3 extends the topic into more general, abstract discussion.

How to Pass the IELTS Academic Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: No universal pass/fail; IELTS reports 0-9 band scores and institutions set required scores
Assessment: Official IELTS Academic has Listening (40 questions), Academic Reading (40 questions), Academic Writing (2 tasks), and Speaking (3 parts). This practice bank adapts the full test into 100 selected-response study questions.
Time limit: 2 hours 45 minutes total test time: Listening about 30 minutes, Reading 60 minutes, Writing 60 minutes, Speaking 11-14 minutes
Exam fee: Varies by country, test type, and test centre; verify in the official booking flow

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

IELTS Academic Study Tips from Top Performers

1Start by memorising the official structure: 40 Listening questions, 40 Academic Reading questions, two Writing tasks, and a three-part Speaking interview.

2For Listening, practise catching corrections and distractors because speakers often mention one answer and then revise it.

3For Academic Reading, rely only on the passage. True/False/Not Given and Yes/No/Not Given questions punish outside knowledge.

4For Writing Task 1, write a clear overview before selecting details; do not list every number in the chart.

5For Writing Task 2, answer the exact instruction type, keep a clear position, and develop each main idea with explanation and support.

6For Speaking, avoid memorised scripts. Build flexible answers that can expand, clarify, speculate, and repair communication naturally.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is on the IELTS Academic test?

IELTS Academic has four sections: Listening, Academic Reading, Academic Writing, and Speaking. Listening and Speaking are the same for Academic and General Training, but Academic Reading and Academic Writing use academic texts and tasks.

How long is IELTS Academic?

The official test time is 2 hours 45 minutes. Listening is about 30 minutes, Reading is 60 minutes, Writing is 60 minutes, and Speaking is 11-14 minutes. Speaking may be scheduled on the same day or near the other sections depending on local arrangements.

How is IELTS Academic scored?

IELTS reports section band scores and an overall band score on a 0-9 scale in whole and half bands. Listening and Reading receive one mark per correct answer and raw scores are converted to band scores. Writing and Speaking are marked by certified examiners against published criteria.

What are the IELTS Writing criteria?

Writing is assessed for Task Achievement in Task 1 or Task Response in Task 2, plus Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.

What are the IELTS Speaking criteria?

Speaking is assessed for Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. The test is recorded and delivered by a certified examiner in person or, in some test centres, by video call with the same scoring standards.

How much does IELTS Academic cost?

IELTS fees vary by country, test type, delivery mode, and test centre. Use the official IELTS booking flow for the current fee, refund terms, transfer options, and available dates in your location.