IELTS Syllabus and Sections
IELTS has no syllabus in the usual sense. There are four skills, and the test measures how well you use English rather than what you have memorised. The list below is therefore a map of the sections, not a study plan. Academic and General Training differ only in Reading and Writing Task 1; Listening and Speaking are identical in both.
Each heading below carries one question. Read them before you close this page: whichever one you stumble on is the part you still have to study.
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Listening (four sections, increasing difficulty)
Can you explain Listening in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
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Reading (Academic or General Training)
Can you explain Reading in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
Writing Task 1 (Academic
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chart or process description · General: letter)
Can you explain chart or process description · General: letter) in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
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Writing Task 2 (essay)
Can you explain Writing Task 2 in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
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Speaking Part 1 (introduction and familiar topics)
Can you explain Speaking Part 1 in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
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Speaking Part 2 (long turn, cue card)
Can you explain Speaking Part 2 in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
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Speaking Part 3 (abstract discussion)
Can you explain Speaking Part 3 in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
What this page does not have
No past papers, no exam dates, no score calculators. All three are searched for constantly, but we do not hold reliable data on them, and a page with the wrong date is worse than no page at all. Check the awarding body’s own announcements for those.
Headings are kept at the top level. Sub-topics shift from year to year while the main headings do not, and a wrong sub-topic is worse than a missing one.
Frequently asked
What is the IELTS syllabus?
IELTS Syllabus and Sections covers: Listening (four sections, increasing difficulty), Reading (Academic or General Training), chart or process description · General: letter), Writing Task 2 (essay), Speaking Part 1 (introduction and familiar topics), Speaking Part 2 (long turn, cue card), Speaking Part 3 (abstract discussion).
What sections does the IELTS have?
The exam is split into Writing Task 1 (Academic. Not every candidate sits all of them; the part you are preparing for decides your study list.
How should I study for the IELTS?
Reading a topic creates familiarity, not knowledge. When you finish a heading, close the source and explain it out loud for two minutes. Wherever you stall is what you need to revisit; re-reading something you can already explain is wasted time.
Can I find past IELTS papers here?
No. This page lists topics only. For past papers, exam dates and scoring, check the awarding body’s own site.
I have read the material. How do I know I actually know it?
Reading makes you feel like you know it. If you can close the source and explain the topic in your own words, you have learned it; if you stall halfway, you have not. That is exactly what Demostra measures.
Related exams
Reading is not knowing
Reading something makes it feel familiar, and that familiarity gets mistaken for knowledge. The only thing that separates the two is explaining it: close the source, say it in your own words, and notice where you stall.
That is what Demostra does. You set a goal, the app builds a topic map like the one above, you explain each topic out loud, and every topic lands in one of three states: proven, blurry, revisit. No score, just a state.