There are 4 sections and of them Listening, Reading and Writing sections are completed on the same day sans any breaks. The Speaking section can be completed within a week before or after other tests. The total test runs for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

You can check the complete information at the official website: https://www.ielts.org/about-the-test/test-format . But to give you a glimpse, the Listening session has 40 questions where in a variety of questions are used. There are 4 parts with 10 questions each and the answers are heard in the audio and you get to hear the recording only once. You have to write the answers on the question paper and then at the end of the test, you are given 10 minutes to transfer the answers to the answer sheet. This is where you have to be careful because you get to hear the recording only once and then you cannot afford poor spellings and grammar as you will be penalised for the same. The listening test is marked by Certified markers and after all the answer sheets are marked, they are further analysed by Cambridge Assessment English.

The Reading section consists of 40 questions for 60 minutes and will test you on a broad range of reading skills like reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical argument and recognising writer's opinions, attitudes and purpose. This section includes excerpts from books, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, handbooks and guidelines. You should be able to recognise the main idea or theme in paragraphs or sections or a text and differentiate main ideas from supporting ideas. You should be able to recognise the relationships and connections between facts in the text and recognise opinions and theories.

In Writing section, there are 2 questions for 60 minutes. You will be asked to write a letter requesting information or explaining the situation. This letter may be personal, semi formal or formal in style. You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. You are assessed on Task Achievement. Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical range and accuracy along with Task response.

The Speaking section assesses your usage of Spoken English Test. It is usually for 11-14 minutes and you will be asked general questions about yourself and a range of topics that are familiar like home, family, work, studies and interests. You will be given a card on which you have to talk for a minute. You will be given a minute to think and then talk upto 2 minutes. You will be given an opportunity to discuss abstract ideas and issues. You are assessed on Pronunciation,  Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource  and Grammatical range and accuracy.

If you have been planning for IELTS, you must have joined an Institute. So stick to the basics that you have learned and during the Speaking section, keep the accent neutral with no Mother Tongue Influence.