What Are the 4 Subjects in IELTS?
The IELTS exam (International English Language Testing System) is divided into four main subjects or sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. These sections are designed to evaluate your English language skills for study, work, or migration purposes. Whether you take the IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training version, these four parts form the core of the test.
1. IELTS Listening Test
The Listening section has four recordings with 40 questions in total. The recordings include conversations and monologues from everyday social and academic situations. You will be tested on your ability to understand main ideas, details, and opinions.
✅ Same for both Academic and General Training
2. IELTS Reading Test
The Reading section differs slightly depending on the version:
- Academic Reading: Includes three long passages taken from books, journals, or articles.
- General Training Reading: Includes shorter texts from newspapers, advertisements, and everyday documents.
Each version contains 40 questions to test comprehension and analysis skills.
3. IELTS Writing Test
The Writing section assesses how well you can express ideas in written English.
- Academic IELTS: Task 1 involves describing a chart, graph, or process; Task 2 requires writing an essay on a given topic.
- General Training IELTS: Task 1 is writing a formal or informal letter, and Task 2 is an essay similar to the Academic version.
4. IELTS Speaking Test
The Speaking test is a face-to-face interview with an examiner and has three parts:
- Introduction and general questions about yourself.
- Speaking on a given topic for 1–2 minutes.
- A broader discussion on related questions.
This section assesses fluency, vocabulary, pronunciation, and communication skills.
✅ Same for both Academic and General Training versions
Final Thoughts
The four subjects of IELTS — Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking — together test your complete English proficiency. Understanding the IELTS test structure is crucial for success, especially for students in Pakistan preparing for higher studies, jobs, or immigration abroad.
