IELTS General Training

IELTS General Training Format:

Listening
Here’s what you need to know about the Listening section of the IELTS General Training test:

Listening Section Details

- The Listening test has four parts, each with 10 questions. The questions follow the order of the information in the recording. 

Parts 1 and 2
Everyday Social Situations

  - Part 1: A conversation between two speakers (e.g., discussing travel arrangements).
  - Part 2: A monologue (e.g., a speech about local facilities).

Parts 3 and 4
-Educational and Training Situations
  - Part 3: A conversation between two main speakers (e.g., two university students, possibly guided by a tutor).
  - Part 4: A monologue on an academic subject.

You will hear each recording only once. Various accents, including British, Australian, New Zealand, and North American, are used. At the end of the test, you will have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet. Be careful with spelling and grammar, as mistakes will result in lost marks.

Summary

Time Allowed: Approximately 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes for transferring answers)
Number of Parts: 4
Number of Questions: 40
Marking: Each correct answer receives 1 mark. The final score is given as a band score in whole or half bands (e.g., 5.5 or 7.0).

Types of Questions
1. Multiple choice
2. Matching
3. Plan/map/diagram labelling
4. Form/note/table/flow chart/summary completion
5. Sentence completion
6. Short-answer questions

IELTS General Training Format:

 Reading

Everything You Need to Know About the Reading Part of Your IELTS General Training Test

IELTS General Training Reading Paper Overview

The Reading paper consists of three sections, each progressively more difficult.

Section 1: May include two or three short texts or several shorter texts, focusing on everyday topics. You'll need to extract key information from notices, advertisements, and timetables.
Section 2: Contains two texts centered on work-related topics, such as job descriptions, contracts, staff development, and training materials.
Section 3: Features one long text on a topic of general interest, typically descriptive and instructive. This section is more complex and the text is longer, sourced from newspapers, magazines, books, and online resources.

You must transfer your answers to an answer sheet during the allocated hour for the Reading test. Unlike the Listening test, there is no additional time for transferring answers. Pay attention to spelling and grammar, as errors will result in lost marks.

Summary

Time Allowed: 60 minutes (including transfer time)
Number of Sections: 3 (total text length: 2150–2750 words)
Number of Questions: 40
Marking: Each correct answer receives 1 mark. The final score is given as a band score from 1–9 in whole or half bands (e.g., 3 or 8.5).

Types of Questions

1. Multiple choice
2. Identifying information (True/False/Not given)
3. Identifying writer’s views/claims (Yes/No/Not given)
4. Matching information
5. Matching headings
6. Matching features
7. Matching sentence endings
8. Sentence completion
9. Summary/note/table/flow-chart completion
10. Diagram label completion
11. Short-answer questions

IELTS General Training Format:

Writing

Everything You Need to Know About the Writing Part of Your IELTS General Training Test

IELTS General Training Writing Paper Overview

The Writing paper consists of two tasks, both of which must be completed.

Task 1: Respond to a situation by writing a letter (e.g., asking for information or explaining a situation). Write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes.

Task 2: Discuss a point of view, argument, or problem. Write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes.

Answers must be written in full sentences on the answer sheet. Notes or bullet points are not allowed. You can make notes on the question paper, but these will not be seen by the examiner.

Marking Criteria

Certified IELTS examiners assess your performance based on four criteria:

1. Task Achievement/Response: How well you fulfill the task requirements.
2. Coherence and Cohesion: The clarity and fluency of your writing, including the logical order of ideas and appropriate use of linking words.
3. Lexical Resource: The range and accuracy of your vocabulary.
4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The variety and correctness of your grammar.

Task-Specific Details

Task 1: Assesses how well your letter achieves its purpose.
Task 2: Assesses how well you develop and support your argument with evidence and examples.

Summary

Time Allowed: 60 minutes
Number of Tasks: 2
Marking: Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.

Writing Tasks

Task 1: Letter Writing

What's Involved?

In General Training Writing Task 1, you are given a situation and need to write a letter of at least 150 words. The letter may be personal, semi-formal, or formal, depending on the task. The question paper will provide three bullet points indicating what information to include.

Examples of situations:

- Writing to a college accommodation officer about problems with your accommodation
- Writing to a new employer about time management issues
- Writing to a local newspaper about a plan to develop a local airport
- Writing to a rental agency about problems with your heating system

The style of writing should match the intended audience, whether it’s personal (e.g., to a friend) or formal (e.g., to a manager).

Skills Tested:

- Asking for and/or providing general factual information
- Expressing needs, wants, likes, and dislikes
- Expressing opinions (views, complaints, etc.)

How Much to Write?
A minimum of 150 words.

Task 2: Essay Writing

What's Involved?

In General Training Writing Task 2, you need to write a semi-formal/neutral discursive essay of at least 250 words. The task involves discussing an opinion, argument, or problem, with clear organization and relevant examples.

Examples of Topics:

- Whether children’s leisure activities should be educational
- How environmental problems can be solved
- Whether smoking should be banned in public places

Skills Tested:

- Providing general factual information
- Outlining a problem and presenting a solution
- Presenting and justifying an opinion
- Evaluating and discussing ideas, evidence, or an argument

How Much to Write?
A minimum of 250 words.

IELTS General Training Format:

Speaking

Everything You Need to Know About the Speaking Part of Your IELTS General Training Test

IELTS Speaking Test Overview

The Speaking test is a face-to-face interview between the test taker and an examiner, and it is recorded. The test consists of three parts, each designed to assess different aspects of your speaking ability.

Marking Criteria

Certified IELTS examiners evaluate your speaking performance based on four criteria:

1. Fluency and Coherence:* Assesses your ability to speak at a normal speed with minimal hesitation, organize sentences and ideas logically, and use cohesive devices appropriately.
2. Lexical Resource: Evaluates the range and accuracy of your vocabulary and your ability to express meaning using alternative vocabulary when necessary.
3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Measures the variety and correctness of your grammar.
4. Pronunciation: Assess how easily you can be understood.

Summary

Time Allowed: 11–14 minutes
Number of Parts: 3

Speaking Parts 1–3

Part 1 – Introduction and Interview

What's Involved?

The examiner introduces themselves and verifies your identity. You will be asked general questions on familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies, or interests. This part lasts 4–5 minutes.

Skills Tested:

Your ability to provide opinions and information on everyday topics and common experiences by answering a range of questions.

Part 2 – Long Turn

What's Involved?

You will be given a task card with a topic to talk about. The card will list points to cover and ask you to explain one aspect of the topic. You have one minute to prepare and can make notes. You then speak for up to two minutes. The examiner may ask one or two follow-up questions. This part lasts 3–4 minutes, including preparation time.

Skills Tested:

Your ability to speak at length on a given topic, use appropriate language, and organize your ideas logically.

Part 3 – Discussion

What's Involved?

You and the examiner will discuss issues related to the topic from Part 2 in a more general and abstract way, often in greater depth. This part lasts 4–5 minutes.

Skills Tested:

Your ability to explain opinions, analyze, discuss, and speculate about issues.