Which part of the IELTS test is the most difficult?

I often get asked which part of IELTS is the most difficult or if one part of the test is easier than others and so I’ve done some research.

According to a poll we carried out on our Facebook page, most IELTS candidates find the writing test the most difficult part of the IELTS test.

This isn’t surprising because the part of the test where candidates get the lowest band score on average is the IELTS Writing test.

Here are the statistics for 2010 (the latest figures available) from the official IELTS website:

the average band score for IELTS Academic Writing is 5.6 for females and 5.4 for males
the average band score for IELTS General Training Writing is 5.9 for females and 5.8 for males

These band scores are lower than the average scores for IELTS Listening, Reading and Speaking (with the exception of the average band score for IELTS General Training Reading for females, which is 5.8).

Of course, it’s important to remember that these figures are only the average band scores: a candidate who we’ve recently helped got a higher score for her writing than for her listening, reading or speaking!

Pete

See our IELTS tutor profiles to find out more about our qualified and experienced English language teachers.