IELTS reading and writing test

The reading exam starts at around 10 a.m. and takes 60 minutes to complete. Unlike the listening exam you will be asked to read the test booklet and answer the questions on the answer sheet within one hour. There will be no extra 10 minutes for transferring the answers. However you will be given a 10 minute warning to inform you of the remaining time. You need to finish the whole set of 40 questions.

Very often candidates, in their desire to get a high score, insist on staying with a difficult item and waste time. Remember you are given the same points for both difficult and easy questions. It would be wise to allot at least one minute for each question. If it takes too long then make a logical guess, mark the question with an asterisk and move on. You can just return to it when you have finished all the questions.

The Writing exam starts at around 11 a.m. and takes an hour. The candidate will be asked to write 150 words for task 1 and 250 words for task 2. For both tasks, candidates need to demonstrate their ability to write a response that is appropriate in terms of content, vocabulary and the organization of ideas.
In task 1 of the academic writing exam you will be presented with either a graph, table, chart, diagram, map or drawing and you will be asked to write a summary or description of the information in your own words.
For task 2, the candidate may be asked to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a particular idea or his opinion on a particular statement. The style of writing for both tasks is formal.

For the general writing exam, you will be required to write a letter either to request for something, give information or explain a situation. The style will depend on the type of letter. For informal letters you can use abbreviations (can?t, couldn?t), and colloquial terms or slang (OK). For the semi-formal and formal style it is best to stick to English words that express a higher level of sophistication.