IELTS ACADEMIC
Free IELTS practice questions
Academic, with answers and explanations
IELTS Academic for study abroad and graduate school applications. Answer 5 questions without signing up and read why the answer is right, with an explanation for every option. For Speaking, answer into your microphone and AI returns an estimated band and how to improve.
No sign-up, no card. 1,480 questions in all (English questions, English explanations).
How IELTS Academic is structured
| Skill | Time | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | About 30 minutes | 4 parts, 40 questions. From everyday conversations to lectures |
| Reading | 60 minutes | 3 long academic passages, 40 questions. True / False / Not Given, matching headings and more |
| Writing | 60 minutes | Task 1 (describing a graph or diagram) and Task 2 (an essay) |
| Speaking | 11–14 minutes | Face to face with an examiner. Parts 1–3 (Part 2 is a talk of up to 2 minutes after 1 minute of preparation) |
Each skill is scored as a band from 0 to 9, and the overall band is the average of the four skills. The score you need depends on where you apply. Check the IELTS website for the latest information.
examplat's questions by skill
| Reading | 780 questions |
|---|---|
| Listening | 400 questions |
| Writing | 180 questions |
| Speaking | 120 questions |
In this question bank, Listening is practised by reading a script and answering (practice with audio is in the Listening mock tests, which use synthetic American, British and Irish voices). Writing and Speaking are practised with multiple-choice questions on the assessment criteria, structure and vocabulary (Speaking also has separate practice with AI scoring).
Sample questions (Reading)
Questions, answers and explanations for Reading question types. Samples for all 15 types are on Reading practice questions.
Sample 1: True / False / Not Given
Does the following statement agree with the information given in the passage? Choose TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN. The scheme was set up by a former teacher.
- TRUE
- FALSE
- NOT GIVEN
Show the answer and explanation
TRUE. It was 'started four years ago by a retired teacher'.
- Correct. 'Retired teacher' = 'former teacher'; 'started' = 'set up'.
- Not correct. The founder's background is given and matches.
- Not correct. The passage names her and her former job.
Sample 2: Yes / No / Not Given
Does the following statement agree with the views of the writer of the passage? Choose YES if it matches the writer's view, NO if it contradicts the writer's view, or NOT GIVEN if the passage does not tell us what the writer thinks about this. Statement: Fragile natural areas should be closed to tourists.
- YES
- NO
- NOT GIVEN
Show the answer and explanation
NO. The writer reports this argument and says, 'I find this position difficult to accept'.
- Incorrect. The idea of closing these places belongs to 'one response', not to the writer.
- Correct. 'Difficult to accept' is a polite way of rejecting the position, and the writer gives reasons: fees fund protection and local guides benefit.
- Incorrect. The writer reacts directly to this proposal, so the view is clear.
Sample 3: Matching headings
Reading Passage "Keepers of the Light" has 7 paragraphs, A–G. Choose the correct heading for Paragraph A from the list of headings below.
- i Making each light recognisable
- ii The unreliable lights of earlier times
- iii A demanding daily routine
- iv A popular image that the evidence does not support
- v Construction against the sea
- vi Why sailors no longer need lighthouses
- vii Brighter beams through better optics
- viii The end of an occupation
- ix The dangers of rescuing shipwrecked cargo
- x Training new keepers
Show the answer and explanation
The answer is ii. Paragraph A explains that the fires and lamps used before lighthouses were 'far from dependable'.
- Incorrect. Telling one light from another is developed in D. In A, a lamp could be confused with a farmhouse window because there was no system for identifying lights at all.
- Correct. 'Unreliable' = 'far from dependable'; 'lights of earlier times' = fires on headlands and church-tower lamps used 'for most of history'.
- Incorrect. This heading fits Paragraph E, which describes the keepers' detailed daily and nightly duties.
- Incorrect. This heading fits Paragraph F, which challenges the popular image of keepers as lonely and unhappy.
- Incorrect. This heading fits Paragraph B, which describes the difficulty of building towers on rocks out at sea and how engineers overcame it.
- Incorrect. G states the opposite: lighthouses 'have not been abandoned' and still serve as a back-up.
- Incorrect. This heading fits Paragraph C, which traces improvements in the light source, from candles to reflectors to glass lenses.
- Incorrect. This heading fits Paragraph G, which explains how automation ended the keeper's job while lighthouses stayed in use.
- Incorrect. Ships 'lost' are mentioned, but only as the result of misleading lights; nothing is said about rescuing cargo.
- Incorrect. The passage describes what keepers did and how they felt about the work, but never how they were trained.
Speaking Part 2 practice
Example cue cards are on Speaking Part 2 cue cards. Answer in English into your microphone and AI returns an estimated band and how to improve, based on fluency, vocabulary and grammar (pronunciation is not included; this is not an official score).
Try Writing and Speaking free
Create a free account (no card), then try one AI Writing feedback and one AI Speaking scoring. When sign-up is done you come straight back to the trial.
FAQ
How much can I use for free?
Without signing up you can answer 5 IELTS Academic trial questions (with explanations). After a free sign-up (no card), you can try AI Writing feedback and AI Speaking scoring once each.
Are these real IELTS questions?
No. They are practice questions written by Sakakikaen Co., Ltd. to match the IELTS question formats. examplat is not affiliated with the organisations that run IELTS, and this is not an official question book.
What language are the explanations in?
Questions and explanations are in English (so you practise thinking in English, as in the real test). Screen guidance and buttons can be shown in your language.
Can I pay in Japanese yen?
Plans start at US$19 a month. With a Japanese card, the checkout screen shows the amount in JPY (at the exchange rate at the time of payment). You can cancel at any time and keep access until the end of the period you paid for.
IELTS is a registered trademark of the British Council, IELTS Australia and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. examplat is an unofficial question bank written by Sakakikaen Co., Ltd. and is not affiliated with these organisations.