The test at a glance
| Listening | 30 min | 40 Qs |
| Reading | 60 min | 40 Qs |
| Writing | 60 min | 2 tasks |
| Speaking | 11–14 min | 3 parts |
About 2 hours 45 minutes in total.
Listening · 30 minutes
Listening
You hear each recording once. Your job is to read ahead, predict, and keep your place.
Read ahead in every pause
Use the time before each part to underline key words in the questions and guess what kind of answer fits: a number, a name, a place or a noun.
Watch for corrections
Speakers often change their mind: “Tuesday… no, actually Thursday.” The second answer is the one that counts.
Check the word limit
“NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER” is strict. A correct answer with an extra word is marked wrong.
Spelling counts
Misspelt answers score zero. British or American spelling is fine, but practise common traps like “accommodation”, “Wednesday” and “environment”.
Reading · 60 minutes
Reading
There are three long passages and 40 questions, with no extra transfer time on computer. Speed comes from strategy, not from reading every word.
Skim first, then scan
Spend about two minutes getting the gist of each paragraph, then scan for names, dates and key words when you answer.
NOT GIVEN is a real answer
If the passage neither confirms nor contradicts the statement, choose NOT GIVEN. Don’t use your own knowledge.
Budget 20 minutes per passage
Passage 3 is usually the hardest. If you’re stuck on a question, flag it, move on, and come back.
Never leave a blank
There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so make an educated guess before time runs out.
Writing · 60 minutes
Writing
Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1, so plan your time to match: about 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 for Task 2.
Always write an overview in Task 1
The overview, one or two sentences on the main trends, is the single biggest difference between band 5 and band 6+ reports.
Answer every part of the Task 2 question
If it asks for “causes and solutions”, you need both. Missing one part caps your Task Response score.
Don’t memorise essays
Examiners recognise memorised paragraphs and templates. Learn flexible phrases instead, and write your own ideas.
Keep five minutes to check
Look for article errors (a/an/the), subject–verb agreement and plurals. These are common for Bangla speakers and easy to fix.
Speaking · 11–14 minutes
Speaking
It’s a conversation, not a test of facts. The examiner scores fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
Extend every answer
Give a reason or an example. “Yes, I like Dhaka, mainly because…” scores better than a one-word reply.
Use the full minute in Part 2
Make short notes on all the cue-card prompts, then keep talking until the examiner stops you.
Mind tricky sounds
Many Bangla speakers mix up /v/ and /b/ (“very”, “berry”), /z/ and /j/ (“zero”), and /s/ and /sh/. Record yourself and listen back.
It’s fine to pause and rephrase
Natural self-correction doesn’t hurt your score. Long silences do, so use phrases like “That’s an interesting question…” to buy time.
Test day
Your test-day checklist
Little things go wrong when you’re nervous. Pack the night before.
- Bring the same passport you used to book the test.
- Arrive early. Allow extra time for traffic and check-in.
- Leave your phone, smartwatch and bag in the storage area.
- Drink water before you go in; you can only take a clear water bottle into the room.
- Check the headphones and volume before the Listening test starts.
- Sleep properly the night before. One more mock won’t help as much as rest.
Put the tips into practice.
Tips only stick when you use them under time pressure. Try a free section or a full mock now.