International English Language Testing System or IELTS Academic test 2025 is the key element to study abroad for international students. The academic module of IELTS exam assesses candidates' English command to study abroad in an English-speaking environment. The test duration is 2 hours and 45 minutes. There are four major key components of IELTS Academic exam: Listening (30 minutes), Academic Writing (60 minutes), Academic Reading (60 minutes) and Speaking (11–14 minutes).
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IELTS Academic Highlights
Types of IELTS Academic Tests
IELTS Academic Exam Dates in India
IELTS Academic Exam Pattern 2025
IELTS Academic Syllabus
IELTS Academic Scores
IELTS Academic Fees For Indian Students
IELTS Academic Results Time
IELTS Academic
At your convenience, the Academic IELTS exam 2025 is available in both paper-based and computer-delivered formats. Impressively, the IELTS exam is widely accepted in over 12,500 organisations in more than 140 countries. Indian students seeking to study in an English-speaking environment or university (higher education) abroad must choose the academic version of IELTS test to demonstrate English proficiency. We have mentioned the latest IELTS exam dates, preparation materials, exam syllabus and patterns, score availability, and many more. Read further for a comprehensive guide on IELTS Academic test in 2025.
IELTS Academic Highlights
Exam Name
IELTS Academic
Conducted by
IDP Education
Exam Level
International Level Exam
IELTS Academic Exam Duration
2 hours, 45 min
Registration mode availability
Online/Offline
Exam Mode
Online/Offline
IELTS Academic Fee
INR 18,000 (Can vary depending on the type of exam format)
Types of IELTS Academic Tests
The academic version of the IELTS exam 2025 is of 2 types. The details and purposes of the different test types will be explained below.
IELTS Academic
IELTS UKVI Academic
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The two test types are almost the same and are used for applying to universities abroad. Here, the IELTS UKVI Academic is specially for IELTS UK study visas. The only difference is that the IELTS UKVI is conducted at a few test centres that meet the UK home administrative requirements.
Recently, it has been agreed and accepted to consider both IELTS Academic and IELTS UKVI (Academic) for applying to UK universities. So, students can attempt both the test types for UK universities and study visa purposes.
Both academic tests are available in the below IELTS academic format
IELTS at Test Centres: Computer-Based & Paper-based
IELTS Online: At home
IELTS 2025 Writing Task 1 & 2 - Study Materials
Aspirants who are appearing for IELTS exam can download this eBook which have complete study material for academic writing task 1 (Data Interpretation) and academic writing task 2 (Essays) sections.
Students who do not have access to IELTS computer-based test centres can only opt for IELTS paper-based tests. The IELTS Online can be taken from anywhere in the world. A computer and stable internet access are sufficient for attempting the IELTS Online test.
IELTS Academic Exam Dates in India
Let us now check the IELTS Test Dates India: Monthly Calendar. Prospective Indian students can check the scheduled test dates for IELTS mentioned below and choose the preferred one according to their study abroad application.
The IELTS academic exam pattern is the same for the IELTS computer-based, paper-based, or online. All three sections—reading, writing, and listening—are held on the exam day without any breaks. The IELTS speaking is conducted separately before or after the IELTS exam at a time selected by the candidate.
If the candidate fails to select a slot for the speaking test, then a slot will be automatically given to the candidate. The IELTS speaking will be held with a human interviewer online through video call at the designated IELTS test centre.
IELTS Academic Exam Pattern Overview
Sections
Details
No. of Questions
Score
Duration
Listening
Questions are based on 4 recorded conversations between native speakers
40
40
30 min
Reading
3 long texts sourced from books & journals are given based on which questions are asked
40
40
60 min. (Including transfer time)
Writing
Task 1: Summarise the Visual data given in charts, graphs, images, etc.
Task 2: Essay Writing
2
Whole/Half band
60 min
Speaking
Face-to-face interview consisting three tasks of questions related to oneself and general topics
3 (conversations)
Whole/Half band
11-14 min
Total
85 questions
0 to 9
2 hrs 45 min
IELTS Academic Syllabus
The IELTS exam evaluates English proficiency in 4 skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Here, the syllabus for the IELTS listening and speaking is the same for both the IELTS Academic test and IELTS General. The IELTS syllabus for the reading and writing sections is different for IELTS Academic and IELTS General. The IELTS Academic syllabus for the four sections is explained in detail below.
Listening Section
The IELTS Academic Listening measures the ability to understand the ideas and facts, opinions, purposes, and attitudes from the given speeches. The listening section consists of 4 recordings of native English speakers. Based on recordings, 40 questions will be asked, which are in question types like MCQs, sentence completion, summary completion, diagram labeling, etc.
Reading Section
The IELTS Academic Reading measures skills like detail reading, skimming, understanding logical arguments, and recognising the writer's view, purpose, opinion, and attitude., etc. for given written data or information. The sections consist of 3 long paragraphs which are extracted from books, journals, magazines, etc.
Based on the content in the 3 paragraphs, 40 questions are asked. These questions are of different types like MCQs, matching information, sentence completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, short answer questions, etc.
Writing Section
The IELTS Writing Academic measures the ability to identify key information, trends in data (for graphs), topic overview presentation, and writing skills of the candidate. The IELTS writing consists of 2 tasks, where task 1 is to describe the visual information for a given image, object, table, or diagram.
The writing task 1 academic summary should contain at least 150 words. Writing task 2 academic is essay writing. The writing task 2 IELTS academic topics can be any academic or semi-formal type. The essay in the writing task 2 academic must be at least 250 words
Speaking Section
The section of IELTS Academic Speaking is an interview with the examiner, which will be recorded. The IELTS speaking test measures the ability to speak in the correct language, pronunciation, and ideas generation for a given topic. The IELTS speaking test consists of 3 parts.
In part 1 of the speaking section of IELTS Academic, the interviewer asks questions related to the personal self of the candidate, like their interests, hobbies, work-life, etc., and general topics like hometown, music, games, etc. The part 2 questions of the IELTS speaking are also about a random general topic, but part 3 will be the in-detail questions related to the answer given in the part 2 section.
IELTS Academic Scores
The scoring system used in the IELTS is calculated in the form of bands, which are whole or half bands. The overall band score is the average of 4 individual section scores.
Section band scores
IELTS Academic Listening Score
The listening section consists of 40 questions. Each question in the IELTS listening section is awarded 1 mark. These raw scores out of 40 are converted into 0 to 9 bands as listening band scores academic.
IELTS Academic Reading score
Similar to the IELTS listening section, the academic reading also has 40 questions where 1 mark is given for every correct answer. These raw scores of IELTS academic reading, out of the 40 marks, are converted into 0 to 9 bands as the reading academic band score.
IELTS Writing Academic Score
The scoring of the IELTS writing is based on the 4 criteria mentioned below.
Task achievement & response
Coherence and Cohesion
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Each criterion weighs equally, and the average of IELTS writing task 1 & 2 scores is calculated.
IELTS Speaking Score
The scoring of the IELTS speaking test is based on the 4 criteria mentioned below.
Fluency and coherence
Lexical Resource (Related to Vocabulary)
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Pronunciation
Each criterion weighs equally, and the average IELTS speaking scores are calculated.
IELTS Academic Practice Test - Candidates preparing for the IELTS Academic exam can use the IELTS practice test. These IELTS academic practice tests available online provide a real-time exam experience for the candidate and also help in getting used to the IELTS academic format, timings, etc. During the early preparation stage, candidates can attempt the IELTS academic practice tests and sample papers to evaluate the concepts that need more practice and work on improving them.
For example, in considering the IELTS Academic practice test for reading, all the sample passages related to the topics used in the IELTS academic are given. So the candidate can also understand the topics and question types used in the IELTS exam.
IELTS Academic Fees For Indian Students
The fee for the IELTS Academic test depends on the test type. Check the details of the fee given below. The modes of payment allowed are Credit/Debit Cards, net banking, Demand drafts, Bank deposits, etc.
IELTS Academic Exam Fees 2025
IELTS Test Type
IELTS Exam Cost in India 2025 (INR)
IELTS Academic Test
18,000
IELTS General Training Test
18,000
Pen and paper-based IELTS
18,000
Computer-delivered IELTS exam
18,000
IELTS on Computer for UKVI
18,250
IELTS Life Skills
(A1 and B1)
17,000
IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration
18,250
IELTS Academic Results Time
The IELTS Academic results time depends on the test type. For computer-based IELTS Academic (including IELTS UKVI for Academic), the result will be released in 3 to 5 days. The IELTS academic result for the paper-based academic test (including IELTS UKV for academic) will be released after 13 days from the IELTS academic exam date.IELTS Academic Exam Dates 2025IELTS Cut off 2025
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the level of the IELTS academic exam?
A:
The IELTS Academic test version is for students who want to pursue tertiary-level courses in English-speaking countries.
Q: Is getting 8 bands in IELTS easy?
A:
Getting 8 bands is a bit difficult but not impossible in the IELTS Academic exam. To score 8 in IELTS, the candidate has to score at least 36 correct answers in the listening and reading sections and write the English without any errors in the exam.
Q: Is 5.5 bands score enough for Canadian Universities eligibility?
A:
There are universities in Canada that accept 5.5 IELTS cut-off. Scoring around 6 to 6.5 helps in availing more options in selecting the universities
Q: Is IELTS UKVI Academic used for Canada Universities?
A:
No, The IELTS UKVI is attempted only for the UK country, and for any other Countries IELTS Academic is accepted
Yes, admission to a German private university with 52% in bachelors, 6.0 IELTS band, and a 1-year gap is possible, but options are limited.
Private universities in Germany are more flexible than public ones. You can apply for courses in management, business, or IT fields. However, you must justify the gap year and ensure a strong Statement of Purpose (SOP).
It’s better to contact universities directly, as some may ask for additional documents or foundation courses before admission.
You are running short of time usually the ideal time would be 2–3 months prior,i advice that you start with your applications that you can quicky begin with your study abroad procedure.
It depends on the university you are applying to.
Most German universities do not require
GATE
for admission to a Master's in Biotechnology. However, some universities may ask for the
GRE
, especially if you are applying to a highly competitive program.
You should check the specific admission requirements of the universities you are interested in. Generally, having
IELTS (or TOEFL)
and a
German language proficiency certificate
(if the course is in German) is enough.
